Have you started to feel hopeless in this season? Back in December, I shared a message on Naomi at Browncroft. I thought today could be a good time to come back to Ruth 1 to help us grieve through the pain in this season. You can watch the message at the link above or click here to listen.
The book of Ruth shares the gospel in two ways. First, this story communicates key background to the family of Jesus. Secondly, Ruth points to the Gospel in how God is providing for us and redeeming us in ordinary ways.
Ruth 1 takes place in the darkest times of Israel’s history, the time of the Judges. Naomi and her husband move to Moab because of famine in Bethlehem. This move comes out of desperation, because the Moabites were volatile enemies of Israel. Their two sons marry Moabite women. Soon, Naomi experiences the tragedy of losing her husband and two sons. Ruth 1:6 22 directs Naomi back to Bethlehem (house of bread) because of a bare harvest.
Fifty-five of the 85 verses in Ruth contain dialogue and mostly with women. Naomi, feeling all hope is lost. set out for Bethlehem with her two Moabite daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah. Naomi prays a blessing over them (Ruth 1:8-9), asking them to leave. The two women tearfully stay with Naomi. Then Naomi provides a logical argument for them to go back to Moab. Ruth stays and Orpah heads back to Moab.
The main point of this message focuses on a question – How do we have hope on our bad days? We can identify with Naomi’s experience of feeling all hope being lost.
First, real hope in Jesus grieves the tragedies of life. The writer of Ruth enters us into Naomi’s grief. Hearing Naomi’s words normalizes our darkest days and seasons. Besides losing her husband and two sons, Naomi has no male heir which would have supported her financially. In the ten years at Moab (Ruth 1:4), both daughters-in-law experience infertility. This leads Naomi to say in Ruth 1:20 not to call her “Naomi” (pleasant), but to call her “Mara” (bitter). When she refers to God, she calls him “Almighty” (El Shaddai) meaning she could acknowledge God’s control, but doubted His goodness.
We see faith and hope in Jesus on display when we grieve. In these moments, these feelings of loneliness, rejection, and abandonment can become an invitation to Jesus. Often, we have a difficult time seeing God at work. Yet, what we come to realize is that God is at work. For Naomi, God brought her back to Bethlehem (Ruth 1:6,22) and for us our acknowledgement of grief in hopelessness leads to identify small and large ways God could be working.
Secondly, real hope in Jesus courageously embraces friendship. Naomi in her distraught says in Ruth 1:21, “I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.” Little does she realize that Ruth, her daughter-in-law who moved from Moab to the foreign Bethlehem, would be her answer to prayer. Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi reveals a special friendship that they forged and ultimately Ruth meeting the God of Israel.
How often in our bad days, do we not see the people God has placed around us? Who are the Ruths in your life? In these seasons, we need spiritual friendship. We need people in our lives who represent the goodness of God. As a church, we encourage people to be authentic in small groups and find support in Celebrate Recovery, Divorce Care, and Grief Share. When you cannot see the goodness of God, He often places people in your life to help you see it.
In closing, as dark and hopeless as Ruth 1 seems, we begin to see inklings of God working behind the scenes (Ruth 1:6,22). As we close service with communion, we see the gospel of Jesus. Jesus experienced real grief and sorrow so that in our worst days we can go to Him. Jesus courageously embraces us, as friends offer His presence and access through His death and resurrection.
Photo by ian dooley on Unsplash