Naomi's Attempts to Turn Back Ruth and Orpah Verse 5 sums up Naomi's tragedy after ten years of childless marriages: "Both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was bereft of her two sons and her husband." A famine, a move to pagan Moab, the death of her husband, the marriage of her sons to foreign wives, and the death of her sons-blow after blow, tragedy upon tragedy. Then (in 1:4), her two sons take Moabite wives, one named Orpah, the other named Ruth. So when Naomi's husband dies (1:13), what could she feel but that the judgment of God had followed her and added grief to famine? God had called his people to be separate from the surrounding lands. Then, there is the decision to sojourn in Moab-a pagan land with foreign gods (1:15 Judges 10:6). When the rains are withheld, it is the hard hand of God. If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase. Naomi knows good and well who causes famines. First (1:1), there is a famine in Judah where Naomi and her husband Elimelech and her sons Mahlon and Chilion live. Let's see how this unknown author, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, teaches it to us. When you think he is farthest from you, or has even turned against you, the truth is that he is laying foundation stones of greater happiness in your life. And we will see that it is true at the personal, family level, too. Even through the sins of his people he can and he does plot for their glory. One of the main messages of this little book is that God is at work in the worst of times. Obed becomes the father of Jesse and Jesse becomes the father of David who led Israel to her greatest heights of glory. The child born to Ruth and Boaz during the period of the judges is Obed. And what the book of Ruth does for us is give us a glimpse of the hidden work of God during the worst of times. Again and again the people rebelled, and from all outward appearances God's purposes for righteousness and glory in Israel were failing. The people would sin, God would send enemies against them, the people would cry for help, and God would mercifully raise up a judge to deliver them. Judges 21:25 says, "In those days there was no king in Israel every man did what was right in his own eyes." It was a very dark time in Israel. The book of Judges comes just before Ruth in our English Bibles and you can see from its very last verse what sort of period it was. This was a 400-year period after Israel entered the promised land under Joshua and before there were any kings in Israel (roughly 1500 BC to 1100 BC). It's a refreshing and encouraging book, and I want you to be refreshed and encouraged this summer.Īccording to 1:1, the story took place during the time of the judges. And it's a story for people who can't imagine that anything great could ever come of their ordinary lives of faith. It's a story for people who wonder whether a life of integrity in tough times is worth it. It's for people who wonder where God is when one tragedy after another attacks their faith. (It takes about 25 minutes at a leisurely pace.) It's a story that shows how "God moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform." It's a story for people who wonder where God is when there are no dreams or visions or prophets. One way that you can make July a very memorable month of insight and renewal for yourself is to read through this beautiful story once each week. My aim is to preach through the book of Ruth in the next four Sundays-one chapter each Sunday.
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