The Book of Ruth: Just a Few Questions

Anywhere you go, so will I go also!

This particular story, the story of Ruth, is one of the stories I remember the most from when I was a kid in Sunday School; except when I was a kid it was called the "Children's Meeting" since our church was supposed to be non-denominational, thus using the term "Sunday School" put us uncomfortably close to the religious folk who were getting their worship of God and Jesus and the interpretation of the Bible all wrong.

Here we have a woman Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, who have both suffered great loss. Naomi has lost her two sons since they died, and Ruth has lost her husband since one of Naomi's sons was Ruth's husband.

Losing a son or a husband in the Old Testament times is one of the worst things that could happen to a woman. The loss of a husband or son was sure to birth big problems when it came to inheritance as well as carrying on the family/clan name within the respective tribe of the people involved.

All-in-all Naomi tells Ruth to go back home to her own people (the Moabites) and remarry and live a voon-der-bar life since Naomi surely isn't going to pop out any more sons, and even if she did Ruth was likely not about to wait however long until the son was of marrying age. Besides, would Ruth still be able to bare children at such a point? The longer Ruth stayed with her mother-in-law, the longer it would take Ruth to get back on the happy track of life.

Despite the opportunity to improve her situation simply by leaving Naomi, Ruth makes the decision to stay with her mother-in-law. Ruth was loyal to Naomi and chose to stay with her. Due to this steadfast loyalty the LORD rewards Ruth by allowing her to cross paths with Boaz, a relative by marriage, who marries her and has a son with her.

The moral of the story is supposed to be that when you are steadfast in your loyalty to God/the LORD no matter what the situation may be, you will find you are rewarded with an inheritance in heaven with God; except, God forbid our church should sound anything even remotely similar to the other despised denominations, the way I was taught they did not call it 'heaven' but rather called it "going to be with the LORD."

"You must be strong and follow the LORD wherever He goes, wherever He takes you in your life, giving yourself fully to Him in appreciation of the grace and inheritance He has given you," was what was taught to me. I remember finding it odd that the LORD would allow a really crappy situation just to test to see whether or not a person would stay faithful to God. For me the screwy part was that everyone has a limit to the difficulty and adversity and tragedy that they can face and God should know this. So WHY would God/the LORD feel the need to test anyone when He already knows the limits of what they can deal with, the limits of their religious loyalty?

And now...on to the questions of the book of Ruth of the Holy Bible's Old Testament. This is a very short book in the Bible and will consist only of this single posting. As always, if you wish to answer any of the questions at the end of each posting is a link where you may make comments and offer answers. If there are no existing comments to a post the comment link will say "No Comments" and you should click on that and will then be routed to the page to type whatever you wish to say.

You do not have to answer all the questions and your answers should not be what you think I want to hear. I just want to know your personal answers to these questions, what YOU believe, and WHY you believe it.

1. Ruth 1:1
1 In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.

Questions
     1) What is it with the state of disarray that the LORD's people always seem to be stuck in?

     2) If it isn't a war or pestilence or punishment or starvation or great thirst or famine WHY is something jacked-up on some level ALWAYS happening to the people of Israel?

     3) Does God starve His people in order to keep them reliant on Him?

     4) Sooo...what happened to this land that was to be flowing with milk and honey?

2. Ruth 1:13
13 would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.”

Questions
     1) Why is it that whenever anything bad or unsavory happens to the people of Israel that they immediately blame God/the LORD for not giving a damn and seeding unhappiness on purpose?

3. Ruth 1:15
15 And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”

Questions
     1) If Naomi worships the God of Israel and knows He is the only, one and true God...WHY would she tell Ruth to go back to worshiping other gods?

     2) Does the LORD not care since Ruth is a Moabite so screw her and let her worship whomever she wants since she IS NOT an actual descendant/relative of God's chosen people?

4. Ruth 1:16-18
16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.

17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”

18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.

Questions
     1) Do you think it is possible that Ruth stayed with Naomi because Ruth had no where else to go?

5. Ruth 1:19-21
19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?”

20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

21 I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”

Questions
     1) Why do the people of Israel seemingly only care about what happens to them, how many children they have, how a spouse will or will not reproduce, will they have an inheritance, will they be blessed?

     2) Is this type of selfish thinking the reason why they have so many enemies in the Bible times?

6. Ruth 2:11-12
11 But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before.

12 The LORD repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”

Questions
     1) Sooo...are we to think that even though Ruth could have taken a different route and possibly have done better that the point is not picking what you think is the best for you, but rather is all about staying with God/the LORD no matter how bad or lonely or terrible or horrible things get?

     2) Is the reason why Boaz considers Ruth to have done great things because she chose to forsake her own ancestral traditions for those of the people of Israel?

     3) Is it okay to make bad or stupid decisions so long as the reasons why you make such decisions in the first place are that you are doing such for the LORD?

     4) Are decisions like this supposed to be impressive to non-believers?

7. Ruth 2:22
22 And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted.”

Questions
     1) Why in the world would Ruth be in danger of being assaulted? Because she is a woman? Because she is a foreigner? Because her husband died?

8. Ruth 3:1-4
1 Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?

2 Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.

3 Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.

4 But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do.”

Questions
     1) This sounds suspiciously like Naomi wants Ruth to go down to where Boaz is, wait until he is delightfully drunk, and then try to seduce him in some way, doesn't it?

9. Ruth 3:5-6
5 And she replied, “All that you say I will do.”

6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her.

Questions
     1) What is this light dusting of conspiracy that many stories in the Bible seem to portray the women with? Why does the Bible seem to go the extra mile to make some of the women seem sneaky, conniving, and out to trick the men?

10. Ruth 3:14-15
14 So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another. And he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.”

15 And he said, “Bring the garment you are wearing and hold it out.” So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and put it on her. Then she went into the city.

Questions
     1) Sooo...were the women not allowed on the threshing floor? Why?

     2) Sooo...if Boaz is asleep on the threshing floor does he live where the threshing floor is or did he just get totally drunk and fall asleep there the night before?

     3) Was the grain that Boaz gave Ruth payment for an act of prostitution?

11. Ruth 3:16-17
16 And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did you fare, my daughter?” Then she told her all that the man had done for her,

17 saying, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, ‘You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’”

Questions
     1) Sooo...surely Boaz figured out what Naomi had put Ruth up to, right? Again I ask you, was the grain Boaz gave payment for an act of prostitution?

     2) Was the grain also payment intended to keep Naomi's trap shut until Boaz figured out what to do?

12. Ruth 4:5-6
5 Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.”

6 Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”

Questions
     1) Sooo...Boaz waits to tell this other guy that if he buys the property he will also acquire a wife, Ruth. First the guy says yes and then Boaz says, "Hey, you get a wife in the deal," and the other guy totally changes his mind, right?

     2) Why did Boaz take this obviously dishonest approach?

13. Ruth 4:7-8
7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel.

8 So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal.

Questions
     1) Why in the hell was the matter of attesting in Israel so absurdly stupid?

     2) Was the ritual of attesting supposed to be so absurd that other cultures and people would marvel at the strangeness and think highly of the people of Israel and the LORD since, if the ritual of attesting was understandable only to the people of Israel this had to mean they were extra special, especially in the eyes of God?

14. Ruth 4:14-17
14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel!

15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse.

17 And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Questions
     1) Why did the women say this to Naomi and not to Ruth? Ruth was the one who got married again, and Ruth was the one who had a baby boy, and Ruth was the one who chose to stay with Naomi in the first damn place, right?

     2) A daughter-in-law who is more to you than seven sons? What kind of psychopathic bitches say this kind of shit to a woman who lost both of her sons?

     3) Does Naomi live vicariously through the little baby Obed?


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Just a Few Questions: Part IX Genesis

The Tail End for the Questions of the Book of Genesis

Well, we have finally made it to the last posting for the questions of the book of Genesis. Wow. THAT was an ordeal...and a lot of research, let me tell you. Hopefully, you have responded to a few questions or even a lot of questions. Remember, the purpose here is to show you part of why I no longer believe in the supposed truth of the Bible or the existence of God, and also for YOU to express to me why you DO believe in the truth of the Bible and the existence of God. I have told you why I do not believe. Now, you tell me why you DO believe and show me why my heart should be throwing in its vote with that of your own heart.

1. Genesis 35:1

1 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”

Questions

     1) Why does God tell Jacob to build an alter to God instead of simply saying, "Build an alter to me?" 

     2) Why did God address Himself in the third person? Is it because He is part of the Trinity?

2. Genesis 35:2-3

2 Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: 

3 And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.

Questions

     1) It is clear from these verses that sometime previously Jacob was in distress, called out to the LORD, and the LORD answered him. So why does it also make clear that Jacob's household still worshiped gods other than the LORD God...even when this LORD God did render assistance to Jacob?

     2) If the LORD was with Jacob and Jacob recognized this as a benefit bestowed by THE God of the universe why was his household still worshiping other gods? Did Jacob not see the LORD God as all that powerful? Did he view the LORD God as only powerful in regards to certain requests?

     3) If God was with Jacob and Jacob knew this and recognized this why was there the apparent desire and need for other gods? Did Jacob not know he was supposed to have no other gods before God?

3. Genesis 35:4-5

4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

5 And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

Questions

     1) So, Jacob buries all of these idols and earrings under an oak tree? What was the purpose of doing that, and who did he think he was hiding the idols and jewelry from?

     2) Why does it seem like those who do not know of God or wish to know of God are always experiencing the terror of God? What would be the benefits of showing the love of God instead of the terror of God? Why doesn't God do that instead of trying to scare the shit out of people all of the time?

4. Genesis 35:11-12

11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;

12 And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.

Questions

     1) Soooo...do you notice that with all of these promises that God slings about to His favorites the wording is so very careful? Do you see that God routinely says, "I will give," instead of, "I give," and that the underlying meaning is that He is only promising to give and has not yet done so?

5. Genesis 35:13

13 And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.

Questions

     1) If God is everywhere why and how can He "go up" from a place where He was?

     2) If God is supposed to be everywhere all at once He can never be in the past, for being everywhere all at once means that He is eternal and omni-present, right?

     3) If God is eternal and omni-present no one can remove Him or cover Him or hide Him...not even Himself, right? So, how in the hell does God "go up" from a place where He conversed with a man?

     4) The man God was speaking with can up and leave without problem. The man is not eternal and omni-present. God is eternal and omni-present, so again I ask you how in the blue blazes did God "go up" from the place?

6. Genesis 35:17-18

17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.

18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.

Questions

     1) Is this a good example of the curse of horrible childbirth experiences that God put upon Eve and all women after her?

     2) Sooo...Rachel dies for something she did not do?

     3) Is the real punishment by God not so much pain and suffering in childbirth so much as it is the removal of what should be great joy in a situation where new life is created and brought into the world?

7. Genesis 35:20

20 And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.

Questions

     1) So, the believers who read this verse today do realize that when the verse says the pillar remains on Rachel's grave to "this day" that such was written in the context of whoever was back then. the writer of Genesis?

     2) Believers who read this verse do understand that the verse is NOT referring to the present day and the idea that this pillar is still there...even now?

8. Genesis 37:3-4

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.

4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

Questions

     1) Why does it seem that so many of God's chosen seem to be hated by their peers or family members as a direct result that the chosen individual is loved more by someone or by God?

     2) Why does God consistently use love as a tool to drive a wedge between people and friends and families?

9. Genesis 38:7-10

7 And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.

8 And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

9 And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.

10 And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.

Questions

     1) What did Er do to piss God off?

     2) What do you know? A man who is forced to impregnate his brother's wife and the child that is born will not even be considered as belonging to him? What kind of shit is that?

     3) Are these verses why some religious people are so against masturbation and birth control?

10. Genesis 38:15-16

15 When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.

16 And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?

Questions

     1) Wow. Lord forbid that a woman in the Bible seek the company of a man for pleasure, but a man is more than welcome to do it, even those men who are of God's chosen people. Tell me, how does this work, God? Where is your vindication for this double standard?

11. Genesis 39:20-23

20 And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.

21 But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.

23 The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.

Questions

     1) So the LORD was with Joseph while he was in prison, but never mind keeping him OUT of prison?

     2) Is this one of those screwy stories that is all in the mega-plan that God has for man?

12. Genesis 41:15-16

15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.

16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

Questions

     1) So, because Joseph claims that it is God giving him the answers as to what the dreams interpret to...then God really IS the one giving Joseph the answers?

     2) Lots of people claim to be speaking for God or by the inspiration of God, not only in Bible times but in present times as well. So, how do people prove this? You just take them at their word? How does this apply to televangelists?

13. Genesis 41:31-32

31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.

32 And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

Questions

     1) So, is Joseph really saying that God is the one who dreamed up the drought and famine in the first place? God is in control of the disaster?

     2) How would such a way of thinking apply to present day disasters?

14. Genesis 42:14-17

14 But Joseph said to them, “It is as I said to you. You are spies.

15 By this you shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here.

16 Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.”

17 And he put them all together in custody for three days.

Questions

     1) So, considering what his brothers did to him when they sold him off as a slave are these actions by Joseph a sort of payback from Joseph towards his brothers?

     2) Isn't vengeance supposed to belong to the LORD?

     3) Does God approve of this treatment of Joseph's brothers even though in all fairness they did treat him horribly when he was a child?

15. Genesis 43:8-9

9 I will be a pledge of his safety. From my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever.

Questions

     1) What in the world would be served by bearing the blame forever if Benjamin is hurt, injured, or killed? Will it bring Benjamin back? Will it fix the situation? Will it absolve anyone of any wrong done?

16. Genesis 45:5

5 "Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.

Questions

     1) Isn't this one of the verses/stories believers just love to quote when trying to prove or argue for the absurdity that God allows every thing to happen for a reason, even the bad things?

17. Genesis 45:19-20

19 "Now you are ordered, 'Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father and come.

20 'Do not concern yourselves with your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.'"

Questions

     1) Is it even remotely believable that Pharaoh would so easily give the best lands of Egypt up to a scraggly group of foreigners?

     2) Is this verse supposed to mean that the wisest rulers of nations will give their best lands to God or the people of God if they know what is good for them? 

18. Genesis 46:3-4

3 He said, "I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there.

4 "I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes."

Questions

     1) Why does God always issue excellent promise after excellent promise but seemingly ALWAYS seems to forget to mention that, while He might be making this people or that people a great nation, He is also going to make damn sure that they suffer as much as possible as partial payment for the generosity of God?

19. Genesis 47:5-6

5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your brothers have come to you.

6 "The land of Egypt is at your disposal; settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land, let them live in the land of Goshen; and if you know any capable men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock."

Questions

     1) Does the writer of this verse really expect you to believe that Pharaoh said to foreigners that the land of Egypt was at the disposal of said foreigners? Seriously?

     2) Can you imagine the President of the United States telling the folks of Syria that the U.S. is at their disposal?

20. Genesis 48:18-19

18 Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head."

19 But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations."

Questions

     1) Why is it that the firstborn child of many of the stories in the Old Testament gets rooked time and time again by a younger sibling...and usually a younger sibling that is one of God's chosen?

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