Whenever someone thinks about “family” there is a myriad of emotions that could come up. Even in the worst situations when it comes to family, there can be glimpses of hope. However, even in the healthiest families, there can be tough times. For the next month, we will be going through the book of Ruth. An amazing narrative is recorded in God’s Word simultaneously showing us the realities of what a family can go through in a broken world all within the scope of God’s bigger purpose.

Ruth 1:1-2 says, “In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there.” 

1. Is there such a thing as a perfect family? Why or why not?

There are times we miss out on very crucial details when we read God’s Word. The book of Ruth picks up at a not-so-great moment in Israelite history. For starters, the book begins with “when the judges ruled.” This plants us firmly in the timeline of the book of Judges. These were not Instagram-worthy years for Israel. “Everyone did what was right in their own eyes” is often said in the book of Judges (example: Judges 17:6). To add the realities of sin in the book of Deuteronomy, God tells the nation of Israel that if they love Him and serve Him with all their heart and soul, He will “give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil” (Deuteronomy 11:13-14).

Specifically, I want to discuss Elimelech. The Bible says that Elimelech was a sojourner in the country of Moab. That means he was a Hebrew who left the Promise Land. Elimelech’s intention to leave was not saturated in sinful gain, but he left to be in a land that had food. Sadly, Elimelech did not trust in God during a tough situation and left his home.

2. Is it a struggle for you and your family to trust God in difficult situations? Why is it so difficult to trust a God who is so loving that He sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins?

Whenever reading God’s Word, it is easy to look at the people and magnify their sins, disobedience, and wanderings from the Lord. We have to temper our self-righteous, self-glorifying hearts and realize that we are just as disobedient. Elimelech was just as sinful and broken as you and I. Elimelech was a husband and a father who would do anything to ensure his family had a meal to eat at the end of each day. Did he sin in not trusting God? Yes! Should he have stayed in the Promised Land that God gave to His people? Yes! Have you ever not trusted God in making a decision for your family? Have you ever wandered away from God’s promises? I would venture to say yes as I know I have.

3. Why is the mercy and grace that only comes from the Gospel of Jesus Christ a necessity for every family?

Ruth 1:3-5 continues, “But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.”

The ravages of sin can be devastating. When tragedy befalls a family, we must temper ourselves from playing the blame game. Are there consequences to sin? Yes. We cannot paint a picture of God that is void of wrath and justice. However, God is the giver of mercy, love, and grace. He even gives it to those who wander. We cannot know for sure if this is God’s judgment against this family. It is difficult to figure out the “why” of tragic events.

4. In what ways can the church love people when they go through tragedies?

These verses get forgotten in the grand scheme of God’s plan for Ruth and Naomi. At some point further in the story, come back to Ruth chapter 1. Is there a great tragedy at this point in the story? Yes! Three families are shaken to their core over a ten-year span. In tragedy, sin can make it hard to see God. Ephesians 2:4 reads, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us.” We have a God that did not just come to die for personal sins of moral depravity. We worship a God who sent His Son to die on the cross because sin and rebellion entered the world causing death, rebellion, and chaos to man and creation alike. Unfortunately, we live in a world where suffering is an ever-present aspect of life. Even in a broken world, we still can see God’s plan for rescue and reconciliation.

5. When you are going through a difficult time in your family, what truth do you need to hold on to?

6. How does knowing the fact that struggles exist in every family sit with you?

I want to challenge you to read Ruth chapter 1. I want you to focus on God’s words, not mine. I want to summarize the rest of the story and get us to an amazing truth. Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah are broken widows. Sadly, the life of a widow is saturated with difficulty. There are many verses in the Bible that specifically tell God’s people to take care of them. Imagine not only the emotional pain but the practical difficulties that these three women are now facing.

Naomi, in verse 6, hears that the “Lord had visited his people and given them food.” Naomi decides to return to her homeland. She attempts to free Ruth and Orpah from the tragedy of Elimelech’s lineage by blessing her daughters-in-law, wishing for them to stay in Moab, a place where they have more ties to the community and potentially avoid further difficulties in life. Orpah obeys this request, but in a defining moment in Ruth the Moabite’s life, she responds, “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. 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.’ And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more” (Ruth 1:16-18).

7. What is the ultimate defining moment for a family?

A family rooted in God is stronger than a family rooted in genealogy. Ruth was willing to forsake all she knew, all she grew up knowing, and embrace the God of Israel. This gentile, a pagan god-worshiping woman, somehow was looking to make the one true God, the God of the Bible, as her God. I believe that Ruth saw Naomi’s relationship with God at this moment. Now, go back to Elimelech, we saw compromise and distrust. At this moment, Naomi is returning to the Lord. Naomi is broken, hurt, and not sure where to go. The moment Naomi heard God was merciful to Israel, she wanted to return to Him. In this broken moment of repentance, Ruth declares “your God [is] my God” and “your people shall be my people.”

8. Does your family see the amazing truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in your life or do they see compromises and distrust in God?

Family is an amazing creation from God. Sadly, we live in a fallen world. Families can be far off from what God desired them to be. We struggle, make compromises, fight, and face unforeseeable circumstances. Yet, God remains true, steadfast, and ever-loving. A strong family is not determined by success or the lack of failure and tragedy. Families that are rooted in the Gospel are the mark of strength. For whatever member of the family you might be, show that you are rooted in knowing Jesus as your Lord. Even in struggles, show that Jesus is Lord. God used the pain of Naomi’s situation of losing her husband and her sons to reveal what genuine faith and obedience looked like and Ruth committed to following God.

9. What do our families often become rooted in outside of God? Why does this happen?

10. In what practical ways can your family become more rooted in God?

In 3 John 1:4, we read, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” While Paul’s sentiments are more focused on spiritual children rather than biological ones, I feel every parent can take this truth to heart. For the next four weeks, we will be jumping into a topic that, for some, will cause discomfort for their family and in their walk with Jesus. Join me in praying that Jesus does an amazing work strengthening families at The River Church; not only in their love for each other, but for their love for the Lord.