Ruth 1:3-5 SHE WAS LEFT We may not always appreciate what we have until we lose it. We can learn lessons from Elimelech who lived in Bethlehem (the house of bread), and even though there was a famine in the land, he must have forgotten that God is still the same and His promises never fail. Whenever a person, assembly or nation turns in repentance and forsaking of sin to God, he is there to hear and answer according to His sovereign will. The decision Elimelech made affected Naomi and his two sons for the rest of their lives as well as his own. We are not without influence - good or bad. That fact should make us stop to count the cost of our actions before we take action.
It may not have seemed all that wrong to go to Moab because the Moabites were not living in Canaan. But they had forbidden Israel to go through Moab on the way to the promised land. For that the edict of the Lord was that no one from Moab could "enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation." Not only had their leaders not provided for the Israelites with bread and water, but Balaam was hired to put a curse on them. The Lord turned that into a blessing even though the intent of the Moabites was to destroy Israel.
For our learning, the facts are that those who are the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ do not fit well in a worldly society. Our new nature makes us uncomfortable with all that we see goes on in business, pleasure and even the religious activities of those who claim to be following the rejected Lord. The moral standards of a believer should be set higher than those of the world because God set the standard by which we are to live. When we leave where we should be because God placed us there, no matter how weak the situation is in which we are found, then we are on our own in a social system in which we do not fit. To "sojourn" in a foreign land means that you really do not fit there among those people and in that society and culture. One stands out as a foreigner in speech, lifestyle and no matter what you do, "you are not one of us." Conversations stop or change subjects when you try to join in with the group. Questions arise as to why we are there and how long to we intend to stay. Try as we might, there is always the "them and us" attitude to separate the stranger and pilgrim from those born there.
While he was alive, Elimelech was responsible for his family and may have been able to care for them as he had wanted when he made the move. However, there are consequences to our actions that others may have to suffer when we run away from our problems in unbelief. My disobedience and unbelief have effects on my family and maybe on other people also. Elimelech apparently didn't live long after the move to Moab, but the other members of his family had to go through hard times because of his decision. His widowed wife was without the support of an extended family. His two sons married girls from the area in which they were living even though that practice had been forbidden. Thankfully there was a good relationship between the women even during those ten years, and even though they were all widowed. In that foreign land there was no family support to turn to in difficult times. What some people accept as Christianity today is not biblical Christianity. There is no biblical support to the claim that God wants all of His children to be rich and prosperous in this world's goods. Actually, the life-style and teaching of the Lord Jesus is very different from that. For all of God's children to be healthy is not a promise from God. John was concerned that Gaius' physical well-being would be prosperous "even as thy soul prospers." It is not wrong to be optimistic about life and how God is going to use us, but that doesn't mean that we are not going to suffer. "All that live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution."
It would be hard for a dutiful wife to oppose the leadership of her husband. But God in grace gave Naomi a special daughter-in-law who was of a kindred spirit. Both Naomi and Ruth were unique persons in their own right, but were able to blend their different backgrounds, ages and cultures into opportunities. We may be in a place where we shouldn't be for some reason, but we can learn from Naomi there are principles by which we live that should never change. Even though after the death of her immediate family and her bitterness of soul, she maintained her integrity. In doing this we will be committed to being real and genuine in spite of the circumstances in which we are found. God is concerned with our character far more than our comfort. What we are inside is more important than what we have and claim as our own. Many of God's people who are left in hard circumstances are mentioned in scripture as illustrations for our learning. Job lost all he had but remained confident in God even though he didn't understand the great losses. Paul had to live without being healed so God's grace could be revealed through his life as well as his words. Hosea had to live with an unfaithful wife in a shameful marriage relationship. We read, "Count it all joy when ye fall into divers’ temptations." People have persevered through trials without ever knowing the reason. They just have trusted God and remained faithful to Him under extreme pressures of life. When a child of God can truly say, "The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord," that person of faith is a testimony to us all of God at work behind the scenes of an ordinary life.
When kindred-spirited persons meet, there is established a commitment to integrity that keeps both of them honest and upright with each other. Naomi was left without family and support, but was graciously supplied by the sovereign God with the perfect daughter-in-law who was free from the corrupting immoral lifestyle of idolatry. How good it is when the Lord brings into our lives upright people who are committed to purity and genuine in attitude toward us and God. Integrity is a necessary part of life for one who is godly. We need to guard our testimony with integrity and with all our might. Then when a person comes into our life who has the same commitment to God, we find ourselves blended and able to serve God with our heart and still give the other person the freedom to be who they are before the Lord.
Ruth was willing to leave her homeland to go to Israel and Naomi was willing for Ruth to return to Moab. When one is "left" by her husband's death is bad enough. When "left" of her two sons, that is almost more than one can accept. The disobedience of one person has long-lasting effects on others. It is so important that we take plenty of time to consider any action we think about with a mind to know what the Lord our God says. We may not only be "left" ourselves, but others may be "left" also. Ten years away from the will of God and the place of His choosing, not only leaves us personally bereft of fellowship with God and His people, but will affect our testimony and that of others we have influenced in a way from which they may never recover. We need to commit ourselves to persevere even when the trials we are called upon to endure may seem overwhelming.
It may not seem far at first When we make the journey away.
Because of something for which we thirst, We forget there's always a price to pay For every ambitious plan we have, And every desire we seek to fulfill. Then too late we realize that that path Has hidden in it a very bitter pill.
We find there is very little That brings satisfaction that lasts When disobedience's bill we settle, What we wanted is already done and passed. There is no recovery for lost years That the "locusts and cancer" has eaten Now engraved on our heart there are scars That can't by a physician be treated.
She was "left" in a far distant place. She was "left" with not a thing of her own. She was "left," but God has great grace. She was "left" with one better than a son. She was "left" and through her one saw God. She was "left" with one who wanted to know more. She was "left" with nothing on which to hold. She was "left" not knowing what was in store.
"Father, there are those of Thy people who have made some bad decisions and are now going through the consequences they brought on themselves. If it would be for Thy glory and their good, please bring to pass in their lives persons or events that will bring them back to Thee. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."