When Life Happens to Us - RUTH START

The book of Judges was hard to cover. It's not a happy end for the once promising Nation of Israel as they slowly descend to the very level of the pagan nations God called them to drive out. The last two stories of Judges shows both the religious pluralism and vicious nature of a nation no longer united around the Lord.

So we come to the book of Ruth and it's more bad news:
Ruth 1:1 (ESV) In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.

More than the famine in the land, there's the move of Elimelech to the land of Moab. Moab was the nation descended from Lot's incestuous relationship with his daughter. Further, the people were to live in the land on God's blessing for obedience. The famine points to the results of Israel's faithlessness and Elimelech's move is predicated on the national demise happening around him. Interestingly the last verse of Judges states that Israel had no king and therefore everyone did as they saw fit. Elimelech's name means, "My God is King." But his actions will prove otherwise and his life is a testimony of those among God's people who do not live out that statement.

Sometimes life happens to us. In this chapter, life happens to everyone. First, Naomi loses her husband after moving to the foreign land. After this, she marries her sons off to Moabite women and life happens to the men as they pass away next. Naomi is left with Ruth and Orpah, daughters-in-law with zero ability to provide support for them or herself. 

In today's society, this would be a severe tragedy. In the ancient world, people would consider this a cursed life. But the story moves forward from these horrible beginnings.
Ruth 1:6 (ESV) Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the LORD had visited his people and given them food.

Naomi heads back to where God is at work and perhaps decides the land of Israel is no place for two foreign women. She tries to convince both women to go back and only manages to convince Orpah. Ruth will have none of it.

Ruth 1:16–18 (ESV) But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return 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. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” 18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.

Life hurts everyone. You can't avoid it. But at this moment Ruth shares with us something that we often neglect when life happens, hurts come and the tragic occurs. You have to move intentionally toward God regardless of the cost. 

Think of the natural moves in this chapter: Elimelech moved away from God because there was no food. It should be noted he was from "Bethlehem" - literally, "house of bread!" Naomi marries off her sons in hopes to stem the tide of tragedy. This only leads to more tragedy as she's left without prospects upon the death of her sons. But Ruth, a foreigner and stranger to God's covenant, who also had life happen to her, refuses to just do the natural move. In the natural, she should have gone back to her people. But she makes a firm commitment that the Lord is able to do the supernatural.

The ironic thing about this first chapter is that the one person who should have least believed the Lord for good and prosperity is the very one who does. She teaches Israel a lesson about their current state. They were never meant to be natural people but supernatural people.

So too are you Christian. You are not just flesh and bones if you are in Christ. You are a royal priesthood and a peculiar people who belong to God! Life will happen. And when it does, do not choose the natural response of those around you. Choose to move intentionally and firmly in the direction of the Lord who will work for you.