Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1907-12-05
RUTH'S WISE
CHOICE
Sunday School Lesson for Dec. 8. 1907


LESSON ~TExT.-Ruth 1:l,-22. Memory
Verses. l6, II.
GOLDEN TEXT.-"Thy people shall be
my people, and thy God my God!"-Ruth
1;18.
TIME.-Ruth belongs to the times of
the Judges, possibly In the time OF Gideon,
y. c. 1~222-lls2, or in the early part of the
judgeship OF Ell, when East Israel was OPP
pressed by Amorites. and West Israel by
the Philistinss O13D. As she was the
great grandmother OF David. either date
Is possible. The dates are the common
ones in our Bible. Some scholars place
David's date considerably later,
PLACE.-The early home Of Naomi and
the later one OF Ruth was at Bethlehem.
around which so many interesting events
cluster. The early home OF Ruth was In
Moab, east OF the Dead Sea and southern
Jordan.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The Two Decislons.-The two wild.
owed daughters-in.law. Orpah, the
"Fawn," and Ruth, "the Rose OF
Moab" went part of the way to see
Naomi of, as friends and relatives
we're accustomed to do, and as is still
the custom in the east. When the time
came to part, when they had kissed
each other and wept together, they
both declared they would not return,
but would go with her to Israel, Like
q wise woman, she declined to take
advantage of the impulse Of passion.
ate regret, which seemed adverse to
their temporal welfare, and Which
their cooler judgment might not sane
ton, and urged them. by many strong
arguments, to return" God wrestled
with Jacob with desire to be con-
quered; so Naomi, no doubt, opposed
Ruth, hoping and wishing that she
herself might be foiled.'-T. Fuller.
She would have Ruth fully understand
her own mind, and realize what the
decision would cost her. So in the
parable Of Christ (Luke IA: 26.33).
So Joshua, In his farewell address to
his people, when urging them with all
his soul to be true to their God, even
after their declaration-"God forbid
that we should forsake the Lord
tells them, "Ye cannot serve the
Lord" Josh. "a: 21).
Orpah decides to go back to her
people. There vas little to attract her
TO a new ana strange nome WIN poV.
erty In prospect, Win NIUE nope tha'
she would De welcome 10 the exclusive
Jews 10 whom, as wen as 10 mel
mother. she might become a burden
nothing to attract her except love and
religion. Neither Of these did she
possess IN u degree sunlcleht u over
come the obstacles in the way, We
90 not know whether she returned 10
the worship OF idois OF whether she'
at least IN private. ciuhg 10 the re,
ngion and the Sod she nad learned
from Naomi
futh, win a deeper nature anu
clearer insight win a love 10 Naomi
that woulu cheer II ner,
and a Consciousness OF her heed OF
Coo n love 10 Zoo that maze III
other dressings as nothlhg IN mi
son, clave unto Naomi ana, INK MARY.
chose the good part which snail not
De away ron her.
v. 10. ana futn sad 'ituth
passionate burst OF .enderness ls I'M
mortal. IL mas put INTO ntting words
Tor all generations d deepest
thoughts OF oVlng hearts, ana comes
10 us over all the centuries W
as warm ana living as when IL Welled
up from thAt pure, neroic SOUL Inc
Two strohsest emotiohs Oh our nature
are iehueu IN IT, anu each si'es por,
'on Oh lts ier'or-io'e anu
-Maciareh'
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