Wow!!!!

Who knew that a bible study could be as riveting as the latest blockbuster thriller??? 

Who knew that a bible study would keep me on the edge of my seat, saying over and over again... "I wonder what happens next?!"

Who knew that when you stop reading the words on the page, and actually dig deeper in the bible, you can find the greatest mystery, action, drama or romance story?

Really, WHO KNEW???
And that's just the first 5 verses!

This... is the book we're studying.
Now, I'm just gonna wait right here while ya'll go grab your bibles so we can recap our 1st lesson!
Go on.... get your bible!

Ruth 1:1 In the days when the judges ruled, [a] there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. 2 The man's name was Elimelech, his wife's name Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.

3 Now Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

Naomi's family being from Bethlehem-Judah is like a New Yorker also being an American.  They left Bethlehem because there was a famine in the land.  To get a little history on the relationship between Israel and Moab read Genesis 19:30-38.  What do these verses say about the origin of the Moabites?  (Sound like anyone you would like to associate with?)

Now read Dueteronomy 23:3-6 and Judges 3:12-14.  Does this not sound a bit disfuncional?  Not a healthy relationship, for sure.  It's not like us, as American's, going into Canada.  This was an enemy.  One whom God had commanded His children not to be in relationship with.

Here I began to quesion Elimelech and Naomi's faith.  Did they not believe that God would provide?  And, hey!  Bethelem is known as the House of Bread, so what's up with the famine there in the first place?

Read Judges 2:11-19.  Do you see any evidence for why there was a famine in the land?  Yeah... I did to!

Now, what did the people tend to do when a judge died? (vs.19)  This made the think about our Presidents.  It seems with each one... our society gets worse and worse.  Now we're okay with same-sex marriage and abortion.  We always behave even worse than with the last President.

Elimelech and Naomi stood on the precipice of a sticky decision -to stay in the arid land of God's choosing or to flee to the bountiful one God had roped off.  We know what Elimelech chose, but what about you?  What will you choose?

Ponder Galatians 6:9 and Hebrews 11:24-26 and comment about how those verses encourage you to stand firm where God has you.

It is our wisdom to make the best of that which is, for it is seldom that changing our place is mending it. -Matthew Henry.

God is present right where you are.  Stay put and stand firm.  It is always more blessed to be under the care of His will than anywhere else - no matter how green the grass.

That's Day 1 of our journey folks.  Please leave some feed back on how you enjoyed the beginning of the study and if you'd like to see it presented another way.  I mean if another format would make it easier to read.  I'll leave this one up a day or 2 then post Day 2 that we did at the same time. 

The book has 5 days of study, then a session with recipes and such.  It is a living room study, so you're supposed to do the daily studies, then meet at the end of each session and discuss them.  Oh, and eat!

I hope you're enjoying Ruth as much as I am.  I love getting all the history.  Who knew that Elimelech and Naomi leaving Bethlehem and journeying to Moab held such implecations!  I can't wait to read what happens next!

Abundance Abounds.... Joy