Whether you subscribed to the four temperaments (sanguine, choleric, melancholic and phlegmatic or any mixture of the four) or not, life’s experiences seem to either make us sweet or bitter regardless of our personality type, temperament, disposition, mood swing or whatever label we want to attach to ourselves.
This may seem like an oversimplification but have you ever observed the older generation, say 65+ (though it is certainly not limited to 65 and older!); they are either sweet and easy to get along with or bitter and difficult to be around; it is as if there are no in-betweens. All personality classifications appear to gravitate to one of two groups: those with either a sweet inclination or a bitter disposition down the road of life. This is not an occasional outbreak of either but rather a character trait that has been developing throughout their lives. You and I will wind up on either end of the spectrum, too: sweet or bitter, the culmination of our thought life. Do we have a choice in the matter? The answer is yes.
It really depends upon our thought life and how we interpret life’s experiences. Do we view them as God allowing circumstances in our lives to mold and shape us into Christlikeness (Romans 8:28), or do we see circumstances as random chance, hit or miss happenings without rhyme or reason, without purpose or a goal, only a generalized optimism that – “Things will work out; it always does; it’ll get better; wait and see; our ship will come in.” Such sentiments are not the teaching of Romans 8:28. The former has a purpose; the latter is wishful thinking that leads to negativism, cynicism, pessimism, and fatalism, a life without purpose; we live; we die; that’s it.
Sweetness is a choice; and bitterness is a choice. There are no victims only volunteers to become sweet or bitter as we grow older, with the exception of certain medical conditions, like a chemical imbalance. Naomi had a prolonged bout with bitterness; but it was not a character trait that followed her over the years, but an outbreak due to some tough situations. In the end she is going to resurface from the darkness that bitterness brings into the sweetness that the light brings. Sweet people are not immune to depression, nor are bitter people resistant to happiness. These are outbreaks in response to circumstances and not traits that are established as a consistent response to negative experiences or how we define negative experiences.
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Review:
We saw last week that the story of Ruth took place during the time of the judges (Ruth 1:1). This was a dark and bleak period in the history of Israel spanning over three centuries. During this period there were seven distinct cycles of drifting away from God that led to full blown apostasy or turning away from God to the worshipping of idols. These cycles of spiritual and moral decline can be summarized as
- rebellion,
- retribution,
- repentance,
- restoration, and
- repeated.
Why would someone forfeit blessing for trouble? Because sin is irrational behavior. When someone is living in the dark, they cannot see where they are going (cf. Psa 119:105, 130). Since the law of God was not being observed like it should, the people stumbled in darkness.
(1) Turning from God’s objective truth was the root cause of nearly all of their troubles. There are four other causes that played a part in the moral and spiritual decay of the nation.
(2) They worshipped things, (idols and possessions),
(3) Lost their godly influence (intermingled with the world through intermarriage),
(4) Failed to listen to the leaders (authority unto themselves, arrogant), and
(5) Reverted to worldly living (living in darkness).
The last four are post symptomatic of doing just the opposite of Joshua 1:8. Doesn’t this seem to characterize believers today; every man doing what is right in his own eyes; if it feels right do it? And so we wonder why we have these continuous cycles of sinning, chastening, repenting, cleansing, and ditto…. Thank God for 1 Jn 1:9.
Have you ever noticed that in that cycle of sin to fellowship of a believer’s life (rebellion, retribution, repentance, and restoration), we like the rebellion and restoration without the retribution (chastening) and repentance (turning from sin). We want to fix the ripple effect of our rebellion against God and jump to the restoration phase, without retribution and repentance. We want God to keep trouble away and allow us to maintain our dogged ways of sinning without repenting. Two things mess up the sinning part, trouble and repentance. Doing our own thing without accountability is a pipe dream concocted by the devil. Forfeiting repentance for sin is nothing short of 100% trouble. This was the problem during the judges; and as we saw it took the people forty years on one of those seven cycles to figure out that they were forfeiting blessing for trouble due to their disobedience to God! They finally got it that
it was better for every man to do that which was right in God’s eyes than man’s eyes!
Sin simply does not pay; some think it does until they figure out that the devil always pays in counterfeit bills.
Because of a famine, Elimelech took his wife Naomi and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, and moved from Bethlehem to the high country of Moab, descendants of Lot. This proved to be a dead end move for the family who decided to leave the land of blessing to a land where the descendants were from an incestuous relationship that worshipped false gods, one in particularly was the god Chemosh. Between Moab and the Promised Land was the Dead Sea or Salt Sea (any spiritual import there?). Within ten years Elimelech and the two sons died, leaving three widows: Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah.
We defined a dead end last week as a spiritual condition that forfeits blessing for trouble due to disobedience. This was thematic for the times. But was Elimelech disobedient for leaving an impoverished land, the land of his inheritance from the LORD, to feed his family? Though it was not Elimelech’s intentions, if he hadn’t gone to the land of Moab, Ruth would not have been included in the genealogy of Christ (Mt 1:5). Of course, it wasn’t his plan to die in Moab for that to happen either! I would venture to say that it was not a wise choice for him to move from the land of his nativity to enter into Moab due to the circumstances. Our place of blessing is not based upon circumstances but by the will of God; but there again, this was a time where the prevailing mindset was every man doing that which was right in his own eyes, not God’s eyes.
We read of no mass exodus out of Israel to other idol worshipping lands because of the famine. The residents of Bethlehem stuck around during the crisis and the blessing finally came (Ruth 1:6); the house of bread became the source of bread. God knew Elimelech’s heart was set on going to Moab; God in His wisdom and power took Elimelech’s unwise decision and made something good come of it, Ruth. As we said last week, Romans 8:28 is all in the story of Ruth. A lot of bad things have happened, but it is all going to work for good because God is sovereign. Here we see the grace and mercy of God where Romans 8:28 works through our bad choices for God’s glory. Most assuredly all things are not good; but praise be to God all things, good or bad, work together for good. Ruth, like Esther, is testament to the reality of Romans 8:28.
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Bread, Ruth 1:6, the word Bread is big, big news anywhere in times of famine like the term “jobs” are to a depressed economy. Heard is a pivotal and providential verb in the story. Could not caravans coming from Israel indicate there was food available? That this probably was not hearsay but a substantiated fact that became the talk of the town. You wonder what Naomi might have thought when she heard the words the LORD had visited His people by giving them bread? We didn’t read the LORD had visited Moab where some of God’s people are. The place of blessing was on the other side or the western side of the river where they moved away from. This was an indication that this move to Moab was not a smart move on the part of Elimelech.
Ruth 1:7, Naomi makes plans to return to Bethlehem. Unfortunately, she would have to leave her husband’s and her two sons’ bones in Moab (cf. Gen 50:25; Ex 13:19; Jos 24:32; Heb 11:22).
When we turn from the objective standard of God’s Word we will always wind up in a place where we don’t belong, whether individually or as a nation.
We can’t keep our eyes on God and take our eyes off His Word; they are connected. And we see vividly illustrated the importance of the spiritual leader of the house making godly decisions in accordance with God’s Word that have positive consequences on his family. Even if Elimelech would have stayed in Bethlehem and still died, he wouldn’t have left his wife and sons stranded in some godless country. He needed to think beyond the immediate circumstances (famine). Elimelech’s name may mean “My God is King;” but he was not living up to his name in his sojourn to the idol-ridden land of Moab. He should never have gone to Moab to circumvent the chastening of the LORD through the famine. He should have remained and taken his licks like the rest of the inhabitants of the land.
Moab is a picture of the world; the world never has the answer to matters of faith and how to live out our faith in the circumstances of life. Let me qualify that, darkness cannot counsel light in spiritual matters. The world will embrace us, but we will always wind up empty, emptier for having entered in to worldly living. Naomi heard that the LORD had visited His people by giving them bread (Ruth 1:6). In stead of experiencing that reality in Bethlehem, verse six indicates she heard this great news in the country of Moab. Another indication she was in the wrong place.
But (Ruth 1:11) is a tragic conjunction that changed Orpah’s (Switch the r and p around, and you have Oprah…) destiny; for she was at a pivotal junction in her life spiritually, and Naomi could have made a positive difference; but she didn’t because of her bitterness. Orpah had witnessed what Naomi had been saying about the LORD (cf. Ruth 1:13). She might have been thinking, if she lived today,
“If this is the God of Christianity, hardship and misery, it’s not for me. This Yahweh even took my own husband from me! Only bad things happen to Christians; I didn’t have this problem when I worshipped Chemosh. Naomi claims to be a Christian, but all I witness are sadness, emptiness and bitterness. I am not seeing any difference in her peace and contentment from mine, and she claims Yahweh as her God (see Num 6:24-27; cf. Isa 26:3). And Naomi most definitely has not painted a rosy future If I go back with her to Bethlehem” (Ruth 1:11-13).Out of Orpah’s own emptiness she sees and hears Naomi’s feelings toward Yahweh. Who wants to serve a God like Naomi’s? Naomi even asks the LORD to bless her daughters as she encourages them to return to spiritual darkness (Ruth 1:8, 15)! There is nothing noble, no matter how good the intentions, to direct someone toward spiritual darkness. We cannot expect to move away from God’s will and think that the world is not going to affect us. Granted she is distraught, but she was giving her daughters bad advice; there’s no future in pagan Moab, only temporary relief in the short run. So Orpah, though weeping (Ruth 1:9, 14), turns back after Naomi’s second plea (Ruth 1:8, 11). Orpah will not be able to stand before the LORD and use Naomi as an excuse for rejecting Him. Her decision reveals she never had faith in Naomi’s God, unlike Ruth.
Your sister-in-law has returned to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law (Ruth 1:15) [to your people and to your gods]. Naomi makes a third attempt to dissuade Ruth from following her back to Bethlehem,
Her gods (Ruth 1:15) The chief Moabite deity, there were other deities, was Chemosh who required human sacrifices (see 2 Kgs 3:27; 1 Kgs 11:7). Human sacrifice was strictly forbidden in the Law (Lev 18:21; 20:3).
“Ruth, you might do better following after your sister than me….” Listen, it is so important that we closely guard our hearts from bitterness (cf. Prov 4:23). If we do not respond in the right way in our trials of life, we do spiritual harm to ourselves and cause others to turn away from God, like Orpah. Why do you think God said, In every thing give thanks (1 Thes 5:18), to make a mockery of us, to belittle our situation, to be thankful that my husband and two sons are dead; and I am left alone?
Thankfulness is an expression for and an acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty, His goodness, His love, and His provision. To say we are thankful to God for what we have and live in disobedience to His Word is a contradiction; on the contrary it shows ingratitude. If we were truly thankful we would show it in our obedience (Jn 14:15). Thankfulness is an acknowledgement of Romans 8:28. This attitude is vital for our spiritual well being, but it also sends a powerful message to those who are outside the faith. It is about relating to God in a vertical attitude and reaching out to others in a horizontal attitude (picture forming a cross).
Thankfulness does not spring from a well of bitterness. It foolishly charges God with wrong doing (cf. Ruth 1:20); and the lost man quickly picks up on that attitude; in fact, they are eagerly looking for it to justify their lifestyle. This is exactly what the devil has been trying to convince everyone that God is mean and spiteful. How could a loving God allow this to happen when He has the power to prevent it from happening? Bitterness does not reach out; it pushes others away; “leave me alone.”
Go, return each to her mother’s house (Ruth 1:8). Go back to spiritual darkness (never good advice)? Bitterness, if left unchecked, will result in a self implosion that travels deeper and deeper into some kind of spiritual dark hole that eventually dissolves the will to live. Climbing out in our strength is hard to do, if not downright impossible. We need the help of God through others. This is where Ruth plays a vital part in Naomi’s recovery from depression. Thankfulness that emerges from our circumstances attracts others to investigate the claims and merits of Christianity; bitterness directs others toward the darkness – Return to your people and your gods (Ruth 1:15).
Look, our hearts reach out to Naomi as she struggles to make sense of the Moab madness. After struggling in Bethlehem and adding ten plus years in struggling to survive in Moab, her long life has culminated to this, a vast emptiness and bitterness within her soul. She is swirling to the point of drowning in a sea of emptiness, thoughts of being alone, depressed, discouraged, without hope, no future, destined to die a beggar’s death on the dusty streets of Bethlehem, forsaken. I am Mara, bitter (Ruth 1:20).
Try quoting Romans 8:28 to someone like Naomi at that time? Though it is no less the truth, Naomi was not ready for such a wonderful truth. She might contest, “You tell me all things work together for good to those who love the LORD? But I say to you that the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me” (Ruth 1:20, 13). God knew where Naomi was spiritually and physically, so He gently and mercifully and wisely drops a bug in her ear in verse 6, for she had heard … the LORD has visited His people, Naomi you are my people, in giving them bread (Jdg 1:6). And the coolest thing happened! The Holy Spirit moved her to return to Bethlehem, the house of bread (Ruth 1:7, 19). Jesus said, I am the bread of life (Jn 6:35), the Source of spiritual nourishment and healing.
There is nothing worst than for a child of God being isolated out of God’s will and surrounded by spiritual darkness; but even so, we hear the promise, I will never leave you or forsake you (cf. Gen 28:15; Deut 31:6, 8; Jos 1:5; 1 Chr 28:20; and Heb 13:5, an emphatic impossibility). Naomi (my pleasant or sweet one) is heading home, unknowingly to have her bitterness transformed into sweetness, pleasantness once again. God indeed is merciful. Naomi is now on the right path to healing and to a future, all things work together for good; she just hasn’t realized it yet.
Ruth’s response, a total commitment, Ruth 1:16-17
And your God, my God (Ruth 1:16) In spite of the death of her father-in-law, her husband, and brother-in-law, in spite of the bitterness, in spite of the difficulties in surviving, in spite of her mother-in-law trying to talk her out of going with her to Bethlehem, and in spite of Orpah leaving, here is remarkable evidence of Ruth’s conversion from worshipping Chemosh to Yahweh; she had turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God (cf. 1 Thes 1:9-10). Both Orpah and Ruth were exposed to the same conditions; why one walks and one stays only God knows. It’s a mystery. Ruth, a gentile, was special and destined for greatness, to be part of the lineage of Christ
These were not mere words uttered by Ruth, but words lived out in her life; her life matched her confession of faith (cf. Ruth 2:11). Here you have Ruth coming out of paganism and exemplifying Abraham-like faith, leaving her idolatrous land to go to a land of promise, but without a promise given as in the case of Abraham, despite Naomi’s three entreaties for Ruth to return to her kindred. Naomi experiences were similar to Job (1, 2), but her attitude and perspective on the situation was akin to Job’s wife (Job 2:10 cf. Ruth 1:20-21).
She was determined, Ruth 1:18, Like Orpah, Ruth was exposed to the same environment; unlike Orpah, Ruth persisted to go with Naomi. She possessed a prevailing spirit of determination to defeat all of Naomi’s protests. She was head strong in this regard.
Came to Bethlehem, Ruth 1: 19, both women made an arduous journey to Bethlehem.
“A trip from Moab (at least 60-75 mi.) would have taken abut 7-10 days. Having descended about 4,500 ft. from Moab in the Jordan Valley, they then ascended 3,750 ft. through the hills of Judea.” JM Study Bible, p. 369
All the city was excited because of them, Ruth 1:19, Naomi’s return to Bethlehem created no small stir. They were both excited and confused by what they saw. Because of her bitterness she was a killjoy over the excitement of the people in the community and threw a wet blanket on their excitement of her return and only added to their confusion of what to make of her situation. Naomi was miserable and enveloped in her bitterness.
Is this Naomi, Ruth 1:19, for us to be in a place where we don’t belong take its toll on the mind and body. Apparently, the inhabitants of Bethlehem could not believe the changes in her physical appearance over the past 10 years. Whether we are pretty or ugly, bitterness does not radiate a persona of beauty. Naomi had been through a lot since she had been away.
Do not call me Naomi (sweetness or pleasantness), Ruth 1:20, not only did her appearance change after being away for over 10 years, but also her spirit, call me Mara, bitter. She returned a bitter old woman.
Why? Ruth 1:20, For the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. Naomi recognized God’s great power (the Almighty) and confessed the reality of bitterness was due to disobedience to God. She took Yahweh seriously (cf. Ruth 1:21). There is a verse in the NT that we should be reminded of at this juncture, Romans 15:4,
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.Dealt very bitterly with me could be interpreted as accusatory – the big Q, Why so harsh?
Naomi defined her bitterness in Ruth 1:21, I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. It had to be a crushing blow to Naomi. She was humbled but bitterness was still consuming her spirit of joy and peace in the LORD.
Home (Ruth 1:21)
Naomi informs the inhabitants of Bethlehem of the LORD’s blessing without her realizing it, I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again. Unknown to her, home is where she will be restored, the place of blessing. But she cannot see beyond her loss and with one word she paints a negative picture to others, empty. Bitterness fails to see the blessings of God. She was not only empty but
The LORD has testified against me, and
The Almighty has afflicted me
God has worked in her life; but it is all negative, did you catch that? If this was today would this be begrudging Romans 8:28. This is a natural response from bitterness of soul. It’s all negative; it’s all bad. When we head toward a dead end, we do not find fulfillment – The LORD has brought me home empty, Ruth 1:21; there remains a vacuum or void or emptiness. Only holiness can bring happiness and fulfillment (cf. Ps 1:1). This is the way God designed us. God could have taken her home to be with Him, but He had other plans for her so he brought her home to Bethlehem. As long as we breathe we have a purpose here.
Returned (Heb, shoob), Ruth 1:22, to turn to, in the good sense, in the right direction. She was crushed, at home, and still processing the bitter taste of chastisement. But as we advance in the story we will see her working through the bitterness and her faith being restored.
Ruth the Moabitess, this title occurs five times: Ruth 1:22; 2:2, 21; 4:5, 10. The word Moabitess stands out like a sore thumb in Bethlehem! The reader is reminded that she is a Gentile, a foreigner who will be included in the lineage of Christ and perhaps a foretaste of Gentile conversion in the future (See Rom 11, JMSB, p. 369).
They came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest, Ruth 1:22, [the barley harvest (Lev 23:10-11) was held on the 15th of Nisan (March-April, Gregorian calendar) the first month of the Jewish year immediately after the Passover (held on the 14th of Nisan). From the 15th to the 21st of Nisan was the feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev 23:6-8).]
Naomi left during a time of famine and has returned home in the beginning of barley harvest. Little does she know that God will use Ruth to bring about a change in her mother-in-law’s attitude toward life and God. Romans 8:28 was already at work as soon as Ruth entered the picture with her marriage to Naomi’s son, Mahlon (Ruth 1:4; 4:10).
There are three key positive words working for her good in this passage of Scripture. Naomi didn’t see it at the time but she will. Did you see them?
- Heard (Ruth 1:6)
- Home (Ruth 1:21)
- Harvest (Ruth 1:22)
We see the reason why people gravitate to dead ends when we stray from the objective standard of God’s Word. The symptoms of this are
- Worshipping things,
- Losing godly influence,
- Failing to listen to leaders,
- Reverting to worldly living.
all things (positive or negative) work together for good to make us more like Christ; and we just have to trust Christ on that one!
It’s best, however, to avoid dead ends by being obedient to God’s Word. One way or another, God is bent on making all His children better, even through the bitter experiences, if need be. What you and I make of that is up to us, bitter or better? Naomi is going to choose to get better with Ruth’s help, amen.
What is the benefit of staying in God’s Word, believing and living it? We avoid dead ends, emptiness, and bitterness, a killjoy spirit, and a negative testimony (cf. Jn 10:10).
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Post note on loss of a loved one.We must be careful not to reinforce negative behavior that is inconsistent with the teaching of Scripture. As in the case of Naomi, we would naturally empathize with the loss of her family. Grieving however can turn into a negative behavior where a believer acts as if there is no hope on the other side of the grave; life is over due to a death of a loved one. When you compare Job’s response to the loss of his family (Job 1:21) and Naomi’s (Ruth 1:13, 20-21), you immediately see a notable difference. Billions have died and billions more will die. Though all suffer loss of a loved one, there should be a distinction in the way the world grieves (without hope beyond the grave) and the way believers in Christ grieve (with hope beyond the grave). There is a period of grief, but there is a time to move on as a people of hope. We comfort those in sorrow, but encourage the same in love to move on and glorify the Lord as long as they have breath.
1Co 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—...for she [Naomi] had heard … that the LORD had visited His people by giving them bread (Ruth 1:6). For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son … (Jn 3:16). And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst [or be bitter, added] (Jn 6:35). When we do that which is right in God’s eyes, we avoid dead ends and the ensuing emptiness and bitterness of disobedience (Prov 3:5-6). If we choose to travel to a spiritual Moab, we will most certainly run into a dead end, and return empty and bitter for going down the path of disobedience. What group are you going to wind up at, sweet or bitter?
1Co 15:52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY."
1Co 15:55 "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING? O HADES, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY?"
1Co 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Co 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
