Our study on the book of Ruth is ending. We’ve followed the lives of two women during a difficult and transitional time in their lives. We’ve watched them make some tough decisions and we’ve seen them turn their lives around.
Escaping circumstances
The story starts out with a woman named Naomi and her family and their desire to escape famine by moving to Moab. But their life didn’t turn out the way they planned. Moab was not the refuge they envisioned. Instead, they had to deal with one setback after another, starting with the death of Naomi’s husband.
But Naomi and her two sons press on. Soon grief turns to joy as the boys get married and hope returns once again. Unfortunately, 10 years later tragedy strikes again and both boys die. So the price for escaping starvation was the death of her husband, her sons and her future. With no grandchildren to carry on her husband’s name Naomi has no aspirations.
Did Naomi ever look at her life and wonder “How did life get so hard?” Or did she question if there would be an end to the struggle? I’m not sure if she thought those exact thoughts but she does express her grief. It would’ve been very strange if she wasn’t affected by everything she’s experienced. After all, her life has changed and she has changed with it. So much so she doesn’t want to be referred to as Naomi anymore which means “pleasantness.” She’d rather be called Mara which means “bitter.”
Heading towards change
But it isn’t only Naomi’s story, the book of Ruth is also about Ruth, the Moabite wife of Mahlon – Naomi’s son. Unlike Naomi, Ruth wasn’t escaping or running away from circumstances. Instead, she was going towards and leaving behind. She was going toward Judah and leaving behind her family, comfort and the known. She was headed towards what could only be a bleak future. Widows were at the bottom of the social ladder. They were prey to unscrupulous people and easily taken advantage of.
But that wasn’t the only hurdle she had to overcome. Ruth was a Moabite. A group of people so despised, even the Lord forbade them from entering the assembly of the LORD – even to the tenth generation (Deut 23:3-6). That’s how bad of a reputation they had. This is Ruth’s lineage: her past. She can’t change it or her ancestry but she can choose her future
And that’s what she did, Ruth chose to break free from her past and write her own story. She chose to do what was right even if it was hard or required sacrifice. And in doing so, by the end of the story, the entire village knew that Ruth was a virtuous woman. Not only that, but they also praised her. A Moabite woman being praised and welcomed in Bethlehem is an example of not letting the past define the future.
When it’s all said and done
The book of Ruth shows us it’s not our past or the circumstances that define us. It’s our character and the choices we make. Problems, hard times, conflicts, and death are an inevitable part of life. But how we choose to react when we face unexpected circumstances (good or bad) is still up to us. Naomi and Ruth chose the hard task of getting up and rebuilding. The life they once had was gone, as were the dreams they had for it. And no matter how much they want it back, they can’t get it back. Time machines only exist in the imagination, not in the real world. But they both chose to make the most of the life they’d been given even if it was less than ideal.
Naomi chose to go back to her hometown and to let her daughters-in-law pursue their life apart from her. Ruth chose to stay with her mother-in-law. And she wasn’t afraid to do whatever it takes to make their situation work, even if it meant doing things she never imagined doing.
So no matter what you are going through, whether good or bad, you always have the choice to do what is right, just, and honorable. And in doing so you can rewrite your own stories and choose not to be victims of circumstance.