The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-02-03
INTERNATIONAL,
SU1lDG1SC[l()OL
LESSON
s Sunday School Course Moody Bible Ins
stitute, Chicago.) ( u y ~ ~; 80

(By b. o. SELLERS, Acting Director Eof
s Sunday School Course Moody Bible Ins
sttute. :ChicagG3 ~ 3 3 :, X ~
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY I
RUTH CHOOSES THE i: TRUE GOD.
LESSON (TExT-Ruth 1:s-1a Read en-
tire book.) 81 81. n &
GOLDEN TExT-Thy people shall be
my people. and thy God my God. Ruth
1:6. t.,sas y 4ES, ,5.9
The book Of Ruth is q great love
story, full Of deep spiritual sugges
tiveness. Amid the tales Of Warsade; de;
ceit, success and failure, this stors
most beautifully illustrates another q
side OF the life Of the Israeiites.S The
author Of the book Is supposed; to ;
have been the same as s5the writer OF l
Judges, perhaps Samuel. 81; s.
L. "There Was a Famine In the
Land" This famine drove Elimelech,
his wife Naomi and their two SONS,
Mablon and Chiffon, into the land cf
Moab. even as Abram before them
went down. into Egypt. The imrni;;3 i
grant 1ons married In that land, one
Of them becoming the husband or
Ruth. Through this 1sraelitish al
lance Ruth learned Of the true God
and the record OF this book reveals
God to all who turn TO him int SINGER
ity and truth. This suggests the es-s
sential missionary character Of the,
Old Testament After the death lof'
her husband and sons Naomi. hear.
ing Of returning prosperity In the,
homeland (1:16), elected to return 70
her own people. q:
II. ) a.Entreat Me- Not 80 Leavs5
Thee" This story puts TO silence al g u.
Of the mothersin.law Jokes. w hen
Naomi thought they had gone far
enough she sought to dismtss the
younger women and M expressed 10
them the tender. affection which ae@x-,', q S
listed between them J sA woman IN an
eastern land can find rest only in3 the
house Of her husband and these young
widows stood but poor chance of se.s
curing husbands among those who
hated their race. Moreover We must
remember that they were pennilessE
There seemed tosbe nothing for them
to gain if they proceeded any farther;
g(y. 12). Orpah reluctantly and tear,
fully turned back but Ruth claye sto
Naomi ". II This illustrates our
experience when we have to- decide q
whether to leave friends. home md, md ],
everything that we may follow Christ
or, ION the other hand. have to choose
the things which are good and refuse
to follow the best, Aatt. ~; 4. Luke ,alh' !
1889 So ( 5:. "a
5a3 IIl. AWhither Thou Goest 4 VIII ~ ~.
CO." Naomi, gave Ruth another iop,ts:;
portunity to go back TO- her people
and this time bases her appeal upo1rl5 &
the love Of Ruth for Orpah {H 15) 4
The word Ruth means afriendship. Z.
and one OF the strongest motives fors
a loving nature to forsake the Lord
.is the love for those that are OF the:
world. Many young men and Young
women have had such loves but they
usually result IN making shipwrecks
Of faith. Read II Cor 5: y, 15;; Rom.
10:a7. This test caused Ruth to count
fully the cost (Luke 14:25-33l No
more beautiful nor immortal words /.
can be found In all literature than
,Ruth's reply wv. 16, I'D. Ruth words
are, ,still sung as best expressing our
song Of life devotion. They have FUR
nished inspiration for countless lives.
sermons and stories, and for ssomes sot
the earth,s greatest musicians as we'll
They most wonderfully illustrate our
attitude towards him whom not hay-s
ing seen ye love" q Peter 1:S} l1)S5
tEntreat me not to leave thee NO j
difficulties, duties, facinations nor per
secutions are to turn Jus aside CD
,'oWhither thou goest." Towards every
Ideal, service, field of endeayor, war.
fare, or experience. (3) Where thou
lodgest I will LODGE: Where his peo-
pie are in the home, I'm service inter
course, social life, here and hereafter.
I will abide in Christ. az THY peo-
pie shall be my people" One In love,
sympathy and purpose In Christ ~ 4
Where thou diest I will die" LIE! me me
die the death Of the righteous. (6)r
"There will be buried" In the same
hope of immortality. of the resurrecss
ton, of death being swallowed up In !
victory (Gal. 3:20; Eph. 2:6: ! Cor.
1850. Ruth did not ask for com
plete data from Naomi before she &C
companied her to the homeland (John
1926.
w. The Sequel. At Bethlehem
Ruth had no other thought than to
cling to her mother-in-law, even In
poverty and life of lowly service.
She did her menial duties faithfully,
and displayed more of the real hero
ism of faith than that shown IN the
daring exploits recorded in the pther
history (Judges) Of her day. The
truest hero is not the reckless ipartici-
pant In Europe's battlefelds, nor Is he
found in the mad struggle for CONNER.
cial supremacy, but more often In the
self.sacrifcing acts Of tender women
and in the common round of life's
duties. Ruth in humble hut with
Naomi was better off and better salts
fed than to have lived In the finest