The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-12-05

Gsssss n the Ineesaatlsnal ses1e0
eos Dece mbes 2. 1OOo-sutn
and Na0mi.


PIE shall be my people. ana thy GOD my
God:
II. Where thou dies,. viii / die. ana there
all be buried: the Lord co so TO me. ard
more also. II ought but death part thee
| and me.
| Is. whenshe saw that she was sxeadfastiy
minded to go with her. then she left speak
Ing unto her.
Bethlehem. And II came TO pass. when they
were come 10 Bethlehem. that all the city
was moved about them. and they said. 10
this Naomi?
"a Ana she said unto them. CAN me not
Naomi call me Mara; for the Almighty
hath dealt very bitterly with me.
Il. 1 went out full. and the Lord hath
Drought me home again empty; why then
cali We me Naomi. seeing the Lord hath
TESTIFIED against me. andthe Almighty hath
afflicted me?
~ so Naomi returned, and Ruth tho
MoaDltess. her daughter-ir-law. with her
"hleh returned out OF the country OF Moab:
and they came TO Bethlehe m IN the begin
ning OF barley harvest
GOLDEN TEAT.-De kindly a6ec-
TONED one Ia nnother.-Rom. 1910.
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURE SECTION.
rum cnoice....,....... Ruth ].
ismths Ruth
IlME-B. G. 1872 and 1872
fLACE-Moab and Bethlehem.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
The story OF Ruth il story Of the
heart 1t shows the beauty and the
rewards OF life of unseifish devotion.
But Ruth is not the only noble char
acter in this little drama. In Naomi
and Boaz, as well, we have illustra-
lions of what the heart can do to-
WARDS making one worthy of homage
and imitation. In reading of the three
one feels moved to live so as 10 bless
others; and that kind of living, as
Jesus showed. is the kind that is ap-
proved Of God. In giving up all for the
sake of Naomi, Ruth gained all; in
losing her life she found it. So sweet
. story is well worth study.
Ii is not known who wrote the book.
or when he lived. Such explanations
of the story as Now this was the Gus
tom in former time in Israel" (4:D
show that the author wrote many
years. and perhaps many centuries,
after it all happened. and after many
OF the old-time customs had been for
gotten.
The story should be read and reread.
that 1t may teach its own simple les
son OF fidelity and love in its own way.
Following the Book of Judges. which
has been filed with bloodshed and yio-
lence and the heroism of the sterner
virtues. it comes upon us like bene-
diction of peace. 1t contains no trace
OF war or high politics; the disasters
of its story are the troubles Of family
life-exile, bereavement, poverty:
while its grand incidents are no more
than the yearly festivities of country
life. and the formal transfers of prop
esiy that must go on though kingdom
rise and fall."-Richard G. Moulton.
"Entreat me not to leave thee. etc.,
Both Ruth and Orpah loved, but loved
in different ways. Orpah dreaded the
parting. but she saw that Naomi was
right; il would be better for her 10
stay. She did not forget herself in her
love. Ruth's love was OF that higher
and rarer kind that knows no OBJ
stacles. To follow her mother-in-law
meant poverty in a strange land. but
personal considerations were moth
ing to her. She forgot herself in her
love, and went. Ruth's words have
"descended to us as the formula or
personal devotion for all time" "Thv
people shall be my people. and thy
God my God:" The character OF
Naomi is revealed here, too. IL n no
small thing to inspire such a noble de-
votion. She had gone into an idola.
trous land. but had remained true to
Jehovah. andwon her daughter TO Him
Also. "All the city was moved about
them" Naomi must have been well
known and, though the years Of sor-
row had changed her. was remem.
bered. Jehovah hath testified against
me-" Naomi's idea here Is the COM
mon Hebrew one. expressed by Jobs
friends. that suffering was sure sign
OF Gods disapproval. Christ taught
that this was not the case.
On reaching Bethlehem. Ruth found
herself in hard fight with poverty.
She went out like others who were
very poor. to pick mp the scattering
heads of grain that the reapers had
missed. But the story Of her unselfish
fidelity was known. and every one was
AihH w htts nN OWHeT Oh the nero IN
which she CLEANED turned out to be
kinsman of her hus bands and took q
great interest in her. finally marrying
her. SO ending the struggle with pov-
arty, and showing us that real nobility
Of character does not go unrewarded,
pven in the sight Of men.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
Each one at some time chooses be-
tween the road that leads TO Israel
md the road that leads to Moab.
Orpah saved her life. but lost Il:
Ruth lost her life, but found II.
II Is not enough TO 90 part way on
The road to the Kingdom OF Heaven.
Dine must continue to the end
II is better to 60 with one only On
The road that leads to Heaven than 70
remain with the multitude.
IL one chooses to serve God the d.
:ision should be irrevocable. There
Ihould be no half-mind about Il.
Spear PO1nts.
Sipviur saints re seldom 9 "a 49,.