Today’s Reading: Ruth 1, Psalm 72
In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him. The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. – Ruth 1:1-2a
SOMETIMES WE CREATE TRAGEDY WHEN WE DO NOT TRUST GOD.
We read back in Genesis of the disturbing origin of the Moabites. After Lot fled from Sodom and Gomorrah, he settled in a small village of Zoar. He became afraid of the people there and retreated to a cave in the mountains with his two daughters. These young women began to fear they would never marry and have children, now that they were isolated and living away from their people. So they shamefully got their father drunk and took turns going in to lie with him and to do things that should never be done. As a result they both became pregnant with their own father’s child. Instead of trusting in God to meet their needs, they took their future into their own hands and sinned against both God and their father.
The oldest daughter gave birth to a son and she named him Moab. The younger sister gave birth to a son and named him Ben-ammi. These two boys grew up and their families became the Moabites and the Ammonites – two perennial enemies of Israel with a history of wickedness as grotesque as their incest-born origin (Genesis 19:30-38).
The reason this history is significant to me is that Elimelech and his family were able to peacefully settle in the land of Moab regardless of the history of these two nations (Judah and Moab). In a time of severe famine, when their family needed a place of refuge, God graciously provided a peaceful resting place for them. But trouble and sorrow are often a part of everyday life and Elimelech died, leaving Naomi alone with her two sons. Contrary to God’s command for Israelites to not marry foreigners, Naomi’s sons married Moabite women – Orpah and Ruth. Ten years later, tragedy struck again and Naomi lost both her sons.
SOMETIMES GOD ALLOWS TRAGEDY IN OUR LIFE.
“…the Lord himself has raised his fist against me.” – Ruth 1:13b
These are the words of a woman with a broken heart, struggling to understand why the God who had provided so well for her during her everyday existence would now allow such tragedy to strike her family. She had praised God during times of plenty but now pitied herself during times of loss.
Naomi encouraged her two daughters-in-law to return to their families, but Ruth loved Naomi and begged to return to Naomi’s homeland with her, pledging “…Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God…” (1:16b).
When Naomi returned to Bethlehem, the entire town was excited to see her. The women could hardly believe they were seeing their longtime friend, Naomi, returning home. It did not take them long to realize this wasn’t the same person who had left years before. Naomi had suffered tragedy and lost her joy for life. Naomi left seeking God and returned bitter towards God.
“Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?” – Ruth 1:20-21
Naomi left Bethlehem during a severe famine but she described herself as “full” at that time. Her physical needs were suffering but she had her family and, therefore, joy. She returned to Bethlehem with her physical needs met and the blessing of a loyal and virtuous daughter-in-law, but she could not see beyond her pain to rejoice in what God had blessed her with. She only saw what she was without.
HOW OFTEN DOES OUR PRAISE TURN INTO PITY WHEN TRAGEDY STRIKES?
We struggle to understand why the same God who has blessed us so generously could allow heartache and pain to come into our lives. We live in an imperfect world where death and disease are a reality, yet we blame God for not intervening and saving us from the worst pain we have ever felt. But it is important for us to know that we serve a God who cares for us when tragedy strikes. We have been redeemed by Christ and it is time to recognize that we are precious to Him; He cares about what we are going through.
He will rescue the poor when they cry to him;
he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them.
He feels pity for the weak and the needy,
and he will rescue them.
He will redeem them from oppression and violence,
for their lives are precious to him. — Psalm 72:12-14