The story of Ruth begins with a time reference: “in the days when the judges ruled.” The Judges ruled during 400 years of moral chaos and corruption in Israel. Judges 21:25 explains: “In those days there was no King in Israel and every man did what was right in his own eyes.”  This was arguably the darkest period in Israel’s history. Yet against this dark backdrop, Ruth records a beautiful story of redemptive love. 

• Ruth is one of two books named after a woman – the other being the Old Testament book of Esther.
• Ruth is one of two books named after a Gentile – the other being the New Testament Gospel of Luke.

Ruth, one of the three main characters of this story, was a Moabite woman who married a Jewish man named Mahlon. Before they had children, Mahlon died. All the men in the family died. Ruth then made the life-changing decision to follow her mother-in-law Naomi to her homeland of Bethlehem. There she met a man named Boaz. Boaz married Ruth, redeemed Naomi’s land, and preserved the family name. Boaz and Ruth had a son named Obed. Obed fathered Jesse. Jesse fathered David, who became King of Israel. God promised David his kingdom would last forever. A thousand years later, a virgin named Mary gave birth to a son. This son was of the royal line of David and was born King of the Jews. Matthew 1:5 lists Boaz and Ruth in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

This book is named after Ruth. But Naomi is the central figure of the story. Ruth’s pledge to Naomi in verses 16-17 is the Golden Text of chapter 1. But Naomi dominates this chapter. The book climaxes when Boaz and Ruth have a son. Ruth 4:16-17 says, “Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, ‘A son has been born to Naomi.’” Naomi is the protagonist of this story. Her suffering, emptiness, and bitterness present the theological dilemma of this book: 

• Is God really good? 
• Does God care about his children? 
• Where is God when life hurts? 

Answer: God is there when it hurts. God’s presence is not evident in the attitude and actions of Naomi in this chapter. We find Naomi questioning, criticizing, and misunderstanding God. But do not be too hard on Naomi. Naomi did not have the book of Ruth to read to see how the story turns out. As a result, Naomi felt God had abandoned her. But God was there. If you are in Christ, God is with you, no matter what. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Where is God when it hurts? God is there.

God is there in times of loss.  

Ruth 1:1-5 introduces the story by describing the compounded misery of Naomi. 

The condition the family faced. Verse 1 says, “In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land.” The land of Israel needed regular rainfall for crops to grow. If there was any inconsistency in the rain cycle, crops died, and famine came. And if Israel rebelled against God, God chastened them by sending a famine. It was as if God said, “If you want to worship idols, let them feed you.” The narrator does not say this famine was the result of sin. In light of the moral chaos and spiritual rebellion of the times, it was most likely a God-sent, sin-induced famine. Whatever the occasion, the outcome was the same. Bethlehem means “house of bread.” There was a famine in the house of bread. It resulted in an economic depression that caused unemployment, poverty, hunger, death, and hopelessness.

The decision the family made. During this famine, Elimelech took his wife Naomi and his sons to sojourn in the country of Moab. Moab was approximately fifty miles east of Bethlehem on the other side of the Dead Sea. Moab may have been visible from Bethlehem. Elimelech chose Moab because food was there. This is an indication that the famine in Bethlehem was sin-induced. Though fifty miles apart, there was famine in Bethlehem, but food in Moab. There was great tension between Israel and Moab. You can summarize what scripture says about Moab in one sentence: “Don’t go to Moab.” Warren Wiersbe said it well: “Better to starve in the will of God than to eat the enemy’s bread!” Yet Elimelech’s family became resident aliens in Moab until the famine ended.  

The tragedy the family suffered. Elimelech died in Moab. His coroner’s report is sealed. Naomi still had her two sons. Then Mahlon and Chilion married Moabite women. The Law of Moses prohibited Jews from marrying Canaanites. There was no such legislation against Moabites. But it was highly frowned upon. If a Jewish woman married a Moabite man, he was not allowed in the worship assembly until the tenth generation of the family died. Naomi’s sons married foreign women, Ruth and Orpah. Then she suffered double-bereavement. Mahlon and Chilion died. Their coroner’s report is also sealed. Verse 5 states: “The woman was left without her two sons and her husband.”

The ancient Near East was a man’s world. A woman’s resources, security, and heritage were based on the men in her life. It was a woman’s highest priority to marry and have sons. Naomi was blessed to have a husband and two sons. But death snatched them away, taking everything she counted on for her present needs and future hope. In verse 21, Naomi testifies, “I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty.” Naomi lost it all. She had empty hands, an empty home, and an empty heart. Where was God? God was there. When her husband and sons died, God spared Naomi. If the natural order of things had played out, Elimelech would have died. Mahlon and Chilion would have died. Then Naomi would have died. But when she lost her husband and sons, God spared and sustained Naomi. This is a word a comfort for those who are burdened, grieved, and troubled by life’s losses. 

• It may be physical loss, as you suffer pain, sickness, and disease in your body. 
• It may be relational loss, as death, divorce, abandonment, rejection, or disagreement has taken away a loved-one. 
• It may be material loss, as you come face-to-face with joblessness, foreclosure, or downsizing. 
• It may be spiritual loss, as sin, suffering, or Satan have taken your joy, peace, and strength.  

Where was God in your time of loss? God was there because you are still here. The losses you have suffered should have been the end of you. But here you are! 

God is there through the presence of others. 

Verse 6 says, “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.” This is the first reference to God in the book of Ruth. The Lord graciously visited his people and abundantly provided food. News of food in Bethlehem reached the fields of Moab. Upon receiving this report, Naomi decided to return home. The word “return” is the key term of the chapter. It is a loaded term that speaks geographically and spiritually. 

Motivated by a sense of duty and compassion, her daughters-in-law followed Naomi. In verses 8-9, Naomi said to Ruth and Orpah, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Naomi acknowledges that Ruth and Orpah were good daughters-in-law. For this reason, she sent them home, praying the Lord would reciprocate their steadfast love and bless them to find new husbands. Verse 10 says, “Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.”

Some criticize Naomi for sending her daughters-in-law back to Moab and the idol gods worshiped there. But Naomi acted out of compassion for her daughters’ future. In Naomi’s mind, her life was over. Life was just beginning for Ruth and Orpah. She could have pressed them to remain with her for selfish reasons. Instead, she gave them the opportunity to have a new beginning. In verse 10, the young women replied, “No, we will return with you to your people.” In verse, Naomi insisted, “Turn back my daughters; why will you go with me?” Notice Naomi did not call them her daughters-in-law. She called them, “My daughters.” Naomi showed tender love and tough love at the same time, giving them logical and theological reasons to leave her and return to Moab. 

A logical Reason. In verse 11, Naomi asks, “Have I yet sons in my womb that they become your husbands?” If they ever wanted to remarry, there was no reason to return with Naomi. Verse 12-13 says, “Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying?” Naomi was postmenopausal. She could not have more sons. If she could, by the time they were of age to marry, Ruth and Orpah would be as old as Naomi. Naomi’s argument was based on the custom of levirate marriage. According to Deuteronomy 25:5-10, if a married man died without having children, his brother was to marry his widow. Their first child would be considered the son of the deceased brother, to carry on his name. Naomi’s circumstances made this impossible. Unless Ruth and Orpah determined to remain unmarried, they should return to Moab. 

A Theological Reason. In verse 13, Naomi concludes, “No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.” Naomi was bitter because she believed God’s hand was against her. Naomi recognized God’s authority and power. She did not recognize God’s wisdom and providence. Naomi saw the hand of God moving in sovereignty. She could not see the goodness of God in the midst of her situation. She concluded the hand of the Lord was against her. Naomi experienced soul-crushing tragedy like Job. Instead of responding with the faith of Job, Naomi responded like Job’s wife. She spoke like a foolish woman would could only receive good from God but not receive trouble. Naomi experienced the same kind of faith-testing loss Joseph did. In Genesis 50:20, Joseph said to his brothers, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” Naomi could not see the sovereign providence of God working for her good. She warned her daughters-in-law, “I’m jinxed. The hand of the Lord is at work against me. Get as far from me as you can. You don’t want to be anywhere near me when the next calamity strikes.”  

Naomi’s arguments convinced Orpah. She kissed her mother-in-law and returned to Moab. We do not hear from her again. Ruth clung to Naomi. It is the same word used in Genesis 2:24: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they become one flesh.”

Verses 16-17 record Ruth’s first words in the book. It is one of the most moving and memorable statements in scripture. 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. 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.” Ruth pledged to stay and live with Naomi, adopting Naomi’s people and God as her own. Ruth’s words are used in wedding ceremonies. But Ruth’s pledge is greater than the marriage covenant. Marriage is “until death do us part.” Then the one who remains is free to remarry. Ruth pledged to die and be buried in a common grave with Naomi. Then Ruth made a self-imprecatory oath, invoking the covenant name of God. She prayed the Lord would do terrible things to her if anything but death separated her from Naomi. Ruth’s loyal love for Naomi demonstrates what a godly woman looks like. Ruth models the character and attitude every godly person should exemplify. 

• Trust in God. 
• Loyalty to others. 
• Hope in despair. 
• Strength in suffering. 
• Peace in uncertainty. 

Ruth’s pledge to Naomi teaches us that God is there through the presence of others. Sometimes, you look up for God, when you should look around for God. The old song says, 

Someone who cares, someone who shares 
All your troubles, like no other can do. 
He'll come down from the skies, 
wipe the tears from your eyes. 
You're his child, and he cares for you. 

The message of this song is true. But there is a line that is false. God does not come down from the skies to wipe you’re your tear-stained eyes. Revelation 21:4 says, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” In the meantime, God sends people into your life to wipe the tears from your eyes. God is there through the presence of others. If you have one person who is as loyal to you as Ruth was to Naomi, you are blessed! 

• It may be someone who is not at the same stage of life. 
• It may be someone who is not a part of your family. 
• It may be someone who is not the same race as you.  
• It may be someone who faces the same troubles you do. 
• It may be someone linked to you for reasons you don’t understand. 

This is why a high view of Christ requires a high view of the church. The church is the body of Christ. The Lord cares for us as we care for one another. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, “Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Fathers of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

God is there when you are angry with him. 

Naomi could hold her own in an argument. But she had no response to Ruth’s pledge. Verse 19 reports: “So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the woman said, “Is this Naomi?” The women of the city did not recognize Naomi. The years in Moab had taken their toll on her. She returned without Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion. And there was a Moabitess with her. The women stared, pointed, and whispered. Is this Naomi? 

Naomi called an impromptu press conference: In verse 20, she says, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.” Naomi declared herself “the woman formerly known as Naomi.” Naomi means “pleasant.” This once reflected her life, personality, and attitude. Not anymore. She was now a bitter old woman who was more appropriately called Mara.  Her name change was based on misinterpreted circumstances: “I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty.” If this refers to food, she was wrong. She was not full. That’s why her family became refugees in Moab. If it refers to family, she was right. She went away with a husband and two sons. 

The death of her husband and sons caused her to return empty of what she left with. But she was not empty. She was still alive! The fact that she survived all she went through meant her life was not empty. Likewise, Naomi did not return empty, because Ruth was with her. Do not be so consumed with what you lost that you neglect what you have left! Naomi never acknowledged Ruth in her statement to the women of Bethlehem. Yet Ruth would be the means by which she found fullness again! Most of all, Naomi was not empty because God was there. She said, “The Lord has brought me back empty.” Consumed with her emptiness, she did not notice the Lord had brought her back home where there was food, friends, and family. 

Naomi left Bethlehem because of a famine of bread and returned with a famine in her soul. In verse 20, Naomi says, “The Almighty has dealt very bitterly against me.” In verse 21, Naomi says, “Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?” Naomi felt God was a witness testifying against her. God the judge was at work on her behalf. Naomi saw the sovereignty of God, but not the goodness of God. Like Job, Naomi had a lot of questions to ask God. Like Job, God did not answer Naomi’s questions. The Lord did not send a prophet to correct Naomi’s faulty understanding. God sent bread, Boaz, and a baby. God was not talking, but God was working. 

Verse 22 says, “So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.” This reference to the barley harvest points forward to the first encounter between Ruth and Boaz in chapter 2. That points forward to the proposal Ruth makes to Boaz and the pledge Boaz makes to Ruth in chapter 3. That points forward to the lawsuit Boaz files against the closer relative in chapter 4 for the right to redeem Naomi’s land and marry Ruth. That points forward to Ruth and Boaz’s son Obed. Obed fathered Jesse. Jesse fathered David. From the line of David came Jesus, who died on the cross for our sins. After his resurrection, the church was born at Pentecost. By faith, we are swept up in this drama of redemptive history that will be consummated when Jesus returns. 

Scripture gives us holy hints that there is more to come. Abraham went to offer his son Isaac to God. But in Genesis 22:5, Abraham said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” When Samson’s hair was cut, he lost his strength. Judges 16:22 says, “But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.” Peter failed the Lord in a crisis. But Mark 16:7 says the angels said to the women at the empty tomb, “But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee.” Ruth 1:22 says, “And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.” The chapter begins with a famine in the land. It ends with the beginning of the barley harvest. God was at work! 

You’re watching a TV show. The plot is thick. There is no apparent resolution. But the allotted time is coming to an end. You become anxious, until three words pop on screen: “To Be Continued.” You still do not know how the story will be resolved. But you relax, because you know the story is not over yet. The Lord often does the same thing in your life story!