A Deeper Dive Into the Book of Revelation - Part 29
In the first chapter of Ruth, Naomi tries to discourage Orpah and Ruth from making the journey with her to the Promised Land of God’s people. She urges them to turn back to their old lives among the unbelievers of Moab.
Orpah gives in, and true to the meaning of her name, she turns back and returns to Moab, symbolically ending her relationship with the one true God and returning to her old lifestyle among the unbelievers.
Orpah represents the “stony ground” believers in Jesus’ parable of Sower. Her dedication was shallow, and her commitment was lacking. When discouragement set in, she abandoned her new-found faith in the One True God.
On the other hand, Ruth could not be shaken. After Orpah said goodbye to Naomi, we are told that “Ruth clung to her” (Ruth 1:14 AMP).
After Naomi tries to discourage Ruth again, Ruth makes a declaration of commitment that has been inspiring people for centuries!
“Then Naomi said, ‘Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; turn back and follow your sister-in-law.’
“But Ruth said, ‘Do not urge me to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people will be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord do the same to me [as He has done to you], and more also, if anything but death separates me from you.’”—Ruth 1:15-17 (AMP)
Ruth’s commitment is not shallow and shaky, like Orpah’s. She is not double-minded. Ruth is all in. She is holding nothing back. Ruth’s commitment is wholehearted. She is committed for life. There is no ”Plan B” for Ruth.
This is the commitment of the Overcomer. This is the commitment of the bond servant of Jesus Christ.
Quieting the Voice of Discouragement
“When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her about it.”—Ruth 1:18 (CEB)
Do you want to quiet the voice of the devil in your thoughts that is trying to bring discouragement, fear, anxiety, depression, or any other negative emotion? Resist those thoughts with Truth and unwavering determination. Stand up to those thoughts and resist them like Jesus did when He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”—2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NKJV)
“Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”—James 4:7 (NKJV)
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith”—1 Peter 5:8-9 (NKJV)
Embracing Bitterness
Finally, Naomi and Ruth arrived in Bethlehem, which means “house of bread.”
**“**So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole city was stirred because of them, and the women asked, ‘Is this Naomi?’
“She said to them, ‘Do not call me Naomi (sweetness); call me Mara (bitter), for the Almighty has caused me great grief and bitterness. I left full [with a husband and two sons], but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?’”—Ruth 1:19-21 (AMP)
When Ruth had been bombarded with thoughts of discouragement, she had steadfastly rejected them and defeated the voice of the enemy in her life.
On the other hand, Naomi had blamed God for the grief and loss that she had experienced, even though she had voluntarily chosen to leave “the house of bread” to seek bread from another source when times got tough. She harbored unforgiveness in her heart toward God for all that she had suffered. As she continued to dwell on those thoughts of resentment and unforgiveness, bitterness took root in her heart, and she embraced it as her identity, even choosing “Mara” (meaning “bitter”) as her new name.
This is very serious. We are always given grace by God to help us deal with times of suffering, but the writer of Hebrews warns us that if we resist the grace of God and do not respond as we should, bitterness can take root in our hearts.
“See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”—Hebrews 12:15 (NIV)
This one response disqualified Naomi from joining the ranks of the Overcomers and being a part of the firstfruits harvest at the end of this age. Naomi represents the “thorny ground” believers in Jesus’ parable of the Sower who get so caught up in the circumstances and anxieties of this life that the Word of God is choked out and cannot bear good fruit in their lives.
Her resentment and bitterness toward God defiled her and stained her spiritual garments. She was not going to be ready to meet her “kinsman redeemer” Bridegroom. Like the other foolish virgins in Matthew 25, she would have to wait outside the door while the wise virgins, like Ruth, who had made themselves ready to meet their “kinsman redeemer” Bridegroom were invited into the Most Holy Place to participate in the wedding celebration.
As we are told in Ephesians chapter 5, Jesus is coming back for a Bride that is pure and without spot, wrinkle, or blemish.
“Husbands, love your wives [seek the highest good for her and surround her with a caring, unselfish love], just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify the church, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word [of God], so that [in turn] He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, **without spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy [set apart for God] and blameless.”—**Ephesians 5:25-27 (AMP)
His Bride will be made up of the wise virgins of Matthew 25 who have made themselves ready to be presented to Him (See Revelation 19:7-8.). The Bride of Christ will be dressed in pure, white linen when she is presented to the Heavenly Bridegroom. She will have already cleansed herself of everything that would defile and contaminate her.
Naomi, on the other hand, represents the Main Harvest of believers that we see in Revelation 15 who will have to go through the “threshing floor” of Great Tribulation in order to cleanse themselves of all the filthiness that they have allowed to defile them.
“Therefore, since these [great] promises are ours, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates and defiles body and spirit, and bring [our] consecration to completeness in the [reverential] fear of God.”—2 Corinthians 7:1 (AMPC)
Reference: Cummins, D. (2021). I Am Ruth Thy Handmaid. Capitol Worship.
