Life Lessons from the Book of Ruth

Ruth 1:3-5

And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.

The bottom had completely dropped out of Naomi’s world. The law did not expressly forbid intermarriage with Moabite women, but Israel’s relationship with them is spelled out in Deuteronomy 23:3-6 (see also Judges 3:12-30). We don’t always understand God’s ways, but as we look back we can see that the death of Naomi’s sons was a providential part of God’s plan for the lives of Naomi and Ruth. If the sons had lived, Naomi, under the customs of that day, could never have left Moab as long as the sons stayed. With Moabite wives and the wives’ family ties, it is unlikely that the sons would ever have moved back to Bethlehem.

It is surprising that no children were born to Orpah and Ruth during those years. The boys’ weak physical condition may have had something to do with it, but again, it just could be that God had a hand in it.

Here again the girls’ names are interesting. Orpah has the thought of being stiff-necked or stubborn, and Ruth means friendship or friend. How descriptive these names are of their individual natures!

Naomi has now had her life emptied. All of her own family are dead, she cannot expect any financial help from her widowed daughters-in-law. The stage is now set for God to begin His restoring work in her life.

The Book of Ruth has a two-fold lesson in it concerning the making of moves in our lives:

1. When adversity comes, we should not “just up and run” from it. God may be using it to instruct us and enrich our lives and draw us to Himself for help.
2. When we are down and out, we should not just sit there and die in our misery. We need to arise, believe God for better things and move out. We must not let the past keep us down.

In both situations, we can only see the outward circumstances, but God sees the whole picture, so it is absolutely essential that we seek His will from His Word, and in prayer, until we know God’s mind in the matter.

Dear God, Thank You for seeing the whole picture clearly! Help me to trust Your timing, and to be on the look out for Your providence in my life. Grant me the courage to arise, to see with spiritual eyes, and believe You for better things. Increase my faith, so that I can be sure of what I hope for, and be certain of what I cannot now see (Hebrews 11:1). Amen.