Steadfast Ruth
Begin in silence…
Close your eyes and sit quietly for a few moments before beginning today’s session. Take some deep breaths and still your mind.
Set the scene…
Today we venture to the Old Testament Book of Ruth, which takes place during the reign of the judges in Israel. The entire book is a story of redemption for Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi, but we will focus on the first chapter. Listen to Ruth 1:1-5 to set the scene.
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was 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.
Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.