Call me Bitter!

It is never too late to go home!

Naomi was disappointed with God – He seemed to let them go and let them suffer so much. Truth is that they walked away from Him and suffered the consequences of poor choices. As we discovered last time the story of Ruth is set “during the time of judges” (Ruth 1:1). There is famine in the land of Judah. To escape the effects of the famine a family of four leaves Bethlehem to dwell in country of Moab. I do believe that the move indicated a lack of faith in God. Moab, was located due East of the Dead Sea. It’s people where descendants of Lot –through his incestuous relationship with his eldest daughter( Gen 19:36-37) Sometimes they were the friends of Israel but often they were regarded as enemies of Israel – (Judge 3:12-30, 1Samuel 22:3-4) The family was made up of Elimelech the father, Naomi the mother and their two sons: Mahlon and Chilion (Ruth 1:2).

Death strikes this family three times. First, Elimelech dies – (Ruth 1:3) leaving Naomi a widow with two sons in a foreign land. His two sons then marry women of Moab – Ruth and Orpah (Ruth 1:4). They live in Moab about ten years and then the two sons die – (Ruth 1:5). Leaving Naomi a widow and childless. Grieving the death of her husband and two sons, Naomi gives thought to return to her homeland. That is where we pick up Sunday – the trip home – join us for the trek back to Bethlehem and where Naomi changes her nickname to Mara – bitterness! See you Sunday,

Pastor Mike

“God cannot fill with peace what is lined with disappointments.”