It illustrates dramatically, that God is in total control of all events in human history; it also shows, that when people disobey the express commandments of God many unfortunate things will happen to them.  These unfortunate things happen to test us and reveal elements of our personality that we would more often than not prefer to remain hidden. 

God’s aim in this process is to change us. Since we know what kind of people he wants us to be, we can save ourselves a lot of grief by obeying his Commandments, remaining loyal to his word and trusting him throughout all the vicissitudes of life.

The choices we make in life are very important.  We make many small, as well as what we consider to be important choices every day.  These are all significant however, for Jesus warned that if we are not faithful in dealing with small things, we will not be entrusted with responsibility for large things and the rewards that go with that responsibility.

It must be pointed out here however, that when the true children of God misbehave, God will work the circumstances for his glory.  Truly the wrath of man will praise the Lord.  Now by looking at the very human persons in this story, we will get a great deal of guiding principles for living.

We need not live life in the wrong way, or misinterpret events that are happening to us.

If we neglect these lessons, our lives will be much more joyless that it need be.

Our focus today is on how we should deal with grief.  Sorrow and grief are things that happen to everyone, irrespective of whether or not we are close to God.  How we deal with grief shows the kind of people that we are and whether or not we truly trust God even if we affirm strongly that we do. 

This issue goes well beyond whether we cry when we feel sorrow and grief, tear our clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes or mourn for the required number of days our culture demands. The Scripture does not forbid us from doing some of these things; only everything we do, we must stand out as people who trust in God, with all that that entails.

It is very difficult for us to consistently live in the light of the Scriptural exhortation to praise the Changeless Lord because of his character.

When we believe God our sins are forgiven, we become right with God, regain his acceptance and thus fellowship with him. We praise God and sing for joy, because our changeless Lord, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, is with us in our day of trouble.  His Word has power, and all his works are done in faithfulness. 

God loves righteousness and justice and he sees all men and all their works.  We are told over and over again that God voids the counsel of the nations and frustrates the plans of the people.  We are told that thirty two kings waited to wipe out Joshua but because God had another plan, Joshua attended the funeral for every one of them.

Psalm 37 verses 18 to 19 it tell us that God knows how to deliver the righteous and his eyes are on all those that fear him, who hope for his lovingkindness.  God watches to deliver their souls from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

We are told not to get frightened but to put our trust in God.  Do not panic, just wait. God says:

“ The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.

They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.”

We are not so foolish to think that it is an easy thing to wait on God.  It is one of the hardest things that we are called on to do. Still he says we are to wait because He is our help, our protection, our shield and he can meet our needs. We must wait on God and trust in his holy name and then we will discover that God will deliver those who love him.

Grief inevitably follows those that ignore the many critically important teachings in Psalm 37, and we advise the brethren to long meditate on that word from God.

Many consider that the story of Ruth is the story of the ‘romance of redemption’, for it deals with how a most unlikely woman found happiness in the arms of a second husband and moreover she was placed in the line that brought the powerful king David and the even more glorious Messiah.

The background to the events in our lesson is found in the first two verses of the Book of Ruth and briefly summarize approximately ten years. We however know enough to understand much about the personalities of the people in this story.

The events happened during the time the land of Israel was ruled by judges.  The text does not tell us which of the judges ruled at the particular time but since Ruth eventually married Boaz, who was the child of Rahab, (Matthew 1:5) the one who had sheltered the spies in the time of Joshua, we can conclude that the events began in the time of the early judges. This was likely before the nation has degenerated to the state described as ‘everyone did what was right in his own eyes’. Still disobedience to the instructions of God obviously began early, as we will see.

This was a time of famine in Israel and though there is no real evidence for their theory, some conjecture that it was the invasion of the Midianites and their destruction of the agricultural system in Israel that caused this famine.

Since famine was one of the judgments that God had promised in Leviticus 26:19-20 to bring on Israel when they were disobedient, it is possible that this extended period of serious famine was brought directly by God on this land that flowed with milk and honey.

In this story a man called Elimelech, the name means “my God is king”, contrary to the implications of the meaning of his name, is so distressed by the famine, that he decides to move his family from Bethlehem, a city whose name means “the house of bread”.  This move out of Israel of course was a violation of the instructions of God.  Israel was now fixed in the land and should not leave it without God's permission.

We must commend his intention to provide for his family, for instead of leaving them alone while he went off to seek work, he took his family with him.  Even then, he seemed to have sold his land, or disposed of it in some other way (4:3), for when the remnants of his family returned they had nothing to fall back on.  This was something he should not have done.  He left many who chose to stay behind and who we are later told survived the famine and some even prospered despite the famine.

His wife's name was Naomi, which means ‘ pleasant one’ or ‘ amiable’, the exact opposite characteristics to what we later see in her.  His two sons had names which suggested that they were not strong, tough or vigorous men.

He moved his family to the land of Moab, to live as a stranger there.  He did not seem to explore living among the tribes of Israel that lived on the other side of the Jordan bordering the land of Moab.

Now Moab was a consistent military enemy of Israel, though they were related by blood.  Worse, they worshipped Chemosh the demon God, who demanded that his worshippers burn their children in the fire to honor him.  This system of worship was the total opposite to the worship of Jehovah.  This father did not seem to be a nationalistic Israelite or a devoted worshiper of Jehovah.  The stage was set for disaster.

THE TEXT

Verse 3.  Elimelech died and Naomi was left a widow with two sons.  Now let us remember that being a widow was at every time in history a very troubling position in which to be.  Widows in biblical Old Testament times were destitute people. That is why the Scriptures stress that love for widows was a sign of godliness. 

God himself loves and cares for widows and orphans and anyone who abuses these and any other vulnerable persons, will inevitably faced the wrath of God. Governments nowadays seem to regard this as a joke, for they invariably treat the vulnerable worst of all.  For sure they will one day deal with the consequences of their behaviour.

With no husband, clan or tribe support, Naomi was in a bad situation.

Verse 4.  It seems that she was a fighter and in her own way and on her own terms, determined to survive. For after her husband died, she stuck out living in Moab and her sons married Moabites girls.  She obviously intended to settle in Moab.  Note that the law did not forbid marriage to the daughters of the Moabites. It only forbade married with Canaanite women, (Deuteronomy 7:3).  The law however did say that Moabites could not be received in the congregation of the Lord for several generations, (Deuteronomy 23:4).

It seems fair to say however, that the Jewish boys married these Moabites girls but the girls were not formally made proselytes to the worship of Jehovah.  If this were so, Naomi's behaviour in encouraging the girls to return to their old demon gods would be totally reprehensible and without justification.

They all lived together for ten years, Naomi, her sons Mahlon with his wife Ruth, (4:10), and Chilion, with his wife Orpah.

Verse 5.   The sons, Mahlon and Chilion, then died and Naomi was left defenceless and helpless, without any means of support but with the “burden” of two young Moabite women.

Some Jewish writers believe that the death of her husband and the early death of her young sons, were really divine judgments brought by God, because they had committed continuing breeches on the law of Israel.

Whether or not this is true, it is clear that Naomi had lost everything, her husband, her children, any apparent means of support and there was no comfort in sight.  She was alone, desolate and down.  Life had not treated her well.

Verse 6.  Let us look at Naomi's personality, for it is her personality that brings about the kind of interaction with others in this story, that highlights strongly the lessons that we need to learn about faith in God and how to properly handle grief.

Naomi did not let her circumstances beat her to the ground.  She was determined to survive.  She looked around for a way to survive.

Naomi had been hurt by the circumstances in our life and her suffering she thought had taught her a lot. She had experienced a lot of grief.

Note her reaction. Naomi was now a realist.  She did not trust anything except her five senses.

There were some cold hard facts facing her and there was no time for emotion to get in the way of the facts.  She was an angry woman keeping her emotions under control and when her daughters-in-law tried to bring emotions to her, she cold-bloodedly rejected that approach.

She now realized that things were better in Israel.  God was no longer punishing Israel and she determined to return home to her native land. There was no point in staying at a place that reminded her of so much sorrow. 

Verse 7.   She set out for home followed by Ruth and Orpah.  Evidently though, she had no intention of having the two girls tag along with her.  She was a realist.

Verse 8.  On the way the small group went.  There was no hint that her daughters-in-law tried to persuade her to continue living in Moab.  The girls seemed inclined to go with her back to Judah.

Obviously Naomi had a pleasant side to her.  The girls had been good wives to her sons and though pagan Moabites, had treated her well.

In her own wisdom she tried to dissuade the girls from following her, putting certain facts to them.  First, she blessed them, wishing that Jehovah would be kind to them, repaying them for their kindness to her family.  She advised them to go back to the house of their mothers where they would have a welcome and an easier life.

Vs.9-13.   Despite the fact that she believed that the hand of the Lord had been lifted up against her and that she did not believe any longer that God could do anything for her or for the girls, she still blessed them in the name of the Lord, invoking him to give the girls rest, a life of tranquility, protected from the cares and troubles that they would be exposed to as widows.

Note that she herself had been hurt so badly that she was refusing to trust God to guide her life or the life of those around her.

Her loss, need, poverty, widowhood and grief, had brought some additional spiritual darkness into her life.  It is impossible to accuse her of being a wicked or evil woman but it is equally clear that she is a faithless woman, with unresolved, angry resentment toward God.

(See vs. 13 & 21).  She is quite similar to many people in the church today.

When both girls who would not dream of parting from their good mother-in-law began to weep and declaring their firm intention of staying with her forever, Naomi turned again to the facts of life, as of course she saw them. 

Before we attack her, or be indignantly self-righteous, we should remember that we do the same as her all the time. Still it is distressing to see her or ourselves do it.

She tells them that if they went with her they would be permanent widows, with no hope of remarriage and enjoying the pleasures of life.

She was not pregnant and had no hope of marriage herself, and further childbearing. There would be no other sons who would have the obligation under Levirate law (Deut 25: Gen38:8) to marry them and be husbands to them. She was in addition too old to have children. Even if the improbable occurred and she did get married and even more improbably had children, it would take a very long time for the sons to reach marriageable age and they would not be able to wait until that time.

The only excuse Naomi did not give was that it was highly unlikely that any man in Judah would want to marry a Moabite girl.

Her attempts to dissuade her daughters-in-law to stop dreaming of following her to Judah was so strong that she was really expressing strong doubts about the sincerity and resolve of the girls to convert to the true religion of Jehovah.

Despite the difficulties, one might have thought that her priority would be to save the girls she professed to love from the idolatry of Moab and to bring and expose them to the God of Israel.  Even if they were weak in faith and understanding, surely it might be better to keep them close to God than to send them back to be immersed in demon worship.

In verse13 she did express that it greatly grieved her to send the girls back to Moab but we must ask ourselves the question whether the sentiments were really as noble as they appear.

Is it ever right for us to turn people away from interest in the living God and to send them back to idolatry and the Lake of Fire?  Are we not supposed to be patient and snatch souls as brands from the burning?  Are we ever supposed to be weary in well doing?

In this case Naomi blamed God for her grief and her reaction to her grief.  She tells the Moabites  girls, girls brought up with false gods, that the hand of the Living God could be turned to smash his people without any good reason or without mercy.  This was her suggestion and it impugned the character of God.

We too are attacking the holiness, mercy, justice, and righteousness of God, when we do not trust him and when we malign his name before the uncircumcised.

Verse 14.   Here we are faced with two other reactions and two ways of overcoming grief. Orpah was a widow and had experienced great grief in her young life.  She had lost her husband and had watched Naomi, her beloved suffer and ache with pain. She was faced with the same truths as Ruth, the other widow, who also faced the same pain and grief.

Though she showed serious commitment to Naomi, the change in her was not such as to constitute true belief in God, for there was no commitment of the soul to Jehovah.

The inconveniences outlined by Naomi gave her an excuse to go back to the land and demon worship of Moab. Clearly the cares of this world had gotten through.

Orpah saw death where there was life.

Note that she kissed her mother-in-law.  She had an affection for Naomi and did not want to leave her but her love was not strong enough to Naomi or to her God, to induce her to leave her country and her gods.

Many today do have a great feeling for Christ, but that is really all they have.  One writer states:

“ Thus many have a value and affection for Christ, and yet come short of salvation by him, because they cannot find in their heart to forsake other things for him.  They love him and yet leave him, because they do not love him enough, but love other things better.

Thus the young man that went away from Christ went away sorrowful, Matthew 19:22.

But, Ruth clave unto her. Whether, when she came from home, she was resolved to go forward with her or no does not appear; perhaps she was before determined what to do, out of a sincere affection for the God of Israel and to his law, of which, by the good instructions of Naomi, she had some knowledge.”

Many, when faced with the truth, will accept only a partial truth.  There is a zeal but not according to knowledge and we must be careful how we deal with these people, for our ministry is to reconcile them to God. Emotion is not enough.  Grief at events that befall us is not enough.  We must be committed to the truth of God that is in Christ.

Emotion must be followed by words of confession and a determination to commitment and actions. All must be present for true belief.  There must be a commitment to truth and a life of truth.  There can be no short cuts, acceptance of half a truth, rejection of some parts of Scripture. 

It is a difficult saying, but the prophets warn us in Isaiah 8:20 when he discusses the irreversible judgments of God that, when truth is ignored: “ To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

Verse 15.   There is a peculiar kind of commitment in Ruth.  When Naomi points out to her that she should follow her other sister-in-law and return to Moab, breaking her communion with God, she revolts.

Verse 16.   Ruth most solemnly makes an oath, declaring that she will never change her resolution, will never forsake her, will never return to her own country, will never return to her family and will never return to her old gods.  She tells Naomi not to say anything more in an attempt to stop her from going with her.

Clearly Ruth shows a spirit that rejects and makes us feel ashamed of the frequent rationalizations that we make for our sins.

She is in effect saying that she too has been buffeted and treated badly by circumstances over which she had no control, she had been hurt and in view of her suffering had a right to be angry and resentful.  Still she had no intention of doing that, or accepting that the God of Israel would not look after and eventually solve all her problems.

Naomi had grown up with God, had been in the covenant of privilege, had expected certain things from God despite her behaviour, was suffering and blamed God, and was angry with him.  Her reaction to her grief is quite common but nevertheless it is not correct and was quite self-serving.

On the other hand there was Ruth, who had grown up in Moab, where for all her life she had been taught that a demon would meet her spiritual as well as her physical needs.  She cannot quite accept that nonsense and was exceptionally grateful that God had allowed her to marry into a family that knew the true God and was able to teach her about this true God.

She had longed for this opportunity and for her the joy of knowing God was so wonderful that  her present woeful circumstances were insignificant, when compared to the delight of knowing the true God.  Her grief was overcome by her gratitude at finally knowing the true God.

She longed to know more about him, since she had rejected the way of darkness.  She knew God had done a lot for her and she was grateful.  God was her refuge and there was no other, neither would there be any other.  So she stopped the serious Naomi cold.  She loved her but this did not only have to do with her, for she was now leaning toward the God of Israel and his laws.

She told Naomi not to utter a word against her going to Judah, for in doing so she would be acting against her interest. 

She would never forsake her but would remain with her despite her poor and sad condition.

She would be content to live with her wherever she lived.

She would accept, conform to and merge her interest with the life and interest of the people of Israel.

She would worship the same God, adore the God of Israel, trust him, serve him, do what he said and take Jehovah as her God.

She would lie in and die in the same bed as Naomi, obviously indicating that they would always live together no matter what the circumstances.  She would never leave the side of her beloved mother-in-law.

She wanted to be buried in the same grave as Naomi, with their bones lying side-by-side.  They would therefore share in the resurrection together.

She closed her comments with an oath to confirm her lasting obligation.

Verse 18.  Naomi was silenced.  She could not come up with any more excuses.  Ruth's mind was so steadfast that she could not be tempted.  She was resolved.  She closed the door to her heart.  As it were, she resisted the devil and he was forced to flee, says one writer.

We learn that no matter what the circumstance in our life, this does not have to determine our response.  The circumstances must not control how we behave.

It is God who must control how we behave, because God will use any given circumstances to work good.

It might seem difficult to be faithful, to so love Christ and to be so convinced that he means goodness to us, that we do not need to protect ourselves and think about ourselves all the time.  We must grow spiritually to increasingly recognize that God is doing a work in us and that gratitude to God for his graciousness must override all.

Grief will come but it must be tempered by our knowledge of and faith in God.  We must never let our position of privilege in Christ warp our expectations, so that when trouble comes we become angry and resentful at God and come to believe that God hates us.

God has called to his rebellious children, reminding us of many truth in Isaiah 43 and 44.  In addition, in Isaiah 49:13-16 we read

” Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth;

and break forth into singing, O Mountains:

for the Lord hath comforted his people,

and will have mercy upon his afflicted.

But Zion said,

The Lord hath forsaken me,

and my Lord hath forgotten me.

Can a woman forget her sucking child,

that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?

Yea, they may forget,

yet will I not forget thee.

Behold,I have graven thee

Upon the palms of my hands;

Thy walls are continually before me.”