(REFLECTIONS ON Ruth 1:1-22)

A story of a family of four, a husband, wife, and their two sons. In hope they left Bethlehem and moved to the land of Moab seeking for a new and better life. Why would Moab represent a new and better life for this family? Because we are told that there was a famine in the land of Judah.

In addition to there being a famine in the land, we are told that this event took place during the time the judges governed the land. As we look at just one page back, before the Book of Ruth is the Book of Judges. As the Book of Judges ends, we read in the last verse,

Judges 21:25 – In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

With no king, no assurance of life in Bethlehem during this famine, this family of four took their chances and their life into their own hands and made the journey to Moab. For everyone did what was right in their own eyes.

However, we soon see that tragedy hits, not once, but three times, with the loss of Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, and her two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. All that was left of this family of four was Naomi along with her two Moabite daughters-in-law, whom her sons had married after Elimelech died.

Once a family of four, with all the hopes in the world of a better life in Moab, now Naomi alone had to return home. What burden was she carrying? Perhaps it was feeling of shame and embarrassment that her family’s move resulted in failure rather than a better life.

Although Naomi tried to convince her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth to return home to their gods, Ruth clung to her and was insistent to go back to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law. Ruth said,

“Do not urge me to leave you or turn back 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.”

Upon returning to Bethlehem, Naomi told the women of the city,

“Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

For Naomi, the Lord had brought her back empty, from sweet to bitter, and cursed her life. However, in tragedy there was something else with Naomi, that she didn’t notice, but that the Lord noticed, because it is what the Lord planted.

Ruth clung to her, but for Naomi it was an additional burden to an already bitter return to Bethlehem. However, that Ruth clung to her reminds us of a hidden blessing, available to Naomi and all of Judah, because of her “failed” journey to Moab.

Yes, sometimes we regret certain decisions, feel like we have wasted our time pursuing certain paths in our life. Perhaps we also feel a sense of shame or embarrassment thinking that we have come back with failure despite a proclamation of success.

However, today’s Scripture leads us to consider what we have from our journey that we didn’t have before. In addition to loss, perhaps there is also gain, even if that gain is hidden for a time. Just like Ruth clung to her, perhaps we too will find God still working in greater ways than we can imagine because of what has clung onto us throughout our life.

There is hope, like a seed ready to sprout, in the action of Ruth clinging on to Naomi. And as we continue to read this story, we will find out the kingdom impact of Ruth clinging on to her mother-in-law.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: Ruth 1