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Fr. Daoud Lamei

Introduction to the Old Testament

  • We study the history of the Old Testament by examining Biblical Characters...
    • Adam
    • Noah
    • Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel)
    • Joseph (brings them into Egypt)
    • Moses (ca. 1500 BC - takes them out to the edge of Sinai)
    • Joshua (takes them into the Promised Land)
    • Judges (no kings yet, so the judges are in charge)
    • Samuel (last judge - people want a king)
    • Saul, David (ca. 1000 BC), Solomon
    • Split of the Kingdoms - North and South
    • Period of the Prophets (ca. 1000 BC until 400 BC)
    • Captivity under the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans
    • Until the Incarnation of Christ
  • "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me." (John 5:39)
    • Christ says "Scriptures" He is talking about the Old Testament
    • How do they testify of Him?
      • Prophecy
      • Allegory (e.g. Typology)
    • Christ witnesses to this in the Disciples of Emmaus story when He expounded to them all of the Old Testament
    • "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
  • When we study the Old Testament, we do it in three levels:
    • Literal
    • Tropological (Moral)
    • Allegorical
  • For example, the book of Ruth:
    • Literal: There's a woman Naomi and her daughter in law Ruth decides to stay with her even though she's a Moabitess, etc.
    • Tropological: What can I learn from Naomi? What can I learn from Ruth? What can I learn from Boaz?
    • Allegorical: What does Boaz symbolize? Who is Ruth a type of?
  • Distribution of Books in the Old Testament
    • Torah: The Books of Moses (Genesis - Deuteronomy)
    • Historical Books: Joshua, Judges, etc.
    • Poetic/Wisdom Books
    • Prophetic Books (Minor and Major)

Introduction to the Book of Ruth

  • It is odd that a book of Scripture would be called after Ruth's name:
    • Ruth is a woman
    • Ruth is not an Israelite, but a Moabite (Moabites were usually in conflict with Israelites)
  • But we will learn that Ruth becomes a very important figure... the great grandmother of King David (and thus, the ancestor of Christ, Himself - mentioned in Matthew 1's Genealogy)
  • Ruth takes place at the time of the Judges
    • Probably in the time of Gideon
    • Period of the Judges is a cycle of:
      • Congregation strays from God
      • Someone comes up and tells them to repent
      • They repent
    • "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes." (Judges 21:25)
  • Characters:
    • Naomi
    • Ruth
    • Boaz

Chapter 1

  • 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 Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there. 

    • Elimelech & Naomi
      • Elimelech means "God is King"
      • Naomi means "Grace"
    • Famine in the Land
      • In the time of the judges, there was a famine - yes, a physical famine, but also a spiritual famine
      • This famine caused Elimelech to take his family and turn his back on Bethlehem and on the land God had given them, and go to Moab - a place of idolatry, and a nation does not know God. This is the beginning of the downfall.
      • We are reminded of Lot who left Abraham and went and lived in Sodom and Gomorrah - and he lost his wife, and later on his daughters were lost. We'll see that Elimelech will lose himself and his sons, and only his wife will remain.
      • Like the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30 "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho" - what happens when you leave Jerusalem to go to Jericho (represents sin)? "fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead."
    • Ephrathites
      • They are from Bethlehem and Bethlehem has another name which is "Ephratha"
      • We find this name in Micah 5:2 which is a prophecy about the birth of Christ in Bethlehem: "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting." (Micah 5:2)
      • Being from Bethlehem is an honor... that's where Christ is come, right?! In those days no... it was just a small town (even how Micah describes it "though you are little among the thousands of Judah")
      • Bethlehem means "House of Bread"
      • Nowadays, every church has a "Bethlehem" - the place where the Oblations are baked and prepared for the Liturgy. It is called "Bethlehem" because Christ, the True Sacrifice, was born in Bethlehem. So leaving "Bethlehem" represents leaving (or ignoring) the Eucharist.
      • Why Bethlehem, Judah?
        • The inheritance of each tribe is kept intact, so every city belongs to its tribe.

  • 3 Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years. 5 Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband.

    • He who leaves Bethlehem to go to Moab will die.
    • Her sons take wives of the women of Moab.
      • This is a grave sin. Even from before the Law of Moses, in the time of Abraham - when Abraham wanted a wife for his son, Isaac, he sent Eleazar back to his family in Ur of the Chaldeans and told him to bring back a wife from their family.
      • The women from the Moabites would cause the Israelite men to worship idols too.
      • Sin brings sin... this wouldn't have happened if they turned around and went back to Bethlehem when Elimelech died!
    • Naomi lost everything because of Moab - her husband and both of her sons. But she took the lesson - I will not also die in Moab. I will go back to Judah.

  • 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 that the Lord had visited His people by giving them bread. 7 Therefore she went out from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.

    • Wouldn't it have been better to stay a little hungry in Judah than to go to Moab?
      • She was eating and drinking in Moab... but at the cost of her husband and children. At the cost of peace. 
      • When you pick Moab, you lose everything.
    • "The Lord had visited His people by giving them bread"
      • Allegorical
      • The Lord visited His people in the Incarnation and gave them the Bread of Life which is the Eucharist
    • First step of Repentance: Give your back to Moab and look towards Judah

  • 8 And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each to her mother’s house. The Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.”

    So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.10 And they said to her, “Surely we will return with you to your people.”

    • "As you have dealt with the dead and with me"
      • She counts herself as having died
    • Naomi is a good woman
      • We can see that since her daughters in law stick with her - even after their husbands died. They follow her.
      • Even when she tells them to return, they say they want to stay with her.
      • She loves them. "Lord grant you to find rest" and wishes for them to find new husbands
      • She kissed them
    • They both said to her "We will return with you" - what is this love between Naomi and her daughters in law?

  • 11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons, 13 would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me!” 14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

    • 39:20

  • 15 And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.” 18 When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.

  • 19 Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?” 22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.

Chapter 2

 

 

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