Ruth Review

We will do a review of what we learned from the book of Ruth.   First, we see that bad things do happen to God's people.  Because of a famine in Israel, the land of God's chosen people, Elimelech, Naomi, and their sons Mahlon and Chilion left Israel and went to Moab.  While there, another tragedy struck Naomi, as Elimelech died, leaving her dependent on her two sons.  The sons had married women of Moab, Orpah and Ruth and lived there for about ten years, then both sons died, another tragedy for Naomi.  We need to realize that just because one tragedy strikes us in life as followers of Christ that it does not mean that we are exempt from another one.  Naomi was left with her two daughters-in-law that she did not know how to provide for, so she decided to return to Israel and her people.  When tragedy does strike us today, the best thing we can do is turn to God and His people if we are Christians.  Of course, the best thing anyone can do in a tragedy is to look to God for help, but if we are His people but are away from Him spiritually for whatever reason, then we definitely need to return to Him.  Then, Naomi told Orpah and Ruth that they would be better off going to their own people for help.  I believe that even if we don't know all the answers, we should never attempt to send others away from God.  Naomi seems to have become bitter toward God though and this may have influenced her actions.  No matter what happens in life, as followers of Christ we cannot allow it to make us bitter toward God or to even question His love and provision for us.  Orpah left, but Ruth declared her devotion to Naomi, her people, and her God.  Our best choice in a tragedy is to declare our devotion to God, even if He was not our God before.  In Israel, Ruth proved her devotion to Naomi by working to provide them with food.  She was a widow herself in a strange land, but she exhibited a greater faith than Naomi did.  She did not expect others to provide for them.  Because of her willingness to work, she met Boaz.  I believe that we can accurately say that God led Ruth to this place.  Even when we may not realize it, God is at work in our lives if we are His people.  Naomi saw a solution to their problem after there was no longer a crop to glean for food, and that was the fact that Boaz was one of her kinsmen, and she was going to put Ruth in a position where he would have to marry her.  I don't believe that we should ever use deceitful or dishonest means to better ourselves if we are followers of Christ.  Boaz looked out for Ruth's good name and then did the honorable and legal thing concerning her.  He first made sure that another closer kinsman did not want to redeem Naomi's land with the stipulation that he marry Ruth, who could also have had a claim on the land.  We must never try to claim what might rightly be considered something that belongs to another without letting them have a chance to claim it themselves.  Then, we see that God blessed Ruth with a husband and a child and Naomi with a grandchild, and that Ruth, a woman of Moab, was in the direct lineage of David.  It does not matter where we are born, if we become a follower of Christ, then we are a part of His family forevermore.