Understanding What You Read:<\/h2>\n\n- When did this story take place?<\/li>\n
- What caused Elimelech and his family to move to Moab?<\/li>\n
- What does \u201cEphrathites\u201d mean?<\/li>\n
- Who were the Moabites? (Genesis 19:30-37)<\/li>\n
- Was marriage to someone from Moab allowed? (Deuteronomy 23:3; Nehemiah 13:23-25)<\/li>\n
- How long did they stay in Moab?<\/li>\n
- Why did Naomi decide to return to Judah?<\/li>\n
- Who went with Naomi? Why?<\/li>\n
- Why did Naomi say the women should return to their homes?<\/li>\n
- What was the reaction of each of the women?<\/li>\n
- What is the significance of Ruth\u2019s declaration in Ruth 1:16-17?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Our story begins with a family driven from their home town of Bethlehem because of famine. Their home town is called \u201cBethlehem in Judah\u201d to distinguish it from another town of Bethlehem that was located in Zebulun (Joshua 19:10,15). They are also called Ephrathites because the old name for the region was Ephrath (Genesis 35:19; 48:7). Elimelech moves to Moab with his wife and two sons. Elimelech\u2019s name means \u201cGod is my king.\u201d His wife Naomi\u2019s name means \u201cbeautiful or pleasant.\u201d But their children\u2019s names are unusual. The name Mahlon means \u201cinfirmity or weak\u201d and the name Chilion means \u201cweary or failing strength.\u201d This has led commentators to wonder if the young men were sickly when born and their ill-health is what caused their early deaths. It is also possible that their names reflect that the boys were born in the time of famine and their names merely reflected the circumstances in which they were born.<\/p>\n
Initially, they did not intend to stay long. \u201cSojourn\u201d indicates this was supposed to be a temporary relocation. Sometime during that stay, Elimelech died. Notice that at his death, Elimelech is referred to as Naomi\u2019s husband. It is an unusual phrasing since usually the woman is referred to as the husband\u2019s wife. The boys then marry two women from Moab, which would be in violation of the law (Deuteronomy 23:3; Nehemiah 13:23-25), but it appears that the women had converted to the Israelite religion because when Orpah leaves Naomi, she is said to have returned to her family and her gods (Ruth 1:15). Orpah married Chilion and Ruth married Mahlon (Ruth 4:10). Eventually, they stayed ten years in Moab, but there is not enough information to conclude when Elimelech died or how long the boys were married before their deaths.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/scan0017-7.jpg\")
Ruth Pleads to Go With Naomi Ruth 1:8-18<\/p><\/div>\n
After her sons died, Naomi decides to return to her hometown of Bethlehem. She had heard that the famine had ended through God\u2019s intervention. Her daughters-in-law dutifully go with her, but Naomi decides she is better off returning alone. Naomi sends off her daughters-in-law with a blessing (Ruth 1:8-9). She asks that God deals with them in chedsedh<\/em>, a Hebrew word that \u201ccombines the warmth of God\u2019s fellowship with the security of God\u2019s faithfulness\u201d [J. A. Motyer, The Revelation of the Divine Name, 1959]. The women cry, showing that there is love between them. Both daughters-in-law insist that they would surely go with Naomi to her people.<\/p>\nBut Naomi, calling them her daughters, declines. She can\u2019t offer them another husband (Ruth 1:11-12) because she is too old to have more children. Even if she could find a husband and have children soon, it wasn\u2019t reasonable for them to wait until they were grown. Besides, Naomi is certain that God is against her (Ruth 1:13, 20-21). Like many, Naomi had decided she was better off alone in her misery.<\/p>\n
Again the women weep, perhaps understanding the difficulty of the situation. Eventually, Orpah heeds Naomi\u2019s advice and returns, but Ruth refused to go and hangs on to Naomi. Naomi again urges her to go back, pointing out that her sister-in-law was going, perhaps to point out that she would not be alone. Naomi\u2019s God appears to have abandoned Naomi, but perhaps Orpah and Ruth would find comfort in their former religion.<\/p>\n
However, Ruth firmly rejects the idea of returning and leaving Naomi. She makes an oath before Naomi\u2019s God that she will not leave Naomi. Her people and her God would become Ruth\u2019s people and Ruth\u2019s God. She would stay with Naomi until death parts them. Ruth had chosen to become an Israelite, leaving behind her family, her nation, and her gods. It is an expression of a covenant vow and a rejection of her past life.<\/p>\nSeeing that Ruth was firm in her decision, Naomi stopped trying to talk her into leaving.
\nChoices can be crucial. Elimelech made a choice to leave Israel. It appeared to be a good business decision, but it left Elimelech and his sons dead and their wives widowed. Ruth made a choice to leave Moab and its false religion for a new country and the true God (Mark 10:29-30). That choice, while hard at first, brings about new hope as the story progresses.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPrior Lesson\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tA Study of Ruth\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNext Lesson\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A Series of Unfortunate Events Reading: Ruth 1:1-18 Understanding What You Read: When did this story take place? What caused Elimelech and his family to move to Moab? What does \u201cEphrathites\u201d mean? Who were the Moabites? (Genesis 19:30-37) Was marriage to someone from Moab allowed? (Deuteronomy 23:3; Nehemiah 13:23-25) How long did they stay in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":19844,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-19854","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":19827,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/ruth\/ruth-chapter-1\/","url_meta":{"origin":19854,"position":0},"title":"Ruth: Chapter 1","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 12, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Ruth: Chapter 1 1. During which historical period in Israel did this narrative occur? \u201c\u2026It came to pass in the days when the Judges ruled...\u201d (Ruth 1:1), a period of about 450 years between the conquest and the kingdom (Acts 13:20). 2. What was the moral climate in Israel at\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/image_2-3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/image_2-3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/image_2-3.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":22407,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/survey-of-the-bible\/survey-of-the-bible-ruth\/","url_meta":{"origin":19854,"position":1},"title":"Survey of the Bible – Ruth","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 15, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Survey of the Bible - Ruth by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ruth 1:15-18 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The book of Ruth takes place during the later years covered by the book of Judges - Ruth 1:1 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It serves as a contrast to the overall gloomy description of the decay of Israel - Judges\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":19817,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/a-study-of-ruth\/kindness-shown\/","url_meta":{"origin":19854,"position":2},"title":"Kindness Shown","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 12, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Kindness Shown Text: Ruth 1:19-2:23 Understanding What You Read: Why did Naomi\u2019s return cause a stir in Bethlehem? What new name did Naomi want to be called? Why? Who did Naomi think caused her problems? Was this a lack of faith on her part? What did Ruth volunteer to do?\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/scan0015-7.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":20418,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/a-study-of-ruth\/an-opportunity-to-repay\/","url_meta":{"origin":19854,"position":3},"title":"An Opportunity to Repay","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 26, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"An Opportunity to Repay Text: Ruth 3 Understanding What You Read: What did Naomi wish to obtain for Ruth? How was Ruth to prepare herself? How was she to gain Boaz\u2019s notice? What did Boaz praise Ruth for not doing? Where was it inappropriate for a woman to be? What\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":19830,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/ruth\/ruth-chapter-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":19854,"position":4},"title":"Ruth: Chapter 2","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 12, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Ruth: Chapter 2 \u00a0 1. Who was Boaz? Boaz was \u201ca man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech\u201d (Ruth 2:1). Thus, he was suited to do the duty of a kinsman to Ruth, on behalf of her late husband. Boaz was the son of Rahab (Matthew 1:5), presumably\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/scan0018-7.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/scan0018-7.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/scan0018-7.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":19851,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/a-study-of-ruth\/background-to-the-book-of-ruth\/","url_meta":{"origin":19854,"position":5},"title":"Background to the Book of Ruth","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 12, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Background to the Book of Ruth Assignment: Read the entire Book of Ruth as a story. Understanding What You Read: List out the people mentioned in Ruth and what you know about them. What do you think is the purpose of this book? Why did God see fit to include\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19854"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19854\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Our story begins with a family driven from their home town of Bethlehem because of famine. Their home town is called \u201cBethlehem in Judah\u201d to distinguish it from another town of Bethlehem that was located in Zebulun (Joshua 19:10,15). They are also called Ephrathites because the old name for the region was Ephrath (Genesis 35:19; 48:7). Elimelech moves to Moab with his wife and two sons. Elimelech\u2019s name means \u201cGod is my king.\u201d His wife Naomi\u2019s name means \u201cbeautiful or pleasant.\u201d But their children\u2019s names are unusual. The name Mahlon means \u201cinfirmity or weak\u201d and the name Chilion means \u201cweary or failing strength.\u201d This has led commentators to wonder if the young men were sickly when born and their ill-health is what caused their early deaths. It is also possible that their names reflect that the boys were born in the time of famine and their names merely reflected the circumstances in which they were born.<\/p>\n
Initially, they did not intend to stay long. \u201cSojourn\u201d indicates this was supposed to be a temporary relocation. Sometime during that stay, Elimelech died. Notice that at his death, Elimelech is referred to as Naomi\u2019s husband. It is an unusual phrasing since usually the woman is referred to as the husband\u2019s wife. The boys then marry two women from Moab, which would be in violation of the law (Deuteronomy 23:3; Nehemiah 13:23-25), but it appears that the women had converted to the Israelite religion because when Orpah leaves Naomi, she is said to have returned to her family and her gods (Ruth 1:15). Orpah married Chilion and Ruth married Mahlon (Ruth 4:10). Eventually, they stayed ten years in Moab, but there is not enough information to conclude when Elimelech died or how long the boys were married before their deaths.<\/p>\n
Ruth Pleads to Go With Naomi Ruth 1:8-18<\/p><\/div>\n
After her sons died, Naomi decides to return to her hometown of Bethlehem. She had heard that the famine had ended through God\u2019s intervention. Her daughters-in-law dutifully go with her, but Naomi decides she is better off returning alone. Naomi sends off her daughters-in-law with a blessing (Ruth 1:8-9). She asks that God deals with them in chedsedh<\/em>, a Hebrew word that \u201ccombines the warmth of God\u2019s fellowship with the security of God\u2019s faithfulness\u201d [J. A. Motyer, The Revelation of the Divine Name, 1959]. The women cry, showing that there is love between them. Both daughters-in-law insist that they would surely go with Naomi to her people.<\/p>\n But Naomi, calling them her daughters, declines. She can\u2019t offer them another husband (Ruth 1:11-12) because she is too old to have more children. Even if she could find a husband and have children soon, it wasn\u2019t reasonable for them to wait until they were grown. Besides, Naomi is certain that God is against her (Ruth 1:13, 20-21). Like many, Naomi had decided she was better off alone in her misery.<\/p>\n Again the women weep, perhaps understanding the difficulty of the situation. Eventually, Orpah heeds Naomi\u2019s advice and returns, but Ruth refused to go and hangs on to Naomi. Naomi again urges her to go back, pointing out that her sister-in-law was going, perhaps to point out that she would not be alone. Naomi\u2019s God appears to have abandoned Naomi, but perhaps Orpah and Ruth would find comfort in their former religion.<\/p>\n However, Ruth firmly rejects the idea of returning and leaving Naomi. She makes an oath before Naomi\u2019s God that she will not leave Naomi. Her people and her God would become Ruth\u2019s people and Ruth\u2019s God. She would stay with Naomi until death parts them. Ruth had chosen to become an Israelite, leaving behind her family, her nation, and her gods. It is an expression of a covenant vow and a rejection of her past life.<\/p>\nSeeing that Ruth was firm in her decision, Naomi stopped trying to talk her into leaving. A Series of Unfortunate Events Reading: Ruth 1:1-18 Understanding What You Read: When did this story take place? What caused Elimelech and his family to move to Moab? What does \u201cEphrathites\u201d mean? Who were the Moabites? (Genesis 19:30-37) Was marriage to someone from Moab allowed? (Deuteronomy 23:3; Nehemiah 13:23-25) How long did they stay in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":19844,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-19854","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":19827,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/ruth\/ruth-chapter-1\/","url_meta":{"origin":19854,"position":0},"title":"Ruth: Chapter 1","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 12, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Ruth: Chapter 1 1. During which historical period in Israel did this narrative occur? \u201c\u2026It came to pass in the days when the Judges ruled...\u201d (Ruth 1:1), a period of about 450 years between the conquest and the kingdom (Acts 13:20). 2. What was the moral climate in Israel at\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/image_2-3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/image_2-3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/image_2-3.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":22407,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/survey-of-the-bible\/survey-of-the-bible-ruth\/","url_meta":{"origin":19854,"position":1},"title":"Survey of the Bible – Ruth","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 15, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Survey of the Bible - Ruth by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ruth 1:15-18 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The book of Ruth takes place during the later years covered by the book of Judges - Ruth 1:1 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It serves as a contrast to the overall gloomy description of the decay of Israel - Judges\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":19817,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/a-study-of-ruth\/kindness-shown\/","url_meta":{"origin":19854,"position":2},"title":"Kindness Shown","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 12, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Kindness Shown Text: Ruth 1:19-2:23 Understanding What You Read: Why did Naomi\u2019s return cause a stir in Bethlehem? What new name did Naomi want to be called? Why? Who did Naomi think caused her problems? Was this a lack of faith on her part? What did Ruth volunteer to do?\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/scan0015-7.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":20418,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/a-study-of-ruth\/an-opportunity-to-repay\/","url_meta":{"origin":19854,"position":3},"title":"An Opportunity to Repay","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 26, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"An Opportunity to Repay Text: Ruth 3 Understanding What You Read: What did Naomi wish to obtain for Ruth? How was Ruth to prepare herself? How was she to gain Boaz\u2019s notice? What did Boaz praise Ruth for not doing? Where was it inappropriate for a woman to be? What\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":19830,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/ruth\/ruth-chapter-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":19854,"position":4},"title":"Ruth: Chapter 2","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 12, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Ruth: Chapter 2 \u00a0 1. Who was Boaz? Boaz was \u201ca man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech\u201d (Ruth 2:1). Thus, he was suited to do the duty of a kinsman to Ruth, on behalf of her late husband. Boaz was the son of Rahab (Matthew 1:5), presumably\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/scan0018-7.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/scan0018-7.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/scan0018-7.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":19851,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/a-study-of-ruth\/background-to-the-book-of-ruth\/","url_meta":{"origin":19854,"position":5},"title":"Background to the Book of Ruth","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 12, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Background to the Book of Ruth Assignment: Read the entire Book of Ruth as a story. Understanding What You Read: List out the people mentioned in Ruth and what you know about them. What do you think is the purpose of this book? Why did God see fit to include\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19854"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19854\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nChoices can be crucial. Elimelech made a choice to leave Israel. It appeared to be a good business decision, but it left Elimelech and his sons dead and their wives widowed. Ruth made a choice to leave Moab and its false religion for a new country and the true God (Mark 10:29-30). That choice, while hard at first, brings about new hope as the story progresses.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPrior Lesson\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tA Study of Ruth\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNext Lesson\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"