Day 1135: When life turns bitter - Ruth 1 vs 1 - 5

1 In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, 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. 3-5 They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband. Ruth 1:1-5 English Standard Version

No-one knows the date of when Jesus came into the world, but Christians traditionally celebrate the event on 25th December. With that in mind, I thought I'd take a break from our usual posts and spend the days leading up to Christmas in the book of Ruth. There are reasons for doing this. The story of Naomi and Ruth is in the Bible because, with the birth of a child, it gives an important link in the lineage of King David, and hence in the lineage of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It also introduces the concept of a 'kinsman-redeemer'. In Leviticus 25:23-25 God said to Israel: “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity. For the land is mine, for you are strangers and sojourners with me. And in all the country you possess, you shall allow a redemption of the land. If your brother becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his nearest redeemer shall come and redeem what his brother has sold.” So a kinsman-redeemer is a male who had the privilege or responsibility to act on behalf of a relative who was in trouble, danger, or need. The Hebrew term for kinsman-redeemer, 'go el', designates one who delivers or rescues.

The story begins with a man from Bethlehem in Judah named Elimelech, who sets off with his wife Naomi, and their two sons, for the land of Moab. What would have led Elimelech to set off to live in a land whose King had once asked the prophet Balaam to curse Israel? (vs 1)

We're told that it was because of famine in Israel. This wasn't the first time that God would use a famine to further His plans. Many years earlier Jacob had sent his sons to Egypt because of a famine, and there they had met up again with Joseph whom they had sold into slavery. And Joseph's testimony was what they'd meant for evil, God turned out for their good.

But in Elimelech's case, the situation became even more dire. In the years that followed he died, as did his two sons. Naomi was left with the two Moabite women her sons had married, Orpah and Ruth. What a tragic twist her life had taken. We see her deep sorrow when she would later say to those who were surprised to see her again: “Don't call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 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?” Naomi means 'pleasant', Mara means bitterness.

Has our journey in life ever caused us to feel this way? Have we felt that 'the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with us'? Oh let us take to heart the apostle Paul's words in Romans 8:28 where he says: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” But poor Naomi. At this stage she didn't know the plans God had in store for her. Her eye of faith had been dimmed, and she could only see her bitterness.

May God help anyone reading this today if your circumstances make God seem to be against you, rather than for you. Our circumstances are temporary, and after His 'little while', shall He not cause you to rejoice again in Christ.