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Matthew 22:32-‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB’ ? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
One of the most difficult realities of life is being left behind by those who have died. I am now 46 years old, and have experienced the painful sting of death many times over. Even now, as I type these words, it is hard to believe that my father has passed away.
I would like to share with you some lessons that I’ve been thinking about from the Book of Ruth regarding this.
The Book of Ruth is in many ways a Book about being left behind. It tells the story of a woman named Ruth, who is a daughter in law to Naomi. Naomi and her family had left behind their home in Bethlehem and begun living in Moab during a time of terrible famine. Her sons had married Moabite women (which was quite expressly forbidden in the Old Testament). Eventually, Naomi’s husband and sons died, leaving her and her daughters-in-law behind. Deciding to return to her home in Bethlehem, Naomi sent her daughters in law back to their Moabite families. They all left behind their mother in law and returned. All, that is, except for Ruth. She pledged to stay with Naomi and return to Bethlehem, and so she fully left behind her Moabite religion, family, and culture as she followed the Lord.
Back in Bethlehem, Ruth was out gleaning the fields. This was a part of the Old Testament Law, where farmers were to leave some of their crops for the poor, foreigners, and widows who could not afford to provide for themselves or their families (Leviticus 19:9; 23:22; Deuteronomy 24:19-21). There she met Boaz, and they eventually fell in love and were married. The text goes on to tell us that Ruth had a son and became one of the ancestors of king David, and indeed of Jesus Christ Himself (Matthew 1:5)! Ruth left behind her old life and embraced a new destiny.
Now, please think with me about some specific lessons that the Book of Ruth teaches us about being left behind.
First, being left behind by our loved ones in death is a natural part of life in this fallen world. God did not design Earth to be this way, but it is this way because of the corruption of sin that humanity brought into the world (Genesis 3:17-19). Spiritual death by sin (Romans 5:12-21) brought about physical death (Romans 1:18-20). The Book of Ruth teaches us that death is no respecter of persons. It does not discriminate between young and old, Jewish or Gentile, male or female, rich or poor, etc.
Second, the Book of Ruth teaches us that it is alright to have confusing and conflicted emotions toward God when we are left behind. We read about Naomi leaving behind her confidence in God for a time. She even went so far as to change her name from “Naomi” (which means “pleasant”) to “Mara” (which means “bitter”) because she blamed the Lord for her suffering.
Ruth 1:20-21-But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”
Naomi blamed God for what had happened in her life. Notice that in this depression and grief, the Lord and His people did not forsake her. He (and they) showed kindness and compassion towards her. Naomi eventually left behind her conflicted emotions and doubts about the Lord and embraced a stronger and fuller faith in Him. If we will hold to God-even in the midst of our pain-we also will emerge stronger and with a more intimate walk with Him.
Third, Ruth shows us that we can leave behind our fears for the wellbeing of our loved ones who have died. There is an amazing sentence tucked away in Ruth that I had read over for so many years. Then one day it struck me! It is a profound Scripture that gives us assurance when we are beset with fear for those who have died in the Lord. In this passage, Naomi has been told that Boaz may be willing to marry Ruth. She is able to see the providential hand of the Lord at work.
She says:
Ruth 2:20-Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “Blessed be he of the LORD, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!” And Naomi said to her, “This man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives.”
Notice that Naomi declares that God has not “forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead.” This is rendered in several different ways in other translations:
Ruth 2:20 (GW)-Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May the LORD bless him. The LORD hasn’t stopped being kind to people-living or dead.…
Ruth 2:20 (ERV)-Naomi told her daughter-in-law, “The LORD bless him! He has continued showing his kindness to the living as well as the dead.…
Ruth 2:20 (NET)-Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be rewarded by the LORD because he has shown loyalty to the living on behalf of the dead!…
All of these remind us that God continues to show His loving kindness to the living and to the dead. We can continue on in life as God’s people, resting in the assurance that the saved dead are safe in His care. He is still their God, just as He is still ours. Knowing that they are safe with Him is one of the great gifts of God to assure us that we can keep on living in this world that is often so difficult. Realizing that there is a Day of reunion when God’s people will be together again-never more to part-comforts us (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Isn’t one of the great themes of the Book of Revelation that our loved ones who have died in Christ are safe (Revelation 7:9)? They are safe in God’s care (Revelation 20:1-6), and so we can leave behind that fear that we will not see them or be with them again.
Finally, with this assurance, the Book of Ruth teaches us that it is okay to live again after having been left behind by death. Naomi went through her valley of sorrow, but she was not going to make that her permanent home. It is okay and good to grieve-but thanks to the Lord, we can grieve in hope. The Book of Ruth provides us a reminder that we look to the Lord Jesus for our comfort and assurance in living.
Ruth 4:17-Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi.” And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Thanks to Jesus, we may also move forward when we are left behind.
Thanks Lord, for always being there. Amen.