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It Was the Worst of Times

The story of Ruth is more complicated, and perhaps more lovely, than a simple story of girl-meets-boy and “happily ever after.”

And it starts with the very first line: “In the days when the judges ruled…” (Ruth 1:1).

The days of the judges were a dark and violent time in Israel’s history—a time when Israel was unfaithful to God, tribalistic and violent towards each other, and without even a basic human moral compass.

It is best summed by a phrase at the end of the book of Judges: “In those days, Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit” (Judges 21:25). And “they saw fit” to do all kinds of evil and awful things. Bad enough that the writer of that book compares Israel to Sodom and Gomorrah.

Not the ideal backdrop for a love story—or maybe it is. We need to understand this backdrop to understand Ruth’s story. This is a time in Israel’s history when faithfulness to God is at an all-time ebb, when God is little more than a deity to ask for deliverance when life gets too hard.

The opening verse reinforces this picture of Israel when it talks about a famine in the land. Famine was one of the curses for faithlessness in Israel. In Deuteronomy 28:15-68, God warns Israel of such consequences for disobedience. And at the opening of Ruth’s story, Israel is experiencing those consequences. The author is doubling down on painting a poor picture of Israel (the “days of the judges” and a famine in the land).

As if those aren’t bad enough, the opening verse talks about a family of Israelites leaving the Promised Land! And going to Moab, one of Israel’s oppressors (see Judges 3:12). Literally living with the enemy!

We may read “famine” and think, "Of course, that makes sense—go where there is food!” But this should be shocking. How could anyone leave the land God had given to Israel?! Walking away from the land was akin to walking away from God.

This week, we’ll read through the book of Ruth, asking God to help us understand her story well for what it shows us of ourselves and Him.

And we can start with this question: Would I ever walk away from what God has given me?

Prayer: God, our stories are often more complicated than what we first think or recognize. Help me see where You are in my situation, even when it is hard to see. Help me read the book of Ruth well this week and see You in that story so that I can better see You in my story. Amen.

Reflection: Have you ever felt it “made sense” to walk away from something because it was going poorly? How do you talk to God when things are not going as expected?