Ruth
Chapter 1
Introduction
The story of Ruth is neatly divided into four scenes, of
which the first scene is described in Chapter One as follows:
“In the days when the judges’ rule, 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. The man’s name was Elimelech,
his wife’s name Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion.
They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah.” (vv. 1—2)
So, Ruth’s story happened during the rule of the Judges (v.1).
The Book of Judges depicts a chaotic period in Israelites’ history in the
Promised Land with rampant idolatry, bloodshed and violence, while Ruth
portrays the serenity of country life, the family bond of love, and human
loving-kindness.
So, Judges and Ruth, together present a complete contrast of
‘war and peace’.
Bethlehem means “the house of bread”, but at that time there was no bread - famine.
So Elimelech’s family journeyed to the country of Moab, which was able to
sustain life. The whole family was lured by the fertility of Moab’s land and to
partake of the fat of the land. However, what followed was death.
First, Elimelech died and Naomi is left with two sons (v.3).
The two sons married Moabite women and continued to live in that land for another
ten years. Then they too died, leaving behind Naomi and the two
daughters-in-law. All the men died without saying a word – wordless!
Wives became widows and mothers became non-mothers. They lost
their identity and security of life. They needed men for provision, protection,
and legal representation. So how did they respond?
My Heart Will Go On
Naomi heard that Judah was now blessed with food, she wanted
to return. On the way back, Naomi urged her two daughters-in-law:
“Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord
show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. May the Lord
grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” (vv.8—9)
Naomi was right that her daughters-in- law would have a
better chance of building a good life for themselves in Moab. After all, Naomi could
not provide for them in Israel. And, what’s more, Israel’s law deters Israelite
men from marrying foreign women. But Ruth and Orpah did not buy her argument.
They just would not accept it.
So, Naomi came up with another pressing line of reasoning:
“Return home, my daughters, why would you come with me? Am I
going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my
daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was
still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to
sons—would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them?” (vv.11—13)
Israel has an ancient law or custom, known as the levirate
law, which requires a man to marry the widow of his deceased brother. But this
law does not help Naomi because she was too old to bear children.
This time Orpah buys her
argument. She turns and heads back home and, by this decision, she lives in Moab but dies in
God’s grand narrative. Do you want the same—relinquishing your role in God’s
divine story?
But Naomi just can’t shake Ruth off. Ruth clings to her mother-in-law,
and utters these moving words:
“Don’t’ urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where
you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people
and your God my God. Where you die, I will die. And there I will be buried. May
the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates
you and me.” (vv.16—17)
What a stirring expression of love and loyalty. Here, Ruth
commits herself heart and soul to Naomi, to her people and to her God. Ruth is
not only kind to Naomi but she is clinging on to Yahweh God.
Ruth is leaving behind the security of her mother’s house and
homeland. Instead, she chooses to depart for a foreign country where she may
have to scavenge for food in order to look after her mother-in law.
Ruth’s act of faith – “hesed”
– surpasses even the faithful act of father Abraham who, likewise moved out of his
father’s house to head towards the Promised Land. Abraham had family support
and God’s calling and promise to bless him, but, in contrast, Ruth had none to
back her up.
It is by this risky and faithful act that Ruth will
remain and excel in God’s great salvation plan as the story unfolds for us. In contrast
to Orpah, Ruth plays a prominent role in God’s divine story. Today, what role
do you play in God’s divine story?
The
Invisible Hand of God Upholding Us
Now, when Naomi, accompanied by Ruth, arrived at her hometown,
the women of Bethlehem saw her. They saw how Naomi left with a complete family,
but now she returned without her husband and sons. The women folk exclaimed in
disbelief: “Is this Naomi?”
Naomi in self-pity replies, “Do not call me Naomi (sweet
one), call me Mara! (Bitter one), for Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
I went away full but Yahweh has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi when
Yahweh has afflicted me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me.
Naomi mourned that God has deprived her of all protection and
property. She experienced God as the author of death and she perceived no way
out of this divine curse. Naomi concluded
this because she was blinded by her grief and pain, which is understandable –
to a point.
However, is that all about Naomi’s life as she has concluded?
Are we, or is our church at this point of time being
concluded and defined, as so and so with failure….; as such and such type of
church ….?
No! With God’s presence with us, we are able to transform
from strength to strength. Let not anyone, or devil’s word define God’s children
to a standstill state!
The narrator acting like a Google Map for the readers, intervened just in
time to “usurp” the right to speak from Naomi, saying with a divine perspective,
‘Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth
the Moabites, her daughter in law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning,’(v.22).
Ruth's name is mentioned – an epithet of
determination and total commitment. Now she is with Naomi. Barley harvest was around the corner.
Both Ruth and Barley harvest foreshadow blissfulness
and prosperity ahead. Naomi is not alone. Ruth and the barley harvest are two
forces of life that will overwhelm the forces of death!
The timely remarks of the narrator allude to ‘the
invisible hand of God’, which has been leading Naomi and Ruth towards a
happy future. Naomi just like many of us today, can’t see the bigger picture as
she returns to Bethlehem. God is about to bless her starting from Chapter Two,
and it is accomplished through Ruth.
Like Naomi, we often don’t see God’s kindness towards us in
the midst of our hardship or suffering because we are myopic and blinded by
many things. We are seriously in need of a spiritual Google Map. As a result, we
are tempted to become resentful towards God.
We won’t always immediately understand the reason for our
suffering. God may not even reveal the ultimate reason for our suffering in
this life. But God is using our suffering
for our good. It is amazing how many people can testify that God has used suffering
in their lives for their good.
When we are hurting, it is an act of faith to move on as Ruth
clung on to God; we should continue to trust that God still loves us. God is in
control. His invisible hands are upholding us.
Besides, let no one, no circumstances define you now. In
God’s scheme of things, he is working out something for our good and bringing
glory to His name.
Can you see that God has placed a “Ruth” with you? Or rather
you are to step out to play the role of “Ruth” in God’s great divine narrative.
Can you see that the “barley harvest” is around the corner?
In Christ, we have a hopeful future. Paul encouraged us while
he was in chain.
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice. Let
your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be
anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in
Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7)
