Read Ruth 1:19–22
TELL ME HOW YOUR YEAR’S BEEN!
Have you ever had one of those moments at a Christmas get-together when
a friend or family member has asked, ‘So how’s it going with you?’ and
you’ve just not known where to start? Do you share surface-level news, or
choose to open up a bit deeper? Should you give the Instagram-filtered
‘highlights reel’, or the behind-the-scenes reality?
As Naomi returns to Bethlehem and is reacquainted with forgotten faces,
today’s passage invites us to reflect on the bigger question of what God is
doing in our lives.
I HARDLY RECOGNISED YOU
Just as in 1:1–3, the name Bethlehem is repeated to indicate the spiritual
significance of Naomi’s return (twice in verse 19 and again in verse 22).
Having turned from the Lord towards Moab, Naomi has now returned to
the land of promise and hope.
But those who greet Naomi find her unrecognisable: ‘Can this be Naomi?’
(v. 19). There is a tragic irony here. Naomi’s name means ‘pleasant’ in
Hebrew (read the footnote to verse 20), but as the women see Naomi’s whole
demeanour, her face tells a very different story.
As the word ‘pleasant’ literally echoes in the air with the women’s question,
Naomi can’t stand it. She cries out, ‘Call me Mara’, which is Hebrew for
‘bitter’. Why? ‘… because the Almighty has made my life very bitter’ (v. 20).
EMPTINESS PERSONIFIED?
Naomi isn’t holding back. As she puts it, ‘I went away full, but the Lord has
brought me back empty’ (v. 21). This is a woman who has buried her
husband and two sons. If anyone had a right to feel ‘empty’, surely it was her.
And yet...
Just like when Naomi made a similarly forlorn remark in verse 13, the
narrator gives us a rather different angle: ‘So Naomi returned from Moab
accompanied by Ruth … arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was
beginning’ (v. 22, my italics).
Yes, what Naomi has gone through is unimaginable for most of us, but has
the Lord really brought her back empty?
LOOK AND SEE WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE
As someone observed, it’s as if Naomi has announced the verdict before she’s
seen all the evidence. And in particular, there’s a crucial piece of evidence
that she’s missed right in front of her nose: Ruth.
In Ruth, Naomi has a visible pledge of God’s unending commitment to her.
Not only that, but look what’s happening in the fields of Bethlehem. It’s
harvest time!
A chapter that began with famine in the ‘house of bread’ (for that is what
‘Bethlehem’ means) has finished with a harvest. Hope has come to
Bethlehem.
THE BREAD OF LIFE GIVEN FOR US
Of course, just like Naomi, it’s easy for us to become absorbed in our
circumstances. We struggle to lift our eyes to the bigger picture.
Reassuringly, this book never belittles the bitterness of Naomi’s suffering.
And throughout the Bible, we are certainly encouraged to be honest with
God about our trials and struggles.
But as real as Naomi’s emptiness felt, Ruth’s presence with her is a
demonstration of the Lord’s faithful presence. He has not left her, nor turned
his hand against her.
This story is only just getting started. And for us, it’s part of a bigger story
that leads us back to Bethlehem. A thousand years later, hope will return
again to this little town. A spiritual famine will end as the Bread of Life is
given for us.
REFLECTION
Are you ever tempted to say your life is ‘empty’? Whatever painful realities we
might face, as we turn and look alongside us, we see One who will never leave
us, One who has been broken for us, and One who will wipe each bitter tear
from our eyes. When we count our blessings, how much do we count Christ?
Listen to ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ by Young Oceans.
Ham, Robin. Finding Hope Under Bethlehem Skies: An Advent Devotional. 10 Publishing, 2021.