Evening star., 1923-04-28
BY REV. HUGH t. STEVENSON.

An unknown writer penned under
divine inspiration this charming pas
toral that has been admired by men
OF all ages as a literary production
Critics claim that it is without an
equal in the literature of any people
1t reveals the power of love to over
come the alterations, hostilities and
prejudices born of race and religion
1t is masterpiece that grips men
by its story of human life, facing
trials, temptations. tests. and finally
triumphant through faith in Jehovah
and conquering love. Framed in
the setting of a famine. shrouded in
the gloom of death, there IS spirit
in it of real human affection which
makes the book one of the abiding
glories of the Bible.
1t has been suggested that 1T has
prophetic and typical significance,
especially in connection with the ulti-
mate calling Of the Gentiles into the
. inheritance of the grace of God with
Israel and the relation Of the Gen.
| tile church of the present age to
Christ as redeemed and beloved
| bride. for ii introduces Ruth, the
MoabltlSh anceStreSS of David and our
Lord. Although it records events dur
ing that rugged period Of the Judges,
when Israel was finding herself as
nation. largely through the efforts
| of men of faith Che national leaders.
whose work as reformers. delivererS
and indicators of Israel ranks them
with the Greek heroes. the Roman
dictators and the American pioneers).
this gem of oriental history does not
deal with the stormy days of that
age. 1t opens up a window through
which we can see and study the
everyday life of the Hebrew people
in an hour when action is usually fol-
! lowed by a period of reaction, rest
and repose. If not relapse and apos-
tacy.
We can trace to unfavorable eco
nomic conditions at home as the
cause for the movement of the masses
away from their old home. 1t has
promoted emigration throughout the
centuries and in all lands just as it
has made our America the melting
pot Of the world The restless of the
sturdy viking of the northern part
Athenian stock Graded beneath the
Pantheon. as we'll as the emigrants
from other lands, that have flocked
here. and those who desire to come
at this moment, have largely been
Influenced by economic conditions.
! Famine in the usually fertile section
around Bethlehem caused Elimelech
to forsake the graves and groves Of
his fathers and seek in the rich. fer
tile and prosperous table lands of
Moab relief from the Affections Of the
famine.
Looking beyond the steaming val
ley of the Dead sea, one can see from
! bethlehem the mountains of Moa b
rise like purple wall against the
eastern Sky. Surrounded by the
scenes of suffering caused by the
+; famine and noting it's influence upon
: the health of his two sons bearing
! the ill-omen names Of Mahlon, the
sickly." and Chiffon, "the pining one"
the vision of the famous fields of
Moab appealed irresistibly to the
he took his wife. Naomi. the low
able" and went forth full" to So
Journ in idolatrous and immoral Moab.
where the unseen spiritual perils were
greater than those he daily witnessed
at his old home. The accumulated
series of calamities that followed
within ten years indicated to Naomi
that their emigration was without
divine approval. They had started
to sojourn, but they tarried until the
sons were married to young and
beautiful Moabitish women. When
the unfortunate father and the two
sons died leaving the pathetic picture
of three childless widows. the broken
hearted Naomi heard the call to re-
turn to the old home, where she
prosperity.
Mixed marriages are one of the
most dangerous modern social perils
Differences in race and religion fire.
Quently prove disastrous to pronis-
ing young people in their families
The reason that the marriage of
Elimelech'S sons was in each case un-
marred by the usual family difficult
ties that attend mixed marriages can
be traced to the personality of Naomi.
I !
of her daughters-in-laW. When she
determined to return to Bethlehem
both Orpah and Ruth decided to ac-
company her on her march homeward.
Although she was friendless and
alone. the aged mother-in-law
stopped somewhere on her pilgrimage
toward Bethlehem to urge both of
the law to return to
Moab, where there was some hope of
their securing husbands, happiness
and homes. She placed before them
the bitter lessons that she had learn
ed during her days in Moab and
pleaded with them to count the cost"
and follow her advice.
Orpha saw the external and tenn
poral things that her mother-i in law
pointed out. kissed her and returned
to her own people. Ruth, controlled
by her spiritual attitude, determined
to continue with her mother-in law.
Her choice revealed the evidence of
her genuine conversion. 1t was
marked by conviction, confession and
concentration. 1t was a tribute to
the character of Naomi and is the
most beautiful confession of human
love in all the literature of the world.
While Ruth'S voluntary choice was
primarily due to her love for Naomi,
she sacrificed her faith. family
friends and fireside when she said to
her mother-in-law: "Entreat me not
to leave thee. or to return from fol-
lowing after thee: for whittier thou
goest. I Will go: and where thou
be my people, and thy God my God.
Where thou diest, | will die, and
there will be buried: the Lord do so
to me, and more also, If ought but
death part thee and me-" The
irrevocable choice of Naomis country,
condition of poverty and religion
brought to Ruth all the joys of life.
No one ever sacrifices for the glory
of God without receiving his reward.
Ruth put her profession to the test
of ser ice. Her Willingness to work
! and by her efforts support her
! mother-in-law put her in the path
way of advancement. The arrival of
the two widows in Bethlehem filled
the community with excitement. To
the queries of all the broken-hearted
widow acknowledged that she was
Naomi, but requested that in view of
her great sorrows and sufferingS.
which she attributed to the Lord.
they call her Mara ("bitter'). She
was respondent like many great souls
have been when they misread the
meaning of the providence that filled
them with sorrow. Naomi had not
been traitor to Jehovah. She had
kept the faith in Moab and the con-
version of Ruth was an evidence of
her success as a missionary.
They returned at providential
season. They reached Bethlehem at
| the barley harvest, which usually
comes at April. when Palestine, COW
cred with foliage, must have appeared