More Than You Know

Prayer

The Book of Ruth

Our next book in our journey through the story of the Old Testament is the book of Ruth. And it’s a fascinating story for a number of reasons.

First, even though the events of the story takes place during the time of Judges, likely around the time of Jephthah and Samson, it’s not included in the book of Judges. As we make our way through the story, the reason for that will become clear - this is a story of faithfulness, kindness, of steadfast devotion. It doesn’t fit with the whole theme of Judges - which, as we saw, was about the increasing sinfulness of the Israelites.

Second, it serves as a transition, it will point us toward future events in Israel, particularly as we move toward the period of the kings, the monarchy - which begins in 1 Samuel.

Third, this may be the most unusual - is that it is only one of two books of the Bible named after a woman (the other being Esther). But in this case, Ruth is not even an Israelite. Ruth is a Moabite - her status as a foreigner is a central part of the story, as we’ll see.

Finally, another unusual aspect - is that God is rarely mentioned in the book. The narrator never mentions God - the only times God is mentioned is by the people in the story as they interact. And this feature in the story points us toward what the theme of the book is about - and our focus this morning. As Tim Mackie of the Bible Project describes it, what we see in the book of Ruth is the interaction between God’s purposes and human decisions, our active participation.

Behind the scenes, God is working, things are coming together in a way that the characters involved have no idea - they can’t see it. God is bringing his purpose to fruition.

All the while, these people are making decisions - in this story, as opposed to so much of Judges, they are being faithful. We’ll see them demonstrating great loyalty, courage and generosity. And it’s these two things coming together - God’s purposes, working behind the scenes, and human decisions.

Wonderful timing for us as a church - after all, we’re in process of acting, making decisions, as we go through Cultivating Flourishing Congregations process. We’re seeking to discern God’s purposes for us, and for people in this community that he is going to use us to have an impact on. Here’s thing - we don’t know. We can’t see all that God is doing, what he’s orchestrating. We hope to discern at least come of it - enough to steer us in the right direction.

But much of this will be our trusting that God is working, bringing things together. That he does have a purpose, specific kingdom work for us. And that we have a role - to act, to make decisions, trusting that this is true. To be as faithful and devoted and courageous and generous as we can be - because like the people in this story - Naomi, Ruth, Boaz - our stories, our story as a church, is a part of God’s bigger story. His story of redemption, of drawing others into the kingdom of light, the kingdom of the Son he loves (Colossians 1).

Story of Ruth, Chapter 1,

Ruth 1:1-15 - In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. 2 The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there. 3 Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. 6 When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. 7 With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah. 8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. 9 May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud 10 and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!” 14 At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. 15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”

The story begins - we learn it takes place during the time of Judges. Begins with a family from Bethlehem, a man named Elimelek, his wife Naomi, and their two sons, who go to live in the land of Moab because of a famine in their area.

Moab is in the Transjordan, east of the Jordan River, Moabites had long been considered enemies of the Israelites (we saw some of their interaction when we went through Deuteronomy). Desperate times call for desperate measures. That desperation gets worse.

First Elimelek, the husband, dies. The two sons marry Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth - and then the two sons die. That leaves Naomi and her daughters-in-law is a terrible situation. It was extremely difficult to survive as a widow, your financial prospects were bleak.

Knowing this Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem, her hometown (she’s heard that the famine has ended), hoping she can rely on the support of the community there. And she persuades her daughters-in-law - for whom she shares great affection (referring to them as “my daughters”), to return to Moab, to their families, so they can remarry, be provided for. So they will be taken care of.

Now, as they go back and forth, Orpah and Ruth expressing their devotion to Naomi, saying they’ll go with her to Israel, Naomi countering that she has nothing to offer them there (it will be hard for them as Moabite women to find husbands - and Naomi can’t provide husbands for them). And it’s here we get a clue as to Naomi’s heart toward God. Verse 13, “No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!”

Orpah heeds Naomi’s wisdom, she returns home, but Ruth will not go back to Moab. She is determined to stay with Naomi. As much as Naomi tries to persuade her, Ruth demonstrates this fierce loyalty to her:

Ruth 1:16-18, But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.

Quick note here - when Ruth expresses her commitment, when she says, May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely… - she is using the name of Yahweh. We see her even now embracing the God of Israel as her God.

Naomi realizes she’s not going to talk her out of it, so she relents and Ruth accompanies her back to Bethlehem, to Naomi’s hometown, where the whole town excitedly welcomes her back. But Naomi is not excited at all, she is embittered. And that’s the note the chapter ends on:

Ruth 1:20-21, “Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. 21 I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”

More Than You Know

Naomi’s limited perspective

This brings us to what I want to focus on this morning - what Naomi can’t see. What she’s missing because all she recognizes in that moment is the tragedy she has experienced and the difficulties she faces. Let’s be clear - it really has been difficult for her - she has suffered tremendous loss. Things do look bleak for her.

Decision to leave her hometown, community, family - because you want to make sure your family has enough to eat, all due to the famine, travel to a foreign land. Hard for us to imagine this today - we have grocery stores stocked with food, food to spare - we end up throwing away a portion of it every week. Think back at the panic level just when we stocks of toilet paper were getting scarce at the beginning of Covid. Famine in those days - and even in parts of the world today, is serious, serious business.

And then the three tragic deaths - her husband and then both her sons. Which was not only personally difficult, but economically. For a widow, there were essential three options if you could not find another husband - gleaning, prostitution or relying on the support of the community.

Why Naomi tells her fellow Bethlehemites not to call her Naomi, which means pleasant, but instead to call her Mara, which means bitter. Because as Naomi says, the Almighty has made my life bitter. I went away full (she had a husband, two sons) but the Lord has brought me back empty. As far as Naomi is concerned, she has nothing.

Not only does Naomi believe that she has nothing, but she blames the Lord. The Lord has afflicted me, he has brought misfortune upon me. How in the world can she be pleasant when God himself is against her? Sadly, her life - and her faith - now have a bitter taste. When the psalmist says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good,” Naomi says nope, not for me, it’s been bitter.

Then we get this final statement, the summary at the end of the chapter, and it plays as a foreshadowing, a hint that Mara, Naomi - her life is not as bitter and empty as she thinks. Verse 22: So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.

Her life is not empty - she has Ruth the Moabite, who we have already seen has a deep devotion to Naomi. She’s made a huge sacrifice to accompany her back to Bethlehem, as a foreigner. Ruth is going to be a far greater gift to Naomi then she can begin to imagine.

Then we have this other little hint - remember that the story started with a famine, forcing the family to leave, but now the land is flourishing, the barley harvest is just beginning. This, too, is going to play into our story and in Naomi’s life in a way she can’t even begin to see right now. God’s purposes are at work here. He is acting, but Naomi is so focused on what she has lost, on how her life is now bitter - she can’t see it.

Our limited perspective

This is a reminder to us that there’s much we can’t see either. Central to following Jesus faithfully is having the humility to recognize that we know so little. We truly have such a limited sense of what’s happening - in our lives, in the world around us, what God is doing. There’s so much we do not know.

This is Naomi’s difficulty - all she can see is what God has taken from her, of the tragedies she has suffered and the bitter burden it has placed on her. Because she’s so focused on that, she misses the good gift God has given her in Ruth, and Ruth’s fervent devotion to her - which really is remarkable.

How can she even begin to know all that God is doing behind the scenes, all the pieces he’s pulling together to bring a beautiful work of redemption in her life - which we’ll see play out over the next three weeks as we cover the rest of the story of Ruth?

By the way, this is exactly the issue addressed in the book of Job. Job was a truly faithful man, as God himself says about Job, blameless and righteous. But Job suffers in unimaginable way - he literally loses everything - his children, his servants, his livestock, his wealth, his health - in a matter of days. So he cries out to God, why? I’ve been faithful, now I’m being accused of having these tragedies befall me because of sinfulness. Vindicate me, Lord. Where are you? When God finally responds, it’s not to explain why - but simply to point out to Job that there’s so much he doesn’t know. His knowledge is so limited, so finite.

We should embrace this attitude of humility because it’s true - our knowledge is so limited. There’s so much about our lives, our futures, about what God is doing that we cannot possible know.

But what we’re also trusting is true - beyond how limited our knowledge is - is God’s goodness. His willingness to act in that goodness for his people, for those whom he loves. As Romans 8:28 reminds us, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Philip Yancey, in his book, Reaching for the Invisible God - title tells you a lot about what the book is about, how do we live out a faith relationship with a God we cannot see, that we know so little of what he’s doing, how he’s acting. In the book, Yancey addresses the charge that many levy against Christians - that of bias, that we always give God the benefit of the doubt. Yancey’s response is, exactly! This is what it means to trust that God is good. (God is good all the time, all the time, God is good). We work from the assumption that he is always acting out of that goodness. We don’t do that blindly, we do it based on a whole history of God’s saving work (the Bible!).

Yancey offers a great analogy - the experience of a soldier who is taking captive behind enemy lines, imprisoned, held in solitary confinement. He is in the situation of having very limited knowledge - he can’t begin to know what his government, his army, is doing on his behalf. He certainly can’t trust what his enemy is telling him. At that point it comes down to his trust in the character of his government - are they working for his release? For his rescue? Can they get him out - do they have the ability? Do they care enough to make the effort? What will give that soldier hope is that they have the ability, they do care enough to rescue him. Otherwise, he will sink into despair.

This is our situation! We have such a limited perspective. So when those difficult times come, when God seems absent, hidden - can we, will we, trust in God’s goodness? That he truly is for us. Like Romans 8:28 reminds us, in all things - in every single situation - God is working for our good. This is an incredible promise, one almost too good to be true. This is exactly that Naomi couldn’t see - she thought she had nothing, that God was against her. But the truth of the matter was that she had far more than she could imagine. Without God, we have nothing. With God, we have everything.

Spiritual Disciplines

There are certain spiritual disciplines that help us to embrace our finiteness. Two such disciplines are silence and Sabbath-keeping. In these disciplines, we let go. We still ourselves before God. The idea of these disciplines is to not do anything, but in humility, submit ourselves before God, trusting him - rather than ourselves.

A great way to build your trust in the goodness of God is to make a daily practice of counting your blessings. You might start a list and keep adding to it. Every day, find three different things to give thanks to God for. The more specific, the better (a favorite food, not just a family member, but what it is about that family member you give thanks for, the beauty of creation - the list is endless)

Because, as I mentioned before, without God, we have nothing. But with God, we have everything.