When All Goes Wrong (Ruth 1:1-5)

What is the book of Ruth about? What are the reasons why we should consider it? Here are five. First, it is about people (several are introduced to us in the book, believers and unbelievers, from different races and of different ages). Second, it is about problems that people can face (famine, ethnic differences, and the social practices that prevented initially the proposed wedding of Boaz and Ruth, practices connected to the laws God had given to his people). Third, it is about divine providence, how God works in simultaneous situations to fulfil his own will, of bringing a happy conclusion out of a sequence of hindrances and major disappointments, even tragedies. Fourth, it is about God’s provision for needy women (Naomi, Ruth), although their needs were very different. Fifth, it is about God’s overall purpose (Elimelech had no idea that one of his sons would marry a Moabitess who would through another marriage become the ancestor of David the king who would commence the royal line that would lead to the Messiah, or that his planned visit to Moab would have such longterm consequences). 

The time

The ‘days of the judges’ (v. 1) is described in the Old Testament book called Judges. Several judges are mentioned in that book, and they lived in different parts of the country, a fact that allows for the possibility that some of the judges could have been prominent at the same time. The judges were individuals that God raised up to deliver his people from strong enemies and also to deal with ongoing turbulence among the Israelites themselves. Some of the enemies came from the south and others from the north and east.

Among the enemies from the east were the Moabites. The account of their hostility to Israel is given in Judges 3 when Eglon the king of Moab ruled over Israel for eighteen years. God raised up a judge called Ehud who delivered Israel from Moab and they then had peace for eighty years. In the book of Judges, Moab were one of the earliest opponents of Israel, which makes it surprising that someone from Israel would want to go there. But Elimelech did, although we don’t know when he went.

The issue that brought about the circumstances was a famine. It was a famine in the land of milk and honey. Canaan was the place that God had promised to bless the Israelites with plenty. But he had warned them of what he would do if they sinned: ‘And if in spite of this you will not listen to me, then I will discipline you again sevenfold for your sins, and I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. And your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield its increase, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit’ (Lev. 26:18-20).

Indeed, verse 6, which describes life after the famine is over in Bethlehem, sees it happening because the Lord has returned to his people, which seems to connect the famine to his absence. So it looks that God had sent the famine as a punishment for his people departing from him. If that was the case, then Elimelech should have repented with others rather than doing what he did and leaving the land the Lord had given to them.

Even if the famine was not brought about by a special divine action it was still part of divine providence. Elimelech would know about previous famines in the history of Israel, such as when Jacob and his family went to Egypt for a short while and stayed for four centuries. He would also have known about Abraham going to Egypt during a famine and of the problems that created for Abraham. His circumstances, whatever the reason for the famine, were a test for him, and we can consider it briefly because it brought about consequences.

Test of where to go

The story begins with a surprising contrast between the experience of Israel and the situation in the neighbouring country of Moab. There was famine in one and not in the other. We are not told that the famine was everywhere in Canaan, although it may have been. But it was in Judah. Yet across the border in Moab, not far away, only about fifty miles, there was not a famine. Maybe Elimelech could even see the difference between the two countries, depending on what he did in his regular work or business.

Elimelech obviously had a choice to make regarding his difficult circumstances. He had at least three options. One would be to stay where he was in Bethlehem and trust in God to provide for him and his family. A second option was to go and live somewhere else in Israel, maybe where there was not a famine. A third option was to move a short distance across the border into Moab. We know that he chose the third option. Why would he have done that?

Perhaps Elimelech did so because it was the easiest option available, with not too far to travel in order to get rid of the problem. Maybe he reasoned that since God had providentially given food nearby in Moab it was a sign that he should go there. And he only intended to go for a short time – his plan was that they would only sojourn there. Instead of being pilgrims in the promised land that God gave to them they would be pilgrims in another land. We can imagine him telling Naomi that they soon would be back in Bethlehem, and all would be well.

Elimelech did not know it, but he had made a life-defining decision when he decided to go. His change of circumstances meant he would never see his inheritance and home in Bethlehem again. Nor would his sons. It is striking how the author phrases it – ‘they remained there.’ Whatever else we can say about his choice, Elimelech seems to have failed the test that came his way in divine providence. Option 3 was not the best choice he could have made.

The account does not say that Elimelech was not a true believer. We cannot judge one way or the other. Believers can make wrong choices that have negative consequences from which they cannot escape. All we need to do is think of Lot, the man whom Peter describes as righteous Lot. When he parted from his uncle Abraham, he chose to go towards Sodom because the area looked fertile, then he chose to live in Sodom, there his family mingled with the people of Sodom, and he lost everything when he left Sodom. Indeed, it was because of him that Moab was there (Gen. 19:36-37). Elimelech did something similar, whatever his intentions were when he made his initial decision to leave. He judged things by sight rather than by trust in God.

Living up to his name

The name Elimelech means ‘my God is king’. His parents would have given him that name. They probably wanted him to serve God throughout his life. Every time someone mentioned his name they would be reminded of its meaning. The question is, did he live up to his name when the choice came to him? It does not look like it. At that time, the claim ‘My God is king’ was a very striking one because Israel was the only nation in the area that did not have a human king. When they came out of captivity in Egypt, the Lord was their king (Deut. 33:5); they looked to him for purpose, provision and protection. Perhaps Elimelech considered that protection would not happen even as provision was not happening.

The failure of Elimelech to live up to his name raises the question as to whether Christians live up to the names that they possess as the people of God. We can think about some of the names briefly. The first that we can consider is the word ‘believer’. Its meaning is obvious: a believer is a person who believes in Jesus, not merely about Jesus. A believer depends on Jesus for the salvation of his soul and body. He entered into this relationship by accepting what the gospel said about Jesus and he embraced Jesus gladly and gratefully as his Saviour and Lord. But is that still the case? Have we lost our first love? Do we trust in him wholeheartedly?

The second name that can be thought about is disciple. A disciple is basically a person who is schooled by a teacher, and in this case it describes a person who delights to be instructed by Jesus through his Word. One of the first signs that a person is converted is a desire to read and think about God’s Word, noting and wondering at its amazing descriptions of God’s great plan and its accompanying promises. Yet that desire can diminish.

A third name to think about is saint, which means set apart to the Lord. Sanctification can be described negatively or positively; both aspects are true, and neither should be ignored. Negatively, we are to deal with our sins by confessing them to God and by resisting their influence on our minds and hearts. Positively, sanctification is about increasing Christlikeness; God’s purpose for his children is to conform them to the image of his Son gradually in this life and permanently in the world to come.

There are several other names of God’s people that we could have thought about. They are sons, servants, heirs, pilgrims, worshippers, Christians, no name some of them. The three we have mentioned are sufficient for us to consider. How are we as believers, as disciples, as saints? Elimelech failed to live up to his name and left a bad example. We should not imitate him.

Where did Elimelech chose to go?

Obviously, Elimelech went to Moab. But what was Moab like? We have already seen that they were not friendly towards Israel when Eglon was king. That hostility had existed for a long time. It was Balak, a king of Moab who had hired Balaam to come and curse Israel when the Israelites had reached the borders of the promised land after wandering in the wilderness for forty years (Num. 22–24). For that reason, God had stated than Moabites could not participate in the worship of God. Indeed, the Israelites should ‘not seek their peace or their prosperity all your days forever’ (Deut. 23:3-6).

What was worship like in Moab? There are different degrees of practice in various religions; while all are wrong, some are much worse than others. In Moab, the god who was worshipped was called Chemosh, and part of the rituals connected to it was worshippers offering their children as sacrifices. What a place for one with the name of Elimelech to choose to go to!

What was life like for Elimelech when he reached Moab? At some stage after he reached there he died. Is the author being ironic when he mentions this detail. After all, the reason why Elimelech had gone there was not to die in the famine. But he discovered that death has other ways of coming to a person. For whatever reason, whether from illness or old age, he passed away.

Perhaps his passing should have been an opportunity for Naomi to go back with her sons to Bethlehem. But she and they did not. Instead they chose to settle in Moab and the sons married two Moabite women. This was despite the clear distinction God had made between Israelites and Moabites. In taking his family to Moab, Elimelech had made them into Moabites. Would these sons have ever returned to Bethlehem? It does not look like it. As long as they lived, another ten years, they did not take one step back to Bethlehem. Instead, they settled down in Moab.

All this is written for our instruction, as Paul tells Timothy and us (2 Tim. 3:16). Even as Israelites should not have gone to Moab and adopted its way of life, so Christians should remain different from other people. Their worship makes them different from others and their homes make them different from other. It looks as if it was easy for Elimelech and family to be at home in a place where at one time they never thought they would be.

Living in a time of judgement

This book begins with Israel in a famine. Obviously, the Lord was not keeping his promises of blessing that he had made to them through Moses. Rather he was angry with the Israelites. Elimelech informs us what not to do in a time of divine judgement. Instead of finding our own solutions we should follow the instructions of God’s Word. Where we have sinned, we should repent before God. When we have difficulties, we should pray to God. Where we are confused, we should seek guidance from God’s revealed will in his Word. We should maintain participating in the worship of God, unlike Elimelech who went to a place where there were no other believers to worship with.

In all things, we should embrace the gospel which gives hope for the future, the gospel that reveals to us God’s method of forgiveness and restoration with him as members of his family. It tells us about the One who is King, Jesus the Messiah who can lead us through life and bring us safe to his eternal kingdom. Then we can trust in the One who is able to make all things work together for good even if for a short time we find things difficult to comprehend.

Our response in every situation should be to say with full conviction, ‘Jesus is my King. He is reigning over all things on behalf of his church. Therefore I will trust in him and not take steps into an alternative type of lifestyle which may appeal to worldly wisdom.’