Turning Back to Go Forward

Ruth 1&2

Naomi was left alone, labouring in the fields of Moab (1.6) with two foreign daughters-in-law. Hearing better news of home, she resolved to return to Bethlehem in Judea.

When ‘life turns against us’ it is wiser to first stop and ask of God what is his purpose than it is to work out our own exit plan.

Trouble sent from God has a habit of following us until we address the concern God has about us. To stop, reflect and repent, is far safer than attempting to rearrange our circumstances without consulting God. Moving house, changing location or other drastic rearrangement of our circumstances might seem helpful, but unless God is opening the way for us it may turn out that we are moving further away from God’s help. Going back to the point where we broke our connection with God is safest.

Naomi felt deeply sad that her daughters-in-law were suffering because of her need to be disciplined by God (1.13). So she urged them to cut their ties with her, find new husbands amongst their own people and let her go back to Bethlehem alone.

Naomi’s feelings were similar to those of Jonah when on the ship fleeing to Tarsus. He realised that his disobedience was bringing trouble on everyone else travelling with him; Naomi realised that God’s discipline of her for forsaking the land and the people God had called her to, had cost her daughters-in-law dearly in the loss of their husbands. We should be concerned in case any of our disobedience is bringing down trouble on those around us – even our families.

However, Ruth had found something in Naomi that her culture could not provide. She loved Naomi and was willing to commit to her, her people and her God. Ruth had found something of even higher value to her than a husband, children and a nice home. Ruth’s story illustrates Jesus’ words:

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. (Matthew 13.45,46)

Ruth discovered in Naomi a pearl of great value – she recognised God in Naomi. She gave up everything she might have had in Moab so she could join her future to Naomi’s. Ruth had found in Naomi a quality of life that she had never encountered before. Having observed Naomi at close quarters, even when they were buffeted by grief upon grief, she recognised that Naomi was part of something much bigger, much greater and more glorious:

Do not urge me to leave you or to return 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. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you. 1.16,17.

Ruth saw in Naomi a future, a people and above all, a God that she could not bear to be parted from – even although it required the surrender of everything she held familiar and comfortable at the moment. She had found God and rejected the hollow idols she had been raised to trust.

Each of us who comes to faith in Jesus has a similar experience. We are introduced not only to a message to people in whom that Word lives. It creates a hunger to part of it.

Naomi was repentant. She made no excuses and was not blaming God. She was clear about one thing, God had brought calamity on her and she was not ashamed to confess it to the women of Bethlehem when she returned. I suppose that originally, Naomi had hoped to return there loaded with material wealth and with a cartload of grandchildren. Instead, she went away full and was brought back empty. Although Naomi was empty, she was back to the right place and in the right frame of mind to be blessed. Repentance is like thoroughly washing out of bucket of slops so it can be filled again with rich milk.

We can be very sure of this: people observe our lives, more especially if we claim faith in God. They will be watching not only to see how things turn out for us, but also to either justify their own dismissal of God or to consider bringing their own needs to him. At this point in Naomi’s life, her observers probably felt justified in leaving God out of their thinking, but by the end of these events it will be shown that Naomi’s humbling of herself under God’s might hand saw her lifted up at the appropriate time. 1 Peter 5.6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may lift you up.

Back in Bethlehem, Naomi set about picking up the threads of her life. With no man to support them, they turned to the social support system of the day. It involved allowing the poor to go onto others’ fields to gather up the fragments and leftovers of crops (e.g. barley, wheat and corn) after they had been harvested. It is called gleaning and because there are only small amounts spread over wide areas of land, it was hard work for a small return; but that yield was the difference between eating and starving. Ruth willingly and promptly set about providing for Naomi and her own needs. She was determined to make the best of her new situation and worked hard at it.