Mothers For Such A Time As This
MOTHERS FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS
Ruth 1:6-18 (ESV)
6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the LORD had visited his people and given them food. 7 So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The LORD grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10 And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, 13 would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.” 14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 15 And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” 18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.
Two weeks ago, I posted a question to the church through our Facebook account, and the question was: “If you are to honor your Mom, how would you do it one sentence?” I want to personally thank the twenty-seven people who responded. Please check their responses in our FB account – BCINJMembers. As I try to summarize the responses, there were at least 7 descriptions I have found in common with great mothers:
Great mothers are spiritual blessings because they led their children to salvation and provided them spiritual example and training.
Great mothers valued hard work and demonstrated practical wisdom.
Great mothers provided their children the example of generosity, hospitality, courage, and resiliency.
Great mothers practiced selfless, unconditional, and persevering love.
Great mothers were able to balance being a strict disciplinarian and fun at the same time.
Great mothers embodied Proverbs 31.
Great mothers are the gifts that keep on giving, lights that keep on shining, and the blessings that keep on sharing.
There is no question that mothers are so special and that they have made invaluable contributions to our lives.
Now, considering our unique and challenging times, I really believe that mothers are being called to do more than what is usually expected from them. With the school closings, I just can’t imagine how difficult it is for many of you to be working from home or keep your full-time jobs and be teachers and parents at the same time. I’m sure many of you are overwhelmed.
Thus, for today’s Mother’s Day celebration, I have decided to share to you the life of Naomi, the mother-in-law of Ruth. I’m guessing that many are probably not as familiar with her compared with the other mothers in the Bible. And that’s really unfortunate because her motherhood was really significant. In the book of Ruth, she is introduced as someone who helped her family overcome their severe crises and eventually experience a great future. You know, so many times, we resent our most difficult times. However, the truth is that God uses them in order to bring out the best from us and for us. This truth is quite evident in the life of Naomi. So, allow me to highlight at least three responses Naomi did during her challenging times:
I RENEW YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD:
The general background for the book of Ruth was the times of the Judges. If there is a good verse that summarizes those times, it would be Judges 21:25 saying:
25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Unfortunately, for God’s people, this lifestyle was unacceptable because their inclination to sin always mastered them. As a result, God has disciplined them over and over again until they humbled themselves and returned to God.
As you begin to read the first chapter of Ruth, we are introduced to Naomi’s family experiencing a severe famine in Bethlehem where they were living. Instead of acknowledging the famine as God’s disciplinary measure, Naomi’s husband, Elimelech, made a foolish decision to move his entire family to Moab, disregarding the fact that the Moabites were idolatrous and the enemies of Israel. Think about the spiritual insensitivity of Elimelech. Bethlehem was named the “House of Bread” because it was really a fruitful land. However, because of the Israelites’ sins, God has withheld their blessings and allowed a famine to shake them. Obviously, Elimelech thought running away from the Lord was a better alternative, rather than repenting and making it right with Him.
This move will prove to be a greater disaster because Naomi will end up losing her husband, Elimelech, including her two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, who were both married to Moabite women. So, with the passage we have read earlier, we would find Naomi taking charge and deciding to return to Bethlehem because she heard that God had restored His gracious dealing with His people.
Time and again during this Pandemic, people have been asking the question – “Where is God in these times of pains and heartaches?” Let me clearly say that He has never left. He may be withholding some blessings, but He remains really close, patiently waiting for His people to humble themselves, and repent from their sins. This truth is exactly what God had emphasized to King Solomon when he dedicated the Temple he just built in Jerusalem:
2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (ESV)
13 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
You see, often, it is us who leave Him and turn our backs from Him. But, we don’t have to remain far from Him and suffer for it. For Naomi, it was time to go back to the place where she left God, and renew her relationship with Him. It was also the place where she can enjoy the blessings of the Lord.
Moms, how is your relationship with God today? I hope and pray that all these difficulties we are going through would cause you to reexamine your relationship with God. And if ever there’s a need to renew your relationship with Him, you won’t delay in doing it. If there’s a need for your household to go back to God, let it begin with you and see how God will draw the other members to Him. Please know that for such a time as this, you could be the main instrument that God could use to bring spiritual renewal in your family.
II RELATE WITH LOTS OF LOVE
Another significant characteristic that is displayed by Naomi is her deep, loving relationship with her daughters-in-law. I’m sure it is not difficult to conclude that she was a very loving mother to her sons that when they got married, she extended the same love to her daughters-in-law. Because of this, if you read verses 6-7, when she decided to go back to Bethlehem, both her daughters-in-law, without any hesitation, were willing to travel back with her. If you are a daughter-in-law this morning, put yourself in the shoes of Ruth and Orpah, would you travel with your mother-in-law to live in another country?
I’m sure we all have heard the many jokes about mothers-in-law. But this relationship that Naomi had established with her daughters-in-law was quite special. In fact, this love would even be displayed further when she started convincing both Ruth and Orpah to go back to Moab, beginning in verse 8. There are Bible scholars who have criticized Naomi in doing this because they feel that Naomi was trying her best to be released from her responsibility to take care of her daughters-in-law. However, this criticism is absolutely not true. The truth is that this proposal was a very selfless act on the part of Naomi because of the following reasons:
A. Women during those times were so dependent on their husbands to provide for their needs.
In the absence of her husband, Naomi knew that she would not be able to provide for her daughters-in-law. It was better for them to remarry.
B. Since both Ruth and Orpah were still young, the possibility of finding husbands who could take care of them was better in Moab.
If they move and settle in Bethlehem, the possibility of a Moabite woman finding a Jewish husband was very slim, because God had forbidden the Jews to intermarry with people who do not share their faith.
C. Naomi was afraid that her daughters-in-law would be mistreated in Bethlehem, because the Moabites were considered major enemies of the Jews.
If you read Deuteronomy 23:3-6, you would have an explanation of why this conflict exists between them.
Deuteronomy 23:3-6 (ESV)
3 “No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the LORD. Even to the tenth generation, none of them may enter the assembly of the LORD forever, 4 because they did not meet you with bread and with water on the way, when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. 5 But the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam; instead the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loved you. 6 You shall not seek their peace or their prosperity all your days forever.
D. There was no possible kinsman-redeemer in the family.
If you listen to Naomi’s words in verses 11– 13, she alluded to this practice - “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying?”
In the Mosaic Law, particularly Leviticus 25, it is clearly taught that if a husband has died, his brother or nearest kin should take his responsibility by marrying his wife. Since both sons of Naomi died already, there is no brother who would fulfill this obligation. On this basis, Naomi thought it was best to send them back to Moab to find their future husbands.
However, later in Ruth chapter 4, we would find Ruth being blessed by God, because Boaz would agree to be her kinsman-redeemer. Theologically, Boaz portrayed the role of Jesus Christ, becoming our kinsman-redeemer when He died on the cross to purchase a bride for Himself.
Going back to the text, we would find Naomi being so close to her daughters-in-law that she had to convince them twice to leave her. During the first attempt, both daughters-in-law said they wouldn’t leave her. But on the second occasion in verses 11-14, Orpah eventually left. But the words of Ruth found in verses 16-17 is the best testimony that showed the bond between Naomi and her daughter-in-law.
16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”
These were certainly strong words that conveyed love and loyalty by Ruth to her mother-in-law. Mothers, listen up. If this intimacy was possible between Ruth and Naomi, between a mother and someone who is not really a biological daughter, then it is even more possible to do to your very own children. Just don’t get tired of loving your children. I know in difficult times like today, this love is often tested. Be more intentional in conveying this love, and I know you would not regret having done so.
III RELINQUISH YOUR FUTURE TO GOD
Finally, as we continue to consider the motherhood of Naomi, we should also highlight her willingness to completely relinquish her future to God by going back to Bethlehem. When you examine the life of Naomi, this decision to return to God was the biggest turning point in her life, and changed the trajectory of her future. By the time she went back to God, she knew that she had hit rock bottom. Listen to how she described her situation at that point in time:
Ruth 1:20-21 (ESV)
20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”
The background of this text was that when she finally reached Bethlehem, there were some friends who recognized who she was, and they called her by her given name, which was “Naomi.” Her name in Hebrew literally means “Pleasant.” Well, because of her miserable condition, she felt that a more appropriate name for her is “Mara,” which stands for “Bitter.” One thing, though, that is evident in these verses is her understanding that God was dealing for her. Beloved, there are many people who are not always sensitive to how God is dealing with them. When hard times come, they often see these seasons as God being harsh and cruel. However, Naomi saw everything as an opportunity to return to God, and allow Him to lead her to a brighter future. Now, was she right? Well, God promised His people with these words that I know are still applicable to us:
Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)
11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
How many of you still believe these words? The truth of the matter is that with these words from God, it is never a risk to relinquish our future to Him totally. In fact, this spiritual surrender or abandonment is exactly what God is inviting all of us to do.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Listen. Often, our future becomes more complicated when we try to be on the driver’s seat of our lives, instead of God. We have to stick to what this verse is saying, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart.”
Going back to Naomi, fast-forward, through God’s providential care, Boaz, who was the closest kin to Naomi’s family, took the responsibility as the kinsman-redeemer, and fell in love with Ruth. After they got married, their union was blessed with a baby boy who was named “Obed.” And Naomi took some responsibility of caring for Obed. This is how the book of Ruth ends:
Ruth 4:14-17 (ESV)
14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. 17 And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Would you agree that this state of redemption is such a good ending for Naomi, who started off in the book of Ruth as really miserable? Well, if you were not as convinced, then, it would probably help you to know that Obed became the father of Jesse, who later became the father of King David. And out of the same family lineage came Jesus Christ. What a blessing for Naomi to have that kind of a future! Mothers, I hope that you won’t underestimate the value of difficult and distressful times. I really believe that if you respond the right way, it can be a game-changer for your future and the future of your family. May God continue to bless you!
-Dr. Jeremiah Lepasana