A Mother's Love For Those Dark Days Of Life

 A Mother’s Love For Those Dark Days Of Life

Ruth 1:18

“In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab.”

It was a time when the judges ruled. Those were the days of sin and debauchery for the nation of Israel. It was a time in history not unlike our time for it is within these dark days of history that we find the story of how a people of God turned to idolatry and moral corruption. But, it is also within this time that we also find the story of a mother’s love

and how God blesses and sanctifies that love.

Our story is over 3,000 years old. And yet, it is as fresh and new as any story that you might find. The tensions between races of people and a drifting away from the laws of God are exactly as we find them today. Their shattered dreams, the rebuilding of hope,

the communication between men and women, the fears, the prayers, and the frustrations are familiar to us all. And when we see how God works in the lives of

others, when we hear the stories of redemption, we hunger for God. And when we see how God responds to a Godly mother, we see that all is not lost. There is hope for our nation and for our people.

Let’s turn back the pages of time. Let’s travel back to the time of the Israelites. Now, you’ll remember that the nation of Israel had, at one time, been enslaved to the nation of Egypt. The blood of God’s people was being mixed within the mortar and dirt of the pyramids. And so, the chosen people of God began to cry out for mercy. And in his mercy, God saw their tears and heard their cry for redemption. In an act of infinite love and grace, God redeemed them and brought them into the Promise Land. And what a great land it was. And you would think that the people who had known the pain of slavery would love and serve God. But, they didn’t. In the days when the judges ruled comes the sordid story of God’s people worshiping idols and living a life of sin and lust.

You know, as I read the wonderful stories of the Old Testament, I can’t help but notice how God writes these stories of salvation upon the backdrop of sin and corruption. And this is one of those stories. But in the days when the judges ruled is also the story of a mother who comes from Bethlehem in Judah.

And the place is significant for the meaning of Bethlehem Judah is significant. Bethlehem means house of bread and Judah means praise. And so, our Scripture

family, will be leaving the house of bread and praise to live in the land of Moab. Now, you would think that Moab would have to be a wonderful place in order to draw someone from the house of bread and praise? But it’s not. God says in Psalm 108:9 that “Moab is my washbasin.” So, our family of God is going to live in a land that God refer’s to as his washbasin.

This morning, I would like you to get acquainted with our Scripture family. They are a very ordinary but interesting family of God. But, I want you to pay particular attention to the mother of this family. This being Mother’s Day, I want you to appreciate the

sacrifices that a Godly mother is willing to make for her family. And I want you to appreciate how special mother’s are in God’s eyes, for this is the story of Naomi and her family.

“The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.”

Let me introduce you to our family. First, we have the father Elimelech whose name means “My God is my King.” Next, we have his wife Naomi whose name means “my

pleasantness.” What a wonderful name for a wife and mother. And then, of course, let’s not forget the children. We have Mahlon whose name means “unhealthy” and we have Kilion whose name means “puny”. Two beautiful people with two sickly children. It’s a

real shame, isn’t it?

O, how the women of Bethlehem must have talked. “Look. Here comes Miss Mary Sunshine. I don’t see what she has to be so cheerful about. I mean, look at those two

sickly sons of hers. If those two puny things belonged to me, I sure wouldn’t be so cheerful. And did you hear? She and her husband are dragging those poor boys off to Moab to live. Why, no self respecting Jew would live in Moab. I’m sure glad I’m not married to her husband.” Yeah, I’m sure those people of Bethlehem had a field day talking about this family.