Ruth 1
Ruth 1:1–22 (ESV):
1 In the days when the judges ruled
The judges were temporary leaders (really more like deliverers) whom God raised up at special moments in order to deliver Israel from oppression.
Some famous judges during this era that you may have heard of:
Samson
Deborah
Gideon
Their stories can be found in the book of Judges along with the rest.
The days when the judges ruled was overall a very dark season in Israel’s history. It was a time of spiritual, social and political unrest.
That’s largely because they had NO KING.
In fact, If you were to turn just a page back from the book of Ruth in your Bible to the very last sentence in the book of Judges, you’d find this statement:
Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
And that pretty much sums it up; it was a season of anarchy and sin and defeat.
But the phrase there was no king in Israel is not just a factual statement; it’s also a cry for help. Israel was desperate for a king. Desperate for someone to restore peace. Desperate for true and lasting deliverance.
The book of Ruth in many ways begins the story of God providing a King for Israel. A King who would bring peace, redemption and hope.
Notice, it says the story takes place not ‘after’ the judges ruled, but ‘when’ the judges ruled.
So the story of Ruth happens during this dark season of unrest… this season of uncertainty… this season of chaos…
That means that God was working behind the scenes even during this dark period to bring about Israel’s redemption.
That’s the theme I want to focus on today.
God is always working for the good of those who are His, even when things feel dark and chaotic and bitter.
Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”
This is the hope we cling to as God’s people…. And yet, sometimes things seem to get bitter before they get better.
This is certainly true for the people in the opening narrative of our story today.
It says…
there was a famine in the land,
God had specifically promised that as long as Israel was obedient and faithful to Him, there would always be plenty in Israel… So the fact that there’s a famine tells us that Israel, as a nation, was not at this time walking in obedience to God.
Now, we can’t necessarily apply that same principle to our individual lives...
Experiencing tragedy or hardship in your life is not necessarily indicative of disobedience or sin.
Jesus made that clear when he healed the man who had been born blind (John 9). The disciples asked, “who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?” Jesus answered them, ‘neither! This guy was born blind so that the works of God would be displayed in him’.
The Bible does say that God disciplines the ones He loves… so it is possible that the hardship you are facing is an act of God’s loving discipline.
However… sometimes obedient, God-fearing people experience terrible tragedy that seems to not make sense. It doesn’t mean they were bad and deserve it; it means God is sovereign and He’s going to work it out and use it for their good and His glory somehow.
and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and 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. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah.
That’s their names, their clan, their city and their tribe.
That is to say, these are real people in history.
Never forget: the stories and events of the Bible happened to real people in real places during real historical periods (unless otherwise specified). This is not a fable.
And notice, where are these real people from? Bethlehem.
They went into the country of Moab and remained there.
Moab was 30 miles away from Bethlehem, on the other side of the Dead Sea.
It was a pagan nation, and historically one of Israel’s enemies. But they go there out of desperation, in search of a better life… or at least in search of basic sustenance.
3 But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons.
Talk about adding insult to injury.
Could you imagine how it would feel to be Naomi in this situation?
You flee from starvation to a foreign land, only to have your husband, the only adult who you know there and can rely on… your safety, your best friend, your life partner, the father of your children… die.
Now it’s you and the kids in a foreign land.
4 These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth.
So here Naomi is with her two sons… they grow up and marry Moabite girls (Gentiles), Orpah and Ruth…
They lived there about ten years, 5 and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman (Naomi) was left without her two sons and her husband.
That’s a lot of tragedy for 5 verses.
Some of you here today have experienced a disproportionate amount of tragedy in your lives.
6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the LORD had visited his people and given them food.
‘Famine is over… my sons and husband are dead… time to go back.’
7 So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, 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 her mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The LORD grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.
She’ saying, ‘look, each of you needs to go home, move on, find new husbands and start new families and I’ll be praying you’ll be blessed by God’.
That phrase ‘may the Lord deal kindly with you’ turns out to be quite prophetic in the case of Ruth.
Deal kindly is the Hebrew word hesed, which means “deeds of mercy performed by a more powerful party for the benefit of the weaker one.” -Huey
The Lord would indeed deal kindly with Ruth… Naomi has no idea just how true her statement is.
10 And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.”
11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands?
In that culture, if a young woman was widowed, her deceased husband’s brother was responsible for taking her in. Naomi is stating the obvious: ‘I don’t have any more sons for you to marry!’
12 Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, 13 would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.”
She’s saying, ‘I hate that you have had to endure my trials… go live your lives.’
Now, had the Lord’s hand actually been against Naomi? No. Sometimes in the midst of our tragedy we can start believing the lie that God’s hand is against us.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
God is NEVER against those who are His.
Nevertheless, Naomi does set a good example for us in that even though she felt that the Lord was against her, she did not pull further away from God but rather went closer to Him. That’s always the answer for us too, isn’t it?
No matter what the cause of our felt distance from God is… the answer is always to draw near to Him. To run back to Him. He’s always there with open arms.
James 4:8 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
Remember the story of the prodigal son? The Father was there as soon as the son turned back. That’s how God treats us when we return to Him.
14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
15 And she (Naomi) said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”
16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”
So notice, Ruth is not just vowing to follow Naomi… she’s vowing to abandon her gods and follow the God of Israel!
Ruth must have seen something in Naomi’s relationship with God that was attractive to her. So much so that she was willing to abandon everything in order to have a relationship with God.
Do you realize that the way we honor God in our suffering can draw people to God?
When people watch us endure suffering and still trust in the Lord… it is undeniably attractive. The world has no equivalent on offer. Only God can offer joy in the midst of suffering.
18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.
19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?”
‘Where is your husband? Where are the kids… the boys must be grown by now… where are they, how are they doing?’
20 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, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”
The name Naomi means ‘pleasant’... the name Mara means ‘bitter’.
She’s saying, ‘you don’t understand… I’ve been through it… I’m not the same person anymore… my name doesn’t even match me anymore… I’m not pleasant, I’m bitter. Call me Bitter instead of pleasant.’
How sad.
What Naomi doesn’t realize is that God has not abandoned her… His hand has not been against her… in fact, her life is about to take a radical turn in the best possible way, and prove that God has been working behind the scenes all along.
And not only that, but He’s been working to bring about a much greater result than any of them could have imagined.
The last verse of the chapter gives us a subtle hint of where all this is headed…
22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.
The fact that it happened to be the beginning of the barley harvest is what is going to lead Ruth to meet a very important person who we will read about next week. This person will end up being a redeemer for their family, which will change everything.
But notice that verse 22 also reiterates that Ruth was a Moabite. Why? We already know that. Why say it again?
Because we are meant to understand, in the grand scheme of the story, that God reaches and redeems even those who are initially furthest away from Him.
This pagan woman, who grew up worshipping idols, far away from the God of Israel… ends up being not just the recipient of redemption, but the conduit of redemption to others.
Through Ruth, God would ultimately provide that long awaited King that God’s people ached for.
Ruth, as it turns out, would become the great grandmother of King David.
And King David would ultimately become a type pointing towards a greater King from that same family line…
The True King… the Eternal King… King Jesus
…Who would not just restore national peace to Israel, but would restore all who trust in Him (near and far) to a peaceful relationship with their Creator.
…Who would not just provide food for hungry stomachs, but would Himself be the bread of life for starving souls, so that whoever comes to Him would never go hungry again.
…Who would not just win political victories over national enemies, but would win the ultimate battle against evil itself, and bring everlasting life to people of all nations, tribes and tongues.
All of this would transpire beginning with a famine, some death in the family, and a whole bunch of tragedy that seemed very unfair in the moment…
When we get to the New Testament, and the mystery of the gospel is made clear, we see that suffering is NEVER wasted in the life of the believer.
2 Corinthians 4:17 (ESV): 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
2 Corinthians 1:4 (ESV): 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
1 Peter 2:21 (ESV): 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.
James 1:2–4 (ESV): 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Romans 8:18 (ESV): 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”