Ruth 1:14- 21
“And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.” (Ruth 1:14)
Knowing the culture shock and loneliness of moving to another area, ant that there was no probability that they would ever be able to have a life of their own if they accompanied her to Bethlehem, Naomi advised Orpah and Ruth to stay in Moab and build a life. Orpah, decided she was right and returned to her family, but Ruth stayed with her.
“And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.
And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.” (Ruth 1:15-17)
When Naomi again encouraged her to go back, Ruth made a powerful statement of commitment to stay with Naomi regardless what happened, and calling for God’s judgment if she failed to fulfill. It is very much like the commitment expressed in the traditional wedding vows, although I have only heard it quoted once. As so often happens, the woman who quoted it was caught up in the beauty of the words and had no understanding of the commitment she was professing, or of the judgment she was calling on herself.
Ruth was not concerned with the flowery speech, but was stating her commitment to stay with her Mother in law, whatever the cost. Wherever Naomi went, Ruth would accompany her, staying in whatever home Naomi lived in, whether mansion or shack, in whatever country. She would accept Naomi’s family as her family, and Naomi’s god as God, rather than going back to her traditional religion. She would stay with Naomi until her death, then stay in the same area until she herself died.
This is exactly the level of commitment that Jesus was describing in Luke 14:26. “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”
Literally, Jesus said that without such a commitment, a person could not be saved. In the parable of the sower and the seed, in Matthew 13, the seed on the rock failed to develop because according to Matthew 13:20-21, “But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.” That lack of sincere commitment causes him to fall away when problems come. It is why the scripture puts so much emphasis on enduring to the end.
Many quote Romans 10:9-10 without realizing the level of faith that is implied in believing that Jesus has been raised from the dead as payment for their sins. The great passage on faith in Hebrews 11 demonstrates the commitment required if one is to receive Gods salvation. Those who view praying the sinner’s prayer or being baptized as a sort of magic spell which produces salvation have trouble understanding the book of Hebrews. This is not to contradict the statement in Romans 10:9-10, but rather to demonstrate the kind of faith involved. Sometimes the seed on the rock can be kept alive long enough to put out a root.
“When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?” (Ruth 1:18-21)
Convinced that Ruth would not be dissuaded, Naomi stopped trying and they went to Bethlehem. After ten years away, people could hardly believe it was really Naomi come home. Naomi told them her name, Naomi, (pleasant or sweet) no longer fit because she was so unhappy over the loss of her family. Instead they should call her Marah, or “bitter” because she felt that God was against her, and that there was no hope.
“And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.” (Ruth 1:14)
Knowing the culture shock and loneliness of moving to another area, ant that there was no probability that they would ever be able to have a life of their own if they accompanied her to Bethlehem, Naomi advised Orpah and Ruth to stay in Moab and build a life. Orpah, decided she was right and returned to her family, but Ruth stayed with her.
“And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.
And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.” (Ruth 1:15-17)
When Naomi again encouraged her to go back, Ruth made a powerful statement of commitment to stay with Naomi regardless what happened, and calling for God’s judgment if she failed to fulfill. It is very much like the commitment expressed in the traditional wedding vows, although I have only heard it quoted once. As so often happens, the woman who quoted it was caught up in the beauty of the words and had no understanding of the commitment she was professing, or of the judgment she was calling on herself.
Ruth was not concerned with the flowery speech, but was stating her commitment to stay with her Mother in law, whatever the cost. Wherever Naomi went, Ruth would accompany her, staying in whatever home Naomi lived in, whether mansion or shack, in whatever country. She would accept Naomi’s family as her family, and Naomi’s god as God, rather than going back to her traditional religion. She would stay with Naomi until her death, then stay in the same area until she herself died.
This is exactly the level of commitment that Jesus was describing in Luke 14:26. “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”
Literally, Jesus said that without such a commitment, a person could not be saved. In the parable of the sower and the seed, in Matthew 13, the seed on the rock failed to develop because according to Matthew 13:20-21, “But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.” That lack of sincere commitment causes him to fall away when problems come. It is why the scripture puts so much emphasis on enduring to the end.
Many quote Romans 10:9-10 without realizing the level of faith that is implied in believing that Jesus has been raised from the dead as payment for their sins. The great passage on faith in Hebrews 11 demonstrates the commitment required if one is to receive Gods salvation. Those who view praying the sinner’s prayer or being baptized as a sort of magic spell which produces salvation have trouble understanding the book of Hebrews. This is not to contradict the statement in Romans 10:9-10, but rather to demonstrate the kind of faith involved. Sometimes the seed on the rock can be kept alive long enough to put out a root.
“When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?” (Ruth 1:18-21)
Convinced that Ruth would not be dissuaded, Naomi stopped trying and they went to Bethlehem. After ten years away, people could hardly believe it was really Naomi come home. Naomi told them her name, Naomi, (pleasant or sweet) no longer fit because she was so unhappy over the loss of her family. Instead they should call her Marah, or “bitter” because she felt that God was against her, and that there was no hope.
No comments:
Post a Comment