Life Lessons from the Book of Ruth

Ruth 1:11-13

And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? Are there yet any more sons in my womb? That they may be your husbands? Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also tonight, and should also bear songs; would ye tarry for them till they were grown? Would ye stay for them from having husbands? Nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me. (KJV)

¹¹But Naomi replied, “Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands? ¹² No, my daughters, return to your parents’ homes, for I am too old to marry again. And even if it were possible, and I were to get married tonight and bear sons, then what? ¹³ Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters! Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord himself has raised his fist against me.” (NLT)

These verses may sound strange to modern ears, but look at the laws and customs of their time in Deuteronomy 25:5-6 (see also Mark 12:18-27).

The chances of a Moabite widow finding a good husband in Israel was extremely remote. The only sure chance under the law was for her deceased husband to have a brother still living. This appeared to be impossible. Both brothers were dead. Naomi considered herself too old to find a husband. Even if she did and was able to bear sons, it might be more than twenty years before they could be married. By then, the girls might be beyond child-bearing age.

In the natural, the situation was hopeless. The hopelessness of it all was bitter to Naomi. She blamed herself and she recognized God’s hand in her life – but she thought His hand was against her.

How little we know of God’s ways! God was for her all of the time. He only emptied her life that He might fill it with better things.

Do you think Naomi was wise in trying to discourage the girls from returning with her? Wasn’t she actually driving them away from God and back to the heathen idolatry of Moab? It WAS wise, because:

1. They might have been influenced by hopes impossible to realize
2. Under the temporary excitement of emotion they might come just for her sake and later regret it.
3. The strength and sincerity of their spiritual conversion would be thoroughly tested.
4. They must make it their own deliberate choice as they counted the cost of following her.

When we are faced with choices in life, it is good for us to be told the worst, even though we may not like to hear it. Jesus strongly expressed the importance of this in Matthew 8:19-20; 19:16-22 and Luke 14:25-33. In our Christian witness, we need to tell it straight:

1. Don’t promise things God hasn’t promised. Tell what He has promised
2. Don’t ask people to come to Christ for your sake. Ask them to come for Christ’s sake and the sake of their own immortal souls.
3. Warn them of testings to come. Tell them that God will help them go through every test in life.

Dear God. Empty me! May I let go of the things I grasp so tightly so that I may finally find Your perfect, pleasant will at work in my life, so that I can see those perfect plans You have for me come true. Get me out of the way, God, so that You can do Your work! Amen.