And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the LORD, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.”
Ruth 2:20
A little over 6 years ago I had the opportunity to go to the ACBC Counseling Conference in Indiana. I remember the exact number of years back because at the time I had just reached the halfway point in my pregnancy with my oldest daughter, Logan. At the conference, one of the speakers shared something that has stuck with me ever since. He said,
“God’s grace is rarely early – but it is never late.”
I have yet to experience anything that has proven this wrong – and I’m certain I never will! God’s character never changes and His provision of that moment-by-moment and life-giving grace is just as set.
This summer, I’ve been able to study through the book of Ruth with the ladies in my growth group. The story is a true page turner. We, as the readers, unfold a narrative of tragedy followed by redemption and God’s ultimate provision. Provision that is fully realized hundreds of years later at the cross of Jesus Christ – who happened to be a descendant of Ruth!
The story began with a family that lived in Bethlehem of Judah. Bethlehem meant “house of bread.” However, at this particular time, there was a famine. A family of four (Naomi’s family) decided things would be better off somewhere else, so they left the land God had given as their inheritance and did what was right in their eyes.
They moved away, and while in the country of Moab, the husband, Elimelech, died. Naomi stayed there ten more years during which her two boys married pagan wives and shortly thereafter they too died. Naomi was left with her two widowed daughters-in-law. She knew what it was to be without food – but the pain of being without her husband and sons left her hopeless and bitter towards God. Naomi knew real sorrow. She could not escape the famines of this world – physical, emotional, or spiritual – not for long anyways. She found temporary comfort away from God’s promised land and chosen people but those things soon faded away.
Well, eventually in the fields of Moab, Naomi heard that God once again provided food for His people. She decided to leave for Bethlehem – that “house of bread” that God once again showed mercy to in providing plenty! One daughter-in-law remained with her people and her gods while the other, Ruth, literally clung to Naomi. Ruth chose instead to abandon the things she once knew (her people, her religious beliefs, her home) for the true God of Naomi and the land and people unknown to her, but in which she placed her full hope.
The two made it back to Bethlehem and the people were in awe! Can you imagine the emotions stirring within the town upon their return? They had not seen Naomi for at least a decade and she returned, not with her husband and sons, but with her Moabite daughter-in-law. Naomi’s spirit was so downhearted she wouldn’t even claim the name she was given, but chose instead to be called Mara (meaning “bitter”). She could only see the things she lost and was embittered because of it.
This story would be a depressing tragedy if it ended there. But God is a God of hope and He dramatically worked in the lives of Naomi and Ruth in ways that only He could providentially work.
One of God’s names is Jehovah Jireh. This means “the LORD will provide.” God was providing for Naomi even though she was oblivious to it at first. The trials she faced were shattering, and in the midst of her suffering, God did something amazing: He provided food. God not only provided food, but provided what would draw Naomi back to the satisfaction of His love, truth, hope, and promises.
She met the townspeople and hopelessly and bitterly said that she returned home empty after leaving full. Naomi did not see that she was not empty, but was accompanied by Ruth – who refused to leave her side when given the chance! Ruth later would be blessed by the women of the town as being “more to you than seven sons” (Ruth 4:15).
God provided a way for Naomi to be redeemed – by providing Ruth. God then provided the field for Ruth to work in – the field that belonged to a worthy man named Boaz.
Boaz was a close relative and in line to be able to redeem the line of Elimelech (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). He protected the foreigner Ruth from physical harm; he not only upheld the Law (Deuteronomy 24:19) by telling his reapers to leave food for her to gather in the fields, but also provided her with however much food and water she desired during the day. He went above and beyond what was expected by the Law of Moses and the result was life changing for this foreign widow and her widowed mother-in-law. Boaz even told her to glean in his fields of plenty so she would not leave and glean elsewhere. His fields provided more than what she would need! Later Boaz fulfilled his promise to settle the matter of redemption that very day. He and Ruth were married and through Ruth’s descendants came the greatest provision of all: Jesus!
Naomi and Ruth were hopeless cases as far as Naomi could see – upon her return to God’s people. God’s abundant care for His own and for the humble stranger who comes to Him are abundantly seen throughout this book. Jehovah Jireh provided for their physical needs, but more importantly, He provided for their spiritual ones. Today He provides for us physically – at times to whisper His love, grace, and sufficiency in our lives. But He also provides for us by taking away what we trust in so that our trust is rightly placed in Him.
The “house of bread,” Bethlehem, would play host to the birth of the true “Bread of Life” (John 6:35). The deep hunger felt by every soul – the hunger that is so often fed by things that promise to fill but only cut deeper in the end – can only be filled by coming to the Bread of Life: Jesus Christ.
Our need for redemption was already met – but the day-by-day needs we face can easily make us as nearsighted as Naomi was. We see what is in front of us, or what has happened to us, and no further. Instead, God meets us where we are! He has provided His word and His promises to glean from and feast on so we don’t have to fill our hearts elsewhere.
He gives us day by day new mercies that renew our spirits and fill us with joy! His grace meets us where we are and takes us to where we need to be: closer to Jesus. Come to His table every day – every moment trust that His promises are true and life giving. Walk by faith in the God who provides!