FROM ‘BITTER’ TO ‘PLEASANT’ – Ruth 1-4

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on May 11, 2014 under 2014 |

Preached Mother’s Day Sunday, May 11, 2014 from Ruth 1-4

Theme: The story of Naomi teaches us how our faithful heavenly Father is able to turn ‘bitter’ trials into a ‘pleasant’ outcome for all who will trust in Him.

(Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version; copyright 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc.)

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In honor of Mother’s Day, I ask that you turn with me to the Old Testament book of Ruth; and look with me at the life of a great woman of faith. You may think that I am referring to Ruth herself—and she truly was a great woman of faith. But this morning, I’m asking that we give special attention to the story of Naomi—Ruth’s mother-in-law.

I have come to believe that, even though we refer this wonderful Old Testament book by the name of Ruth, Naomi is really the star of the story. And though there are many different lessons we can learn from this tiny Old Testament book, I ask that we specifically consider what we can learn from Naomi about God’s work in our lives during hard and difficult periods of trial.

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Did you know that Naomi’s name, in Hebrew, means “Pleasant”? It’s a beautiful name, isn’t it? But the beginning of her story is far from a pleasant.

Her story occurred in a difficult time in Israel’s history. Look at how the Book of Ruth begins. In the first verse, it tells us that the story takes place “in the days when the judges ruled”. In fact, you’ll notice that the Book of Ruth is found in your Bible immediately after the Book of Judges. And if you know a little about the Book of Judges, you’ll know something about the hard times in which Naomi lived.

In the Book of Judges, we’re told of how the people of Israel lived in days before there was a king to rule over them. They were not faithful to God in those days. They would turn from God and worship idols; and God would punish them for their unfaithfulness by allowing enemy nations to conquer them and oppress them. They would cry out to God in the midst of their oppression; and He would have mercy on them and raise up a ‘judge’—a deliverer and temporary leader—who would rescue them and guide them. But after the judge would die, the people would go back once again to their unfaithfulness—and would once again suffer oppression. It was a sad cycle of ups and downs; disobedience, oppression, humbleness, deliverance, and a return to disobedience. It was a time that was characterized by everyone doing “what was right in his own eyes”.

That was the difficult spiritual condition of things in Naomi’s day. They were dangerous times in which evil prevailed. And the days were made even worse by what we read in verse 1; “Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land.”

And so, it’s in this sad context that we are introduced to this woman named Naomi—whose name means ”Pleasant”. In verses 1-2, we read:

And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there.

The name Bethlehem-Judah means “House of Bread and Praise”. But Moab was a pagan land—among the enemies of Israel. And so in desperation, Elimelech sold his field—the inheritance that was his gift from Go in the land of Israel; and he moved his family away from the place of the “Bread and Praise” of God, and into the midst of the land of unbelievers.

And as if things weren’t bad enough, it’s then—while living a pagan land—that even greater tragedy strikes this poor woman Naomi. I refer to the events of the first chapter of Ruth as . . .

1. THE DAYS OF BITTERNESS.

We’re told;

Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband (vv. 3-5).

Stop and think of what a desperate situation it was that Naomi was in. She was a woman—living in a time when women were not very safe or respected. And then, she became a widow woman. She was a woman alone—without a husband to provide for her, and without any social program to help. Her husband’s land was gone. He sold his inheritance. And then, to make things worse, she was a widow woman now bereaved of her sons—her only hope for any material provision for the future. And then, worse still, she is a widow woman deprived of her sons while living far away in a foreign land, and now with two widowed daughters-in-law to care for—with no prospect of providing for them either.

Someone once said that of all the men in the Bible who suffered, Job was the greatest; but of all the women of the Bible who suffered, Naomi was the greatest. It’s little wonder that we get hints in this story that she believed that the hand of the Lord was against her—just as Job believed God was against him in all his tragedies.

Now; both of Naomi’s widowed daughters-in-law loved her. And when news came to Naomi that the famine was ending, and that God was beginning to blessing the people of Israel again with food, she started to make her way back home—and the two young women with her. But she didn’t want them to come with her; because she felt that there was no future for them in Israel. She urged them to return to their Moabite homes and families, remarry, and have children. After all, what hope could they have with an old, broken-hearted, poverty-stricken Jewish widow woman? At first, they both refused to leave her; but she said, “No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me!” (v. 13).

In time—and with many tears—one of the daughters consented to the plan and returned to her Moabite homeland. But the other—Ruth—simply would not go. She had come to embrace the God of Israel, and to love her precious mother-in-law as if she were her own. She said;

“Entreat me not to leave you,

Or to turn back from following after you;

For wherever you go, I will go;

And wherever 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.

The Lord do so to me, and more also,

If anything but death parts you and me” (vv. 16-17).

And so; together, these two broken-hearted and destitute women went back to Bethlehem. And when they came, everyone was in a stir about their arrival. It must have been that Naomi bore the burden of all her tragedies upon her face; because the women of Bethlehem said, “Is this Naomi?”—almost as if to say, “Is this she who is called ‘Pleasant’?” Naomi told them,

“Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara [that is “Bitter”], for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?” (vv. 20-21).

What a tragic figure! She truly embodied “bitterness”. This is not how a mother is supposed to look. I suspect that some of you who are mothers here today know at least a fraction of ‘the days of bitterness’ she felt.

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And if I may pause for a moment, I believe that is why Naomi’s story is an important one for us to consider. In her time of tragedy and bitterness, she thought that God was not there for her. In fact, she even thought that God’s hand was actively against her. Her situation seemed utterly hopeless—with tragedy piled on tragedy, and loss piled on loss—and with no sense that God would do anything to help her or would even care for her.

But one of the great lessons we can learn from Naomi’s story in the Book of Ruth is that God was actually there for her all along! Even in the midst of her times of tragedy, God still loved her, and looked after her, and was working behind the scenes to care for her and bless her and give her a future. In times of suffering, people don’t always like to have Romans 8:28 quoted to them. But what it says is nevertheless true, and worthy of our trust: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Take a look at the last verse of Chapter 1, and you’ll see that God’s perfect timing was already at work on her behalf: “Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest” (1:22b). When you are returning from a famine—all destitute and needy—barley harvest is a good time to show up! And guess who it was that was already in Bethlehem—hard at work during the harvest, and already prepared by God for the bringing about of good for Naomi! We’re told; “There was a relative of Naomi’s husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz” (2:1).

That’s why I like to call Chapter 2 . . .

2. THE RESTORATION OF HOPE.

You see; what Naomi needed was a near-relative to take her and her daughter-in-law into his care, and ‘buy her out’ of her situation of need; someone that in the Hebrew language is called a gā’al—a kinsman-redeemer. That’s what our Lord Jesus is to us, by the way. He is our “Kinsman-Redeemer”, who became a member of the human family; and who, as one of us, ‘redeemed’ us and ‘bought us’ from out of our situation of need by His own blood on the cross; taking us into His own care, and bringing us under His protective love forever. That’s what Boaz was to Ruth and Naomi. God knew all this well in advance. He had already prepared Boaz for this important work of love and restoration. But Naomi didn’t know it. And neither did Ruth.

Now; one day, perhaps when the food was almost gone, Ruth suggested to Naomi that she be allowed to go out and glean heads of grain from the fields of whoever might show her mercy. It must have been that Naomi was hesitant at first to agree to this. After all, these were very treacherous times; and it would have been very dangerous for a young widow woman to go out on such a mission. But things were getting desperate; and so, Naomi consented. “Go, my daughter.” And when Ruth went out, she just ‘happened’ upon a field that belonged to Boaz—her kinsman-redeemer.

This man Boaz was a truly great and godly man. I love what the fourth verse tells us about him. He came in from Bethlehem to check on his fields; and he told the reapers, “The LORD be with you!” And they answered him, “The LORD bless you!” Now, think of your own employment history; and tell me how many bosses you have had that would show up to the workplace at the beginning of the day and say to his employees, “The Lord bless you!”—and that they would be inclined to say the same thing back? But that’s the kind of a man Boaz was.

And as he looked out on the work being done in his fields, he saw Ruth gleaning among the harvesters. I believe he was taken by her right away. We’re told;

Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” So the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, “It is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. And she said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ So she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house” (vv. 5-7).

I think that Boaz was not only taken by her beauty, but he was also deeply moved by her devotion to her mother-in-law—his own relative’s wife. He came to her and spoke very protectively of her. He said;

“You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.” So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” Then she said, “Let me find favor in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants” (vv. 8-13).

Later that day, Boaz invited her to eat at meal-time with his work crew. He probably gave her the first decent meal she had in years. In fact, it seems pretty obvious that he gave her extra portions; knowing that she would take them home to feed Naomi. And he told his crew to leave her alone so she could glean all that she wanted; and to even deliberately drop some of the grain from the bundles so she could easily gather it up. She came home to Naomi with an abundance of grain and a delicious meal—and an exciting story to tell her of God’s gracious provision.

You can almost hear the astonishment in Naomi’s voice when we read that she said;

“Where have you gleaned today? And where did you work? Blessed be the one who took notice of you.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “Blessed be he of the Lord, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!” And Naomi said to her, “This man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives.” Ruth the Moabitess said, “He also said to me, ‘You shall stay close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest’” (vv. 19-21).

I believe that it’s then that Naomi began to see clearly the hand of God at work behind the scenes—restoring her hope. He really did love her. He really did care. He really was there all the time.

And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, and that people do not meet you in any other field.” So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law” (vv. 22-23).

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ; let’s always remember in those times of bitterness and hardship that no matter hopeless things seem, they never really are hopeless at all. God is always at work behind the scenes for those who love Him. Don’t doubt that He is there. And when the time is right, He will show His mighty hand and completely change our ‘bitter’ times in to ‘pleasant’ blessedness. He truly will work all things for good for us in His perfect time.

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Now; after a while, that dear Jewish woman Naomi began to explain the situation to her non-Jewish daughter-in-law. You see; in the law of God that had been given by Moses, God provided mercy for poor widows like them. In Deuteronomy 25, it was commanded that, if a man died, an unmarried brother or close relative was to marry his widow, provide for her, and raise up children in her former-husband’s name.

And that’s when God’s provision began to come about. I like to call Chapter 3 . . .

3. THE PROMISE OF REDEMPTION.

At the very beginning of Chapter 3, Naomi tells her daughter-in-law Ruth;

“My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do” (vv. 1-4).

There was nothing improper or questionable in this, by the way. The threshing floor was a very public place. There would be tall piles of grain on it; and the harvesters would sleep in a circle all around it all to protect any portion of it from being stolen. But Ruth was making known to Boaz that he had a responsibility toward her; and she was asking him to fulfill it.

We’re told that at midnight—after everyone had eaten and was sound asleep—Boaz suddenly awoke to find a woman lying at his feet.

And he said, “Who are you?” So she answered, “I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative.” Then he said, “Blessed are you of the Lord, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman” (vv. 9-11).

And it’s here that we discover that none of this came as a surprise to Boaz. He had already done some thinking about what he could do for her. He told Ruth that there was a little matter that needed to be cleared up first before he could take her as his wife. He told her,

“Now it is true that I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. Stay this night, and in the morning it shall be that if he will perform the duty of a close relative for you—good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, as the Lord lives! Lie down until morning” (vv. 12-13).

I’d bet she had a hard time sleeping though; wouldn’t you? And in the morning he told her not to let anyone know that she came—most likely because he didn’t want anything to spoil his negotiations with the other relative. But before she left, he told her to hold out the shawl she was wearing; and he poured a generous portion of grain into it for her to take home. Then, he went off to the town Bethlehem—that very morning—to have a talk with the other relative.

And there’s something interesting in the story. Ruth came home to an eagerly-waiting Naomi—who, naturally, wanted to know everything that happened. And when Ruth told her, she poured out the grain she had been carrying, and told Naomi that Boaz had said, “Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law” (v. 17). I believe that this was Boaz’s way of saying to Naomi, “I know you’re there and that you have directed Ruth to come to me. And don’t you worry. I will do all that is in my power to make her my bride; and I will care for you both.”

It was then that Naomi told Ruth, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today” (v. 18). Naomi was now convinced. God was truly confirming to her that He loved her and had been there for her all along.

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And that brings us to Chapter 4. Time won’t allow us to go into all the details; but the gist of it is this: Boaz went to that near relative that very morning and presented the situation to him.

Boaz began by telling him that he himself wanted to buy the land of Naomi back for her; but that the first right of responsibility for the purchase lay with that other relative. The other relative said he’d buy it. And it was then that Boaz informed him that—along with the purchase—he would also have the responsibility of marrying Ruth, having children with her, and thus carrying on the name of her deceased husband. And at hearing this, the man declined—fearing that doing so might harm his own inheritance.

And so; fair and square—with full integrity and in a way that in keeping with the law of God—the deal was settled.

And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi. Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You are witnesses this day.” And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the Lord will give you from this young woman” (vv. 9-12).

Amen to that! Boaz officially took Ruth and Naomi under his care. And that’s why I like to call Chapter 4 . . .

4. THE BLESSEDNESS OF ‘PLEASANT’.

Naomi—whose name means “Pleasant”, but who formerly had told everyone to call her “Bitter”—was now restored by God to a place of abundant ‘pleasantness’. Boaz married Ruth, and they had a son together. And it was then that the women of Bethlehem said to Naomi,

“Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him” (vv. 14-15).

And when they placed that little boy in Naomi’s arms, and she began to take care of him, she must have been nearly bursting with joy. Who would have thought that—in the midst of all that horrific tragedy and bitterness and loss—God really was looking out for her faithfully all along, and was purposing so much good for her and Ruth in the end?

He turned “bitter” into “pleasant”. He does that for all who trust Him.

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As I said before, dear brothers and sisters in Christ; Naomi’s story is one that teaches us a very wonderful and much-needed lesson. Even in those times when it seems as if life is as bitter as can be, and even when it seems as if our heavenly Father is far away, and doesn’t notice, and is indifferent to our pain, He is actually there all the while. He works behind the scenes in those difficult trials to bring about our good in His perfect time. We can take it for an absolute fact that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

But we also learn from this story how much that is so. The name of that little baby that was born to Ruth and Boaz was Obed—and his name means “Servant”. And as the Bible tells us, he was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of King David. And it was from the lineage of King David that our Savior Jesus Christ—our divine ‘Kinsman-Redeemer’, our great Servant—was born! He has purchased us with His own blood and has taken us under His care; and we are now destined to share in His inheritance and dwell with Him forever. He has done everything that is needed to bless us eternally.

So, take it by faith, dear brothers and sisters! Our Father loves us infinitely; and there is nothing that He will ever allow to thwart His good purposes for us. He is always at work behind the scenes for our good. Trust Him, rest confidently in His sovereign love, and know that—in His perfect time—He will turn “bitter” trials into a “pleasant” outcome for all who trust Him.