Providence AME Church - Church School

Church School

Rev. Rebecca D. Smith, Pastor
Sylvesta Bowers, Sr, Superintendent

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Church School begins at 9:00 a.m. every Sunday Morning.
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"Read the Bible in One Year"

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This week's Lesson: FAMILY AS COMMUNITY

LESSON SCRIPTURE: Ruth 1:1-16
PRINT: Ruth 1:1-9,14b,16

Key Verse: Ruth said, "Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, 1 will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God."..... Ruth 1:16.

Ruth 1:1-9,14b,16

Ruth 1:1-9

1. In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons.

2. The name of the man was E-lim'e-lech and the name of wife Na'o-mi, and the names of his two sons were Mah'lon and Chil'i-on; they were Eph'ra-thites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Mo'ab and remained there.

3. But E-lim'e-lech, the husband of Na'o-mi, died, and she was left with her two sons.

4. These took Mo'ab-ite wives; the name of the one was Or'pah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years,

5. both Mah'lon and Chil'i-on also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

6. Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Mo'ab, for she had heard in the country of Mo'ab that the LORD had considered his people and given them food.

7. So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah.

8. But Na'o-mi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back each of you to your mother's house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.

9. The LORD grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband." Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud.

14b

14b. Or'pah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

16. But Ruth said, "Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; Where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God."

RUTH 1:1-9, 14B, 16 (KJV)

Ruth 1:1-9

1. Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth-lehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.

2. And the name of the man was E-lim'e-lech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mah'lon and Chil'i-on, Eph'rath-ites of Beth-lehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.

3. And E-lim'e-lech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.

4. And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Or'pah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.

5. And Mah'lon and Chil'i-on died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.

6. Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.

7. Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.

8. And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.

9. The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them: and they lifted up their voice, and wept.

14b

I4b. ...Or'pah kissed her mother in law: but Ruth clave unto her.

16. And Ruth said. Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.

HOME DAILY BIBLE READINGS
March 15- March 21

Monday — John 20:24-29 (A Shared Experience)

Tuesday — 1 Samuel 30:21-31 (A Shared Reward)

Wednesday - Luke 3:10-14 (A Shared Advantage)

Thursday — 1 Samuel 20:30-42 (A Shared Oath)

Friday — Romans 14:13-21 (A Shared Responsibility)

Saturday — John 15:9-17 (A Shared Love)

Sunday - Ruth 1:1-9, 14b, 16 (A Shared Faith)

INTRODUCTION

When famine decimated Bethlehem and the surrounding countryside, Elimelech relocated his family - Naomi, his wife and his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, to Moab.

Elimelech left the security of his community where there were people of his own religion, culture and extended family and migrated to a foreign country which was absent of kinship and culture and also forbidden by his community's cultural and religious laws.

Things must have been bad for him to make this drastic decision. The Moabites were the descendants of the incestuous union of Lot and his eldest daughter. When the Israelites came into land of the Moabites on their way to the Promised Land, the Moabites did not welcome them or give them water to drink and food to eat. The Moabite king hired Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia to curse them. Therefore, God cursed the Moabite nation. "An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord forever." And in an eternal commandment to the Israelites: "Thou shall not seek their peace or their prosperity all thy days forever." The famine must have been real devastating for Elimelech to ignore the warnings of the Torah and relocate to Moab. (Deut. 23:3, 4, 6 KJV)

BIBLE STORY

The story of Ruth, a Gentile, is set in the time of the Judges. The author is unknown, but Israelite Bible scholars assigned this role to Samuel.

The story begins in Bethlehem with a family of four. To escape a great famine, Elimelech moves his family to Moab, a country east of the Dead Sea in what is now the country of Jordan. His sons marry two local Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. After a time, all three men die and the women are left as destitute widows.

Naomi remembers and longs for home and the good times, places, and people her family and friends left behind. And so she prepares to return to Bethlehem. Her two daughters-in-law are urged to return to their mother's households and the familiar environment of their youth. Because they are still young, perhaps they will be able to find husbands. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye and returned to her family. Ruth refuses to leave and clings to Naomi. Naomi entreats her to leave, but Ruth will not leave her. Ruth replies, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried."

The two widows make the long dangerous journey and arrive in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. The entire community bubbles over with the excitement that Naomi has returned with her Moabite daughter-in-law. Naomi is embraced as a long lost relative who has found her way home.

Ruth's commitment to Naomi and her new community of God had its rewards. Not only does Ruth marry Boaz, but she becomes the mother of Obed and grandmother of David's father, Jesse. Because of her selfless behavior and love for Naomi and her God, Ruth will always be remembered as a member of the royal family line which ends in scripture with the birth of Jesus.

LIFE APPLICATION

In our lesson today, Naomi faced several traumatic experiences that might have left the ordinary person in a state of deep depression. Bowing to her husband's leadership and desire to find a better life for his family she moved to a new country. Naomi was forced to make friends among people with a social location in terms of culture, traditions, and religious beliefs far different from her own. Her husband and sons die and she is left to support herself and her two daughters-in-law who were without children of their own in a foreign land.

Like many African Americans who made the trek from southern plantations to find a better life working in industrial plants in the north, she had to leave the comfort found in a firm support base of family and friends and embrace the unknown, without much opportunity to complain or disagree. She had to learn how to embrace new people in a new community.

Evidently Naomi was up to the task. In this new community she gathered close to her two daughters-in-law who grew to love her as a mother and adopt her religious belief system. These young women turned from serving many gods or even no god to appreciating and celebrating the One God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There are lessons for us in Naomi's actions and those of Ruth as we face the necessity of rebuilding our faith communities, our congregations and making them viable for future generations. Unbeknownst to Ruth who

remained with Naomi as she relocated a second time back home, she left a blueprint for commitment to God and to the community in which one finds oneself.

• Acknowledge the presence and remain loyal to an awesome God who manages, transforms, and is the ultimate refuge in times of need.

• We must keep the Lord's name and ways at the forefront of our consciousness. Others must come to know the loving, merciful God we serve.

• We must always remain faith servants and role models of God's presence in our lives. It is through our obedience to the Lord through our words and actions that we draw others to Christ and build God's Kingdom on earth.

• We must open our ears and hear God speaking prosperity in our lives. God has a plan for us. We must always be alert to opportunities to grab hold of what God is offering us without question.

• The most difficult decision we must make is how to discern and hang onto the important traditions and values in our environment and willingly give up those which are obsolete or have not real value to us. Ruth and Naomi kept their faith in God, love, respect, honor, self-control, faithfulness to one another, peace, generosity, and commitment. These were more important than where they lived or the possessions, the material trinkets that surrounded them both in Moab and in Bethlehem.

• Persons within the community valued and supported the efforts of others.

• We must do whatever it takes, under God's rules, to survive in transformed and/or new communities of God's people. God is dynamic and not static. Our faith communities must be the same. Building strong faith communities is hard work. We must be willing to tithe our time, talents, and resources for the cause of God.

• It takes courage, boldness, and keen vision to move in new directions, embracing new converts and members, new ideas, new traditions, and new opportunities to excel as the people of God. Naomi, Ruth and Boaz each in his or her own way didn't lie around moping about, accepting what came to them, but set about culling the best and most from the situation in which God placed them.

SUMMARY

The portion of scripture studied today is a lesson in commitment to God and to one another. It is a commitment to a loyalty that transcends any differences in race, culture, ethnicity, and religious belief systems. The foundation for the loyalty was the Living God who can be trusted to show support, mercy, and justice to those who not only believe, but

are called to be obedient servants of Jehovah-Jireh, the God who will provide.

QUESTIONS

1. What empowered Ruth and Naomi, two poor widows, with the determination to make a better life?

2. What evidence is there that Naomi made a commitment to her community when she lived in Moab? How did Ruth show her loyalty or commitment to a new community after she relocated to Bethlehem?

3. What must be done to revitalize, rejuvenate, or renew your local church community? What commitment are you willing to play in those efforts?

4. In what ways are do members of your local church support the efforts and ideas of one another?

CLOSING PRAYER

Dear Lord, we know that life is filled with swift transitions. However, through all that we go through, keep our eye on the prize found in Christ Jesus as we continue to place our hope and trust in him. With Your spirit so we will be emboldened to move forward with courage and stamina to build new communities of faith focused on you and faithful Christian servanthood. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; the third day He arose from the dead, He ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Church Universal, the communion of the saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

D E C A L 0 G U E

Superintendent-And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

School-Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law

Superintendent-Thou shalt not make unto thyself any graven image, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

School-Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law

Superintendent-Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.