A generational God of hope.

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People of hope Part 2: Ruth
Monday devotions @work 23 March 2020 

(Read through the book of Ruth) 

Ruth was a Moabite and her story begins when she married one of Elimelech and Naomi's sons after they moved from Israel to Moab as a result of a disastrous drought in Israel.  In Moab life initially looked much more promising, both their sons must have had enough means to support a family because they both got married and there was the hope for a next generation. However, after years of marriage there was still no child born to Ruth. What a hopeless situation. Then another disaster struck. Suddenly life seems to have taken a turn for the worst. Ruth’s husband died, her father-in-law and her brother-in-law died. Ruth found herself in a situation she did not anticipate, nor did she cause or did anything to invoke these circumstances upon herself and her family. Change – adaptive change – that kind of change where you know your world will never be the same ever again. You cannot go back to who you were and still are in your own mind, yet you have no idea what the way forward should be, who you are going to be – yet. This is the worst kind of change we as humans can experience, and this was forced upon Ruth. What a hopeless situation this must have been to her. 

How many of us in the world and in South-Africa is not at this very moment in this precise set of circumstances? Many of our brothers and sisters in Asia and Europe already experienced the loss of family members and loved ones. In South Africa we have been struggling with a drought for several years and recently some lost homes and loved ones through floods. Now our lives are upside down as a result of the Covid-19 crisis. Businesses is closing their doors, tourism and hospitality is at a virtual standstill. Church gatherings and worship services are cancelled. We are facing a dire situation not unlike Ruth’s. In many ways we are in a hopeless situation completely outside of our own control or ability to change. 

Her life must have been really upside down and I can imagine her feeling alone and deserted. How does she move on from here? How do we move on from here? Where to? We have no idea who her family of origin was or what their circumstances were like, but what we do know is that she was suddenly faced with a choice. The choice to return to her country, her culture, her religion and her father’s house. She could return to most of the things she was familiar with, grew up with. Since there was no obvious opportunity for her in Naomi’s family to be remarried, she could possibly remarry and start a new life should she return to her father’s house. Apparently, Naomi believed the best way forward and the place where Ruth would have the best chance of having hope for a reasonably prosperous life, was to return to her people. 

“8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The Lord grant that you may find a home and rest, each in the house of her husband! Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud.” 

I can imagine the thoughts going through Ruth’s mind on her journey to Moab’s border with Naomi. I can imagine the inner struggle. The questions, the not really knowing. I can even imagine the moment when Naomi tells her to go back to her family being a moment of rejection, a moment of doubt whether the thoughts that must have been forming in her heart was the ‘right thing to do’ was this God of Naomi speaking to her? After all it did not seem that Naomi thought her God was looking after her? 

“13 …it is far more bitter for me than for you that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me…” 

Yet, she must have had a yearning in her heart, a drawing her to Him and into His land? How could that be? She was a Moabite, a gentile? But there was a ‘seeing’, a ‘hearing’ inside her spirit. A ‘knowing’ a ‘luring’ her, drawing her forward into a new life no matter how uncertain it must have looked like in that moment. Something (or rather someone?) must have comforted her spirit convincing her that forward is better than backward. Forward is uncertain but forward is better than going back to the familiar. 

By the time Naomi urged her to return to her people there had formed an extraordinary thought in her heart. One that flowed into making the most important choice of her life. It was not because Naomi was the best mother-in-law in all of history, or because of the riches awaiting her in Israel, or because of a prosperous future promised to her that she made this choice. No. She essentially made this choice oblivious of what awaits her, and she made an extraordinary choice with even more extraordinary results. Results that she in her whole lifetime never could have foreseen nor fully understood. Let’s read it in her own words: 

“16 And Ruth said, urge me not to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts me from you.” 

This was a well thought through answer, I don’t think it was a haphazard choice. It’s just too much of a loaded statement. Not only does she pledge loyalty to Naomi but for some completely unknown and at that point illogical, understandable reason does she specifically extend her choice to Naomi’s God and her people. There’s no logical natural explanation for this, and yet she makes it loud and clear exactly what her choice entails. She leaves no doubt – no back door open. No maybe or possibly if this does not work out, I will go back to my own people. As Ruth journeyed further with Naomi, she must have become increasingly aware of the fact that she has closed the door on everything that was familiar to her. Somehow Ruth must have found peace and hope in a decision that lead her into a whole new life. 

Fast forward some months ahead and to our amazement and most probably to Ruth’s amazement, her life has taken a radical turn for the better. A wealthy businessman Boaz fell in love with her, married her and she became the mother of a boy which she called Obed. Ruth’s life became a life of hope and blessing. One she could enjoy and rejoice in for the rest of her life. I think it would already have been a great story of hopelessness turned into hope if the story ended there, however, it did not. The greatest part of the story unfolded generations after Ruth’s life on earth was over. She never knew nor understood the fullness of the blessing her choice brought about. The greatest part of her life story was only to be fulfilled in her generations. You see Obed had a boy whose name was Jesse, and Jesse had a son called David. Yes, the same David that became King David in the Bible. Many generations later Jesus the Messiah – the hope of all mankind – was born from the lineage of Ruth and Boaz. 

Hope for all mankind was born from a seemingly hopeless disaster in one woman’s life. God turned it into one of the greatest stories of hope in history. I believe He can likewise turn our hopeless situation at present into a blessing of hope. What are the choices you and I are faced with today? What will our choices be? Will we choose to move into the unknown in hope and faith or is fear and unbelief going to make us turn back into an attempt to keep our world as familiar as possible? 

I pray that we can open our hearts for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to show us how to move on from here in hope and faith. 

Much love to all 

Gerda

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Scripture Quoted from Amplified Bible - Biblegateway.

Listen to this song about Ruth and Naomi by Nicole Nordeman and Amy Grant