Ruth & 1 Samuel 1-7 - Women of Faith

Unshaken Saints

Jared Halverson

Education, Religion & Spirituality

4.9 • 2.5K Ratings

🗓️ 2 June 2026

⏱️ 241 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The Book of Judges ends in total moral chaos, with everyone doing "what is right in their own eyes." But right against that dark backdrop, a young foreign widow named Ruth and a heartbroken, barren mother named Hannah shine a brilliant light. If you feel surrounded by a spiritual famine, their stories are the ultimate anchor. Summary: In this episode, we bridge the gap between the chaotic era of the Judges and the dawn of the Kings of Israel by studying the Book of Ruth and 1 Samuel 1–7. We move past the surface history to uncover deep covenants of loyalty, the anatomy of desperate prayer, and the power of remembering the Lord's help. The Oasis of Ruth: We explore how the story of Ruth and Naomi serves as the absolute antithesis of pride. We look at Ruth’s radical commitment to stay on the covenant path ("whither thou goest, I will go") even when it cost her worldly security. Famine in the House of Bread: We analyze the irony of Elimelech leaving Bethlehem—which literally means "House of Bread"—during a famine, and what it teaches us about seeking spiritual sustenance outside of the covenant. Hannah’s Desperate Prayer: We dive into 1 Samuel 1, contrasting the shallow religion of Eli's sons with the agonizing, silent prayer of Hannah. We learn how she moved from wanting a son for her own status to vowing to "lend him to the Lord" for life. The Call of Samuel: We study the transition of prophetic power to a young boy who simply learned to say, "Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth." Raising Your Ebenezer: We break down the battle of Mizpeh in 1 Samuel 7. We discover what an Ebenezer—a "stone of help"—actually is, and why setting up markers of God’s past deliverance is the only way to keep our hearts from wandering. Call-to-Action: Samuel set up a stone and declared, "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." What is the "Ebenezer" or spiritual milestone in your life that reminds you of God's power when your faith feels shaky? Share your story in the comments below! To keep your eye fixed on a stable anchor and stay "Unshaken," please like, subscribe, and share this video with someone who needs a reminder of God's deliverance. Chapter Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction to the Book of Ruth 4:18 Famine & Loss 11:44 Thinking of Others or Thinking of Self 26:47 Putting Your Blessings on Hold to Bless Others 31:27 Deciding to Go or to Stay 40:15 Giving In & Going Home 45:43 Gleaning in Boaz's Field 54:17 Providing & Protecting 57:42 Honoring the Stranger 1:03:17 Trust Under the Wings 1:09:05 Going Above & Beyond the Minimum 1:18:13 A Near Kinsman 1:25:26 Gleaning in the Right Fields 1:31:33 Ruth & Boaz at the Threshingfloor 1:42:20 Spreading the Skirt 1:54:10 Redeeming Ruth 2:06:08 Hannah's Portion & Provocation 2:16:44 Comforting the Afflicted 2:21:27 Hannah's Prayer & Eli's Misjudgment 2:37:22 Hannah & Samuel 2:49:23 The Song of Hannah 2:56:47 The Sins of the Sons of Eli 3:13:32 Samuel's Call 3:27:03 Raiders of the Lost Ark 3:36:23 The Consequences of Taking the Ark Unworthily 3:50:04 Returning to the Lord 3:56:04 Conclusion: Ebenezer

Transcript

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0:00.0	When the son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
0:05.0	Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief.
0:12.0	May our testimonies be as deep and as strong as that of Jacob,
0:19.0	when confounded by one who sought to destroy his face, declared,
0:22.6	I could not be shaken.
0:24.6	Hello, my friends, Jared Halverson here. Welcome back to Unshaken.
0:41.3	Today we're going to be covering the book of Ruth and the first seven chapters of Samuel.
0:45.8	Some amazing material, especially after last week's dizzying spin through the pride cycle in the book of judges.
0:51.8	I'm hoping that today is just what the doctor ordered to
0:55.1	help you recalibrate and get your bearings once again. I've read that when figure skaters,
1:00.6	for example, are spinning so fast, how do they not get dizzy and this fall down right afterwards?
1:06.1	And it's that they try to keep their eyes fixed on a stationary point. And yes, they're spinning,
1:13.3	their heads have to spin around, but they'll hold that gaze as long as they can and then
1:16.7	flip their head around and get back on it as quickly as possible. And to me, through the dizziness
1:23.0	of the pride cycle and the book of judges, a really good fixed point to concentrate on is the
1:29.3	book of Ruth because the book of Ruth grows out of the same time period that we studied last week.
1:35.3	So despite the fact we saw so many falls into pride and wickedness and destruction, here today
1:41.3	we see a story of two women, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, who are worth
1:46.3	concentrating on. And whenever you get pulled down towards pride, look to the selflessness
1:53.3	of Ruth and Naomi. And I think selflessness, like humility, like meekness, like so many other
1:59.5	divine attributes, are a wonderful cure
2:02.3	for the kinds of problems that bring us down the pride cycle like we saw last week. You get this
	...

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