Uprooted
Some years ago now we sent out a series of words for the week on Esther, an Israelite in a foreign land, whose beauty landed her in the harem of a Persian king.
There are only two books of the Bible that are primarily the story of women - Esther and Ruth. (And maybe the Song of Songs!) At the beginning of the book of Ruth, Naomi, like Esther, was a Jewish exile. Unlike Esther, she was not forced into pampered sex slavery, but was driven into exile by famine, taking a long and uncertain journey, round the Dead Sea, from Bethlehem to the land of Moab, in search of food. And there with husband and sons all dead, she faced impoverished childless widowhood. Nor was there anyone who could share with her the memories of her birthplace, her family home or the worship of the Lord God of Israel. So, when she heard that the famine had ended, she decided to set out on the long walk home. 'It is bitter for me,' she said, 'because the hand of the Lord has turned against me'.
Women trying to care for their children in refugee camps, in desert exiles, women bereaved and lost - Naomi stands for those caught up in many of our world's dark and desperate situations. And many of them are Christians, who have put their trust in the God whose redeeming love has been revealed in Jesus. And many of them cry out, 'It is bitter for me'.
Both Esther and Naomi, were part of God's wider purposes and both lived to see his loving intervention in their lives and to praise him for it. But their lives were never easy, and at any one point neither knew the outcome, whether it would be good or ill.
Their stories teach us that sometimes we have to trust and obey the Lord in darkness; that sometimes we may never know fully the outcomes of our trust and obedience in our own lifetime. But they also teach us that the loving interventions of others can turn despair into hope for those whose path is bitter.
Comments
There are currently no comments for this article.
