http://www.adventistsermons.blogspot.... In this video Dr C.D. Brooks presents the sermon entitled Famine in Bethlehem. Apparently, Bethlehem means house of bread. Prayerfully listen to message. For more uplifting sermons and music visit http://www.adventistsermons.blogspot....
The following description is from this link http://reformationcovenant.org/files/...
Ruth Chapter 1:1-5
Ruth 1:1 gives us the historical, spiritual, geographical, and economic context for the whole book:
a) Historical - The events of the book take place "in the days when the judges ruled", and so is contemporary with the book of Judges. The fact that there was a famine in the land at this time may also point us more precisely to the time of Gideon and the famine that the Midianites brought to Israel through their destruction of the Israelite crops and livestock. (see Judges 6)
b) Spiritual - Being placed in the times of the judges, we ought to remind the students of the spiritual condition of Israel in the time of the book of Ruth by reading the last verse in the book of Judges: "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes." (Judges 21:25) Thus, it was a time of rebellion and autonomy (self-rule) in Israel. As we said before, there was a "famine in the land of Israel". The Promised Land is described many times in Scripture as a land "flowing with milk and honey". Furthermore, the name "Bethlehem" means "house of bread", so it should seem strange to the reader of Ruth that there would be a famine in Bethlehem in the land of God's people. Nearly all famines among God's people in Israel were as a result of their sin, and so it is probably safe to say that this too was a time of covenantal unfaithfulness on the part of the nation of Israel.
c) Geographical - We see that the main historical characters in Ruth are from Bethlehem, Judah, in the nation of Israel. Bethlehem was the city near where Rachel, the beloved bride of Jacob was buried, it was the birthplace of David, and of course was the future birthplace of Jesus. It says in verse 1 that an Israelite man and his wife and children travel from Bethlehem to Moab (pass map out to students). Though it may have been quite proper for the man to leave Israel during the famine (commentators vary on this point), it does seem strange that he would go to Moab. The Moabites were an idol-worshipping people descended from the sons of Lot (see Genesis 19), their primary god being Chemosh who demanded, among other things, the offering of child sacrifices (see Numbers 21:29, 2 Kings 3:26,27). It was Balak, king of the Moabites who tried to persuade Baalam to curse Israel. (Numbers 22-24). It was the Moabites who enticed Israel to commit harlotry with their women.
d) Economic - Verse 1 says that there was a famine in the land of Israel. As we have said, famines in God's land often were brought about by God as chastisement for Israel's covenantal unfaithfulness, this being particularly true in the times of the judges. Thus the family of Elimelech finds itself laboring under the hardship of this famine and Elimelech chooses to go to Moab. When the Israelites were traveling to the Promised Land and wanted to pass through the land of Moab, it was the Moabites who refused to give them food and water for their journey (Deuteronomy 23:3-4). And so, again, it ought to seem strange to the reader that a man would leave Bethlehem, the "house of bread", in the Promised Land of God to travel to the land of Moab and to an idolatrous people who historically refuse to give bread and water to God's people .
Ruth 1:2 introduces the family of Elimelech which consisted of the man himself, his wife Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. The meaning of their names is interesting, and important to the theology of the book of Ruth:
Elimelech = "God is king"
Naomi = "Pleasant"
Mahlon = "Sickly"
Chilion = "Wasting away
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