Naomi and Ruth | Part 1
“What she did not anticipate was that she would not be returning alone. Not only had God moved in leading Naomi back home, Ruth, her daughter in-law, was also stirred to return with her.”
After leaving Bethlehemjudah because of a famine, Elimelech led his wife and two sons to the pagan land of Moab (Ruth 1:1). A look at the meaning of the locations listed in the opening verse of Ruth, yields much insight into Elimelech’s decision to relocate his family from Bethlehemjudah to Moab:
Bethlehem – house of bread.
Judah – the praise of the Lord.
Moab – of his father.
Judah is added to the end of Bethlehem to set it apart from Bethlehem in Zebulun (Jos. 19:15). Bethlehem (“house of bread”) was the birthplace of the Bread of life, the Lord Jesus Christ (Mic. 5:2; John 6:35). By lineage, the Lord Jesus Christ was of the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5). Moab on the other hand, was the son of Lot. So without prayer and waiting on God, Elimelech led his family from Bethlehemjudah to Moab. Given this, what transpired should come as no surprise.
Elimelech died in Moab. His two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth, but Mahlon and Chilion died after being married for about ten years. This left the wife of Elimelech, Naomi (“sweetness”), a childless widow. At this time in history, that circumstance placed Naomi in one the most disadvantaged classes in society.
God would manifest His faithfulness and grace by moving to lead Naomi back home to Bethlehemjudah. Naomi heard in the country of Moab that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread (Ruth 1:6). Having no husband or surviving sons, Naomi was returning home (Ruth 1:7). What she did not anticipate was that she would not be returning alone. Not only had God moved in leading Naomi back home, Ruth, her daughter in-law, was also stirred to return with her:
Ruth 1:16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
Although sojourning in Moab had taken a bitter turn for Naomi, it was not completely in vain. God clearly used Naomi to make a spiritual impression on Ruth. Like Elisha who was determined not to be separated from his teacher, Elijah, Ruth, the Moabitess, was determined to follow Naomi and her God. It is interesting to note that this was not expressed by Ruth until Naomi decided it was time to “return” home. This declaration by Ruth placed Naomi in the role of leader and teacher in Ruth’s life. From here, there are a few critical lessons to be extracted by disciplers from the Naomi-Ruth relationship:
“God’s faithfulness and blessings were overtly clear in Naomi’s life. However, she chose to only see what was bitter.
1. Perspective is critical.
In her defense, Naomi has been through an extremely difficult time. If allowed, hard seasons can taint a view of everything including God. Upon returning home, Naomi’s perspective is only downward:
Ruth 1:20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me 21 I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why hen call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me? 22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
As we saw, Naomi’s name means, “sweetness,” however, her outlook was very bitter (“Mara”). While it had been a bitter stretch, not all was bitter.
God had led Naomi back to her homeland where when she left, it was a famished land. Upon her return, there was bread there! Despite being in a pagan land and losing her husband, two sons, and a daughter in-law, God had redeemed her daughter in-law, Ruth (Ruth 2:12). Not only was there bread in Bethlehemjudah, Naomi and Ruth returned in the beginning of barley harvest (Ruth 1:22). None of these blessings from God were to be overlooked.
As we turn the pages after Ruth 1, God’s master plan begins to unfold in Naomi and Ruth’s lives that was beyond anything either could have imagined. Naomi could not have begun to imagine that Ruth would be in the very lineage of Israel’s Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 1:5).
Disciplers must be very careful with projection in discipleship. In particular, this refers to how negative circumstances in life are presented to the disciple. For the discipler, these are teaching opportunities to teach the disciple how to view hard things through the lens of Scripture. God’s faithfulness and blessings were overtly clear in Naomi’s life. However, she chose to only see what was bitter.
This point is critical because hard seasons are in the forecast of the disciple. And if they observed from the discipler that a bitter outlook in those seasons is permitted, they will conveniently remember that and follow suit.
Naomi had MUCH to give thanks for and in (Eph. 5:20; 1 Thes. 5:18).
“For those who walk with God, bitter episodes of life do not taint their view of God because they possess a biblical perspective of Him.”
2. Our relationship with God is everything.
Simply put, our relationship with God is the single greatest determining factor for how we will view everything, including God Himself. Chapter one of Ruth paints a vivid picture of Naomi’s view of God after losing her family:
“…for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me(Ruth 1:13).”
“…for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me (Ruth 1:20).”
“I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me (Ruth 1:21)?”
In her defense, Naomi followed her husband to Moab. But after his death, her relationship with God was hers to determine alone. The reality is, intimacy or distance always drives perspective. In other words, the closer we are to God, the more in touch we’ll be with who He really is. Conversely, the further away we are from Him, the more out of touch we will be with who He really is. For Naomi, the Moab experience had disconnected her from Bethlehem (“house of bread”) in more ways than one.
One of the most difficult conversations I can recall having in ministry was with someone who professed to be a believer, but could not confess that God was good. There was the presence of bitter circumstances in their life, which compelled this person to question if God was really God.
For those who walk with God, bitter episodes of life do not taint their view of God because they possess a biblical perspective of Him. They know and believe that His goodness is abundant (Exo. 34:6), that His way is perfect and that He protects those who trust in Him (Psa. 18:30). Like the Apostle Paul who wrote extensively about joy to the church at Philippi as a prisoner, a discipler can retain their sweetness in the season of bitterness.
Disciplers who are not walking with God intimately, are prone to subconsciously project that He is not good in hard seasons. Therefore, when disciplers allow distance to form in their relationship with God, it is not only to their spiritual detriment, but it will also be to the spiritual detriment of the one they are privileged to lead and teach. As disciplers, part of what we do in discipleship is help the disciple form their view of God. God forbid that we help a disciple form a view of God that questions His goodness!
Thankfully, God sustained Ruth through Naomi’s season of bitterness and we also see Naomi turn the corner for the better as we read on in the book of Ruth. Both truths should provoke disciplers to praise the Lord, not downplay the risks that are involved in harboring bitterness as a discipler.
