Let’s turn to Ruth 1:1-22
1 Now it came about in the days when the judges governed, that there was a famine in the land. And a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to reside in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. So they entered the land of Moab and remained there. 3 Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. 4 And they took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other, Ruth. And they lived there about ten years. 5 Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the land of Moab, because she had heard in the land of Moab that the LORD had visited His people by giving them food. 7 So she departed from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to your mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 May the LORD grant that you may find a place of rest, each one in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they raised their voices and wept. 10 However, they said to her, “No, but we will return with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I were even to have a husband tonight and also give birth to sons, 13 would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is much more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the LORD has come out against me.”
14 And they raised their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
15 Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not plead with me to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you sleep, I will sleep. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD do so to me, and worse, if anything but death separates me from you.” 18 When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her about it.
19 So they both went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was stirred because of them, and the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 But 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, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?”
22 So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the land of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.
What are some things we can see in this passage?
? Calamity
? Courage
? Covenant of Love
In the beginning of the book of Ruth we witness:
1. Calamity
"In the days when the judges ruled”- The book of Ruth was recorded during the time in Israel when there was no king and everyone lived by and did what they believed was right. Those people who deserted their God, His Word and ways to pursue a self-centered, self-serving lifestyle saw everything turn sour just as God had promised. They eventually became enslaved to the other nations and their rebellion brought God’s judgment on the land - in this case, severe famine.
Israel was in one of their cycles of discipline. They rebelled against God, turned to other gods for life, reaped calamity and then came back to God. God, out of His unending mercy, would send judges/military leaders who would deliver the people from their slavery and then restore peace to the land, but it wasn’t long before they went right back to their old ways, and reaped calamity and enslavement. This cycle went on for 365 years (around 1350 -1014 BC).
Interestingly, the severe famine the book of Ruth describes is confirmed by archaeological findings in the region. Archaeologists have discovered through pollen samples and drilling down through the soil bed repeated, severe, successive droughts, between 1250 -1100 BC, in the areas of Israel, Egypt, Syria, Cyprus, and Turkey. They have found records from the Hittites to the Egyptians seeking help because of the lack of grain and also of large populations migrating during this time.
Why did Elimelech choose to take his family to Moab and wander in this godless place whose people despised his people? Maybe he thought the grass was greener on the other side of the fence? Elimelech’s name means "My God is king" but he chose to live like the others whose hearts desires were their own gods and king of their lives.
Soon after arriving in Moab, calamity strikes and grief soon follows. Elimelech dies, leaving Naomi a widow with two sons. The sons married Moabite women but tragically after 10 years the two sons also die, leaving Naomi with her two Moabite now widowed daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth. It’s very possible that their husbands simply succumbed to the effects of this prolonged famine, there was widespread malnutrition and starvation in the region (the sons' names meant “sickness” and “wasting away”).
Most of us couldn’t imagine Naomi's immense loss and pain. Not only has she lost her husband, but also her sons, her future, her hope for the continuation of the family line. She’s not called by her name but simply “woman.” She is left in a foreign land, with no husband to provide, no grandchildren, no support system, and she’s facing a dark and uncertain future.
There are times in life when there are lots of options and it’s easy to make choices but there are other times when life throws us down a path that we would never have chosen for ourselves. No one anticipates a famine situation, anticipates the prospect of having to raise young children alone because of the death of a spouse. No one chooses calamity - a crippling accident or a life-threatening disease. But it takes courage to make godly choices when things are beyond our control.
In other words, in the midst of famine, I don’t have to live a spiritually famished life. We don’t need to starve ourselves and then resort to eating “junk food” which leaves us even more famished and in the end spiritually malnourished. When we our souls with business or other pursuits it often leaves no room for God. Which means we will have little or capacity for faith, for trusting God in the unexpected, unexplainable or the supernatural. In the end, we find ourselves enslaved to the things we turned to instead of God. Naomi had a famine in her home and in her heart, she was caught up in her grief and bitterness toward God. At the end of her rope, she decided to go back to Bethlehem. This took:
2. Courage
When she heard that God had provided bread in Bethlehem, it meant that God’s people had repented of their sin and saw His favor restored. She humbles herself and decides it’s time to return home, to her own people, expecting shame because she left “full but is now returning empty.” In a way Naomi’s story is the OT version of the prodigal son in Luke 15. This is the turning point in the story - Naomi had no plans to leave Moab but it was God who graciously ended her exile. He wanted her to know this calamity was not the end of her story, that there is plenty of bread in Bethlehem, and that He had much more in store for her there.
On their way to Bethlehem Naomi is greatly concerned about the future of her daughters in law. She was too weak to repay their kindness so she prays that they would experience God’s “hesed,” His loving kindness and care, releasing them from any future responsibility toward her. She would face her future alone. Orpah, after initially refusing to leave, knows she has no future there and tearfully kisses her mother-in-law goodbye. In the end she returns to her people and her gods.
But here we not only see Naomi’s courage but we also see in this passage Ruth's:
3. Covenant of Love
Ruth was free to return to her own land and was even strongly urged to do so. She could have left Naomi to live in her own misery and deal with her own issues but instead she decided to “cling” to Naomi. Cling speaks of a fierce loyalty - this signaled her commitment to “abandon” (Ruth 1:15-16) her Moabite roots, home, land and gods for Naomi’s home, land, people, and her God. Clinging speaks about a fierce devotion, a spiritual longing and relentless pursuit.
This same word is used when it comes to marriage between a husband and wife. God has called the husband and wife to have fierce loyalty, love, and devotion to one another. Marriage is an intimate commitment to one another. Even more so, the word “cling” is the type of relationship God has called us to have with Him, with His words (Ps 119:31). David said, My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me (Ps 63:8). The same word is used in the book of Matthew when Peter and Andrew heard Jesus' call "Follow Me!" (Mt 4:19) "They immediately left their nets, and followed” = hesed.
With all the challenges that families face today, it was very encouraging to hear Shami and Dorette’s testimonies (which I have witnessed in all of the moms in our church) who continue to cling to and follow the Lord, who have a fierce devotion to God and to their families. These moms are relying on His strength, wisdom, and guidance. They have continuously received God’s encouragement and comfort, and experienced His kindness, patience, and grace to raise their children and trust Him for the future.
It is a sad day when God’s people, who know the truth, still cling to things, a desire, a wish, a hope, showing a greater love and loyalty to the things that in the end take our hearts far from the Lord God, the only One who cares for our souls. The Psalmist rightly observed:
The sorrows [pain and suffering] of those who have chosen another god will be multiplied [because of their idolatry] (Psalm 16:4 Amp)
Ruth was resolute in vv. 16-18.
She was determined to stay with Naomi and her people, and follow her God, despite the unknown and unfamiliar circumstances she would find herself in. She chose a new destiny, a new identity - putting her trust in Naomi’s God, whom she calls by His personal name, “the Lord.” Ruth told her, “where you die I will die and there I will be buried.” In those days there was an intimate connection between the land and its deity. It was important to have a proper burial in the land of your god to guarantee a restful afterlife. Ruth put no faith in her cultural gods but placed her life and her eternal future into the hands of the Lord God. Ruth's powerful declaration left Naomi speechless. This wasn’t a shallow statement or a random relationship, it was a lifelong commitment and Naomi knew there was no way of changing Ruth’s resolve.
God was graciously calling Naomi back to “the house of bread,” and made sure she wouldn’t have to face it alone. In the midst of such great loss, Ruth’s unwavering loyalty, love and devotion to Naomi and her God, led to blessings beyond what they could ever imagine. What is interesting to note is that God brought them back at the beginning of the barley harvest. The celebration of the barley harvest begins on the 3rd day after the Passover as barley is the first fruits out of the ground. It is a picture of Christ’s resurrection. Maybe the Lord was saying to a broken Naomi, no condemnation, there is hope and new life for you in the house of God.
Throughout this story we see God’s “Hesed” - His covenant of love, care and commitment not only to his wayward children but to those who have placed their trust in Him. My prayer for our church, for the marriages and families, for the singles is that we, would experience the “ Hesed’ of God and like Ruth, would “cling” to the Lord. For those who have realized that the grass is not greener in Moab, God is telling you, you don’t have to stay there, you can come home, there is plenty of bread in His house.
