Have you ever gone through something and thought, “God what’s the point?”
Sometimes, things happen that we have no control over. Sometimes, others make decisions that cause us heartache. Sometimes, God does things or allows things to happen that we just don’t understand. In the first chapter of the Book of Ruth, we see things happening that just don’t make sense, but if we trust the Lord, God has a way of helping us understand and blessing us in the process.
Ruth 1:1,2
In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him. 2 The man’s name was Elimelech (A-limb-a-lek), and his wife was Naomi. Their two sons were Mahlon (MA-lawn) and Kilion (Kill-LEE-on). They were Ephrathites (eff-ra-thites) from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. And when they reached Moab, they settled there.
The Book of Ruth takes place after Joshua conquered the land and during the time of the judges, probably when Gideon was the judge over Israel.
As with many instances where Israel has turned its back on God, a famine struck the land. I recognize that scripture often implies God sends famine and destruction upon the land. I believe that when humanity sinned and brought a curse upon the land, these calamities lie in wait, ready to emerge. When God must withdraw His hand from a person or land because they have turned from Him, destruction follows, as God has lifted His protective hand. He restrains famine, pestilence, and other misfortunes from His people, and when they turn away from Him, these threats lie in wait to wreak havoc due to the curse that humanity has placed on the land.
When we face difficult times, God doesn’t call us to run but to stand and wait for His deliverance. Too often, people flee to places they believe will be better or safer when challenges arise. God calls us to seek Him, to trust Him, and then to stand firm and watch Him perform miracles. He did this for Israel, but Elimelech chose not to wait or seek the Lord. He left, attempting to handle things his own way. In some ways, I can’t blame him; there was a famine. Would his family have died if he didn’t take responsibility to move them 75 miles away to Moab? Clearly, the famine was widespread in Israel, as there was no place to escape it. The question isn’t whether he tried to be a good leader for his family; the question is whether he truly sought the Lord first.
Jesus said we would face difficulties, trials, and tribulations in this life, but he promised that if we seek Him, He has already overcome and will bring us peace. Yes, He can tell us to move on, but we know it is Him and not just our fear, gut reaction, pride, or our own understanding!
Here is the result of what I believe to be a decision made without God..
Ruth 1:3-5
Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons. 4 The two sons married Moabite women. One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth. But about ten years later, 5 both Mahlon (Ma-lawn) and Kilion (Kill-LEE-on) died. This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband.
Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah were left without “rest” safety or any type of security because of the death of their husbands! In this culture the sons were to take care of their elderly parents. That was proper welfare in Israel. However, Naomi is seemingly left abandoned.
Ruth 1: 6-9
Then Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland. 7 With her two daughters-in-law she set out from the place where she had been living, and they took the road that would lead them back to Judah.
8 But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes. And may the LORD reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. 9 May the LORD bless you with the security of another marriage.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept
When the family left Israel, they either would have leased their land (as there was really no selling of land because it always had to come back to the family) or it would have been taken over by a close relative. Naomi’s hope was that she could do something to supply for herself. Israel had a welfare program called gleaning that we will talk about next week that was designed to care for the poor, widowed and abandoned. Naomi’s hope was to go participate in the program.
It appears she thought it would be a good idea for her daughters-in-law to join her but having rethought, probably because she remembered the ordinance of God against the Moabites, Deuteronomy 23:3-6 says that Moabites would basically have no future because of their lack of faith. She thought to send them home. If she did not send them home they had no hope of security, through a marriage in Israel.
Deuteronomy 23:3
No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants for ten generations may be admitted to the assembly of the LORD.
But think about it, they were a close, obviously a loving family
Ruth 1:10-13
“No,” they said. “We want to go with you to your people.”
11 But Naomi replied, “Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands? 12 No, my daughters, return to your parents’ homes, for I am too old to marry again. And even if it were possible, and I were to get married tonight and bear sons, then what? 13 Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters! Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD himself has raised his fist against me.”
OK what is this all about? In Deuteronomy 25:5 there is a custom called Levirate marriage. The word “levir” means “Husband’s brother” It was a custom in Israel where if a man dies without an heir, in order to keep the clan, the land, and the inheritance with the family, his brother (or a relative that was close enough to be considered a brother) should (wasn’t forced) take his sister-in-law into his home and have a child with her that would be heir to the dead brother’s inheritance. So Naomi is saying will you wait for me to have two more boys, brothers of your husbands, so they could marry you?
I could see Naomi’s life feeling bitter. Mahlon means sickly and Kilion means wasting, so it sounds like from birth, these two guys were not very healthy Elimelech chose to trust his own understanding rather than God and it cost everyone involved….notice because of someone else’s bad decision, it hurt the girls but God was not against them, he was for them especially when Naomi decided to head home. Just because your boss, a friend, even a spouse or a parent, makes a bad decision doesn’t mean you will pay for it forever….God promises that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purposes! Naomi was about to learn that despite her Eeyore attitude.
It is also sad for me to see the lack of depth in Naomi’s faith. When we are in pain, even if we are a person of great faith, it is easy to give up on God….She was willing for her daughters-in-law to abandon the God of Israel and go back to Chemosh the god of the Moabites that even accepted child sacrifice, a god of no hope because Naomi had no hope. But God would still be faithful to Naomi despite her pain, He saw her heart.Next week, we will see hope begin to arise in Naomi. Part of that blessing was Ruth refusing to leave.
Ruth 1: 14-18
And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi. 15 “Look,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.”
16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” 18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.
During her marriage, Ruth made a commitment to the God of Israel. This famous passage of scripture is based on a promise she made in the name of “Yahweh,” the God of Israel, not Chemosh, the god of the Moabites. Naomi would have had no hope, no future, but Ruth chose to serve her mother-in-law and provide for her future above her own. She literally acted as Jesus would say over 1,000 years later: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down his life for his friends.”
Ruth 1:19-22
So the two of them continued on their journey. When they came to Bethlehem, the entire town was excited by their arrival. “Is it really Naomi?” the women asked.
20 “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. 21 I went away full, but the LORD has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the LORD has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?”
22 So Naomi returned from Moab, accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth, the young Moabite woman. They arrived in Bethlehem in late spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest.
It’s easy for us, when we find ourselves in difficult places—places of hurt, rejection, woundedness, mourning, pain, and anger—to blame God. God is good; He is love. These are not just character traits; they are His essence—there can be no goodness or love without God. He cannot betray His own nature. Elimelech could have repented and returned to trusting God, but he did not. This decision not only harmed him by shortening his life, but it also cost his sons their lives and hurt the woman he loved and his daughters.
Naomi believes she returned empty, but she actually came back with an amazing gift that will impact the world forever. Despite Elimelech’s poor decision, God turned it around for Naomi, Ruth, and the world. Not only will Ruth take care of Naomi, but we will also see how God blesses her life more than she could ever imagine, and her grandson will become a direct ancestor to the greatest kings who ever lived and to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
Can you stop blaming God today?
Can you start expecting the blessings of God to be on you as He promised they would despite your pain and rejection?
Can you see God today as the one who loves you the most and wants to turn your darkness into a blessing!
Will you allow God to show you the gifts He has placed all around you already?
You are called to change the world and the enemy wants your life to seem destitute, broken, hopeless, or helpless and that is just not true! As Paul wrote in Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.