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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
June, 1935
has a convincing testimony to give to the man or woman o f the world, but is in clined to talk of counting the cost—always considering what would be lost by follow ing the Lord’s path. But Naomi’s heart was in her homeland, as the heart of every true child o f God is at home only in God, to whom the believer must turn back, how ever far away he may roam. Naomi’s faith received encouragement from the words o f Ruth the Gentile (vs. 16-18). Because of their sublime word ing and the revelation o f the strength of purpose behind them, these verses are often used even by men and women of the world. Though the fact was unknown to Naomi, the Lord had already touched Ruth’s heart, and she simply voiced what she felt. Her determination gave Naomi’s feeble faith the encouragement it needed. Naomi may have felt that if one who is “of the world” is willing to forego all that the world promises, surely one who belongs to the Lord may have courage t® go on. Ruth’s announcement was clear, definite, settled. She had turned her back upon her own people, home, family, reli gion, and even herself. There could be no turning back. When Naomi saw the stead fastness of Ruth’s purpose, Naomi ceased her own discouraging speech. II. T he P roof of N aomi ’ s F aith (1:19-22). Faith reveals itself in action. In this case, the decision to return to Bethlehem was immediately acted upon (v. 19). The two women “came to Bethlehem”—and there is no word spoken concerning the long, difficult, and tiresome journey before their destination was reached. The hard ships o f the way were forgotten in the joy of arrival. Moreover, they reached Beth lehem at the time “o f barley harvest” (v. 22). The grain, springing into life and fruitfulness, speaks o f resurrection, the coming of a new thing. When either the sinner or the backslider comes to the Lord, there is always the beginning of something never before experienced; in a spiritual sense, such an occasion is always the time “o f barley harvest.” - In Naomi’s case, even though the back slider is returned to her home, she is not yet rejoicing in the joy o f the Lord. Her faith is still feeble (vs. 20, 21), for she can call herself “Mara,” that is, “ Bitter,” instead o f accepting her own name “Na omi,” which means “My Pleasant One.” In this choice there is revealed a spirit of legality, a belief that she must have some worth in herself before she can justly be called by her name, Naomi. In her darkness, she acknowledged the righteousness of the Lord (v. 21). She said: ‘I went out” (in other words, It was my own fault) ; “Jehovah h a t h brought me home” (that is, It is o f His grace). Like the prodigal son, Naomi went out “ full” because of what the heav enly Father had given.; she, came home empty and bitter because she had lost what the Lord had given. But she was still Naomi, “My Pleasant One,” as history proves. Likewise the child o f God who wanders away from Him returns empty and bitter, hesitating to call himself by his own name, that of “saint.” But how ever far he may wander, the one who is 9 child o f God through faith in Jesus Christ is ever a saint, positionally—one whose walk should be in accordance with his high calling. III. T h e R esults from H er F a ith (4 :1 4 -1 7 ). Naomi was fully restored to her place o f privilege and blessing (v. 14). She was
as one back from the dead—a picture of her nation in a coming day (cf. Rom. 11). The Lord had long waited for her return from the far country, and when at last she came, He was ready with that “ kins man” through whom would come one to be famous through all generations. To Na omi, nothing could have been a greater pleasure and honor than to hold to her heart the child o f Ruth and Boaz (vs. 15, 16). T o every Jewish woman, such a long ing was the highest and dearest desire. Naomi had lost both her own sons in the far country. She may have thought that all was over as far as family was con cerned, but God had ordained otherwise. The wonder-working power of the Lord can take the backslider and do more for him and with him than that one could ever ask or think. The Lord only waits for that surrender and devotion which will allow Him the right o f way in the individual’s heart and life. When that resignation and love is shown, there are no limits to what the Lord is willing and able to do. Naomi illustrates this fact. The blessing of God descended upon her, the joy of the Lord was granted to her, and she became in reality as well as in name, Naomi, ‘ My Pl.easant One.” ■ God honored her in allowing her to become the great-great-grandmother of David the king. Thus she came into the line from which came the Lord Jesus Christ, according to the flesh (v. 17). Points and Problems 1. The title of this week’s lesson speaks o f Naomi as a woman o f “ faith and cour age.” Unquestionably she had courage, but, at the beginning, her faith seemed to be a very small thing. She could see no future for her two daughters-in-law while they remained with her, and would have sent them back to Moab (Ruth 1:10-13). She returned to her old home in Bethle hem full o f gloom and pessimism. “ Cali me Mara,” she says to the neighbors, “ for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me” (Ruth 1:20). As a matter o f fact, had it not been for the faith o f Ruth the Moabitess, the beautiful outcome o f the story could never have taken place. O f course this criticism o f Naomi should be tempered by remembering that she had in deed suffered deeply in the loss o f her husband and both sons, the latter dying without issue. But it was the faith o f Ruth that revived the waning faith o f Naomi. 2. Since most teachers will want to deal with the entire story o f the book of Ruth, it will be o f interest to recall the divine law regarding “gleaning.” In harvesting their fields, the Israelites were forbidden to “wholly reap the corners” o f a field. Neither were they to “gather the glean ings” for themselves (Lev. 19:9, 1())•;•; If a sheaf was overlooked, they were not per mitted to go back to get it. These glean ings were- to be left for the “stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow” (Deut. 24:19).' Since Naomi was a widow, she had a right by law to glean in the har- BLACKBOARD LESSON
vest fields by the hand of her daughter-in- law Ruth. But to glean immediately “af ter the reapers among the sheaves” was a privilege which could not be claimed under the law. It was a favor in the power o f the owner to confer (Ruth 2:7 ). Thus grace enters the story. 3. For the law of redemption which fig ures so largely in the book, the reader should see Leviticus 25:23-55. The basis o f this law was stated by God in verse 23 as follows: “The land shall not be sold for ever [R.V., “in perpetuity” ] : for the land is mine.” Golden Text Illustration Two boys who were attending Harvard University went to hear Bob Ingersoll. Walking away from the lecture, one o f them said to the other : “Jim, didn’t old Bob mop Christianity off the earth to night?” And Jim replied: “ I don’t know. I am in clined to think my good old Christian mother is left yet, and I wouldn’t give her, with her sweet Christian life and example, for all the Bob Ingersolls that could be crowded on the earth.® -S am J ones , in One Thousand Evangelistic Illustrations , by Webb. A Happy Family R u th 1:14-22; 4:13-17 Memory Verse: “By love serve one an other” (Gal. 5:13). Approach: Our story today is about a family. They lived about two hundred years after Moses had died. I think per town o f Bethlehem. Yes, it was the Very t o w n in J u d e a where, years later, the little Lord Jesus was born in the manger. One time, there was a famine in that land. Elimelech said to his wife, “ Let us go across the Jordan River to the land o f Moab. There we will find food for our selves and for our children.” They crossed over the Jordan River and found a place to live in the land of Moab. The boys grew to be men, and Elimelech died there in the land o f Moab. After a time the brothers married. And then the brothers, too, died. This left Naomi alone. Her husband was dead; her sons were dead. There were no grandchildren to comfort her. Only her two daughters-in- law were left. But they were Moabite women, and she was a Jewess. She began to think of her old home in Bethlehem. Word came that the famine had ended. This news made her wish more than ever to go back. She told Orpah and Ruth, the two daughters-in-law," and they started on the journey with her. As she came near the border o f the land o f Moab, she urged Orpah and Ruth to go back to their par ents in their own land. But they loved Naomi, and they begged to go With her. Naomi loved them, too, but she knew she had nothing to offer them in Bethlehem. She had no home, no money, and she was too old to work. At last Orpah listened to her and kissed Naomi and returned to her home, but Ruth refused to go. She said: “Whither thou goest, I will g o ; and where thou ËnaS haps you have heard something about this family, too. L e s s o n S t o r y : The father’s n a m e was Elimelech, and his wife’s name was Naomi. They lived in the
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