From Bitterness to Blessing - Ruth Series

This devotion is an excerpt from the book, The Gospel of Ruth: Loving God Enough to Break the Rules and was written by Carolyn Custis James. We hope you will be encouraged.

TWO WOMEN AND A BABY

The miracle birth of Obed is truly the most joyful moment in the book, hailed by the women who celebrate with Naomi. This child renews Naomi’s life. Instead of the dead end she had reached, Obed creates for Naomi a brand-new opening into the future and a vital new kingdom assignment. No one reading the book of Ruth for the first time would ever anticipate such a remarkable turn of events. The women attribute Naomi’s blessings to her foreign-born daughter-in-law with superlative praise. “For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth” (Ruth 4:15, emphasis added). They name the baby Obed, then top off their praise with a punch line: “Naomi has a son!” (4:17).

When Obed is born, the past and the future are joined and all of the loose strands of the story come together. Naomi’s sufferings, Ruth’s vow, God’s mission for each woman, and their true contributions for the kingdom — all unite in one small baby boy, but not in the way you might expect.

Ruth and Naomi each experienced a major turning point long before Obed comes gasping and squalling out of the womb and into their waiting arms. Ruth turned a corner in her life when she refused to abandon Naomi and embraced Naomi’s God. Naomi’s turning point happened when Ruth unloaded a pile of raw barley at her feet and she realized with astonishment that Yahweh still loved her. These are life-changing moments that dramatically alter both women, for despite their losses and their grief, they derive fresh purpose and meaning from Yahweh’s hesed and turn outward to sacrifice for others. This is the power of the gospel in their lives.

Obed may change their schedules, daily chores, and sleeping habits. He ends the physical emptiness caused by the absence of sons in the family, for now Elimelech has an heir. But his arrival in this world cannot account for the profound changes that God works in the hearts of the two widows. Obed does not give meaning and purpose to Ruth, for she had both long before he was born. He cannot end Naomi’s sufferings, for she will always grieve the losses of her husband and sons. But along with opening up for the two women a window on the future, Obed becomes the beneficiary of all that the two women have gained from what they have suffered and sacrificed. He will carry their past with him into the future.

From the mother who gave him birth, Obed will inherit a caliber of faith in Yahweh that doesn’t easily give up, no matter how daunting the obstacles, no matter how impossible the odds. The courageous blood of a risk taker runs through his veins. With a mother like that, it shouldn’t surprise anyone to hear of Obed’s grandson standing up to a giant warrior armed only with a sling and five small stones.

Obed will also learn a lot about sacrifice from his mother. He will hear about all she has done for Naomi. Word has gotten out about the costly sacrifices Ruth made for her mother-in-law. The women of Bethlehem aren’t just spouting overused clichés when they say Ruth is “better than seven sons.” They really mean it. Naomi actually is better off with Ruth than a lot of women who gave birth to what the ancient world regarded as the perfect number of sons.

Older women counted on their sons to care for them, to protect them from exploitation and the harsh elements of society, to be their voice, to stand up for their rights, and to preserve their father’s name and estate by bringing the next generation of male descendants into the world. Ruth did all of those things for Naomi at great cost to herself and in a culture that tied her hands behind her back, denied her a voice, refused her access to the legal system, and regarded her as useless. It was all uphill for Ruth. But she did it anyway. Not even seven sons would have done as much.

Even with the birth of Obed, Ruth continues sacrificing for Naomi. Anyone would say that after everything Ruth did for Naomi, it was time for her to enjoy a little happiness herself. Marriage to Boaz and the birth of a son seem fitting rewards for such an extraordinary and selfless woman. But Ruth still isn’t thinking of herself. She has never veered from her vow.