life as we know it (Ruth 1:1-5)

posted by luke on Sunday, July 27, 2008 at 10:18 PM

The book of Ruth is about life as we know it.  Life under the judgment of God.  Life where there isn't always enough food.  Life lived far from God and alienated from His blessing.  Life lived homeless and surrounded by enemies.  Life lived with death on every side.  Life lived without protection and safety.  Life that looks more like death than life. 

The book of Ruth is also about people like you and me.  Elimelech (whose name means God is my king) is under judgment along with the rest of Israel.  He and His land are experiencing famine and hunger (a part of God's covenant curses).  Rather than turn to God in repentance (and so find healing and restoration), he looks to the security of another country.  His faith in God is weak, if not lacking all together—and his quick death may be evidence that his life-choice to move was out of unbelief.  He was certainly experiencing alienation from God.  He certainly wasn't "feeling God's blessing" in his land or out of it.  He knew the bitterness of the curse as well as we do. 

His sons were no different.  They married pagan women in a pagan land.  (Not good if you're an Israelite under the Old Covenant.)  They weren't concerned for holiness toward God or spiritual purity.  God was not the first thing on their minds when looking for a wife.  They too faced God's judgment for their ignorance of God and His ways—they too died in the land, and after 10 years of marriage, both of their wives remained empty, barren, childless.

Then we have Naomi, now alone and in danger, having no one—neither husband nor son—to take care of her, provide for her, protect her. 

Isn't this life where we live?  A world that is hostile.  A world cursed by God.  Lives that are unfulfilling and un-nourishing.  Living in places that never seem quite like home.  Surrounded by those who would want to turn us from God or are at best indifferent to our walk with Him.  When things get rough we doubt God's goodness.  We turn to other  springs because we think they will satisfy.  We are unconcerned with living for God.  He doesn't enter into all the little choices we make.  We go with what is expedient or whatever makes us happy.  And yet we are alone, afraid, vulnerable, and weak.  Death is waiting for us, and we know not what will happen when it comes. 

The book of Ruth unveils to us what our lives are like and hopefully tells us that if we didn't see these things all around us already we need to open our eyes to the harsh realities of cursed existence in a dying world and our own shabby faith demonstrated in our impure hearts. 

Where are you hurting, broken, and experiencing the curse (physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, etc...)  that you need God to bring life?  Where are you weak in faith and need God to bring faith & trust (vibrant spiritual life)?

It is into this world of difficulty and toil, of misery and sin that Jesus entered.  And He didn’t enter with white gloves on, carefully tiptoeing through so as not to touch anything.  Rather, he entered into our mess.  He became sin for us.  He became a curse for us.  He took upon himself all our pain, our sin, our homelessness, our alienation, our unbelief, our impurity, our vulnerability, and our guilt, and he took these things to the cross and dealt with them once and for all, so that in His resurrection, we find hope & victory.  In His resurrection we see what is ours in Him—strength instead of weakness, joy instead of mourning, blessing instead of curse, love instead of anger, life instead of death.

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