Living In The Place Of God’s Blessing
“An Unwise Decision”
Ruth 1:1-5
The first message in a series of from the book of Ruth
Pastor Larry Goding
Community Church At Sun Village
Surprise, Arizona
Living In The Place Of God’s Blessing
“An Unwise Decision”
Ruth 1:1-5
When Benjamin Franklin was United States ambassador
to France, he occasionally attended the Infidels Club, a
group of intellectuals who spent most of their time
together reading and discussing literary masterpieces.
Like so many intellectuals, both then and now, the
members of this group were largely agnostics and atheists
who sneered at the Bible.
On one occasion, Franklin brought in a book and read it
before the group. When he was finished, the other
members were unanimous in their praise. They said it
was one of the most beautiful stories they had ever heard
and demanded that he tell them where he had run across
such a remarkable literary masterpiece. It was his great
delight to tell them that the story was from the Bible, a
book they loudly regarded with scorn. Franklin had
simply changed the names in the story so that it would
not be recognized as a book in the Bible!1
The book of Ruth has been called the most beautiful short
story ever written. It is a love story – not just about a
man and a woman – Boaz and Ruth, or a daughter-inlaw’s love for her mother-in-law – Ruth and Naomi, but
1
Ray C. Stedman with James D. Denney. 1997;2003. Adventuring through the Bible: A
Comprehensive Guide to the Entire Bible. Discovery House.
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about God’s unfailing love for all who place their trust in
Him. What makes it so compelling is the spiritual
darkness of the times in which Ruth lived.
The four chapters of Ruth are four acts in a drama of
tears, toil, trust, and triumph. The story begins with
funerals and ends with a wedding. Naomi moves from
bitter to blessedness, and Ruth moves from loneliness to
love.2 What a picture of the grace of God.
Historical Background [vs. 1a].
Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges
ruled, that there was a famine in the land.
The story begins by giving us a valuable historical
marker – it takes place during the time of the judges who
ruled the land rather than a king. The days when the
judges governed refers to a definite period of Israelite
history [1400-1050 BC], which is sometimes referred to
as Israel’s “dark ages.” Notable among the Judges were
Gideon, Samson, and Deborah. Each of these were raised
up by God, not to rule as kings, but to lead Israel during a
specifically challenging time and then to go back to
obscurity.
The last chapters of Judges describe the tragic moral and
spiritual state of the nation during this era. They had lost
track of the Law, perverted the worship of God, and
2
Warren Wiersbe, With The Word Devotional Commentary.
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slipped into moral depravity. Consequently, this period
in their history was characterized by moral decline,
political corruption, and spiritual blindness. That is what
happens when a nation forgets God.
As the book closes, the writer describes the condition as
everyone doing “what was right in his own eyes” [21:25].
Yet, the story stands as a sunbeam of God’s love during
one of the darkest times in Israel’s history. It points to
the process of redemption that would one day free
mankind from sin.
The land of Canaan that God had promised to Abraham
was a prosperous land – described as a land “flowing
with milk and honey.” It was, indeed, to be a land of
blessing. Bethlehem, where Elimelech and his family
lived was a rich agricultural area. The name of the city
means “House of Bread.” But at the time of our story the
land was besieged by severe famine [1:1]. It was during
those hard times that Elimelech decided to take his family
to the pagan land of Moab where there was plenty of
food.
To do so, Elimelech had to hike through the desolate
Jericho pass, through the Judean wilderness near the
Dead Sea, and cross over the Jordan River into the land
of Moab. This was a definite departure from the
Promised Land of Israel, and a return towards the
wilderness from which God had delivered Israel hundreds
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of years before. These were clearly steps in the wrong
direction.3
The famine in the land had come upon them in large
measure because the people of Israel had forsaken their
God. In the Old Testament, a famine was often an
evidence of God’s discipline because His people had
sinned against Him.4 God specifically promised there
would always be plenty in the land if Israel was obedient.
Therefore, a famine in the land was a clear indication that
Israel, as a nation, was not acting in obedience to the
Lord [Deuteronomy 11:13-17].
A Calculated Decision [vs. 1b, 2].
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 sojourn in the
country of Moab and remained there.
As the story begins, we are introduced to a small family
in Bethlehem in the land of Judah. There is Elimelech,
his wife Naomi, and two sons. They were experiencing
the affects of the famine and were forced to make
decisions that would impact their welfare. From a purely
3
4
David Guzik's Commentary on the Bible.
Warren Wiersbe, Be Committed, pg. 14.
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human perspective, Elimelech could not see how he and
his family could survive with conditions as they were.
As head of household, Elimelech needed to decide what
would be the best course of action. His intention to
provide for his family was without a doubt commendable.
When things got tough he did not forsake his household,
go seek his fortune himself, and leave his wife and
children to make it on their own; but, instead as a tender
husband and a loving father, he planned to seek the very
best for his entire family.
However, it appears that Elimelech was unable to deal
with the hardships that he saw coming so he made the
decision to take his family to Moab, for a time, because it
was reported that there was plenty of food there. Moab
was only a short distance from Bethlehem – 50 miles. It
becomes apparent; however, that he gave little or no
thought to the past history of Moab’s dealings with Israel.
So, he “went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife
and two sons.”
The idea inherent in a sojourn is something of short
duration. It means to leave with the intention to return.
Therefore, from the text it would appear that his original
intent was to stay only long enough to get some relief and
wait out the famine in his homeland before returning
home. However, we are told that they went to the
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country of Moab and remained there for a period of ten
years.
During that ten year period tragedy struck. First,
Elimelech died leaving Naomi a widow with her two
sons. In time, the sons each took a wife for themselves
from the people of Moab. Again tragedy struck when
both of Naomi’s sons died leaving her with two
daughters-in-law who were Moabite women. The story
unfolds from there. But, first let’s take a closer look at
the situation up to this point.
A Failed Dependence.
Let’s go back to the decision that Elimelech made for his
family. The intent was good on its own, but in leaving
his homeland he chose to leave the land of promise. He
deliberately stepped away from the place of God’s
promised blessing. With the promise of land came the
command that the Israelites were to stay close to the Lord
their God and they were to listen to Him and obey Him.
If they stayed close God would bless them. If they
strayed from Him they would experience His judgment.
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“Now it shall be, if you will diligently obey the
LORD your God, being careful to do all His
commandments which I command you today, the
LORD your God will set you high above all the
nations of the earth. 2And all these blessings shall
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come upon you and overtake you, if you will obey the
LORD your God” [Deuteronomy 28:1-2 NASB].
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“But it shall come about, if you will not obey the
LORD your God, to observe to do all His
commandments and His statutes with which I charge
you today, that all these curses [among them famine]
shall come upon you and overtake you”
[Deuteronomy 28:15 NASB].
What made Elimelech’s decision to leave the land of
promise so wrong was an apparent lack of faith that God
would see him and his family through this difficult time.
He walked by sight, not by faith. He saw only what was
immediately evident – difficult times ahead with no end
in sight. He majored on the physical not the spiritual.
It might be a bit unfair to say that what happened was the
direct hand of God’s judgment against them. It is
sometimes difficult to discern why tragic things happen.
What is certain, however, is that the change of scenery
didn’t make things better. We sometimes think we can
move away from our problems, but find we just bring
them with us. No matter where you go, you bring
yourself with you so the same problems continue only in
a different place.5
5
Guzik.
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Three times in the New Testament the writers affirm that
the “Just shall live by faith.” Paul reminds us that “we
walk by faith not by sight.” Elimelech had it reversed.
All he could see was trouble ahead so he took matters
into his own hands and led his family on a 50 mile hike to
the land of Moab and away from the place of blessing.
He moved directly into enemy territory where the
temptation to forsake His God would be strongly felt.
Elimelech moved from the place of God’s blessing
[Bethlehem] to a place of temptation [Moab]. It proved
to be an unwise move.
Pastor Warren Wiersbe suggests that when trouble comes
into our lives, we can do one of three things: endure it,
escape it, or enlist [experience] it. If we only endure our
trials, then they become our master, and we have a
tendency to become hard and bitter. If we try to escape
our trials, then we will probably miss the purposes God
wants to achieve in our lives. But if we learn to enlist
[experience] our trials, they will become our servants
instead of our masters and work for us; and God will
work all things together for our good and His glory
[Romans 8:28].6 The apostle James gives us the right
perspective.
2
Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes
your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. 3For when
6
Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament.
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your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to
grow. 4So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully
developed, you will be strong in character and ready for
anything [James 1:2-4 NLT].
In days gone by, God had brought His people safely into
the land of promise where He covenanted with them to
prosper them and give them a future if they would remain
committed to Him [Deuteronomy 28:1, 2]. This new
generation of people were too far removed from the
actual events that brought them into the land, so they did
not know or even acknowledge God in the same way as
their forefathers had [Judges 2:10].
Elimelech’s decision was ill advised. The Law of Moses
obligated the neighbors of anyone who fell upon hard
times to relieve him [Leviticus 25:35-38]. So, even in the
event of hardship resulting from the famine, he would
have been supported by his fellowmen, as would anyone
in the same situation. The problem was that Elimelech
left before the hardship actually came upon him.
However, there is a sense in which we might commend
Elimelech in that he cared enough for his family to get
them out a bad situation. But, at the same time we might
fault him for a lack of faith in God. Perhaps he thought
he could not be content with the lack of provisions that
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was inevitable and he felt that he could not be satisfied
unless he had plenty as he was used to having.
Perhaps he was unable to envision a time when the
famine would end and he would again be able to live with
plenty – he lacked the patience to wait for those years.
Hear what the psalmist has to say about that.
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait
for the Lord…Be still before the Lord and wait
patiently for him…” [Psalm 27:14; Psalm 37:7 NIV].
In a real sense Elimelech dishonored God and the good
land He had given them. By pulling out of the place of
blessing Elimelech also weakened the hands of his
fellowman, with whom he should have been willing to
share and support through the hard time.7
We should be careful, though, how we criticize
Elimelech’s weak faith. We would all have to say that at
one time or another our faith has been weak. Jesus spoke
about that very matter in his Sermon On The Mount
[Matthew 6] when he addressed the crowd before Him
that must have had some worries about their welfare. He
spoke to the futility of worrying about things that pertain
to life. He illustrates His point by referring to the animal
kingdom that depend upon the natural order of things to
survive, and to the plant kingdom that does the same. His
7
Matthew Henry Commentary.
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advice is simple yet often difficult to follow for us who
are weak in our faith.
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“And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that
are here today and gone tomorrow, won't he more
surely care for you? You have so little faith!...33He
will give you all you need from day to day if you live
for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary
concern” [Matthew 6:30, 33 NLT].
A Diminished Blessing.
Here’s the danger regarding Elimelech’s decision. In
moving to the land of Moab he placed himself in among a
people whom God had cursed, because of their failure to
provide for the Israelites as they passed through their land
on their way up from Egypt, and on another occasion
who hired false prophets to testify against them.
Elimelech moved himself and his family out of the place
of blessing and out of the place of God’s protection.
How often have we moved out of the place of God’s
blessing? We find ourselves in a difficult situation that
requires a decision. We look to ourselves or some means
other than taking our problem to God to guide us in
resolving our dilemma. So often, when we rely upon our
own wisdom, we move out of the place of God’s
blessing. That familiar proverb reminds us, 5 “Trust in
the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own
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understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and
He shall direct your paths [Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV].
The Psalmist describes that place of blessing as the
“shadow of His wings.” He then calls upon God to teach
him to walk in the ways of God.
“Because You have been my help, therefore in the
shadow of Your wings I will rejoice…Teach me Your
way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart
to fear Your name”[Psalm 63:7; Psalm 86:11 NKJV].
Where and when is God most likely to bless us? I believe
His blessing is poured out in abundance as we remain in
the center of His will. Going through a time of testing
may be just what His will is for you – to bring you more
into conformity to what He wants you to be. Being
involved in the life and ministry of your church may be
His will for you. On the other hand, being placed within
your community and being given the opportunity to
witness for Christ may be just where He wants you to be.
Whatever that place is, it will be a place of blessing.
When we step outside that place, God’s blessing is
diminished.
Elimelech and his family settled down in a land whose
people were enemies of God in that they worshiped
foreign gods. They worshipped the Baals, who were
satisfied through human sacrifice. In addition, they were
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enemies of God’s people. In settling down among them,
Elimelech’s family experienced a diminishing of God’s
blessing. They began to experience troubles that they had
not anticipated.
Troubled Times Ahead [1:3-5].
3
Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was
left, and her two sons. 4Now 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. 5Then both Mahlon and Chilion also
died; so the woman survived her two sons and her
husband.
Trouble struck first by taking the life of Elimelech
leaving Naomi a widow and a single parent left to raise
her two sons away from family and friends. As time
went on, the sons took wives from among the women of
Moab. Although the Mosaic Law did not prohibit such
marriages, male offspring of such marriages could not be
admitted into the congregation for generations to come
[Deuteronomy 23:3-6].
Elimelech was dangerously close to being adversely
influence by the enemies of God. His decision to move
out of and stay removed from God’s place of blessing
generated sorrowful results for him and his family.
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The Psalmist David warns against the intimate
association of the godly man with the ungodly. He puts it
in the context of being blessed by avoiding unwise
association with the ungodly.
1
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the
counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners,
nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the
law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day
and night. 3 And he will be like a tree firmly planted
by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its
season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever
he does, he prospers [Psalm 1:1-3 NASB].
Conclusion.
There is no clear indication that Elimelech and his family
were drawn deeply into the culture of the Moabites.
They did, however, remain there for a long enough period
of time to be influenced by it. Upon her return to
Bethlehem, Naomi herself gives us a sad commentary on
her experience:
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“Don't call me Naomi [pleasant],” she told them.
“Instead, call me Mara [bitter], for the Almighty has
made life very bitter for me. 21I went away full, but the
LORD has brought me home empty. Why should you
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call me Naomi when the LORD has caused me to suffer
and the Almighty has sent such tragedy?” [Ruth 1:20-21
NLT].
It is true, that in times of failure on our part, God often
has to discipline us in order to bring us back to himself.
All that was left for Naomi in Moab was three graves of
the men she had loved. Her life was filled with sorrow
and no doubt in that time of sorrow her thoughts and
desires turned back to Bethlehem – back to the place of
God’s blessing. It was only after she made the decision
to return to the land of God’s blessing that her life
changed and the joy returned.
There is both joy and blessing when we remain within the
place of God’s blessing for us. What God desires most
for His children is that they walk in His ways. The
psalmist speaks to that when he says, “Blessed are all
who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways. You will eat
the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be
yours” [Psalm 128:1-2 NIV].
God has laid out the path or righteousness for us to
follow. The apostle Paul admonishes, “Do not let any
part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve
sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you
were dead, but now you have new life. So use your
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whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the
glory of God [Romans 6:13 NLT].
The psalmist reminds us of the importance of living by
the Word of God. He addresses himself to God saying,
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow
your righteous laws [Psalm 119:105-106 NIV].
Have you committed yourself to walk in the path of
righteousness? Are you content to stay in the place of
God’s blessing?
Walk every moment in the footsteps of Jesus.
Sweetly, Lord, have we heard Thee calling,
Come, follow Me!
And we see where Thy footprints falling
Lead us to Thee.
Footprints of Jesus, That make the pathway glow;
We will follow the steps of Jesus
Where’er they go.
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