Message from the Monthly Flyer November 2019
RUTH – Part
7 – Back home... at last
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Ruth 1:19-22 – KJV – „So they two went until they
came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem,
that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty
hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD hath
brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD
hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me? So Naomi
returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which
returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the
beginning of barley harvest.„
The
Lord Jesus told three parables to explain the fact that heaven and earth
rejoice when a lost soul is found again and comes back home. These parables
are found in Luke 15: 3-31 and they are about The Lost Sheep, The Lost
Coin and the Prodigal Son. Through these parables the Lord Jesus is
telling us that there is much joy in heaven over one person who left
the way of righteousness at a given time, lived a wretched life, found
himself or herself lost in the turmoil of life, then came back to his
or her senses, realising that they had been wrong the whole time and
deciding to come back to where they actually belong. The Bible tells
us in Ruth 1: 19 that the whole city was “moved” at the return of Naomi
from the land of Moab. When she had left Bethlehem some years ago, we
can as well assume that her departure had not left her relatives and
close friends indifferent. Now they were all happy to see her back home,
which means that she had not been forgotten and even though many years
had passed, her place was still secure in Bethlehem. The whole city
still remembered her. Even though she had gone through tough times,
her physical appearance had not drastically changed, so that those who
knew her back then were still able to recognize her. Not only her friends
and relatives were happy about her return but heaven also rejoiced because
her coming back to Bethlehem was a step that was going to change her
story for ever.
If the time to say goodbye is always painful, the time
where people meet again after a certain period of time is always full
of happiness, especially after a long period of separation. And as we
all know, what happens when people who did not see each other for a
long time is that they share news about their wellbeing. In the case
of Naomi, her return caused so much excitement that everybody wanted
to know how she had been fairing in Moab, and what had become of her
husband and her two sons. It was a return mixed with joy and sadness
because she was coming back to her people and to her family, but part
of her heart was still in Moab where she had lost her closest relatives,
and said goodbye to one of her daughters-in-laws. The people who welcomed
her could not wait to hear her story. They were excited but also curious.
Why was she coming back with this strange woman at her side? Where were
her two sons and her husband? Naomi had to tell them the sad story of
her life in Moab. And to conclude her sad story, she told them: “Do
not call me Naomi. Call me Mara, because the Almighty has dealt quite
bitterly with me. I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back
empty. Why call me Naomi? After all, the LORD has testified against
me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.“ The sad story of Naomi
raised so much compassion all around. People were sorry about the difficult
things that had happened to her. And they could only agree with her
that indeed, God had punished her and dealt very harshly with her. She
was coming back with a broken heart and a heavy spirit. She had decided
to come back home no matter what the situation would look like. She
had decided that she would die and be buried in Bethlehem. She had decided
to gather some courage, strength and faith back, but somewhere inside
of her she was still blaming God for the evil things that had befallen
her. She preferred to be called Mara, which means bitter, instead of
being called Naomi, which means pleasant. As far as she was concerned,
she could no longer see anything pleasant about her life because she
had lost everything. Really?
The curiosity about Naomi’s return was even stirred
the more by the presence of this beautiful young lady who stood close
to her and looked so shy. Who was she? Naomi informed them that she
was called Ruth and was one of her Moabite daughters-in-law who had
decided to go with her to Bethlehem. Some of the people who were listening
to Naomi admired the courage and the boldness of this young lady. Others
looked at her with contempt, thinking: “What does a Moabite idol worshipper
has to do in Israel? How could Naomi dare bring such a stranger in our
land? She will corrupt our children and steal our husbands away…” But
because the people of Israel were commanded by the law of Moses to treat
strangers well, knowing that they themselves had been strangers in Egypt
for over four hundred years, they had to welcome Ruth and at least give
her a chance to prove that she was not a Moabite just like any other.
She had accepted the customs of the Israelites and she was willing to
worship the God of Israel. As time passed by, the people of Bethlehem
could indeed see something different in Ruth. She was truly a virtuous
woman. She was loving and caring, and Naomi soon realised that she had
not lost everything in Moab.
Ruth and Naomi came back to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley
harvest. God was welcoming them with the promise to take good care of
them. They would not have to worry about what they would eat to sustain
their lives. Naomi had managed to settle down with Ruth with the help
of some relatives who had been kind enough to offer their help, and
a new life was starting for these two widows who had vowed each other
love and tender care until death separates them. Naomi’s decision to
go back to Bethlehem had been prompted by the news that God had blessed
her people with bread. It was such a beautiful sight for both Naomi
and Ruth to arrive in Bethlehem and to see the whole city in full motion.
People were going up and down carrying heavy bags of grain on the back
of their donkeys. Indeed, God have visited and blessed His people. The
children were playing and running around in the streets and the women
were at the well fetching water to take care for their households. Naomi
had missed this life so much. The air and the atmosphere were charged
with happiness and joy, and she could feel the promise of better days
to come. Naomi stood at her window and watched the whole motion in the
street. She took a deep breath and decided to make the best out of her
new situation with her lovely daughter-in-law.
The Lord Jesus said that the angels rejoice in heaven when a sinner
repents. In the parable of the lost sheep, He said that the shepherd
who found the one sheep that was lost calls his friends and rejoices
with hem because he has found his lost sheep. The woman who lost her
coin and found it is so happy that she organizes a feast with her neighbours
and friends to celebrate the event. And also, the return of the prodigal
son causes his father to throw a big party to welcome his son back home.
We can imagine that the friends and relatives of Naomi organized a welcome
party for Naomi and Ruth when they returned from Moab. After all, if
her entire family had died in Moab, it means that it could not and should
not be taken for granted that she was still alive and was strong enough
to travel from Moab back to Bethlehem. At least for the fact that she
was still alive and was accompanied by her precious daughter-in-law,
it was a reason enough to thank God and celebrate Him for His mercy
because as long as there is life, there is still hope for a better tomorrow.
And during that celebration where her family gathered together, presentations
were made. Naomi met some old family members, but also some new ones
that had been born after her departure. It was a happy moment. This
party also gave Ruth the Moabite the opportunity to meet Naomi’s family
and start to get acquainted with the customs and the way of living of
the Israelites.
It does not matter how much we consider ourselves beaten by life, when
we look at it closely, we will always find a reason to praise the Lord.
We should always be ready to give thanks to God in every situation.
Just as King David said in Psalm 34, His praise should always be on
our lips. And it does not matter how far we have gone away from God’s
righteousness and holiness, it is never too late to come back. Today
is the day of salvation. Let us run to Him as soon as we hear the call
because tomorrow is not a promise. We can always make use of today to
make things right with God, with ourselves and with the people around
us. As long as we still have the breath of life, and as long as the
grace of God is still available, we can turn things around and take
the best decisions for our lives. God is always ready to welcome His
children who are willing to put an end to their own ways that are contrary
to His. He has unspeakable treasures in store for us, and His plans
for His people are only plans of good, to give them a future full of
happiness, freedom and success. The way that leads back home to Jesus
who is our heavenly Father is challenging because you will face opposition
and rejection. But once you break the boundaries of fear to step into
the realm of faith, you become a citizen of heaven and your name will
be written in the Book of life. md
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