RUTH 1
THE LONG WAY HOME

Big idea
•	We will not always understand God’s dealings with us, but we can always return to him and trust in him.

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This morning, we’re beginning a new series on the book of Ruth.

Ruth is a small book that at first glance seems very small in its focus and impact as well.
	It tells of how God transforms the life of one family, living in the small town of Bethlehem in Judah, over a number of years.

So far, so nice…
	But why are we looking at this book together for the next few weeks if all it is is the story of one family, living 3,000 years ago?

A book like Ruth seems to suffer particularly when we compare it to the book like Daniel, which we finished looking at last week.

For those of us who were here over the last few weeks, we saw that God had called Daniel and his friends to positions of great authority and influence in the Babylonian empire.

Daniel and his friends met kings and royal officials and soothsayers during their time in Babylon, and they had the opportunity to influence them.
	And God brought great glory to his name in the sight of these powerful people through the faithfulness of Daniel and his friends!

The book of Daniel is set in the corridors of power –
	And now this week, we turn to the small story of Ruth –
	A small cast of characters, living in a small town, with seemingly little influence on the world around them:

Why are we studying this book?
	Why is this simple love story in the Bible at all?

One reason I’m glad we’re studying the book of Ruth immediately after the book of Daniel is that sense of contrast.

The book of Ruth is very different to the book of Daniel – and that big difference is a big part of its message to us!

The story of Ruth shows God at work in the lives of very ordinary people.
	There are no kings or prophets or priests in this story – at least, not until the very end…

But in this story, we’re going to see that God works amazing things through the faithfulness of his people –
	Even when their lives can appear undramatic – unspectacular – resolutely ordinary!

Sometimes, it can be hard to relate to great biblical characters like Daniel – as all the dilemmas and choices he seems to face are on such a grand scale.
	So – perhaps it’s the very ordinariness of the setting of Ruth that we can see something of our own lives reflected.

The dilemmas and choices the characters in Ruth face are simple ones, but ones many of us can relate to:

•	How can I provide for myself and my family?
•	Will I get married – and if so, to whom?
•	How can I practically demonstrate the love of God in my everyday relationships?

Now, we need to stress from the outset of this series that the family of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz is a unique family in salvation history –
	And we need to be wary of jumping too quickly from how God works in their lives, to how we can expect him to work in ours!

We’re going to see God do wonderful things in the lives of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz – but we can’t expect God to do all the same things for us!

We’ll come back to that thought in this series:
	But – once we acknowledge that we cannot expect the same blessings as Ruth and her family, there are great truths for us to grapple with here –
	Both about God – and about ourselves!

The message of the book of Ruth is that:
	God works through the faithfulness of his people to bring about his eternal plan for the world!

The challenge it leaves us with is:
	Will we be faithful in the ordinary, even mundane things in our lives – how we manage our jobs and our money, how we relate to our families and our other relationships – so that God can use us to bring people to himself?

For that is God’s eternal plan!
	To bring glory to himself by calling sinful, undeserving people like us into relationship with himself, through his Son Jesus!

Ruth and her family had a vital role to play in that plan, as we’ll see over the next few weeks!

If you’re a Christian here this morning, you too have a vital role to play –
	For we are all called to live lives that delight in God and all that he has done for us through Christ – and to make Christ known to others through our words and actions!

God can bring people to himself through us, 
	if we ask him to transform us and enable us to live in such a way as to make him known! 

This book of Ruth encourages us that God can work through ordinary people like Naomi – like Ruth – like us, to bring about his eternal purposes for this world!

The only remarkable thing about the people in the book of Ruth is the God in whom they trust – and their faithfulness to him!
	We can learn from both as we look at this book!

One other reason why the book of Ruth has things to teach us is that, quite simply, it is a love story.

That will become clearer next week, when we turn to chapter 2 – but it’s worth stating now.

At its heart, the story of Ruth is a love story –
	And as such, it is a helpful reminder to us that the message of the Bible – the gospel of Jesus Christ – is also at its heart a love story!

We mustn’t forget that!

Sometimes, as Christians we can get so caught up with what we do at church – 
	with what we believe from the Bible – 
	with how we differ from the world around us – and even from other Christians!

And in the midst of all that, we can begin to see God in a rather grey light:
	As a sort of cosmic manager or pastor, harried by all that he has to do, only sticking with his people and his purposes because, well, that’s his job…!

If that’s how you ever find yourself thinking of God, then the book of Ruth acts as a vital reminder:
	The God of the Bible is a lover!

The God of the Bible is a God of passionate love – and he works out his eternal purposes for his people and his world because he is a God of love!

It is because God loves us that he created such a glorious and breath-taking world!

It is because God loves us that he sent his Son into the world to die for us!

It is because God loves us that he remains committed to us, in all our weakness and sin and foolishness!

God is a God of love
	And it’s my hope and prayer that this book of Ruth will teach us great things about our God through its own beautifully-told love story!

So – those are some of the reasons why we’re looking at the book of Ruth.
	Let’s turn to Ruth chapter 1 together now!

We’ve entitled this series on Ruth, God’s love story –
	But as we had Ruth 1 read to us a moment ago, I hope we saw that this love story has a pretty grim beginning.

There’s not a lot of love or joy in chapter 1! 
	Read v.1.

The writer sets the scene for this story by telling us it takes place ‘in the days when the judges ruled’.

The time of the judges was a time of chaos and violence in Israel’s history.

After Joshua had led the people of Israel into the promised land, they quickly forgot about God and began worshipping the gods of their neighbours instead.

As a result, God handed them over to be attacked and raided by the surrounding nations – and the people of Israel suffered greatly in these attacks.

Periodically, God would send someone to rescue the people from their enemies – a military leader like Gideon or Samson, called ‘a judge’ –
	But even when God sent a rescuer, the people still went their own way, and the ‘days when the judges ruled’ were characterised by godlessness, anarchy and violence.

Not the ideal setting for a love story…!

Worse than that, v.1 sets the scene in a time of famine.

An already bleak period in Israel’s history just got bleaker!

And without food, a family from Bethlehem in Judah travels to the neighbouring country of Moab to find some.

v.2 tells us that the man of the family was called Elimelech, and his wife was called Naomi.

In the Bible – and in the Old Testament in particular – names are very important
	Often they tell us a great deal about the individuals who bear them.

‘Elimelech’ means ‘My God is king’ –
	While Naomi means ‘pleasant one’.

This couple have noble and appealing names!
	Elimlelch’s name suggest he is a God-fearing man, while Naomi’s name suggest she is a lovely woman!

With names like these, what could possibly go wrong in their lives?

But very quickly, things do go wrong – horribly wrong – for this family!
	Read vv.3-5.

With remarkable brevity, the writer of Ruth describes how the world of Naomi falls apart.

By v.5, Naomi – ‘the pleasant one’ – has lost everything.
	Her husband – and ten years later, her two sons.

The refrain in vv.3 and 5 is a telling one:
	‘and she was left’ – ‘and she was left’

While her family members die around her, Naomi is left to survive on her own.
	We have barely met Naomi when she loses everything that matters to her.

1)	A time of famine and loss (vv.1-7)

Commentators discuss whether Naomi and Elimelech were being punished by God for moving to Moab.

Moab certainly was no friend to Israel at this time, and the people there worshipped other gods.

Also, the fact that after Elimelech’s death, Naomi allowed her sons to marry Moabite women is taken by many to point to Naomi’s lack of faithfulness to God –
	Generally in the Old Testament, intermarriage between Israelites and other nations was prohibited by God – and when it happened, it usually had disastrous results.

Is God judging Naomi’s family here?
	The writer doesn’t tell us directly – but we’ll see in a moment how Naomi sees God’s hand at work in her loss.

What is clear is that Naomi and Elimelech’s decision to move to Moab has been a disaster for them!

Immediately, this story asks us some big questions:

•	Is the God of Israel really king, as Elimelech’s name claimed?  If so, why did her let Elimelech and his sons die?
•	If God really is king, then what sort of king is he?  Naomi’s experience might suggest that he is a cruel one…

These questions about God are still ringing in our ears when we finally hear God’s name mentioned for the first time, in v.6.
	Read vv.6-7.

At this stage in the story, we might not be sure what sort of God it is that Naomi trusts in –
	But v.6 tells us that ‘the LORD’ – Yahweh, the covenant name of the God of Israel – ‘had come to the aid of his people’ –
	More literally, the LORD had visited his people, to take care of them and provide them with food.

When Naomi hears of this, she sets out for home, along with her two daughters-in-law, the Moabite widows of her two sons, called Orpah and Ruth.

From this point onwards, Ruth chapter 1 is a tale of three women –
	And each of these women helps us to explore just who the God of the book of Ruth is – and what our response to him should be!

In v.8, we finally hear Naomi speak – and her first words are to urge her daughters-in-law to leave her and to return home to the land of Moab.
	Read vv.8-9.

Naomi thanks Orpah and Ruth for their kindness to her since the deaths of their husbands –
	More than that, she blesses them both in the name of ‘the LORD’, the God of Israel, for their kindness.

But she urges them to go back to Moab.

At first, Orpah and Ruth refuse – and their loyalty to their mother-in-law is both striking and touching.
	Read v.9b-10.

But then Naomi speaks again – and we finally get an insight into this woman’s heart, after she has lost her husband and her children.
	Read vv.11-13.

Naomi feels she has lost everything.

She went to Moab in the hope of finding food and a life for her family during a famine – she is returning to Bethlehem with nothing.

She is hurting – she is in mourning – she is bitter –
	And the object of her bitterness is the very LORD she has just invoked to bless her daughters-in-law!

2)	Naomi: Disappointed with God (vv.8-13, 19-21)

‘Disappointed’ is perhaps too soft a word.
	We could say distressed or bewildered by God!

Naomi is struggling to understand God and his ways towards her!

Like a good Israelite, Naomi believed that the LORD was a sovereign God – he was in control!

The problems for her came with the fact that that meant that the LORD had allowed her husband and her two sons to die!

Then, in v.6, Naomi hears that ‘the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them’.

And as she prepared to travel home to Bethlehem, you can imagine her questions:

‘If the LORD has brought an end to this famine – why did he allow the famine to occur in the first place?
	Without this famine, my family would have remained in Bethlehem – and my husband and sons might still be alive!’

‘And if the LORD is able to come to the aid of his people during a famine – why didn’t he come to the aid of my family, and prevent Elimelech, Mahlon and Kilion from dying?’

These are huge questions for Naomi – and she refuses to let God off the hook here!

I’ve often heard Christians try to excuse God from the bad things that happen in our lives and in our world –
	They claim that God would stop these things happening if he could – but somehow, he can’t.

I want us to see that Naomi refuses to take this way out of her questions and her pain.

In v.13 she feels that ‘the LORD’s hand has gone out against me’
	Not the devil’s – not another evil force – but the LORD’s, the covenant God of Israel!

And at the end of this chapter, she tells the women of Bethlehem to change the way they address her:
	Her name ‘Naomi’ – the pleasant one – no longer fits.
	Read vv.20-21.

This sort of searing honesty makes a lot of us uncomfortable –
	I have to confess it makes me feel uncomfortable!

Many of us here who are Christians just are not accustomed to voicing our feelings about our lives and about God in the way Naomi does here.

Naomi accuses God of causing her misery – of being against her –
	And she declares that she is now bitter as a result!

Naomi is disappointed with God!

As we look at Naomi here, I want to suggest to you that there are many people like Naomi in our world today.

Live long enough, and you will lose someone close to you.

Live long enough in this broken and fallen world, and you will experience loss and pain.

I’ve met people like Naomi here many times in my life – both outside the church, and inside it.

I can think of at least one close friend of mine whose bitterness towards God for allowing suffering in his life prevents him from trusting in God for anything and leads him to reject Christianity.

Just a few days ago, on Friday night, as I was picking up some young teenagers for a youth group social, one of their friends of the same age, who knew I was a Christian, announced to me that she didn’t believe in Jesus.
	When I asked her why, she smiled and said: “Because he doesn’t make sick people better.”

Naomi’s feelings about God here are deeply familiar to many of us –
	Either voiced by people we know, 
	or by ourselves,  when we have experienced pain and loss in our lives.

We know where those feelings come from:
	They come from the disparity we all feel between believing in a good God who loves us and who works all things out in our lives for good when we follow Jesus –
	And those times in our lives when all we seem to experience is pain – grief – loneliness – loss.

As Christians, we need to be prepared for times of pain and loss –
	We need to be ready to face them –
	Because if we haven’t faced them already in our lives – we will.

Like Naomi, we will all face times when we will accept God is in control –
	When we will even recognise God’s hand at work in coming to the aid of his people elsewhere –

But we will not feel that God is coming to our aid!
	We will not have the experience of God’s blessing for ourselves – and as a result, we may resent God’s goodness to others and question God’s willingness to help us!

We will all come to points in our lives when we just cannot understand why God is allowing us to go through suffering and pain.

And the reason for that is:
	We are not God!

We do not see the end from the beginning –
	We do not understand everything that happens in our lives, and what purpose different experiences might serve.  

But we are called by God to trust in him!

We are called to live by faith!

Living by faith is not living in blind hope, as some people like to claim.

But equally, the life of faith for a Christian will always involve some mystery – some uncertainty about what the future might hold, 
	for us and for those we care about.

The key characteristics of the life of faith, though, is placing our trust in the God who holds the future –
	The God who has revealed himself through Jesus Christ!

And that is a deeply humbling truth for any Christian – because it’s an acknowledgement that we are not in control!

It’s also a necessary step we must take in our relationship with God –
	As it’s only through placing our complete trust in the living God – even when we do not understand what is going on in our lives – that he can really reveal more of his awesome character to us and use us powerfully to glorify him in our lives!

The example of Naomi poses a challenge to us:

•	Will we trust in God and praise him for his revealed goodness and love, even when we feel as if we are losing everything that matters to us?
•	Or will we become bitter about God – and risk turning away from him?

That is the position that Naomi finds herself in at the end of Ruth chapter 1
	And it’s a position we all may find ourselves in at any point in our lives.

What can we do to avoid the way of bitterness?
	I think Ruth 1 gives us a few helps.

•	Don’t be too quick to blame God

We’ve already seen that Naomi may at least be partly to blame for the tragedy that has befallen her family.

There is at least a hint here that moving to Moab was a bad idea for her and her family –
	And that remaining in Bethlehem, among God’s people, would have been wiser and more trusting of them!

This can be a very painful process, but when feelings of bitterness and disappointment with God begin to arise in us, we need to look at our own hearts and ask the painful question:
	Is what I’m going through part of God’s discipline of me?

Is this pain less random or meaningless than I thought?  Might this be God dealing with part of my life and my heart that needs to change?

Our sinful natures will always rush to blame God for any difficulty we face.
	It’s up to us to trust in God’s word more than in our own hearts – and to admit that God in his loving wisdom may have a purpose in mind for what we’re going through!

•	Don’t be too quick to reject the help of others

Naomi urges Orpah and Ruth to leave her – and she refuses to allow the women of Bethlehem to celebrate her return.

Naomi’s bitterness leads her to reject the help of others – and so she fails to see others as a demonstration of God’s love for her.

When we are bitter or in pain, we may want to cut ourselves off from others –
	In particular, we may cut ourselves off from God’s people.

Thankfully, God provided Naomi with Ruth – who we’ll see refused to be sent away!

Unlike Naomi, let’s not be too quick to drive others away.
	If nothing else, asking people to pray for you when your own relationship with God feels sufficiently impaired to pray for yourself, is a vital step towards us trusting in God again!

If you know of someone who is struggling and who is refusing help, perhaps the Lord is calling you to be a Ruth.

Refuse to give up on them!
	Pray for them!
	And make it clear that you’re going nowhere!

It is in times of crisis and doubt that God’s provision of other Christians becomes so precious –
	And listening to a friend’s bitterness and questioning without judgement and with patience and love, is a powerful demonstration of love and care to a brother or a sister who is struggling.

•	Don’t be too quick to write off your life

Naomi does this at the end of Ruth 1 – but there are three chapters to come yet!

God isn’t finished with her yet – he has great plans for her!

And God may not be finished with you yet, either!

Trust in what you know of his character, demonstrated supremely through Jesus!
	And trust in what you know of your future hope, if you’re a Christian!

Thanks to Jesus, we know far more of God’s purposes for his people than Naomi did:
	We know that ultimately his plan for all of us is that we enjoy life in his presence in a restored creation!

And the apostle Paul – a man well-acquainted with suffering – assures us that any pain we experience now is not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us! (Romans 8:18)

•	Remember – God is big enough and gracious enough to take your questions!

So far, we’ve looked at Naomi as an example of how not to deal with pain and suffering.

But I don’t want us to miss the wisest thing she does in this chapter –
	She returns to God – and she is honest with God!

The best thing Naomi does is to go back to Bethlehem!
	She could have remained in Moab – bitter towards God and broken – but she doesn’t!

She takes the long road back to God – and she is honest with him about how she feels!

Don’t hide how you feel towards God!

So often, we try and suppress our questions – deny their existence – and seek to convince God, those around us and ourselves that everything is fine.

Christians are amazingly prone to do this!
	I know I am amazingly prone to do this!

Let’s learn from Naomi here!
	Let’s be honest with God!

You could say she is too honest with her feelings.
	And certainly, to express our questions and struggles to large numbers of Christians is unwise and unloving, as it may cause other believers to stumble.

But if you are struggling to understand God’s ways in your life:
	Be honest with God!  Tell him you are struggling and ask him to help you!

And be honest with trusted friends!

We’ve already said that God calls us to pray for and care for one another:
	Find some Christian friends who can pray for and care for you in such times –
	And express how you’re feeling – and get them praying!

Naomi is disappointed with God in Ruth chapter 1.

I want us to spend the rest of our time looking at the other two women in this chapter:
	Orpah and, in greater detail, Ruth.

All we know about these two women by v.14 is that:
	They come from Moab
	They married Naomi’s two sons
	They are widows like Naomi
	And they are extraordinarily devoted to Naomi!

Up to v.14, both are willing to leave their home country and go and live with their mother-in-law!
	Perhaps it says something remarkable about Naomi’s character before she suffered so much loss, that she inspires such love and devotion from these two younger women…!

Up to v.14, there is nothing to choose between these two women –
	But in that verse, their two paths diverge!

Naomi has expressed herself in the most extreme language that Orpah and Ruth would be better off back in Moab:
	There, they can find a home, a future –
	With her, there is just despair and a vindictive God!

Orpah and Ruth’s response comes in v.14.
	Read v.14.

3)	Orpah and Ruth: Two ways to live (vv.14-18)

After an astonishingly persuasive plea from Naomi, Orpah chooses to go back to Moab.

After all, Naomi is right!
	With her, there is no hope of a husband or a home: back in Moab, Orpah can start over again!

In human terms, Orpah makes the wise decision – the sensible decision!

Ruth, on the other hand, clings to Naomi – and Naomi cannot understand it!
	Read v.15.

Ruth’s reply is a staggering declaration of faith!
	Read vv.16-18.

In a dark chapter, of pain, loss and bitter questioning of God, Ruth’s faith in God is like an amazing, unexpected light that breaks in!

Ruth chooses to devote herself to Naomi – to Naomi’s people – and most amazing of all, to Naomi’s God!
	‘Your people will be my people – your God will be my God!’

Ruth’s decision here is astonishing!

Naomi has explained to Ruth just how responsible Naomi feels the LORD is for her suffering
	She has told Ruth that the LORD’s hand is against Naomi –
	And yet Ruth chooses to devote herself to the God of Israel, to the LORD!

In doing so, Ruth is sacrificing her hopes of a husband and a family by staying with Naomi –
	Naomi has said as much!

Ruth’s decision to stay with Naomi and to place her future in the hands of Naomi’s God is breath-taking –
	And it looks like madness!

BUT – we are going to see in the rest of this book:
	Orpah’s decision looked like the sensible one – but it turns out to be the wrong one!

Ruth’s decision looked foolish – it is costly –
	But in the end, God is going to richly bless her for it and use her powerfully in his purposes for the world!

Ruth’s decision, in fact, was the right one!

Chapter 1 of this book shows us why it’s named after this woman!
	She is both an amazing picture of faith for the Christian –
	And an amazing picture of God’s love for the Christian, too!

To see Ruth’s faith, we just need to contrast her with Orpah.

Both are loving and faithful daughters-in-law
	You could say that both go above and beyond the call of duty, in following Naomi and initially wanting to stay with her.

But ultimately, when faced with the full cost of staying with Naomi, Orpah turns back to her people and her gods:
	Ruth stays with Naomi and with Naomi’s God!

In human terms, Orpah does the right thing – the rational thing – and the writer of Ruth doesn’t blame her for her decision.

But it will be Ruth who will enjoy God’s great blessing as a reward for her faith!

In human terms, Ruth’s decision looked like she was throwing away her future – but at the risk of giving away the end of the story:
	It is Ruth who is honoured as the great-grandmother of King David!

It is Ruth the Moabitess who is included in the people of God!

It is Ruth who will be mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew chapter 1!

Ruth’s faith in the LORD looks insane in Ruth chapter 1
	But God rewards Ruth with a place of honour in his eternal purposes!

Orpah’s decision looks like the wise one here –
	But in reality, by walking back to Moab she was walking away from the opportunity of knowing the living God and being part of his people!
	She was walking away from life and grace and a future!

Ruth and Orpah stand in this chapter as two choices we could make –
	Two ways in which we could live!

The question Orpah asks of us is:
	
Will we turn back as she does? 
	 Orpah followed Naomi and Ruth for a while, but ultimately turned back when it looked too costly a decision.

What about us?
	If you’re a Christian here this morning, is your obedience to Christ dependent on things looking promising today?
	Or will you follow him, even when that involves sacrifice – struggle – even periods of great mystery and questioning?

In some ways, we can see Orpah in Jesus’ parable of the sower and the soils.

Some soils in Jesus’ story looked very promising – it grew the seed for while – but in the end, other things became too important, and the seed died.
	Other attractions – like money and popularity – became more important than a relationship with Christ!
	Other worries squeezed Jesus out!

Will we fall into the mould of Orpah?
	Will we just follow Christ for a while – when it suits us – but then, when it looks too costly, will we walk away?

Or will we be like Ruth?

Will we recognise the costliness of what we’re doing – will we acknowledge the sacrifices we may have to make to follow Christ –
	But will we follow him anyway, in the knowledge that Jesus alone is able to give us eternal life, forgiveness of sins and a relationship with God to enjoy?

Like Ruth, the decision to follow Christ will look foolish in human terms, to a watching world
	It can look enormously costly if all we’re living for is today!
	To the world around us, Orpah’s decision makes a lot more sense!

But we’re going to see in the book of Ruth that Ruth’s decision was ultimately the right one –
	And any decisions we make to remain faithful to Christ and to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, will be the right one too!

Ruth’s faith in God is remarkable in Ruth 1!
	And in part Ruth’s love for Naomi is also a picture of God’s love for us!

Naomi doesn’t deserve Ruth’s love –
	She is a bitter old woman in this chapter!  And in certain moods, I can feel impatient with her!  I can think: 

‘Why does Ruth bother with Naomi?  Why does Ruth sacrifice so much to remain with her and to care for her?  Naomi doesn’t deserve this!’

But then I’m forced to admit:
	Ruth is a picture of God’s love for his people here – and none of us deserves that love!

God’s love for us is not dependent on our goodness or patience or faithfulness!
	God’s love for us is dependent on his love for us!

Just as Ruth chooses to devote her life to a bitter old woman like Naomi, so the LORD chooses to call bitter, selfish, faithless people like us into his family – and to make himself known to us through his Son Jesus Christ!

Ruth is a picture of the covenant love of God here –
	A picture of the grace of God here!

This is the love that shines through all the darkness and bitterness of the world of Ruth 1!
	And this is the love that can break through all the darkness and bitterness of our world – and that can call people like us out of this world and into new life and a relationship with Jesus Christ!

God’s love for our world is even more remarkable and undeserved than Ruth’s love for Naomi!

It led him to send his Son to die on a cross, so that we could be forgiven and enjoy new life with him!

This is the God who called Naomi and Ruth home to Bethlehem as this story begins:
	And this is the God who calls us to himself through his Son Jesus!

We leave Naomi and Ruth at the end of chapter 1, living in Bethelehem.

Naomi is disappointed with God –
	Ruth has just decided to put her trust in God.

I don’t know which of these two women is closest to you this morning.
	But we will see in the coming weeks just what God’s plans for them are – and just what sort of God it is who has revealed himself to us through Jesus!.

Naomi tells us that we will not always understand God’s dealings with us – that there may be times of questioning and doubt in our lives.

But Ruth tells us we can know enough about God to put our trust in him –
	And that putting our trust in God through Christ is the best decision we can ever make!

v.22 tells us that Naomi and Ruth arrived in Bethlehem, just ‘as the barley harvest was beginning’.

The famine is over – and God has great plans for his people –
	If only we will trust in him!