September 3, 2023 – Ruth 1

Lesson Date: September 3, 2023

Focal Scripture Passage: Ruth 1:1-22

AIM: To lead students to recognize that a crisis can either drive us to God or lead us away from Him, and to encourage them to trust and seek God through whatever crises they might face.

Before class: Read the notes on Ruth 1 found in the Sunday School Teacher Book.  Ask a volunteer to look up Romans 8:28 and be prepared to read it to the class when called upon.  Write the word “Crisis” on the markerboard or chalkboard.

INTRODUCTION (Create Learning Readiness): Tell the following to the class:

Imagine for a moment that you and your family leave your hometown, your extended family, and your church to take a job far away in another country.  Over the course of the next few years, your family settles in and grows comfortable in this new country, in spite of the fact there are no Christian churches to attend.  One day, however, your spouse and children are all killed in a terrible car accident.  In your time of grief and devastation, a friend directs you to a once-familiar Bible verse, Romans 8:28.

Ask the previously enlisted volunteer to read Romans 8:28.

Ask: “How would that make you feel?  In the midst of your crisis, could you see that God was working for good?” (probably not; you might feel that God may be doing good for others, but He certainly isn’t for you).

Direct the students’ attention to the word “Crisis” written on the board.  Ask: “How do you respond in a crisis?  Do you turn to God for help, or turn away from God, thinking He doesn’t care about you?”  Tell the class that most people do one or the other.

Tell the students the title of today’s lesson is Crisis and Commitment.  Tell them as we study the first chapter of Ruth, we will see that a crisis can drive us to God or lead us away from Him, and it’s our commitment that makes the difference.

HEART OF THE LESSON (Bible Study):

1. Review.
   • Ask: “What was last week’s lesson about?” (Last Things; we learned what the Bible says about the end of our lives and about the end times).
   • Be sure everyone present has a copy of the Sunday School Member Quarterly for the Fall quarter study of the Old Testament books of Ruth and 1 Samuel.
   • Direct everyone’s attention to the cover of the quarterly, telling them that throughout this study we will learn about being Faithful in Difficult Times.
2. Crisis Led to Turning From God.
   • Read Ruth 1:1-2.
   • Explain the following:
     • These events took place during the time the Judges ruled Israel (we studied the book of Judges in the summer of 2022).
     • Ask a volunteer to turn back a page and read the last verse of Judges (21:25).
     • Stress the fact that the Israelites had drifted far away from God during those years.
   • Ask: “According to verse 1, what crisis was Israel experiencing?” (famine).
   • Ask: “What did the man Elimelech do in response to the crisis of the famine?” (he took his family to live in the land of Moab).
   • Point out the locations of Bethlehem and Moab on the Map.
   • Tell the students that Moab was a pagan land known for the worship of false gods (idols); Moab was also Israel’s enemy.
   • Ask: “How long do you think the family planned to stay in this foreign, pagan land?” (according to verse 2, they “continued there,” indicating that they planned to stay a long time).
   • Explain that Elimelech’s name means, “my God is king,” and Bethlehem means, “house of bread,” but rather than trust his God and remain in the house of bread, Elimelech took his family and settled in a pagan land among idol-worshipers.
   • Summarize: The crisis of famine led Elimelech to turn away from God and seek provision for his family among the heathen.
3. Crisis Led to Returning to God.
   • Read Ruth 1:3.
   • Ask: “According to verse 3, what crisis struck the family while they were in Moab?” (Elimelech died).
   • Ask the students to imagine living in a foreign country away from family and friends, and then your husband or father dies.
   • Ask: “What would you do? Would you go back home?” (probably).
   • Read Ruth 1:4-5.
   • Ask: “According to verse 4, did the family return to Israel?” (no, they stayed ten years, during which time the sons married Moabite women).
   • Ask: “What crisis occurred in verse 5?” (both sons died).
   • Ask: “Who remained after the father and sons died?” (the widowed mother Naomi and her two widowed daughters-in-law).
   • Ask a volunteer to read Ruth 1:6-7.
   • Ask: “What did Naomi decide to do?” (return to Israel).
   • Ask: “Why did she decide to do that?” (because she had heard “that the Lord had visited His people in giving them bread”).
   • Tell the students that Elimelech did not trust God’s hand to provide for his family through the famine in Israel, but Naomi recognized God’s hand in ending the famine and providing food for the people of Israel.
   • Summarize: The crisis of death and the evidence of God’s working in other peoples’ lives led Naomi to return to God and her native land.
4. Crisis Led to Concern.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Ruth 1:8-10.
   • Ask: “According to verses 8 and 9, what did Naomi tell her two daughters-in-law to do?” (go back home to their families and remarry).
   • Tell the class that God had touched Naomi’s heart and changed her attitude; her crisis led her to have compassion on her widowed daughters-in-law.
   • Ask: “According to verse 10, how did the daughters-in-law respond?” (they said that they would return with Naomi to Israel).
   • Read Ruth 1:11-13.
   • Tell the students that out of concern for the young women’s welfare, Naomi urged her daughters-in-law to go home and seek the security afforded by marriage.
   • Ask: “According to the end of verse 13, what did Naomi realize about the cause of their afflictions?” (they were from “the hand of the Lord”).
   • Summarize: The crises that Naomi experienced led her to have concern for the well-being of her widowed daughters-in-law.
5. Crisis Led to Commitment.
   • Stress the fact that these three women were in a time of crisis: they had all buried their husbands, leaving them poor and needy, and the young Moabite women were facing the crisis of moving to a foreign land where they might face hatred and abuse.
   • Read Ruth 1:14-15.
   • Ask: “What did Orpah do?” (kissed Naomi and returned home to her Moabite family).
   • Ask: “What did Ruth do?” (clung to Naomi and would not leave).
   • Tell the class in verse 15 Naomi again urged Ruth to go back to her family.
   • Ask: “In addition to returning to her native people, what did returning to Moab mean?” (returning to her false Moabite gods).
   • Tell the students that at this crisis moment in her life, Ruth made an important commitment.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Ruth 1:16-18.
   • Ask the students to identify all the specific commitments Ruth made to her mother-in-law Naomi. They should name the following:
     • She vowed to go wherever Naomi went.
     • Ruth promised to live wherever Naomi lived (regardless of whether that meant poverty or plenty).
     • She vowed to adopt Naomi’s people (the Israelites) as her people, forsaking her Moabite heritage.
     • Ruth vowed to accept Naomi’s God as her own, forsaking the false gods of Moab.
     • She committed to stay with Naomi for the rest of her life.
   • State that Naomi accepted Ruth’s commitment and stopped trying to send her home.
   • Summarize: Crisis lead Ruth to make a lifelong commitment to Naomi and to her God.
6. Crisis Led to Understanding.
   • Read Ruth 1:19-22.
   • Ask: “Why do you think the people of Bethlehem had trouble recognizing Naomi (v. 19)?” (she was ten years older, and aged even more by the deaths of her husband and sons; she came home with no husband or sons; they evidently thought she would never return).
   • Ask: “Why did she tell the people to call her Mara, rather than Naomi?” (Naomi means “pleasant,” but Mara means “bitter”).
   • Ask: “What did Naomi finally realize about all her afflictions?” (they came from the hand of God, because of her and her husband’s unfaithfulness to Him).
   • Tell the students that when afflictions, tragedies, difficulties, and crises come our way, we can choose to either let them make us bitter or better.
   • Tell them in times of crisis, we must turn to God, not away from Him.
   • In the words of Charles Spurgeon, “It is a sweet thing to be able to trace the hand of God in our affliction, for nothing can come to one of His children from that hand except what is good and right.”
   • Ask: “When did Naomi and Ruth arrive in Bethlehem?” (at the beginning of the barley harvest in late March or early April).
   • Summarize: The crises Naomi experienced led her to finally recognize and understand God’s hand in her affliction.

PERSONAL APPLICATION: Remind the students that the title of this lesson is Crisis and Commitment.  Review the lesson by sharing the following:

• Crisis led Elimelech to turn away from God.
• Crisis led Naomi to return to the Lord.
• The crisis Naomi was experiencing led her to have concern and compassion for her widowed daughters-in-law.
• Crisis led Ruth to make a lifelong commitment to Naomi and to the God of Israel.
• Crisis led Naomi to understand how God was working through her afflictions.

Ask: “Have any of you ever experienced a crisis, and later realized how God worked through the crisis or taught you how to deal with difficulties?”  If time permits, ask if any volunteers would briefly share their experiences.

Ask: “What about you?  Are you going through a crisis right now?  Is that crisis or difficulty drawing you closer to God, or leading you away from Him?  Are you willing to commit to follow Him through that crisis?”

Ask everyone to bow their head and close their eyes.  Remind them that some, but not all, crises are brought on by our sin.  Tell them to confess any sin that brought a crisis into their life.  Encourage them to trust God and draw near to Him in spite of the crisis.  Urge them to make a serious, lifelong commitment to the Lord.  After a moment, voice a closing prayer.

CONCLUSION: Ask everyone to memorize Ruth 1:16-17.  Encourage them to look for God’s hand in any crises they might face, and to honor the commitments they have made to the Lord.