Call Me Bitter Ruth 1:1-22

Naomi’s life is the story of God’s ability to fill what is empty

Think about the oyster. It takes a grain of sand and turns it into a beautiful pearl. Too often we are just the opposite--we take pearls and turn them into grains of sand.

Naomi’s life is...

I. Spent in a Foreign Land vv. 1-4

Over the next several weeks, we will take a look at the story of a woman named Naomi, along with her daughter-in-law Ruth.

The book takes its name from Ruth, but in many ways, this is Naomi’s story

Naomi lives in a difficult place and time:

It is the era of the judges and there is no king in Israel; it is an era marked by violence and disorder

It is a time of famine and there is financial and physical suffering

She and her family have relocated to Moab, a foreign land, with a pagan people

They are born of an incestuous relationship between Lot and his daughter

They resisted the children of Israel as they attempted to pass to the Promised Land

They were excluded from the Lord’s assembly

Now, her sons have taken Moabite wives

This is not directly prohibited, but is shockingly out of character for faithful Israelites

Much like the move to Moab, the decision to marry their women is motivated by seeming expediency, but comes across as out of touch with the best available course of action

After 10 years, neither of them are able to have children: the experience is in many ways a fruitless and empty time

II. Marked by Loss and Grief vv. 5-13

In the midst of this season, things devolve

Her husband is already dead, and now both of her sons die

She is left alone in this foreign land with her daughters-in-law, yet without sons or grandchildren

News comes that the famine has ended in Israel and she prepares to go home; however, this will be a time of further separation

We must not doubt the genuine love that exists between Naomi and Orpah and Ruth.

They care for her and intend to return to their husbands’ homeland with her

Naomi forbids them to stay, because she sees no future and hope for them there

In regards to the principles of Levirate marriage, they should find husbands from the brothers of their husbands

However, Naomi cannot raise up husbands from her womb for them

In Israel, they will be outcast foreigners who experience poverty without the support of a husband who is able to provide for them

As hard as this is, dismissing the women is an act of kindness

Their only hope is to return to Moab, find husbands, and raise families with them

The good life will only be found in Moab, Naomi has nothing to give them

No Hope On Sea Or Land. In 1961, the 2,037-ton Portuguese coastal steamer, Save, with 53 crewmen, 300 Portuguese troops, and 200 Mozambique Africans aboard, grounded on a sandbar of East Africa during a storm. While rescue efforts were being made from the shore, fire broke out on the ship. The fire spread to the stores of ammunition and the whole ship exploded in flames. Many of the passengers jumped into the sea—only to be attacked by sharks. Those who did manage to make the shore were threatened by lions roaring in a mangrove jungle nearby. A hopeless case.

Sometimes, we have to face reality and stop trying to find hope where it cannot be found!

III. Empty and Bitter vv. 19-22

When Naomi returns to Bethlehem, it is not the homecoming she would have ever envisioned

People are talking and are stirred by her return; they want to know if this is really Naomi

I don’t know if she is changed physically or if their memories have simply faded, but she has clearly changed

Naomi asks to be called by a different name:

Do not call her Naomi, which means pleasant

Instead, call her Mara, which means bitter

Think about the change in her circumstances:

She left Bethlehem as a pleasant woman in the prime of life with husband and sons in tow

Now, she returns a haggard widow with nothing to show but a foreign daughter-in-law, whose presence could be considered a reminder of all of the shortcomings and suffering of her life

The story of Naomi is painful, but I believe that there are two things we must consider:

Brokenness is not the end of her story

Brokenness is not the end of her story because God works to bring restoration to her

IV. Changed by Faithful Love vv. 14-18

We see that the key to Naomi’s restoration is a love that comes from the least likely of places: Her Moabite daughter-in-law

Ruth acts with faithful love towards her:

She will not leave Naomi’s presence

She will go with Naomi to any place

She will identify with Naomi’s people

She will worship and trust Naomi’s God

She will commit her life to Naomi

This kind of love is from the Lord, yet it is frequently expressed through His people

This is the love that changes things!

I was interested this week to learn about the Japanese art of Kintsugi.  The word translates as “golden joinery” and it is a method of repairing broken ceramics with a lacquer mixed with gold, silver or platinum.   The aim is not to hide the repairs, but to make them a feature- to incorporate them into a design often more beautiful than the original.

The philosophy behind it is to value the brokenness and repair as part of the object’s history, rather than seeing it as something to disguise.  In contrast to Western philosophy which strives for perfection and looks to hide brokenness, Kintsugi acknowledges the brokenness, and then pieces it back together into something beautiful.

It strikes me that God is the master of Kintsugi.