The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1888-12-21
RUTB'S CHOICE.
LESSON XII, FOURTH QUARTER,
INTERNATIONAL SERIES, DEG. 49,.

IN eHNAVjONAI SeHleSy DEC. rs.
Text Of the Lesson. Ruth II. i0-23-Com
init Verses l0.1s-Golden Text, Ruth
II. 10-Cdmmentayy by Rev. D. M
stcarns.
Condensed from Lesson Helper Quarterly by
p pensSsr OF H. g. Hoffman, Philadelphia
The book of Ruth, with its record of her
devotion to the God of Israel and the great
blessing He bestowed upon her. is delight.
full resting place after the book Of Judges
with its record Of the many backslidings OF
Israet--slnd consequent expressions by their
enemies. The first verse tells us that it was
in thedays Of the judges that the events Of
this book TRANSFERRED, and some think as early
as tile time of Gideon The story of the
book Is briefly as follows: Elimelech and
Naomi of Bethlehem-Judah left their own
home because of famine in the lan,l, and,
taking their two sons with them, went to re-
side In the country of Moab. There Elime-
lech died; the two sons married women of
Moab, and after some years each of the SONS
died, SO that Naomi was left alone with her
two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth,
| Dcl CIV VI OOUu AuoOuuu uuQ SOllS. AlU6T
spending about ten years in the land
of Moab q, a she starts with her daugh-
tiers to return to her own land; Orpah
is persuaded to remain among her own people
in Moab, but Ruth clings to Naomi and her
God and her people, as recorded in our lesson
today. Her faithfulness is rewarded by God
giving her as husband mighty man of
wealth, of the family of Elimelech, whose
name was Boaz iii, y, and unto them is born
child whom they cali Obed; he is the father
of Jesse, the father of David tv, 1910.
49, sand Ruth said, entreat me not to
leave thee or to return from following after
thee" Elimelech signifies "my God is king;"
and Bethlehem-Judah signifies sthe house of
bread and praise;" and it seems very strange
to see these people of the true God going out
to the Moabites for the Moabites were the
enemies of Israel, Deut xiii, 3, ~, even
though there was famine in the land. The
God who fed Israel forty years in the wilder
ness could find some way to provide for His
people even in time of famine. Elimelech
and Naomi did not go into the land of Moab
to glorify God, nor to seek His honor among
that people, nor to tell of His wondrous works.
We do not read of anything they did to honor
God among the Moabites those ten years;
and now that Naomi is returning to the land
and people of the only living and true God,
instead of encouraging Orpah and Ruth to
forsake the land of idols and 60 with her, we
find her urging them both to remain in Moab,
and in the case of Orpah she is successful.
But Ruth, for some cause, is determined to
forsake Moab and idolatry and cleave to the
God and people of Israel Perhaps the life
of Naomi was better than her testimony, and
Ruth had seen in her that which commended
the God of Israel; or it may be that the
prophecies of BALKAN had come to her ears
with power; or the tidings of the death of
and mourning for Moses in the land of Moab;
but whatever it was, we praise God for the
whole hearted turning from idols to serve the
living and true God of this Gentle woman.
The clinging of Ittai the Gittite. to David the
king, as he fled from Absalom, was some
whatsimilar; and also the words of Elisha to
Elijah III Sam. XIV, 81; II Kings Ii, 30.
May such be our words to the Lord Jesus,
and may we with purpose of heart cieave
unto the Lord" Acts XII, 23).
l7.A .XA2 Lord dogo to me, and more also,
If augyy death Part thee and me- TAX
ing the words of these two verses together,
they certainly indicate on the part of Ruth
and we are reminded of the testimony of
Paul at Casarea, on his last journey to Jeru-
SALIENT 81 am ready. not to be bound only,
but also to die at Jerusalem for the name Of
the Lord Jesus" Acts xxi. 49, 81 count
not my life dear unto myself, so that
might finish my course with joy, and
the ministry which l have received of
the Lord Jesus" ACTS Xxx, 24
IS. ''She was steadfastly minded to go
with her" Or, as in the margin, she
strengthened herself to go it is the same
word that is translated courageous, or of
good courage, in Deut xxi, &, Z, %; JOSH
], o. z g. Is, etc., and in Ps. xvii, IA; XXI,
"A, we are promised that il we wait on the
Lord He will strengthen our hearts. In Luke
xix, 81, we are told that when the time was
come for Jesus to be received up, He stead
fastly set His face to go to Jerusalem; and if
we would be steadfast and unmovable,
Astounding in the work of the Lord, it must
be by steadfastly fixing our eyes and our
hearts upon Him as we see Him in His lowly
despised public life, His death in our stead
on Calvary, His resurrection, ascension and
continued inteYcession for us, ard His glori-
GUS appearing for which we wait Thus as
we labor i'll His harvest field He will drop
many handful on purpose for us iii, 16),
and we shall know him as our kinsman and
Redeemer a mighty man OF wealth.
-. "They came to Bethlehem" About |
six miles south of Jerusalem; there Rachel |
died and was buried when Benjamin, Young
est of Jacobs sons, was born, of whom Moses |
said, ''Ihe beloved of the Lord shall dwell !
in safety by Him; and the Lord shall cover |
him all the day long, and he shall dwell be-
tween His shoulders" Weut xxxiii, ~; and |
Of the tribe OF Benjamin came Saul of Tar
sus (Rom. xi, y the great apostle to the Gen
tiles. At Bethlehem was born David, the
man after Gods own heart and there also
was born Dayids greater son, Jesus, who is
yet to sit on David's throne.
~. "Ihe Almighty hath dealt very Bit
erly with me-" AS the women said, SIS this
NaomiF she replied, call me not Naomi
which signifies pleasantly but call me
Nara (Which signifies "bitter'1, giving this
Is her own reason for the new name. Now
n this she does not talk like humble child
If God. but manifests a rebellious spirit
against the Lord and His dealings with her.
some one has said truly that she1 blames the
Almighty when all He did was graciously
% bring her home again, making
doab prove a Mara, lest she should die and
,e buried there
q. 81 went out full, and the Lord hath
,rought me home again empty" Now she
peaks truly. OF her own accord she went
ut, and the Lord had to bring her home;
be sheep wandered, the shepherd sought and
ound. However full we may be, il we wan
Ter away from God He will permit the devil
DON to empty us, that we may be led to
hink of the Fathers house and the album
ance there; thus it was with the prodigal Of
luke XIV. and thus it ever will be with the
hid of God who wanders from the Fathers
ouse of bread. How long it took to empty
be prodigal we ore not told; it took ten