The story of Ruth takes place during the reign of the judges.  (1:1)  How would you describe the spiritual climate of the nation of during this time?  (Judges 17:6, 21:25)  What kind of expectations have been communicated to the nation of Israel prior to this time?  (Deuteronomy 28)  With all of this in view, what can we deduce about this famine, and why it may have taken place?

When the famine hits, Elimelech takes his family to the nation of Moab.  (1:1-2)  Do you think this was wise, or unwise?  Why?  What else could Elimelech have done instead?

Naomi counsels Ruth and Orpah to turn back, and go back to to Moab, to build a life there.  (1:8-9, 1:11-13)  Do you think this was good counsel, or bad counsel?  Why?  What could Naomi have told them instead?

Compare and contrast how Orpah responds to Naomi’s counsel with how Ruth responds to it.  (1:14-18)  What can we learn from this about Orpah?  What can we learn from it about Ruth?

We will often find ourselves in situations where the world is encouraging us to walk away from the Lord.  How should we respond in those moments?  How can we be preparing ourselves now, so that we will respond well in those moments?

Naomi is bitter, and she insists that the Lord has dealt bitterly with her.  (1:11-13, 1:20-21)  Are there any elements of hope, or evidences of grace, that she seems to be overlooking or ignoring?

How can we guard against bitterness in our own hearts?

Naomi clearly loves Orpah and Ruth.  But she seems to me more concerned with their physical well-being (husband, home, food, security, etc.) than she is with their spiritual well-being (worshipping God, being with God’s people, etc.).  How can we be careful to prioritize our own spiritual well-being (eternal things) ahead of our physical well-being (temporal things)?

All of the women in this story experience intense suffering.  Compare and contrast how they respond to it.  What does it look like to respond well to suffering?  How can we be preparing ourselves now, so that we will respond well when we experience suffering in our lives?

How do we see God providing for his people in this chapter?

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