Her Renewed Strength Podcast | Episode 104

Hey, y’all! It has been a huge few days for us, from the Ruth study starting to the 1st anniversary of this podcast to the Podcast Anniversary Party, which was SO fun. Congrats to all the winners! Stay tuned for the episode featuring the panel discussion. It was all soooo good.

In today’s episode, I am wrapping up the week with the Bible study recap of Ruth chapter 1. If you have been feeling lacking in faith, shifty, doubtful, or discouraged, this is a really good time for you to get into the Word of God.

I pray that you will come to know God more intimately through your study of His Word and that everything we do at Her Renewed Strength Co. equips and encourages you to do so.

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Thank you! “Erika’s episode on schedules came just at the right time. I’ve struggled with being an over-scheduler and not being flexible when things change. The perspective shift she discusses made a huge difference in how I’m going to approach my own schedule going forward. Highly recommend this podcast!”

– Brumley –

Why you’ve got to check out today’s episode:

• Get familiar with the historical background of the book of Ruth

• Be aware of the intentionality and deliberate design of the Bible, along with its overall context

• Find out what you can do to build your faith and feed your soul

Listen To The Episode

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Check out these episode highlights:

04:21 – A little background of the book of Ruth

It is a historical narrative in which the author is unknown. It is the ancient Jewish scriptures often included with the book of the prophets.

Every detail of the book carries the romance along and what Chuck Missler calls the romance of redemption.

It gives us a perspective of God’s plan for us – the plan for Israel and the plan for us, Gentiles.

05:39 – High-level overview of Chapter 1

• There was a famine in the land, which led Elimelek & his family to leave Bethlehem and relocated to Moab. (Ruth 1:1-3)

• Elimelek dies, then his sons die. Naomi is left alone with her 2 daughters in law. (Ruth 1:4-5)

• Naomi hears that the Lord came to the aid of His people and the famine came to an end; so she plans to head back. She and her daughters-in-law leave Moab, but she sends them back to their parent’s homes. (Ruth 1:6-12)

• Orpah leaves, but Ruth stays and insists on going back with Naomi to Bethlehem. Naomi stops pressing Ruth to go back to her parents when she realizes Ruth is determined to stay with Naomi. (Ruth 1:13-18)

• Naomi and Ruth take the journey together and end up in Bethlehem. The women recognize Naomi. Naomi is in mourning and asks to be called Mara. At the time they returned, the barley season was beginning. (Ruth 1:19-22)

07:51 – The intentionality and deliberate design of the Bible are evidenced in Ruth

1 | The significance of names (everything is not a coincidence)

• Elimelek means “God is my King” (interesting since at the time of the judges, they had no king).

• Naomi means “pleasant”

• Mahlon is from the root challah which means “to be sick” or “unhealthy, sickly”

• Chilion means “wasting”

• Bethlehem means house of bread… and this family leaves Bethlehem as a result of a famine that left this house with no bread! “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.” Ruth 1:6 NKJV

2 | Another example is evidenced in [arguably] the most well-known verses of this book

“But Ruth replied, “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. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” Ruth 1:16-17

• There is a sevenfold decision. We see this theme throughout the entire Bible. There are many passages that, when dissected, break down into 7-fold decisions.

• A similar formula is used 7x in the books of Samuel & Kings (evidence of deliberate design, even though there are different human authors, they have a single author = HOLY SPIRIT)

12:46 – My conclusion: Digging deeper into Scripture helps to build your faith and feed your soul.

There is nothing wrong with reading Scripture at face value. Like taking every Word, sitting with it, and maybe applying the soap method, or just praying over a verse. But there is something that shifts in you when you start to see how intertwined everything is and how firm of a foundation God’s Word is.

14:24 – My encouragement for you today…

If you have been feeling lacking in faith, shifty, doubtful, or discouraged, this is a really good time for you to get into the Word of God.

Join us on the inside of the Facebook group. For 20 minutes a day, we dig into the verses that we are studying each day. We dissect them to see God’s deliberate design in everything. This is not just something to boost your faith, but it’s something to feed your soul.

Resource:

• Join us on the inside of the Facebook Group and study the book of Ruth at a deeper level!

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