Wednesday: Ruth
Rather than talking about vast enemy armies that threaten God’s people, the story of Ruth speaks about something smaller: a family almost dying out but, instead, being revived. While it includes two larger themes-God’s creation being destroyed and His people being under threat-Ruth also tells of the great controversy on a personal level, where it is, in reality, always being waged.
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
It is no surprise that the land of Judah suffered a famine during the time of the judges (Ruth 1:1, Deut. 28:48, Deut. 32:24; see also Judges 17:6, Judges 21:25). This was a sign that the people of the covenant had forsaken God. Sin and rebellion had reduced the land flowing with milk and honey to a barren dust bowl but, in the book of Ruth, God “visited” the land and put life back into it, “giving them bread” again (Ruth 1:6).
When Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their two young sons first went to Moab, they did so because they wanted a future. The land of the enemy gave temporary relief but, with her husband and two sons dead, Naomi finally decided to go back home.
Read Ruth 1:8, Ruth 1:16, Ruth 1:17. What is the significance of Ruth wanting to go with Naomi?
Ruth was from an enemy nation that had on many occasions tried to destroy Israel, but she chose to identify with God’s people and worship their God. In addition, she found favor in the eyes of her adopted homeland, not just by Boaz (Ruth 2:10) but also by the people who knew of her (Ruth 2:11) . Boaz was confident that she also found favor in God’s eyes (Ruth 2:12) , and taking his admiration for her a step further, he agreed to marry her (Ruth 3:10-11) .
However, there was a closer relative than Boaz who had first claim to the land of the dead man if he married Ruth. The nearer relative was not interested in another wife, however, because it complicated his financial plans (Ruth 4:6) . At this point the assembly of witnesses blessed Ruth, likening her to the great women of Israel’s history (Ruth 4:11-12) , which was fulfilled when she became a forebearer of the Messiah (Ruth 4:13, Ruth 4:17; Matt. 1:5-6) .
Talk about a living-happily-ever-after story. Unfortunately, there aren’t too many of those in the Bible. Of course, there are not too many outside of the Bible either. Here, too, though, we can see how, despite the ebb and flow of life, God’s will, in the end, shall prevail; and that’s good news for all who love and trust Him.
(41)
Had Naomi and her husband Elimelech stayed in Bethlehem Judah death would have not struck them. All journeys made throughout the Bible there is always a return to the land that God appointed for his people to dwell. There is a tendency of people always moving back to Jerusalem definitely after some pestilence had struck them. Ruth was I can call her infidel who was reverted to worship God through her mother In law, she felt the pain Naomi was going through after losing everything that Naomi could call her own. Moved with compassion she felt it would not be right to leave Naomi alone, wherever thou goest I'll go thy people shall be my people thy God shall be my God,. How often do we behave if God forbid I lost my husband after 1 month of marriage, will I stick to this marriage or I'll move on to find another husband? We have been married as the remnants and we keep on divorcing our God when faced with tough choices to make. We seek help from herbalists, false prophets in search for a better solution. Ruth stood firm for A God who she knew through marriage. Let us stand firm on our faith God is always on our side only if we trust Him.
Something that might be of interest regarding Boaz (the future husband of Ruth), is that Boaz's mother was Rahab! (Matt 1:5.)
The very same Rahab that "received the [two] spies with peace" when they came to Jericho. (Heb 11:31.) Also, I believe, and suggest, that Rahab went on to marry one of the two spies she hid, and that his name was Salmon, the father-to-be of Boaz. (Ruth 4:20-21.)
This man, Boaz, has notable parents! ... a notable grand-father too - Nahshon - "captain of the children of Judah" (Num 1:7, Num 2:3). Perhaps it should be no surprise that this man, Boaz, possessed a notable character.
Don't forget Tamar, the daughter-in-law of Judah, who fathered Perez by her.
Despite our own human plans in life Gods will in the end shall prevail in our lives
It is man's inclination to speculate - (and the renditions of the 'bible'stories are the worst!). Ruth had seen something in Elimalech's family which she wanted for herself and she was prepared to leave her homeland to follow Naomi back to the land God had given her husband's family. Whether Salmon, Boaz's father, was indeed one of the spies we shall only find out when we reach heaven. What is most significant is that Jesus had "skeletons' in his ancestral cupboard for a reason! A whore (Rahab) a heathen (Ruth) an adultress (Bathsheba), a murderer (David) - and the list goes on. What this tells me is that we are ALL OF GREAT VALUE IN THE SIGHT OF GOD - so much so that He allowed his only Son to be born into a long line of sinners in order to save us all. No matter the circumstances of our birth - God loves us unconditionally. Let's stop speculating and plan on spending a 1000 years studying the lives of the bible heroes for ourselves!
Ruth had seen first hand what God had dome for Naiomi.She had felt the love of God,she had experienced peace ,love and the freedom to worship a living God. Why should she return to worship gods that can't do anything for her.
The story of Ruth teaches me that no matter where I come from, when I join Jehovah's family I am just as valuable and useful as His chosen people.
God always has bigger plans for us; exceedingly, abundantly and above all that we can think.As she left moab with her mother in law, it didn't even cross Ruth's mind that she would one day be the great grandmother of David and through her lineage the messiah would be born.
Ruth(a non_believer) through the life and possibly teachings of her mom in law Naomi came to know about Jehova and refused to go back to her moabite life choosing the God of Naomi(your God will be my God).
Let this encourage us to evangelize with our lives and in our interactions so that other will also say "I want your God to be my God" how much more will God use them to carry his will!
It is not difficult to see why Elimelech took up roots, his wife and sons and left town for enemy territory, the land of the Moabites. After all it was easy to get discouraged in his homeland, Judah where hunger and privation were the daily realities of life and anarchy reined because there was no king and every man was doing "what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 17:6). Once again the children of God had rejected Him and this was the inevitable result. Instead of calling on the name of the Lord for deliverance and waiting for His Divine intervention, Elimelech called it quits and moved into forbidden territory to seek reprieve from starvation for his family but God had a plan for their lives in all of this. Though Elimelech or his wife Naomi could not see the future of his unwise decision to leave home,the all seeing and only wise God could.
How many times have we all been guilty of this very thing as a church and as individuals? Too many to keep count? Guilty as charged! But God is faithful and merciful and full of compassion forgiving His children throughout generations. Today, we in hindsight can read in the Scriptures the genealogy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, carefully and divinely orchestrated through the most unlikely family tree. When Naomi learns that God had heard the cries of His people and brought relief from the famine she decides to return home but Ruth, her widowed Moabite daughter-in-law refused to let her return home without her.
Apparently Ruth had caught a glimpse of the God of Israel through Naomi and she was determined to follow this God wherever He led. She was favored by the Lord who rewarded her faith with a new husband with whom the union produced Obed the father of Jesse, the father of David through whose lineage the Savior called Jesus who came "to save His people from their sins." God help us that someone may catch a glimpse of Jesus through our lives.
He gives new names and new history to those who come to him so that they become children of God
We don't have the full understanding of Ruth's great concern for her mother-in-law's welfare in returning alone to her country, but we do know her concern for Naomi was greater than her concern for herself. Her actions prove this. Whatever the many reasons might be, Ruth showed genuine compassion for one she now considered as her own mother now headed into unfavorable circumstances for aged widows. Don't we see such compassion demonstrated in the life of her many-times great grandson, Jesus?
There must have been something in the influence of Naomi, her husband, and sons, that convinced Ruth to forsake her own family and gods for the people and God of her beloved mother-in-law.
How is our influence on others?
All things work for good to those who love God... Rom 8:28
The famine and all that happened in Moab worked to save Ruth's soul. Naomi was the evangelist God used to preach to her through her character. This and other Bible stories (i.e Esther's) demonstrate the extent to which God is prepared to go to save His children in this great war/controversy.
It is a great lesson to us that God has allowed us to be where we are because perhaps there's at least one soul we can win for God. we don't need to preach to them or do anything, we just need to be there and allow God to do it His way through us.
Our home church in my rural area,is so unique and uniquely identify its members in a way that I ve never understood....for example,if its members pass,say he/she was a a choir member,they would come and sing all with their public system but at the end they demand something " small" for the service they offered and depending on the status of the family they may choose navel to attend!
The greater understanding of the church and it's should be of its people,Ruth had one that even surpassed hers.....our influence should be higher to others than to self...Ruth chose it Wisely.