The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-12-22
As CHOICE.
International Sunday School Lesson TO-
DecsmSer -. 1883.

PIACE-Bethlchem, SIX miles south OF
Jerusalem. The birthplace OF Christ ana
OF David, and home OF Ruth. Moab, east or
the Dead Sea, and south OF the river
Arnon This was the par, where Naomi
went The whole OF Moab extends east Of
the Dead Sea and the Jordan as far north
as the river Jabbok.
TnR Book OF RuTn-CD The author is I'M
known (s) 1t was probably written dur
ing the reign of David,
PERSONS Elmelech means "my God Is
king" Naomi Tor Naomis), lovely"
PLEASANT" Mahlon "sIckly;" Chilion,
"pining one" Ruth, "a friend or rose;"
Orp.h, "a fswn,"
THE STORY During the times of the
Judges great famine arose in Israel, and
Elmelech Of Bethlehem emisrated with his
wife and two sons to Moab beyond the
Dead Sea. Here his sons married two
Noabitish women. In the course Of ten
years all three husbands died. The
mother, Naomi, proposed TO return to hor
early home, aud the daughters-in-law pro-
posed At first 10 60 with her, and went .
little way. Orpdh kissed her mother-in-law
and returned home TO her heather worship
and idelatrous friends. 1t cost toe much
10 leave home and join her fortunes With q
poor widow in strange country, even
though it be 10 do good and TO serve God
HELPS OVER HARD PLAcKs-l6 Entrect ma
not, etc. Ruth chose the people OF Gad
and His service at every cost of self-sacri-
fee. Her choice WAS q type OF the choice Of
all who become Christians
RUTH's CHOICE l. Like Mary, she chose
the good part; she made the best possible
choice. ., She chose in full view Of all the
consequences. II was well-considered
choice. B. Her choice was Of spiritual good,
of right and duty and religion, at the cost
of poverty and friendcssness and toll.
1. She was led to her choice Of God aud re-
ligion through human affection. 5. She
chose irrevocably II was life choice.
49, Then came to B.thJshem!: the early homo
OF Naomi, which she had left ten years DO.
fore. Here, too, she had q small estate
ruth 4: 81. All the city icds moutd Bethle
hem was small town (Mie. 5: 2); and in
such small villages, and especially in an
age when there were no newspapers, mails,
etc, every event few quickly abroad by
the communications OF friend to friend.
Naomis return was an uncommon occur
renee. 20. CdI me not Naomi: l. e., pleas
ant happy. Cal me Mara: l. e., bitter.
81. Hath afflicted me: for distrustins God
and going to n heathen land for help
b. Bnrky ha'syst: the middle of April. The
story OF Ruth goes on to relate how she was
rewarded for her faithfulness IN cleaving
to her poor, widowed mother-in-l2w. Sha
marries a rich kinsman, and is the mother
Of the ancestors Of King David and Of
Christ
RuTu's kEcoMPENsE. The rest Of the
Book of Ruth tells the story Of her recon-
pensc for her self-denying love, and giving
up all to religion and TO God. She found
means OF supporting her mother-in-law.
9. She won the respect and favor of the
people among whom she lived 3, She
gained "a most excellent husband and home.
In Boaz we have "a model for the character
of a rich man in private life 4. Ruth had
the honor of including among her descend
ants the great Kings, David and Solomon,
and, above all, Jesus the Christ, through His
mother.
REASONS for choosing Gods people as our
people, and their God as our God ID Because
their God is a glorious trauSceudent,
mighty, holy merciful, loving; CO because
their peOyie are an excellent and happy
people; (3l Happiness is nowhere else to be
had but IN their God and with their people.
LESSON FACTs-A famine has desolated
the country Of Bethlehem. Elimelech,
resident of Bethlehem, is driven away from
his home, and constrained by the famine to
seek support for himself, his wife and two
sons in the land Of Moab, east OF the Jor-
dan. There they 1--we for about ten years;
there the sons marry; there Elimelech dies;
and there the two sons also pass away.
Three widows (mother and two daughters
n-law) are left to mourn IN secret places.
At last Naomi, the mother, decides TO re-
turn to her land and people. Her daugh-
ters-in-law declare they will accompany her,
though they are not lsraelites. She dis
suadcs them. The part ng ls hard, but
Orpah decides to remain with her people.
Ruth, however, can not make up her mind
to leave her mother-iu-laW. In protesting
that she will not consent TO abandon her,
she utters, in most touching and poetiCal
words, her firm determination. No Ian
guage could be more beautiful, and no poet
more poctical. That this deep affection of
Ruth was not merely natural Affection"
but was pcrmeated with a truly religious
spirit, is very apparent from her words:
"Thy people shall be my people, and hU God
my Gdn So the two went on together and
came to the village of Bethlehem. There
all NaOmi's old friends were amazed at her
return. They could hardly believe their
senses, for Moab was far off and ten years
a long time, and the days were evil days OF
violence.
CoMMENTs-"Thy people shall be my
people and thy God my God" SO says
Ruth. She had seen enough of the religion
of Israel to feel that it was far better than
that of her own ancestors. feel as though
Elimelech aud Mahlon aud Chiffon must
have been cody husbands, or Ruth would
not have .tas she did. Had they been rude,
tyrannical and harsh. she would have felt
very different about their GOD. 1t reminds
one Of the Sunday-schOol scholar who, when
asked how she found the Saviour, answered:
"First | learned to love my teacher, then |
loved my teachers Bible, and at last loved
my teachers Saviour" So feel as though
it was with Ruth. So she thoughtfully re-
solved to cast in her lot with them, and TO
trust their God for the balance Of her days.
Notice that in doing this she deliberately
abandoned las she thoughD all chance OF
marrying again, chance otlightly thought
of in those lands. Her resolve was one that
she was willing to sacrifice much to carry
out. In this we easily recognize that Ruth
lost nothing. Her gain was both temporal
and spiritual, as succeeding history shows.
In all this she sets US good example 1t is
a good thing TO cast in our lot with the