Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Chapter 9 - The Faith of a Foreign Woman


Ruth 1-4

Introduction to the Reading: Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit – Perhaps someday it will be pleasant to have remembered even these things” – Virgil’s Aeneid.  Do you remember a time from your past that was just miserable, but now you are able to laugh about it?  I remember coming back from a mission trip in Canada.  The trip was great, but I was exhausted.  My grandmother had passed away that spring so we were cleaning out her home and it was getting late. Then, on my way home I crashed into a 1994 Geo Tracker Convertible.  The poor 16 year old girl had just been in an accident that was her fault 2 weeks earlier. She wasn’t hurt, but she was so scared to tell her parents. It turned out, part of the reason I was so exhausted was because I had mono.  I shouldn’t have even been driving.  Now, I can look back on all that and it’s not so terrible.  It was one of those days.  I can even joke about it now.
Today we will read about a woman whose life was "bitter." She had suffered in many different ways: she had endured a famine, lived in a foreign land, lost her husband, and even saw her only two sons die. Nonetheless, in the end, it is a joyful, happy story. It is a love story - a story of love between a couple, love between in-laws, and if you notice - love from the Lord.

Before You Read - Background of the Book of Ruth: The story of Ruth stands in stark contrast to the book of Judges, even though the events occur during the same period. You may think of it as a diamond in the rough: a shining ray of hope during a very dark period for the Israelites. We see love and faithfulness between individuals. More than that, while the Israelites are turning away from the Lord, we see an unbeliever coming to faith in the Lord.
  
Interesting Tidbit: The book of Ruth is traditionally read by the Jews on Pentecost. You may wonder why because we think of Pentecost as the festival of the Holy Spirit. But do you remember why the disciples were gathered together in the first place? Pentecost is a harvest festival. They were having what amounts to the Jewish version of our Thanksgiving dinner. Ruth had something more than just food to be thankful for at the harvest, and so we too are reminded that the Lord has richly blessed us as well.

Time to Slow it Down - Bottom of Pages 122 "Where you go, I will go..." Things weren't going well, were they? Naomi had left home with her husband because of a famine. Now, not only was he dead, but her two sons as well. As a woman, Naomi (whose name actually means "pleasant.") had a problem: she had no way to support herself. On top of it, as a foreigner in Moab she wouldn't get much help from anyone, and the only two individuals who she was close to, her daughters-in-law, had lost their husbands and were essentially in the same boat.

On top of the physical difficulties, we also notice a spiritual problem. Like many of the Israelites during the period of the judges, Elimelek had apparently turned to foreign, pagan nations for help rather than turning to the Lord. Then his sons married the "wrong type of women" for a faithful Israelite - they married Moabites. The Lord said his people were not to intermarry with the pagan nations around them. In fact, do you remember how the Lord sent a plague on the Israelites for having sex with the Moabite women? (p. 82-83; Numbers 25; cf. also Nehemiah 13:23) In many ways, the story of Ruth starts out at a point where "everything is going wrong."

But in the words of Ruth, we see a glimmer of hope. While the book of Judges was a downward cycle, a cycle that keeps repeating, in Ruth the cycle is broken. Ruth takes another path - not away from the Lord but toward the Lord's people. At this point, where is her faith at? I'm really not sure. Does she believe in the Lord or is she just that dedicated to Naomi? Either way, let’s see how following the Lord brought blessings to Ruth…and us.

When You're Done Reading - Thoughts to Ponder: Ruth chose a difficult path, at least from a lower level perspective. As a widow life was pretty difficult to begin with. I’m sure she was worried how she would provide for herself, nevertheless the mother-in-law she had committed to help. Now throw on top of that a move to a foreign, well actually enemy land. Can you imagine what it would have been like for her to hang out by the harvesters and what they would have thought? It would be like a woman in a burka hanging out by the combines in rural Wisconsin. Do you think the rumors might have begun to fly? And just to make things even more difficult, the Jewish customs and beliefs were still probably a bit foreign to her. I’m sure her parents would have taught her as a kid to worship the Moabite god Chemosh. Ruth was in a very awkward, very stressful place in life.

Yet notice how the Lord blesses her & Naomi. He provided someone to look after their physical needs by giving them food and eventually buying back the family property. He gave her a husband who was loving and respectful. He took care of the family name and inheritance. From a lower level perspective, Ruth and Naomi had much to be thankful for.

But remember how we also need to pay attention to the upper story as well? Maybe as you read parts of the book of Judges you wonder why the Israelites were commanded to fight the Moabites and other pagan nations. If you remember, we discussed a couple of times over the last few weeks how the Lord used the Israelites to bring judgment on the unbelief and wickedness of the Canaanite nations that had occupied the land. But then you might wonder, “What if they became believers?”

The book of Ruth is a reminder that the love of God extends not only to those who are down-and-out or those who can’t take care of themselves. We are reminded that God’s love is for ALL people. In Deuteronomy, as Moses repeats God’s commands to the Israelites before they enter the promised land, he reminds them, “[The Lord] executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing” (10:18). How many of those categories does Ruth fall into? All of them! God’s love is for all people – rich and poor, male and female, foreigner and stranger.

God’s love is for us! Did you notice it in our lesson how this story ties directly in to the story of salvation – into your story? Your Savior, Jesus, was a descendant of Ruth! Her son was the great-grandfather of King David, who would become the king of Israel and great-great-great…grandfather of Jesus – the one who paid the price of death to buy you back, to redeem you from the punishment for sin. (cf. Matthew 4)

The story of Ruth is the story of a faithful Moabite during a period of Israelite unfaithfulness. From a lower story perspective it is the story of God’s faithfulness to look after our needs. But more than either of those, from an upper story perspective it’s the story of God looking after our greatest need: a redeemer from sin.

Making it My Own – Questions to ask:

  • Who do you know whose life is “bitter?”
  • Who do you know that might feel like an outsider?
  • Who do you know who may need physical food or care?
  • Who do you know who needs spiritual care?
  • Who do you know needs to hear the story of Ruth?
  • Will you be like Boaz and show them love? How?

Prayer (A Hymn of Thanksgiving):

(Luther reminds us what we mean when we pray “Give us today our daily bread.” He writes in his Small Catechism, “God surely gives daily bread without our asking, even to all the wicked, but we pray in this petition that he would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving. What, then, is meant by daily bread? Daily bread includes everything that we need for our bodily welfare, such as food and drink, clothing and shoes, house and home, land and cattle, money and goods, a godly spouse, godly children, godly workers, godly and faithful leaders, good government, good weather, peace and order, health, a good name, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.”)

We praise you, O God, our Redeemer, Creator,
In grateful devotion our tribute we bring;
We lay it before you, we kneel and adore you,
We bless your holy Name, glad praises we sing.
We worship you, God of our fathers, we bless you;
Through life’s storm and tempest our guide you have been;
When perils overtake us, you will not forsake us,
And with your help, O Lord, our battles we win.
With voices united our praises we offer,
To you, great Jehovah, glad anthems we raise.
Your strong arm will guide us, our God is beside us,
To you, our great Redeemer, forever be praise.

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