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| FRIENDS OF OLD |
| THERE'S A STORY OF FRIENDSHIP THAT IS VERY OLD IT'S ABOUT A MOABITE WOMAN WHO BECAME BOLD. WIDOWED SHE BECAME, POOR, DESTITUTE AND DESPISED BUT THERE WAS ONE WHO WOULD CLING AND BE BY HER SIDE. THE STORY BEGAN IN BETHLEHEM, A FAMINE HAD SPREAD ELIMELECH AND HIS WIFE NAOMI HAD TO LEAVE WITH DREAD. THEY TOOK THEIR SONS AND HEADED OUT TO MOABITE LAND WHERE IN TIME ORPAH AND RUTH WOULD BECOME PART OF THE CLAN. BEFORE LONG ELIMELECH DIED, AND LEFT NAOMI WITH SONS AND WIVES. THE SONS LIVED ON FOR SOME YEARS AND TOOK CARE OF THEM ALL TO SURVIVE. ALAS, THE SONS DIED, AND LEFT TWO MORE WIDOWS TO MAKE IT BY HAND. SO NAOMI DECIDED IT WAS TIME FOR HER TO GO BACK TO HER HOMELAND. ON THE JOURNEY SHE BEGGED HER DAUGHTERS TO TURN BACK TO MOAB ORPAH CONSENTED, SHE DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE AND WAS SO SAD. BUT RUTH IMPLORED TO NAOMI, WHERE THOU GOEST I WILL GO WITH THEE THY PEOPLE SHALL BE MY PEOPLE AND SO IT WAS, FOR IT WAS MEANT TO BE. SO OFF ON THEIR JOURNEY THEY WENT, NAOMI AND RUTH TO BETHLEHEM, WHEN THEY ARRIVED, IT WAS TIME OF HARVEST, RUTH SECURED A JOB TO FEED THEM. SHE WENT TO THE FIELDS AND GOT A JOB GLEANING TO GAIN THEIR SUPPORT. BOAZ OWNED THE LAND WHERE SHE WORKED, SHE LEARNED HE WAS RELATED OF SORT. HE WAS A GOD FEARING MAN, WHO WORSHIPPED HIM AND KNEW THE PLAN, TO UNITE HIM WITH ONE WHO WOULD GIVE HIM A SON TO CARRY ON HIS NAME HE KNEW HIS LINEAGE WAS FROM ABRAHAM AND THAT HIS NAME WOULD GO ON, AND HE SAW THIS IN RUTH, THAT SHE WAS FROM KIN, AS CUSTOM HAD BEGUN. RUTH WAS NOW EXILED FROM HER HOMELAND FOREVER TO STAY AWAY WHEN SHE VOWED HER SELF TO NAOMI, HER HERITAGE ENDED THAT DAY. SHE LOVED HER THAT MUCH, TO TURN HER BACK ON HER ON PEOPLE FOREVER AND EXCEPT THE LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF RUTH'S LINEAGE AND LEAVE HER NEVER. SHE AND BOAZ BECAME BETROTHED, AND TOOK CARE OF NAOMI UNTIL HER DEATH, RUTH TENDED TO HER EVERY NEED AND LOVED HER WITH ALL HER HEART AND SELF. NAOMI HAD TOLD RUTH, THAT WHERE SHE WAS BURIED, THAT SHE HAD TO BE, RUTH HAD REPLIED, WHERE THOU DIEST, I WILL DIE AND WHERE BURIED, I WILL BE WITH THEE. WE LEARN AS WE READ ON ABOUT RUTH'S LIFE WITH BOAZ, THAT INDEED THEY HAD A SON. THAT HE WOULD CARRY ON THE NATION OF ABRAHAM AND THE FRUITION OF THE MESSIAH HAD BEGUN. RUTH BECAME DAVID'S GREAT GRANDMOTHER AND THROUGH HIM WOULD COME THE SON OF MAN, AS BOAZ WAS RUTH'S REDEEMER, SO WOULD CHRIST BECOME REDEEMER OF SALVATION'S PLAN. WRITTEN BY SHIRLEY BARR JULY 18, 2004 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED RUTH 1: 15 ~ 17 AND SHE SAID, BEHOLD THY SISTER IN LAW IS GONE BACK UNTO HER PEOPLE, AND UNTO HER GODS; RETURN THOU AFTER THY SISTER IN LAW. AND RUTH SAID, ENTREAT 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. WHERE THOU DIEST, WILL I DIE, AND THERE WILL I BE BURIED. THE LORD DO SO TO ME, AND MORE ALSO, IF AUGHT BUT DEATH PART THEE AND ME. |
| MUSIC: 'BE NOT AFRAID' |
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