Faithful in the mess

I like my ducks in a row and my chickens counted (even before they hatch). If I could lead a horse to water and make him drink, I would.

By this, I mean that I wish I could live in tidy circumstances, where everything always turns out like I expect, and people never refuse what is good for them.

But farm animals wander off and humanity does too. Often, it is life’s untidiness that teaches us how to trust. Several times in the last few months, I’ve made the exasperated comment, “This is a mess!” I’ve asked God more than once, “What does it look like to be faithful in the middle of this situation?”

Ruth and Naomi found themselves there—surrounded by the clutter of shattered expectations and fragmented relationships. Husbandless and childless, they were left without a support system in a context where women were treated as second class citizens. Lives altered by a chain of events that began with national rebellion and famine, their suffering was brought on by the choices of others.

“In the days when the judges ruled …”

This short phrase at the beginning of the book of Ruth matters greatly. It is an interpretive clue that unlocks the meaning of a story that will play out between two widows and an unexpected family redeemer.

The days of Israel’s judges were characterized by a repeating cycle of unfaithfulness to God. The result was unthinkable levels of evil and pain. Over and over again, God mercifully rescued His people by raising up a judge to liberate them from the grip of a neighboring nation. Over and over again, leaders fell prey to corruption and self-interest. The people sank deeper into wickedness. Judges 21:25 says:

“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

The grave consequence of disobedience becomes all too clear in the closing chapters of Judges where we stumble upon a grotesque scene: The rape, murder and dismemberment of an unnamed woman whose corpse was sent in 12 pieces to each of the tribes of Israel.

Utter faithlessness.

Against this backdrop, Ruth—a foreigner with presumably no former allegiance to Yahweh—puts her own future at risk for the sake of her mother-in-law Naomi, a woman so embittered by loss and disappointment that she changes her name to reflect her dissatisfaction with life. Boaz—a bachelor who is loyal to Yahweh’s commands despite living in a cesspool of idolatry—demonstrates compassion for the poor and a commitment to the welfare of two women he could have easily ignored.

The love story commences from there. Boaz showers Ruth with grain (instead of roses), and their first date ends up being an awkward (yet totally chaste) midnight rendezvous. 3,000 years and 7,000 miles separate us from the historical and cultural details of this story, but even modern-day Americans can recognize the happy ending when we see it. Boy marries girl, the whole town celebrates, Naomi’s bitterness gives way to joy, and Ruth and Boaz become parents to a baby boy whose descendants include King David and King Jesus. By redeeming one family, Boaz foreshadows the Redeemer of all mankind, Jesus Christ.

It’s tempting to think that this is a story about Ruth’s loyalty or Boaz’s upstanding character. Seen in light of Judges, however, the book of Ruth is a testament of God’s faithfulness. There is only one Hero here, and His name is Yahweh. The God who mercifully sustained the rebellious nation of Israel through the tumultuous times of the judges also worked in the lives of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz to reverse their circumstances and preserve the family line of the coming Messiah.

The difference between these three people and the majority of Israel during the time of judges is simple. They responded to God’s faithfulness.

What is the backdrop of your life today?

• In the days before the U.S. election …
• In a season of struggle …
• In times of conflict …

No matter the situation, you can be assured that God will show Himself faithful. He will accomplish His sovereign plan. He will write His greater Story. The only question is whether Yahweh’s faithfulness will be on display in spite of you or through you. Will you insist on going your own way or trust in His perfect Way?

Father,

Help me to see Your faithfulness in every season and situation. I don’t want to harm those around me by getting caught in a cycle of disobedience and faithlessness. I choose to trust You to intervene in my life as you did for Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz. I know that Your plan is bigger than me and that it will prevail! Teach me to respond faithfully so that You can work through me rather than in spite of me.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen