Ruth

I have been studying Ruth the past couple of days. It is part of the commentary that I was reading on Esther by Iain Duguid. And once again, it is fantastic! Ruth is one of my favorite books of the Bible. But, once again I have learned so much more about it than I previously knew. First of all Naomi and Elimelech decided to leave the promised land and their God due to the trials there-famine, etc... In doing so they disobeyed God and Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion all died. Leaving Ruth with her two daughter-in-laws in a foreign land, and they were Moabites (sons weren't supposed to marry anyone from Moab)! Talk about consequences-losing your husband and sons because they chose not to trust God and remain with their people. So here's Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah with noone to care for them, no way to get daily bread. Naomi decides to ponder going back to Israel, where her family was. Israel had repented and there was food in the land again. Maybe someone would take her in? Here is what Mr Duguid says,"Such a positive outcome was certainly not inevitable. Naomi, along with her husband and children, had set out on a road of disobedience, and they had experienced the reality of God's judgement. Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion were all dead as a result. There was no hope of repentance and return for them. Yet God in his grace had not left her family completely without survivors. A remnant remained, giving hope that there might be a future after all. God's judgement on sin is reliable, for His word is faithful, but even more consistent is God's desire to restore wandering sinners to himself. GRACE IS ALWAYS GOD'S LAST WORD (emphasis mine)." Then he goes on to say "God's grace transcends our rebellion, and not only leaves the door open for us to retrace our steps, but stirs our hearts to see our folly and the welcoming arms that await our return. So the Spirit of God stirred in Naomi's heart to leave the land of rebellion, swallow her wounded pride, and start out at last on the long road home." There's so much more....