13 June 2011; Ruth 1

Ruth 1
When things fall apart
The book of Ruth began not with Ruth, but with Elimelech , the husband of Naomi. As the leader of the household, he had to make a decision when famine came to the land of Judah. He brought his family, his wife and 2 sons to the land of Moab. A bad decision - not really, but probably there is food there. The famine must be severe in Judah because the stay in Moab was 10 years. Elimelech has no intention to stay there so long, in verse 1, he went to sojourn in the country of Moab.

But probably, the long stay led to a settlement, when his sons married the locals - Moab. The Moab were the descendant of Lot and his daughters. They were definitely not part of the inheritance line.

Things did not always turn out well the way we plan. Elimelech died, his sons died. This leave Naomi and her 2 Moabite daughter-in-laws.

The God we put our Hope.
What do we based our hope on or on what object is our hope depends on? Our plan, the people we know, or the materials wealth, health... Hope brought about the future intent, for without hope, life is just like floating from day to day - aimless. People build their on on their capabilities, their know how, their strength, the people they know and crave out a career, an business empire... for themselves or for their on ambition.

To me nothing wrong with that, but when things fall apart, when the people they depend on for success and their plan is gone, their hope is gone. When business fell, they get dejected. They hope are dashed.

v6-13. In Naomi case, the husband who lead her and the family died. She is just a sojourner. Her sons died, and that without any grandchildren means that she has no economic ability to feed herself. She has no land, no inheritance. Her 2 daughters-in-laws being woman, being Moab (will be mock and consider outcast by the Jews) won't be able to help much. Even if they are to be married, Naomi has no part of that in the daughter-in-law new family. No hope. Naomi had no choice but to return to Judah.

v20 “Do not call me Naomi; [1] call me Mara, [2] 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?”

Naomi is bitter with God. But the Lord has provided. In chapter 2, the provision of field gleaning is the way the Lord provide for widow and orphan, the redeeming process is another way the Lord provides. That provision as compare to the stay in Moab provide the hope for Naomi and Naomi has all the compelling reason to return, despite the knowing that the woman mocked her on her return in v20 And the women said, “Is this Naomi?”

The God we can Trust.
What do Naomi have to offer Ruth and Orpah? Nothing.
But the difference is in the God we can trust. When the things of our senses fail us, what we do, what we see... Then what we cannot see is the believe in this God, whom we can trust. Naomi knew this God and Ruth probably heard about this God.

15 And she 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.

In this 2 verses, the contrast is in god and God. There must be something about this God that Naomi knew. Ruth was convinced. Yes, there is no hope, is she going back to the gods of Moab that she will want to put her trust on or on the God of Naomi?

What is so special about the God that Naomi knew that Ruth is so willing to place her bet?

v6 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.

The timing was right, the Lord visited Judah and given them food.

The Application
I will based my hope, the purpose that will drive by life on God. Yes things may happen nicely, just like when Elimelech first went to Moab in order to find food for the family, but things will god wrong.

How to put my trust in this God - it is about how much I know this God. Therefore, let me grow in knowledge of this God, in which putting my believe in Him instead of myself, seeing that things work out and happen because of God and grew my faith - God the object of my faith. I pray for faith to grow and know that this is the God I can trust. Amen.