Living in a Foreign Land

Have you ever traveled to a foreign country? Have you recently moved? Did you ever stay longer or shorter than you planned? In today’s reading, I learned that Naomi and her son’s stayed 10 years in Moab. Long enough for her sons to marry women from the land. We first read about Moab in Genesis 19: 29-38. Lot and his daughters have escaped from Sodom and Gomorrah. But where they have gone is to a cave area and there are no men around to marry. So, instead of the daughters trusting God with their dilemma, they resort to getting their father drunk and conceiving children from their dad. One of the sons named Moab. Hence, the Moabites.

 

Reading for today

Ruth 1: 4-5 and Genesis 19:30, SOAP Ruth 1:4-5

Scripture Ruth 1: 4-5

4. And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.

⁵ And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them, and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.

Observation

Naomi and her sons remained in the foreign land of Moab after her husband passed away. According to the culture, the sons married women from Moab. They lived in the land for ten years. God lists their name in scripture so he knew their names. God is with Naomi when her sons die, he has given her two daughters-in-law.

Application

What foreign land do you find yourself? Have you stayed true to God or adapted to the culture? God ensures that we know the names of the sons, do you know that God knows your name. What verse in John 10 states that God knows our names?

Prayer

Father God, thank you that you know my name. Thank you for your word that shares details that are important for us to apply to each of us. Lord, the land that Naomi and her sons stayed in for ten years met there needs. I am in a transition and Doug and I are to move to Missouri which is a foreign land. Give me a purpose in moving there. Lord, you gave Naomi daughters-in-law to help her go on with life. Lord, I understand grief will you be with me and anyone suffering from losing someone. Thank you for my dad whom I am grieving. However, it is better to have had him and lost him than to not have had my dad. Just as you gave Naomi sons to carry on their heritage, you gave me sons. Thank you for my sons and their families. Be with each of us as we study the book of Ruth. Thank you for Freedom Sisters that I am studying Ruth with. Open up your word to us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Conclusion

Wendy Pope in her study of the scripture looks for something OLD and something NEW in the reading of the scripture. For this passage, my something OLD is that Naomi’s sons die and she is left with her daughters-in-law in a foreign land.

My something NEW is that I didn’t know that they lived in the land ten years before the sons died. God gave her Ruth and God protected the line of Jesus because in that ten years Ruth did not become pregnant. Awe, God is good and brings forth his plans. Reminds me of this verse.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11 KJV).

What is your choice in the land you are living? Is it God’s will? James 4: 8a says if we draw near to God he will draw near to us. Will you draw near to God?