Ruth 1:1,2

Ruth 1:1,2 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 Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there. The Children of Israel were given the Promised Land to live in by God. But there was a famine in the land. Elimelech was worried that his family would not have enough food. Let me ask you some questions: Did God know that there was going to be a famine in the Promised Land of Israel? Yes He did. Did God command the Israelites to be faithful and trust Him and to remain in the land that He had given to them? Yes He did. Did Elimelech disobey God in taking his family out of the Promised Land and into the land of Moab? Yes He did. Let’s read Ruth 1:3 and see what happened: And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. I think God punished Elimelech for his disobedience. But remember, God does not always punish us immediately when we disobey Him. But, by his poor example, Elimelech had taught his sons a sad lesson. They disobeyed God too. Let’s look at Ruth 1:4 And they (Mahlon and Chilion) took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. The boys became young men and married pagan wives who did not know the God of Israel. But something else bad happened. Let’s read Ruth 1:5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband. Poor Naomi lost her husband because he did not obey God, and then she lost both of her sons because they did not obey God either. But, God did not forget Naomi in spite of her husband’s and sons’ sins. God was at work, as we will soon see. God is always at work. Always remember: God knows what He is doing!