Bitter Emptiness - July 11

Read Ruth 1:19-22 (ESV)

So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the LORD brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?” So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.

Reflect

Do you think Naomi is justified in her complaints against God? Why or why not?

In the beginning, God created the whole world. On the sixth day, He created mankind. And then, He gave them a command to create the very first human institution—the family. He said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it…” (Genesis 1:28). Family and children have always been an integral part of God’s plan for mankind.

Genesis 3:15 gives us additional insight into why children were so valued in ancient Jewish society. After Satan tempted Adam and Eve to sin, God said, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” This is the very first promise of a Messiah, a Savior! The Lord was clear that this Messiah would come from a woman’s offspring. That is one reason why the Jews kept such careful genealogical records. Yes, they wanted to continue their family lines and honor their family names. Yes, they used their genealogies to prove their right to land inheritance. But they also used genealogies to trace the line of the Promised Messiah!

Infertility is still a devastating hardship for many couples today. But in Bible times, childlessness was often viewed as a curse. In Naomi’s case, she wasn’t infertile. When she left Bethlehem to go to Moab, she had been blessed with two sons! Her belly may have been empty because of the famine in the land, but her family was full. She had an heir and a spare. But when she came back to Bethlehem, her husband was gone. Her two sons were gone. She was too old to give birth to more children. And worst of all, her sons had died childless. Not only had she lost her providers, but her family line was going to die out with her.

So when she came into town, she introduced herself with a name change. She went out of town as “Naomi” which means “pleasant.” But she came back into town wanting to be known as “Mara” which means “bitter” because the Lord brought her back empty.

Now, if I was Ruth, at this point, I might be thinking “What am I, chopped liver? Don’t I count for anything? I’m your daughter-in-law. I am your family! You still have me. In fact, I gave up everything to stay by your side.” But on the other hand, I can sympathize with Naomi. Her family had been devastated by loss and hardship. I can’t imagine the pain she must have been feeling having to bury her husband and her children. Plus, she had to have been worried about the future. How would they survive? What was going to become of them? And of course, the hope of the Messiah coming through her line was out the window (spoiler alert: or so she thought!).

When evaluating her circumstances, Naomi rightly recognized the sovereignty of God. Even though she was in dire straits, she was right where God wanted her to be. But she was definitely wrong in thinking that God was against her. In fact, God was working through her painful circumstances to bring her back to a place where He could change her circumstances. And ironically, the blessing that He was about to bring into her life would come from Ruth. The foreign daughter-in-law that Ruth hadn’t acknowledged among the women as a blessing that still remained in her life. She had lost her husband and her two sons, but she had gained a daughter-in-law, one that was fiercely devoted to her! She wasn’t as empty as she thought she was. As we continue to study the book of Ruth, we will soon see just how big of a blessing Ruth will turn out to be for Naomi.

I don’t know about you but when I find myself in painful and desperate situations in life, I react like Naomi more than often than not. I know that God is in control, but I can’t see how He’s working so I can slip into bitterness. Instead of waiting expectantly to see how God is going to work out the details, I fret and worry. And sadly, I am often blind to the blessings that remain in my life. Usually, I have too many to count. Bitterness is a choice. As Pastor Nat said earlier this week: “Are you going to become bitter or will you be a faithful believer?”

Respond

Lord, please forgive me for the times that I have forgotten to count all of the blessings that You have given me and instead focus on what I have lost. Remind me to watch expectantly to see how You are going to continue to work in my life. Amen.

Reveal: The testimony of believers during devastating times is a powerful witness for Christ. No matter how much you may lose in this life, continue to share with others the fullness that You have in Christ!

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