Living for God in an Uncertain World

Studies in the Book of Ruth

The last verse of the book of Judges is: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25); and the first verse of the book of Ruth is: “In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land” (Ruth 1:1). This places the events of the book of Ruth into the period when Israel’s experience was very unstable. There was no unity among the tribes and the worship of Jehovah was often neglected. Times of apostasy were followed by periods of discipline when the Lord permitted their enemies to prevail over them. If the discipline achieved its aim, Israel would repent and the Lord would raise up a deliverer, that is, a Samson or a Gideon. It seems that the book of Ruth is set in one of the times of apostasy when Israel suffered from famine with no real leadership. It was an uncertain world. There was no prophet to speak a word from the Lord and there was no word from the priest to lead the nation back to God. It seemed as if the heavens were as brass.

Many suggest that the experience of Elimelech and Naomi with their two children occurred during the time of the Midianite oppression recorded in the book of Judges, chapter 6. This would mean that the famine was not just a natural disaster but an event that compounded the devastation that seven years of Midianite invasions had produced. Although the invaders were only loosely organized, there was a clear pattern to their tactics. Just when the freshly seeded crops had begun to sprout, hordes would erupt from across the Jordan, bringing with them their own livestock and camels, and even their tents. The raiders would set up camp at strategic locations. From there they would send their herds out in search of pasture and launch their raiding parties. Seven years of Midianite terror had a devastating effect on the Israelite economy and emotion. Like locusts, their innumerable hosts devoured every green plant in sight, leaving the land devastated, with nothing left over for the Israelite flocks and herds. Fearing the brutality of the invaders, as soon as they appeared on the horizon, the Israelites fled to the hills, transforming natural geological features into defensive strongholds.

THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM

Why did God sell Israel into the hands of their enemies? Because of sin, “The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD gave them into the hand of Midian seven years” (Judges 6:1). If it was the same evil as previously recorded, then it was “going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them” (Judges 2:19). We are told that there were groves and images to Baal in Israel at that time, and that even after the remarkable victories achieved by Gideon, Israel was never fully cleansed of idolatry.

Elimelech’s family lived in Bethlehem. There was little food available. This is especially poignant inasmuch as Bethlehem means ‘house of bread’. There was no bread in the house of bread! They decided to escape to Moab for a while. If they had been caught up in the national apostasy and served other gods, then it would explain the attraction of Moab for them. It turned out to be a disastrous decision. If Elimelech was an Israelite committed to Jehovah he would have known better. He should have lived up to his name, which means ‘My God is King’. History should have warned him that Moab was not the place to take his wife and children. No doubt he took the course of action he did, because he thought he was doing his best for his family. However, in taking them to Moab he failed in his responsibility. In Scripture, Moab represents the flesh. The father of the nation is the son of Lot who was the child of an incestuous alliance. The activities of Moab in their relationship to Israel also support the sense that it was a sensual nation. When Israel was journeying towards Canaan, on the advice of Balaam the prophet, they offered their prettiest women to the men of Israel. Moses recorded the event. “While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel” (Numbers 25:1–3). Intermarrying between an Israelite and a Moabite was displeasing to God. Elimelech should not have left Israel for Moab, especially as his sons married Moabite women. The story of Elimelech’s family demonstrates what can go wrong when there is a lack of commitment to the Lord.

AN EXAMPLE OF FAITH

If we are right in placing the events of the book of Ruth into a period that spanned the Midianite oppression then the story of Gideon is pertinent. He is the one who was raised up as a deliverer. But to drive out the Midianites Gideon had to rely on God totally. Jehovah dealt very gently with Gideon in giving him sign (the wet fleece) (Judges 6.36-38) after sign (the dry fleece) (Judges 6.39,40) after sign (the telling of the dream) (Judges 7.9-15), and when Gideon was ready to go into battle, he was taught a further lesson, that is, to fight God’s battles you must have faith in Him - you cannot rely on your own strength. So God instructed him to reduce his army. It decreased from 32,000 to 10,000 when he allowed those who were afraid to go home. It was further reduced to 300 when he applied another test to his army. So God delivered Israel through Gideon and his 300, using trumpets and lamps. God’s ways are not our ways. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. ” (Isaiah 55:8–9)

Like Gideon, Elimelech should have trusted God and not tried to find relief in Moab. He entered on a journey which could not result in blessing. He went to Moab because he could - he had money, resources. In the meantime, Boaz, his kinsman was committed to the Lord and remained in Bethlehem turning to God in those uncertain times. They are often the best times to turn to God.

It is said, you cannot guarantee happiness when you make a choice - but you can plan against unhappiness by not making a choice you know is wrong. But most of us are not patient by nature, and the temptation to do anything but wait upon the Lord is very strong. Later in Israel’s history, King Saul demonstrated impatience when he broke the priestly protocol because he could not wait for Samuel to arrive and make an offering before a battle. It was the final rift which lost him the kingdom.

Alas, after arriving in Moab Elimelech died (we are not told of the circumstances). He had meant to go there for a while, as indicated by the word ‘sojourn’ in the opening verse of the book, but his family stayed there 10 years, and both his sons married Moabite women. His sons did not have the best of health – Mahlon means ‘weakly’; and Chillion is means ‘pining’ or ‘wasting’. They both died. So Noami, Elimelech’s wife, found herself in a foreign land ‘empty’, that is, without husband and without sons. She is away from the wonderful social structure in Israel that would have been her support. But at her lowest point, she heard good news – Jehovah had returned His favour to the nation and it was harvest time in Bethlehem – which in turn must mean that he found those that had turned to him in trouble, for example, pious Boaz. Boaz is spoken of in the Targums as one whose prayers brought back the blessing of God. He had been committed to the Lord and committed to prayer. So Naomi decided to return - the first step to undo the wrong decision. To return to home, to friends, to support, but most important of all, to God, was a very good decision, even if it had been forced upon her by her circumstances. Because the flesh had been exhausted she had nothing else to try! While you have any resource you will try and get out of trouble. Trusting God does not come naturally to us – it is a spiritual activity. The text informs us that God had used her circumstances to bring her back into the mainstream of blessing. Naomi herself confessed that God, under His name, ‘El-Shaddai’ (the all sufficient one), who should have been sufficient for Elimelech and Naomi, had taken away all her props. She was left with nothing else to lean on! God sometimes waits until we are empty before He fills us.

But the providence of God had given Naomi a resource that she did not recognise – Ruth, her daughter in law. Initially, she instructed Orpah and Ruth to return to their family home, where they might again find husbands. Although, under the Law of Moses, there was provision for them to be married again into the family of Elimelech, (the law of Levirate marriage) Naomi held out no hope that it would be possible for the wives of Mahlon and Chillion. She said, “No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me” (Ruth 1:13). Like her ancestor Jacob she was expressing her pessimism. He said, “all these things are against me”; but the lesson that he had to learn from Joseph was that God can make “all things work together for good” if we cleave to Him, or in Naomi’s case, return to Him.

AN EXAMPLE OF COMMITMENT

What Naomi did not understand was that God had found in her and Ruth two of the qualities with which He could work - repentance and loving kindness: repentance in Naomi and ‘hesed’ (loving kindness) in Ruth. Orpah took the advice of her mother in law and left, but Ruth stayed. Ruth whose name means ‘friendship’ or ‘companionship’ made one of the greatest commitments ever: “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. 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” (Ruth 1:16–17). She committed herself to take the place of Naomi’s son (her husband) in Naomi’s life, for the son should care for the mother. Moreover, she committed herself to Jehovah, the God of Israel. And these commitments were not for a while, but for life.

But God was in it all, for He was aiming, through Ruth, to solve Israel’s great problem – no godly leadership! The great-grandson of Ruth was to be David, the man after God’s own heart; and the man, under God, that would both lead them and feed them. God could work through this woman, for her commitment is an aspect of her ‘hesed’ (loving kindness) which God values so highly, being a reflection of His own nature.

Next Time: Back in Bethlehem!