Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1907-12-04
The SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson X.-Fourth Quarter, For
Dec. 8, 1907.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

fext Of the Lesson, Ruth i, 14-22--mem.
DRY Verses, 16, 17-Golden Text, Ruth
j, 16--commentary Prepared by Rev.
D. M. Stearns.
Copyright 1907, by American Press Association
A beautiful story of the days of the
judges, when there was so much re-
belion against God and when for
time every man did right In his own
eyes" tJudg. xvii, G; xxi, 25) Through
all God bad His fOthniel and Gideon
and Barak and Jephtha and others and
was quietly and surely working out
His eternal purpose. The last word In
this book, David, tells us one reason
why the book was written The first
and last titles of Christ in the New
Testament associate Him with David
Matt. /. ]; Rev. xii. l6), the name
used more than any other In the
Scriptures and whose throne Is yet to
give worldwide blessing. The clos
ing verses of the book inform us as to
his ancestry for several generations
and that Ruth of our story was his
great.grandmOther and that her hus-
band Boas was the son Of Rahab OF
Jericho, both of these women having
honorable mention in Matt. |, in which
chapter David is the only man called
king, although the names of many
kings are given. The story Of this
book Is foreshadowing Of the time
when the weary cleaners shall pos
sess the field in that morning when
God shall help Israel and the meek
shall inherit the earth Cps. XVI, 8, mar
gin: xxxvii. IL; Matt. V, 81. Our kins-
man Redeemer, the true mighty man
of wealth. shall redeem the inheritance
and deliver the whole creation from
the bondage of corruption into the
glorious liberty OF the children Of God
| Rom. viii. 21-23). "The Kingdom snail
be the Lords" (Obad. 2D.
Some one has outlined the book as
follows: Chapter 1, Ruth deciding;
CHAPTER ii. Ruth cleaning; chapter ILL
Ruth resting; chapter iv, Ruth reward
ed. The lesson assigned US Is In the
first portion. but we must look little
| at the context
1t looks as If Elimelech and Naomi
made a misstep in going to Moab, but
God overruled it as He does all things
to work out His purpose. Surely
the wrath of man shall praise Thee;
the remainder Of wrath shalt Thou re-
strain" ops. lxxvi, 10). The loss of her
husband and two sons In the land or
Moab looks to Naomi like a chasten-
ing for she says, II went out full, and
the Lord hath brought me home again
empty" verse 2D. The going out was
hers: the bringing home was the
Lords. She said, 1.-The hand OF the
Lord is gone out against me; the
Lord hath testified against me; the AL
mighty hath dealt very bitterly with
me. and the Almighty hath afflicted
me" oversees 10, 20, 2D. Yet doubtless
she would afterward add, Before
was afflicted | went astray, but now
have. | kept Thy word" FPS. cxix, 80
The fullness of blessing which came tC
her through Ruth could not have beer
known unless she had been empted
Broken and emptled vessels are the
kind the Lord uses. The name al
mighty" Is suggestive Of this, name
first used in Gen. xvii, /, and more
times I'm the book Of Job than In al
the rest of the Bible. Job. although
servant of God, thought a great dea
of himself dob XXX, but after he ha'
his ewes opened to see and abhor him
self he was blessed as never Defor'
| Chapter xiii.
That Naomi should urge her sons
wives to return to their idolatrou
homes and PEOPLE seems strange whel
she knew the God of Israel to be tn
on,v true God. but she was not special
ly iOvful in the Lord about that tim
ard was so lonely herself that sh
seemed to think only OF the tempora
welfare of her daughters-in-law. W
do not say but that she should at a
- costs lave sought to win the Moabite
, 70 the true God. but Christians Wi
2 never via peop'e out Of the world b
. c9inr Down into it and being col
: rorncl to Il Think how the people @
. doM das9i-cl Lot when he pleade
= 18th 'hem Il hey knew him too well.
y Naonil's testimony. on the whole
p must have been for God rather tina
2 against Him. else Ruth would neve
2 have acted or spoken as she did. Ma
" her immortal words lie ours as W
Y turn to Him who loved us and gay
y Himself 70" us verses -, 10. an
- NAV we indeed be as devoted to Hi
% Ms she was to Naomi. There Is al
% other gentle who always comes b
y fore me when think Of Ruth mea
2 Ittai. the Gittite, who said to DaVi
y "As the Lord lveth and as my loi
u the king liveth. surely in what plaC
~ my lord the king shall be, whether
~ death or life, even there also Will tt
% servant be" QI Sam. XIV, 2D. The'
% genties make us think OF two othe
20 In the gospel story, likewise q man al
30 a. woman who greatly refreshed Of
So Lord by their great faith
50 The words "steadfastly minded
D. Verse 49, make us think OF Acts V
SO; XII, 3d.. I Cor. XIV, SO, and work
q us q great desire to see Jesus onl,
and run with patience looking un
Him.
- $50 they two went" (verse 19) poin
us to another instance Of great dey
ton when Elisha refused to leave Elit'
because he wanted a double porti
of his spirit or Kings II, 1-15). and
) read. $50 they came; they two we
on; they two stood; they two we
over; they still went on and talked
When we desire to be filed with
Spirit as much as Elisha did that Il
and see Jesus as intently as he 81
Elijah, something WILL surely come
It to the glory Of God.