LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
Two Reactions to God's Discipline
The book of Ruth takes place in the time of the Judges, a time of darkness and spiritual confusion. The story places us in the village of Bethlehem (which means 'house of bread'), in the land of Judah ('God be praised'), in a time of famine in Israel. Elimelech is a man from that land. His wife's name is Naomi, and his sons, one, Mahlon (meaning 'sickness'), and the other, Chilion ('pain, faintness, fatigue, depression'). The names of the sons indicate the spiritual state of their father Elimelech.
God had said that bread would never be scarce in the land of Israel (Deut. 28); yet, lo and behold, the famine had come. Why was this happening? Had God failed? No; God had also said that famine would be one of the consequences of turning away from him.
The biblical record tells us that this man Elimelech, fleeing the famine, left Bethlehem for the land of Moab. Was this what God expected of a true Israelite? Certainly not. Elimelech should have humbled himself under God's hand, accepted his discipline, and waited for vindication to come from God. Yet he abandoned the 'house of bread' and went into enemy territory.
In Deuteronomy 23:3-8 we are shown the condition of Moab before God. They were enemies of Israel. They could not enter the congregation of Israel even in the tenth generation, inasmuch as they had been hostile to Israel, intending Balaam to curse them. However, all this was no hindrance to Elimelech. The famine in Israel meant that God's judgments were falling upon the apostate nation. Why not consult God before moving? Why not humble himself before God so that His hand would be relieved upon them? Instead of humbling himself in his land and living the discipline -if the Lord is there, there is still hope- Elimelech went to Moab.
Predictably, he failed in this daring venture. He went to Moab in search of well-being, but met death; not only he, but also his sons. Mourning fell upon his entire household. Oh, the consequences of disobedience! Many of God's children, when under God's discipline, instead of humbling themselves, go into the world. And there they continue from bad to worse. If there is no true humiliation, the children will die there.
Now when Naomi, Elimelech's wife, was left empty of husband and children, she decided to return to Bethlehem. There, in an attitude that honors her, she gives testimony before her former neighbors, about what has happened to her. Naomi means 'pleasant', but she recognizes that God has afflicted her, and that she should therefore be called Mara ('bitter'). Thus, she humbles herself before God.
When God bears witness against someone, the wisest thing to do is to accept it, and recognize that God has humbled him. When Naomi acknowledges her sin, God lifts up her head, and consoles her from her pain. Elimelech's attitude and Naomi's attitude are two ways of reacting to God's discipline.