What Was Left
(Ruth 1:1ampsim6, 19ampsim22)
In commemoration of the 14th anniversary of our church, we need to meditate on Ruth chapter 1. The core message of Ruth is that Jesus genealogy goes on in the midst of extreme trials through us, especially through those who understand the Word. The members of Wooridle Church have become the people of Jesus town by holding on to their remainders even in the midst of their famine. Still, however, its deplorable that a remarried couple in their 50s of our church had a big quarrel in front of their adult offspring. I hope we will live the life of the remainder in our famine as Naomi did. How did God let Naomi live this life that of holding on her remainders?
1. God gave her the 1st famine. Judah means praise and Bethlehem means the house of bread, the land of Jesus who was to come. Elimelech and Naomi, the descendants of godly and influential families, enjoyed a blessed life of faith until a famine struck their village, when they left Bethlehem in Judah, the bread house of praise for worldly prosperity without Jesus. The idol of Naomis household was that of family, which took Gods place. And it was the age of Judges, when Israel had no king and everyone did as he saw fit. It was the age of spiritual famine, the evil age when the law was what people thought fit. What about you? What famine are you in now? Who rules you? Whats placed on Gods throne in you? Noami had two sons, Mahlon and Kilion. Maholn means invalid, and Kilion weak. Thus her sons were invalid and weak unlike their parents. And she was no match for her children as is often the case with parents. Elimelech and Naomi, the apparently godly couple (her name meant godliness and joy) didnt know that they actually clung to worldly values before the famine. Notice the phrase 'a man from Bethlehem in Judah'(v1) for Elimelech and the phrase 'Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah'(v2) for Mahlon and Kilion. Ephrath means abundance. Nevertheless, they left the abundant bread house of praise in order to avoid physical famine! This is actually my story. People, including myself, thought that I was a faithful daughter when I served my church as a church pianist. Yet I left Christ for the world when facing my famine. I became an influential elders daughter in law. Yet in reality I was caught in the cage of Christian marriage, which was a perfect training setting that God prepared for me to see my sinful desire. I made a false residence registration for the sake of my childrens elite education. Thats an example of how I chased worldly values. I didnt realize that a public school near my house was the abundant bread house of praise for my daughter.
2. God gave her the 2nd famine. Naomis household was predestined to be the family through which Jesus would come. Yet Naomi was not ready. She was still spiritually deaf in spite of her first famine. Thats why God gave her the second famine. She became a widow after Elimelech passed away. The top cause of stress is losing a spouse by death. The stress ratio might be 1,000% to the widows in the Ancient Near East. In verse 3, we need to notice the word left in the phrase 'she was left with her two sons' rather than died in the phrase 'Elimelech, Naomis husband, died.' I noticed what was left after my husband died. And I, a widow in her 30s, tried to console a widow in her 60s and save her soul. Thus we can use our trials. Naomi, however, was unable to see what was left to her and let her sons have a non-faith marriage. After leaving her faith community, her family needed to get along with the Moabites. To Naomis sons, marrying a Moabite woman might have been a matter of course. No one can live a true Christian life without his or her church community. Raising our children with worldly values is to lead them to the way of death.
3. God gave her the 3rd famine. Naomi wanted to be like a Moabite woman. Thats why she had Moabite daughters in law. God lifted his rod of love again because her family needed to be the channel of Christs genealogy. He let Naomis two sons pass away as a warning, reminding Naomi of the mission of her household. Even after losing her two sons, Naomi still had her remainder. She had herself and her two daughters in law. So it is with us. Even after losing all, we had our remainder in Christ. Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Therefore we should not compare our trials with others. Naomi had no energy left to stand up and leave Moab. Yet she listened to Gods message through the 3rd famine. Thus God visited her through an extreme suffering that transcended the limits of her endurance, which awakened her spirituality. After listening to the Word, she repented, stood up with her daughters in law, and made a great U-turn in Moab.
I was a daughter in law of a number one elder, in charge of the financial affairs of a church. No one might have imagined that I brooded over committing suicide and divorcing every day. While I was without any energy to rise up, God visited me. From that time on, Ive shared my story with those who are suffering from their secret trials, ensuring that God will visit them. My testimony became a fertile land of blessing. Over the last 14 years, I published 27 books, including The Best Choice of my Life, through Tyrannus Pub. Co. God has helped me notice what was left to me every time famine came to me. I hope this water of blessing will flow down to the young children of our church, helping them notice what is left to them in the mist of their famine. Notice the message of God to return to the bosom of our Father. May Gods blessing be with us all to rise and return from the different stages of our famine and fulfill the ministry of bringing our family to God.
'... Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.'(Ruth 1:5 b)
