Ruth and 1 Samuel

I think one of the most enduring of all the stories in the Bible is that of Naomi and Ruth. When Naomi lost both her husband, and then her two sons, she told her daughters-in-law to return to their families. But her daughter-in-law Ruth, who had also lost her husband, Naomi's son, refused to go away. Now Naomi was from Bethlehem in Israel, and she was now living on the east side of the Jordan River in the land of Moab, and proclaimed her intention to return to her homeland. Ruth was a Moabitess. Moabites worshiped pagan demon gods such as Chemosh. But Ruth told Naomi:

"Do not plead with me to abandon you, to turn back from accompanying you; for where you go I will go, and where you spend the night, I will spend the night. Your people will be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May Jehovah do so to me and add to it if anything but death should separate me from you.”-Ruth 1:16-17.

What loyal love the daughter-in-law of Naomi showed her. And later on we find that this sterling example of a woman is found in the the line to Jesus Christ:

"Salʹmon became father to Boʹaz by Raʹhab;
Boʹaz became father to Oʹbed by Ruth;
Oʹbed became father to Jesʹse;"
-Matthew 1:5.

And of course Jesse was father to David the king. So Ruth's loyal love to Jehovah and his people lead her to be both the grandmother to David the king, and an ancestress to the Christ, Savior of the world.

First Samuel tells us about the prophet Samuel, the High Priest Eli. The rejection of Jehovah as their king by the Israelites, and the anointing of King Saul. The rejection of Saul as king by Jehovah as Saul becomes haughty, and disobeys God. The anointing of the young boy David as future king. It tells us of David's courageous victory of the giant Goliath while still a lad. Of Saul's murderous envy of David's victories and his fame. The enduring bond of friendship between Saul's son Jonathan and young David. Of David's running away from Saul and his hiding in the wilderness and caves while Saul hunts him down to kill him. And finally of Saul and Johnathan's tragic defeat and death in war. An action packed book full of lessons.

Today I plan on continuing my Bible reading. Join along as we read through the books of Ruth and 1 Samuel.

2nd Part of 1 Samuel