Decisions - Ruth 1
Decisions - Ruth 1
- Greg Waybright
- Ruth 1
- Things Don't Just Happen - The Book of Ruth
- 37 mins 55 secs
- Views: 2482
Study Notes
Things Don’t Just Happen
Ruth 1: Decisions
Things don’t just happen. Do you believe that? Sometimes, it seems as if they do – just happen. But, even among those who would not profess that they believe in God, I hear people say about something that has happened to them, “I think this took place for a reason.” Of course, we who believe in the God of the Bible know that God constantly says that he is at work in all things to make his creation right and just. We can hardly imagine how this all plays out because we know we all make decisions – and it boggles our minds to try to consider someone actually coordinating all things – even our bad or foolish decisions – to bring about good.
But, for the next four weeks, we are going to see a real-life story of how it is true that “things don’t just happen” as we come to the Book of Ruth. The opening chapter we come to today will show us how our daily decisions are real decisions – but that God is still at work in them.
On one side, God’s Word will show us that our choices matter. What you decide to do has consequences – both for good and bad. But, the Book of Ruth will show you that that as you make real decisions, “Someone” else is at work. Things don’t just happen. There is a God who directs the outcomes of all the decisions and events of our lives.
We’ll start in Ruth, chapter 1. For those of us who know God, we often go to the end of the story first – to the future -- and see, as in Rom 8:28 or Rev 22, that God is at work in all things to bring about good. However, we must live each day on this side of the story – in the present tense – and, when things happen, we often feel that the things that happen have no good purpose at all. That’s what we see in Ruth 1.
Let’s start this with some preliminary matters:
The Literature: The Book of Ruth is perhaps the first short story ever written, at least the first one we know of. The story itself was written probably just after King David took the throne – right around 1,000 BC. The events it describes took place in the times of the Judges (1:1), between 1,350 BC – 1,100 BC. And, Ruth is a well-told story. I envision the author being a woman (though we don’t know for sure) who would get an A+ in a writing class. She was especially strong at concise characterization, i.e., she enables us in few words to get to know quite well the people involved. And, as we will see, just like many stories written in our day, each chapter ends with a cliffhanger -- and the conclusion is a shocker!
The Setting: Ruth opens by telling us that the events took place in the days when the judges ruled. You can read about those days in the Book of Judges that goes just before Ruth in the Bible. The main characteristic of those days was that “everyone did what seemed right in his own eyes.” And, that kind of self-centered culture led to violence, oppression and all manner of evil. But, two characters in our story will show us a better way to live. In short, they show us what life looks like when we do what is right in God’s eyes.
But, just like now, for them to live a God-centered life in a self-centered world life was not easy. To begin today, I’ve chosen to have us look at the decisions that the characters make in Ruth’s opening chapter.
Decision 1: A Questionable Decision – Elimelek -- A man from Bethlehem, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab (1:1).”
In this story in which the title character is a woman, I must tell you that the time of the judges was one in which all the people groups in the Ancient Near East were male-dominated cultures. That comes out in vv.1-2: Elimelek is the one who leaves the town in God’s Promised Land, who goes to the country of Moab, and who chooses to live there. His wife and teenage boys simply had to go with him. Women and children had little voice in that world. So, Naomi is mentioned only secondarily in these opening two verses – because that’s the kind of world into which this story is written. But, that’s going to be completely turned around very, very soon in the story. God’s Word will be showing us in a powerful and moving way that women’s lives matter.
Bible scholars differ about whether Elimelek made a God-honoring decision when he went to Moab. On one side, we have here a father who is concerned about his family starving. Bethlehem, his home town, means “house of bread”. But, there was no bread in the “House of Bread”. But somehow, Elimelek had heard that there was food less than 100 miles away in Moab.
Elimelek’s decision reminds me of a man from Guatemala who migrated here to our city because he couldn’t find a job to support his family – and he has a wife and two little boys just like Elimelek. He’s a strong believer in Jesus who was seeking to honor God. So, I simply said, “You must really miss your family.” He said, “Pastor, I love them and think of them every minute of every day. But, my choice was either to leave my family or to have them stave. What would you do?”, he asked me. That relationship with my brother has led me not to be too hard on Elimelek today. The decision he had to make was heart-wrenching, I’m sure.
On the other hand, everything seems wrong about this father taking a young family to Moab. Moab was known for a number of things – none of them good. 1) The Moabites’ origin comes out of the incestuous relationship of a man named Lot and his daughter (Gen 19:30-38). 2) The Moabites were known for sexual immorality, something the Israelites had given into in Num 25:1-9. 3) In these times of the judges, for 18 years, Israel had been under the power of Moab’s evil king, Eglon (Jud 3)! All this together helps us understand why Elimelek only planned to go to Moab “for a short while” (1:1). However, the short while became a long while, 10 years. And his sons then married Moabite women. So, let me just say this: This may not have been a wise decision. Moab was the place to which no God-fearing Jew would ever have taken his family.
Of the many things I could say about this as your Sr. Pastor, the main one I want to address is that I think many of us gathered here can relate fully to Elimelek in the sense that we often have made decisions that we look back on and either know that they were wrong or, at least, we wonder whether they were wise. I cannot tell you how many times I have prayed with church members who wonder whether God has written them off because of things they’ve done in the past. You might even think that the point of the story here is that that Elimelek and his sons died in Moab as divine punishment for Elimelek’s decision.
But that is not the point of this story. The Bible makes no claim that they died because of Elimelek’s decision. Death comes to us all in this world – for a whole host of reasons. No, the point of the story of Ruth as it relates to Elimelek comes out in ch. 4: The Israelites knew that death comes to all. Their deep concern was that their property and offspring would be retained together. We see near the end of Ruth that God did not abandon Elimelek’s family because of his decision to go to Moab. To the contrary, in Ruth 4:10, God guides all these events so that “the name of Elimelek will be maintained with his property and thus his name will not disappear from among his family and hometown.” God does not reject us because of an unwise decision.
I do believe that Elimelek should have sought God’s guidance more fully. I think that is implied in the story. He did what seemed right in his own eyes. Perhaps, if he had sought God’s guidance, he may not have gone to Moab with his wife and boys. But, when he (and you and I like him) make the kind of decision that now seems unwise, God does not write him or us off. God is gracious, merciful and forgiving. He is the God of second chances. Please take this home with you today: God does not write you off forever because of a decision you have made in your life. He knows you and he finds ways to make things new for those who return to him.
Decision 2: A Decision Made When Angry – Naomi -- “Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty (1:20-21).”
There are times in our lives when there seem to be no good options open to us. We find ourselves on a path we never would have chosen for ourselves and must make big decision there. That’s how it was for Naomi. By the end of v. 5, all the men in her life are gone. That’s a big point in Ruth 1, i.e., the men are gone.
If you can put yourself into the shoes of the women who will now take over this story, you must know that when women in their culture met, their main identities and concerns were their roles as wives and mothers. Being a single woman was not hardly an option for them. Moreover, if you were a woman without children, and particularly, without sons, you would be ostracized, even scorned – by the other women. Remember that this was a male-dominant culture. That reality that permeates this story. I know you may say, “That’s wrong.” But, like a fish swims in water if it will survive, male-centeredness was “the water in which they swam every day of their lives.” The thoroughgoing nature of this comes out in Naomi’s words to her daughters-in-law in v. 9: “May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.”
This does not mean that this is the way God intends for things to be. And, the impact of this patriarchal dominance came in horrible ways, like the terrible abuse of women that you find in the book of Judges, e.g., Jud 19. And, this effect of sin has certainly not been eradicated in our world as is evident by the growing stories of the abuse of women that is flooding into the open in our day -- in the entertainment industry, the political world, the corporate world and even the religious world. It is what the current #metoo movement is seeking to expose.
But this kind of disrespect for women is not the way God intended the world to be. Jesus came to make all things right and this is a part of what Jesus gave his life to transform. What God intends for our human relationships was set forth in the beginning in Gen 1:26-27 where God says definitively that male and female together are made in his image. And, this is what the Apostle Paul declares is a part of what Jesus came to transform and make right in Gal 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
I point this out because it is the only way you will make sense of what Naomi said in 1:21, “I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.” She meant that, when she went away from Bethlehem, she had been married to a prestigious man who owned property -- and she had two sons to boot. But, when she had to make the decision to return to Bethlehem, her life was empty, i.e., her men were all dead. And, she was angry, angry about everything -- but especially angry with God.
It’s in that context that, from 1:6-18, Naomi, Orpah and Ruth wrestle with decisions about how they will survive and where they will find a place of belonging. How do you make decision when you are angry? That question is worthy of an entire sermon itself. So, let me make a few simple points for you to reflect on in case you are where Naomi was, i.e., angry about what is happening in your life:
- When angry, make the decision closest to what you think would honor God. Naomi had few choices, and none of them seemed good to her. But, she could have given up altogether. She could have lashed out at Ruth and Orpah. She could have even taken her life. But, she decided to return to the people and place of God. And, as we will see, God was honored by it.
- When angry, don’t deny the anger. Take it to God. Act in anger as he acts. All anger is not bad. Far from it. Sometimes, anger is the right response to what’s happening in the world. God repeatedly says that he is angry about evil and injustice in this world. God’s anger always leads him to make right what is wrong in his creation. If your anger leads you in that direction, it is consistent with the ways of God. Of course, remember that God’s anger about our sin led him send Jesus to bring about justice by Jesus bearing the punishment for our sins. You see, the anger of God is always blended with an offer of mercy. Be guided by that. And, when you are angry with God, tell him. Read Ps 73 or Jer 19-20. This is what people of God always did: They prayed – honest, raw, and unfiltered prayer. God will not be blown away by your anger. Only in relationship to him can your anger find guidance and resolution.
- Don’t sin when you are angry. The Apostle Paul referred to Ps 4:4 when he wrote in Eph 4:26, “In your anger do not sin”. I think this command is repeated in the Bible because it’s so hard for us to obey it. When we are angry, our emotions are often out of control. We want to hurt the other person. We are tugged inside to become what the unjust person is when we are angry. “Don’t do it!” the Bible says. Take the matter to God and ask him to show you how to make right what you feel is wrong.
- Don’t get stuck in your anger – Also in Eph 4:26-27, Paul wrote, “Don’t let the sun go down on your anger or you will give the Devil a foothold.” By this, the Bible means that you should not let anger become a way of life. It will eat you up like a cancer. It will ruin your life and all those around you. It will be the way the Devil gets a foothold in your life. So, don’t ignore anger when you feel it. Don’t deny it. But, don’t wallow in it – or remain in it long.
Here’s the point: When you are angry and must make a decision, make the wisest decision you can. Naomi portrays what some of this looks like. Naomi is bitter and angry. She does not bottle it up but expresses it. But, at the same time, she makes the best decision in a situation in which no decision seems to be any good.
Decision 3: A Decision that Seeks to Reflect God’s Heart – Ruth -- Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God (4:16).
The decision that Ruth makes is the hinge upon which the entire story will turn. Indeed, we will see that the decision she makes is one upon which all of salvation history turns. And, note this: In the eyes of the people in her world, she is the most marginalized and insignificant person imaginable: She is a single woman in a married man’s world, a widow, an immigrant, a Moabite! All these identities intersect in this one young woman. Yet, her decision sets into motion what would be the line through which the Savior of the world will come.
All three women set off for Bethlehem in v.7 but, abruptly and firmly, Naomi repeatedly urges both Orpah and Naomi to go back home to Moab. Read her reasoning and ask what you would do. Naomi says, “If you go with me, there will be no hope for you. I cannot have other children for you to marry – and even if I could, you would be too old for them when they get to marrying age. If you go with me to Bethlehem, you will be hated and no one will marry you!”
Eventually, Orpah goes back to her home country – and the Bible does not criticize her for it. It’s would seem, from a human perspective, to be the best decision in a situation in which no decision seemed to be ideal.
But, Ruth insisted on staying with Naomi. We dare not forget that the decision that Ruth makes is one that, in human eyes, will almost certainly lead to a future for her of isolation, loneliness and misery. The Bible points us here to the key to making this kind of decision Ruth made. You see it in what Naomi said in 1:8: “May the Lord show you kindness (hesed), as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me.”
This word translated kindness is one of the most important words in the Bible. In Hebrew, it is “hesed”. It is the term that sums up in one word all the positive attributes of God: his love, faithfulness, mercy, grace, kindness and loyalty. This one word sums up the qualities that we who are made in the image of God are supposed to reflect in all our decisions – in all our actions. It’s what the Bible means in 1 Cor. 10:31: “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” To glorify God is to live a life of “hesed”.
Ruth’s decision to stay with Naomi is how a person glorifies God in everyday decisions in life. In a very practical way, Ruth chose to be faithful, kind and loving to Naomi just as God is. Let me tell you: When you read about Jesus, you will see that what Ruth does is the way that Jesus made his decisions. It’s the way Jesus lived his life. And, still, this is how Jesus deals with us: Jesus loves us before we ever love him. When we have sinned and return to him, Jesus forgives us. And, Jesus promises never to leave us or forsake us. Wherever we go, he will go.
If you will glorify God, what Ruth did is a guide to how you should make decisions your life. You should love to act justly and to show mercy. You should not give up on others when they are as bitter and unpleasant as Naomi was. You should love to walk humbly with people because you daily walk with God.
This story shouts out to us that one person’s decision – yes, the decision of the most marginalized person imaginable in the eyes of the people of her world – can make an eternal difference in this world for the kingdom of God.
Ruth 1 draws to a conclusion with such a sense of despair. Naomi, who had left Bethlehem so robust and full returns an empty embittered old woman with… with a Moabitess. Did you see v.19? The women in Bethlehem didn’t even acknowledge Ruth. It’s as if she isn’t even there. It’s as if this immigrant woman doesn’t matter at all. But, with God… Well, let’s see how the chapter ends v.22 -- So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.
So, there is bread again in the “house of bread”. And… well, well, well. When do they start reaping again? Just as Ruth arrives. What a coincidence!
I’ll end as I began by reminding you that when we believe in the kind of God we believe in, we discover that he is present and at work in all things. In other words, things don’t just happen. Whatever happens will ultimately be – to God’s glory.
Chinese Study Notes
萬事皆非偶然
路得記:決策
任何事情的發生都不是偶然的,你相信嗎?有時候某些事情的確看似偶然,然而,我曾聽到過那些不相信神的人這樣說起發生在他們身上的事:“我覺得這件事的發生有其原因。”當然,我們這些相信聖經中獨一真神的人知道,神一直強調,祂無時無刻不在作工,而使祂的創造臻於完全。我們很難想象這一切是如何運作的,因為我們都知道,每個人都會做決策。想一想,有這樣一位協調萬事的人,即使我們做了錯誤或是愚蠢的決定,祂都能使我們得到益處。
但是,在接下來的四周裏,我們要看一看路得記裏所記載的這個真實的故事,看看萬事如何並非偶然。我們今天要看的第一章會告訴我們,即使我們在日常生活中真實地做了決策,神仍舊在其中作工。
讓我們首先看一看故事的概況:
文學價值:路得記可能是第一部短篇小說,至少是我們所知道的第一部。故事本身大概寫於大衛王登基之後,大約在公元前1000年左右。它所描述的事件發生在士師記1:1記載的時期,也就是公元前1350至1100年之間。路得記是一篇記述完整的故事。我可以設想,作者是一位女性(盡管我們無法確定),她的寫作課一定是A+。她尤為註重簡潔的表達,比如,她用幾句話就可以讓我們清楚地知道故事所牽涉的人物。並且正如當代的許多作品一樣,每一章的結尾都扣人心弦,結論都令人震驚!
故事發生的地點:路得開篇就告知讀者,故事發生在士師時代。你可以從路得記前面的一部書----士師記了解那個時期。那個時代的一個主要特征就是:“每個人都看自己所行的為正。”那樣自我中心的文化導致了暴力、壓迫和各樣的邪惡。然而,在我們的故事中,有兩個人物會告訴我們一種更好的生活方式。簡而言之,他們讓我們看到,怎樣才是和神心意的生活。
但是,正如現在這樣,在一個自我中心的世界裏,要想有一個以神為中心的生活並非易事。在開始的時候,我想先讓大家看一看路得記第一章中的主要人物所做的決策。
決策之一:一個可疑的決策 ---- 以利米勒:在猶大伯利恒,有一個人帶著妻子和兩個兒子,往摩押地去寄居。(1:1)
在這個故事中,主題人物是一個婦人。必須要告訴大家的是,士師時代屬於古代近東時期,那是男性主導的文化。路得記第一章的1-2節已經顯明:以利米勒決定離開神的應許之地,去摩押地,並且決定居住在那裏。他的妻子和少年的兒子別無選擇,必須要跟著他。在那個世界裏,女人和孩子沒有話語權。因此,開始的兩節只是很次要地提到拿俄米,因為故事所在的時期就是如此的。但是,在接下來的故事中,這一切都會完全反轉。神的話語將會以強有力和感人的方式顯明女性生命的重要性。
對於以利米勒決定去摩押是否符合神的旨意,聖經學者們有不同的看法。一方面,我們看到一個擔心家人挨餓的父親,他的家鄉是伯利恒,伯利恒這個字的意思是“面包之地”,但是在那裏卻沒有面包。但是不知何故,以利米勒聽說在離摩押不到一百裏之處有食物。
以利米勒的決定,讓我想起一個人,他從瓜地馬拉移民到這裏,因為他找不到工作養家糊口。他也像以利米勒一樣,有一個妻子和兩個男孩。他有著堅定的信仰,渴慕榮耀神。我對他說:“你肯定很想家。”他說,“牧師,我愛他們,我每天每分鐘都想念他們。但是我的選擇是,要麽就離開他們,要麽就讓他們忍受饑餓。如果是你,你會怎麽做呢?”他問我。因著這位弟兄的關系,我在看待以利米勒時可以不至太過苛刻。我敢肯定,他所做的決定一定是令他心痛的。
另一方面,一個父親帶全家遷至摩押,似乎是一個錯誤的決定。摩押是以幾件事而聞名的,但卻都不是好事。第一,摩押人的祖先出自羅得和他女兒的亂倫關系(創19:30-38);第二,摩押人因淫亂而出名,以色列人在民數記25:1-9中有所記載;第三,在士師記時期,以色列人有十八年之久處於摩押邪惡的國王伊嘰倫的統治之下(士師記3)。這一切解釋了為何以利米勒只打算在摩押短期居住(1:1)。然而,那短暫的寄居卻變成了十年。他的兒子們都娶了摩押女子為妻。所以我想說,這可能不是一個明智的決定。凡是敬畏神的以色列人都不應當將他的家庭帶到摩押。
作為主任牧師,我想說的許多要點之一就是,我們今天在座的許多人都像以利米勒一樣,我們常常在回顧自己所做決定之時,懊悔做了錯誤決定,或者懷疑那些決定是否是明智的。我已經記不清有多少次為會友因此而禱告,因為他們懷疑神是否因為他們過去所做的事情而懲罰他們。你也可能會認為,以利米勒和他的兒子們都死在摩押的結局,是神對以利米勒錯誤決定的懲罰。
但這不是這個故事的重點。聖經並沒有說他們的死亡是因為以利米勒所做的決策。世間所有人都會經歷死亡,原因也各有不同。路得記中與以利米勒有關的重點在第四章:以色列人知道,人人都有一死,他們深感關切的是,他們的財產和後代都將得以保全。我們看到,在路得記的最後,神並沒有因著以利米勒決定遷徙至摩押而離棄他的家。相反的,在路得記4:10中記載,神引導一切,並“在死人的產業上存留他的名,免得他的名在本族本鄉滅沒。”神不會因為我們不明智的決定而拒絕我們。
我的確認為以利米勒應該更多地尋求神的引導,我認為這一點也暗含在了故事裏。他做了自己眼中看為正確的事情。如果他尋求了神的引導,也可能就不會帶著他的妻子和兒子去摩押了。但是,當他(就像你和我一樣)做了現在看來不明智的決定之後,神不會撇棄他或是我們。神是有恩慈、憐憫和寬容的神,祂是給人第二次機會的神。請你今天帶著這個信息回家:神永遠不會因為你所做的決定而離棄你。祂認識你,祂會使那些回轉到祂身邊的人所經歷的都被更新。
決策之二:生氣之時所做的決策 ---- 拿俄米:不要叫我拿俄米,要叫我瑪拉。因為全能者使我受了大苦。我滿滿的出去,耶和華叫我空空的回來。(1:20-21)
在我們的人生中,會有一些時候,我們似乎無可選擇。我們可能會發現自己在一條毫無選擇的道路上,卻必須要做出重要的抉擇。拿俄米所面對的就是這樣的境況。在第5節結尾,她生命中所有的男人都離開了世界。這是路得記中的重點,也就是說,這個家族中的男人都去世了。
如果你將自己置身於這個故事的女主人公的位置,你就會知道,在她們的文化中,女人主要的身份和關註就是妻子和母親的角色。做單身女子很難成為她們的選擇。而且,如果你沒有孩子,尤其是沒有兒子,你會受其他女人排斥,甚至被譴責。記住,這是一個男性主導的文化,是滲透到這個故事中的現實。我知道你可能會說:“可那是不對的。”但是,正如一條魚在水中生存一樣,那個以男性為中心的社會環境就是她們“每天賴以生存的水。”這根深蒂固的觀念在第九節中拿俄米對兒媳所說的話中表露無遺:“願耶和華使你們各人在新夫家中得平安。”
這並不意味著神定意要使人如此。這種父權統治其實後果是很嚴重的,比如你會在士師記第19章中發現虐待女人的情況。而且,罪的這個影響至今也無法在世上根除,現代社會所出現的更多虐待女性的狀況就說明了這個事實,這些虐待女性的事件在娛樂行業、政界、企業界、甚至宗教領域都層出不窮。
如此對女性的不尊重,並非神所喜悅的。神所定規的人類之間的人際關系,已經在創世紀1:26-27闡述清楚了。祂明確地說,男人和女人都是按照祂的形象造的。這也就是使徒保羅在加拉太書3章28節中所宣告的:“並不分猶太人、希臘人、自主的、為奴的,或男或女,因為你們在基督耶穌裏,都成為一了。”
我把這個文化特點指出來,是因為唯有這樣,你們才能夠理解拿俄米在1:21所說的話:“我滿滿地出去,耶和華使我空空地回來。”她的意思是說,當她離開伯利恒之前,她是嫁給一個富有的、有著好名聲的男人,並且她還有兩個兒子幫助經營家產。 但是,當她必須決定回到伯利恒時,她的生命變為虛空,也就是說,她的男人都去世了。 這時她很生氣,對所有的事都生氣,尤其對神生氣。
正是在這樣的背景下,從1:6-18中,我們可以看到,拿俄米,俄珥巴和路得就如何生存與在何處找到歸屬之所作出決定。當你生氣的時候,你會怎樣做決定? 這個主題值得講一整篇主日信息。 假如你剛好處於拿俄米的境地,也對生活中所發生的事情感到憤怒, 那麽,我想提出幾點簡單的要點供大家思考:
- 生氣時,要做出你認為最大限度榮耀神的決定。拿俄米沒有什麽選擇的余地,因為兩個兒媳似乎沒有一個對她有任何的好處,因此她可以完全放棄她們。她本可責備路得和俄珥巴。 她甚至可以放棄自己的生命。 但是,她決定回到屬神的人群與地方。正如我們下面會看到的那樣,神尊敬和祝福她的決定。
- 當憤怒時,不要逃避自己的憤怒, 要把它交給神。 要像神在憤怒中行事那樣行事。並不是所有的憤怒都不好、都要遠離。 有時,憤怒是對世上發生之事的正確回應。 神一再表示,祂對這個世界上的邪惡和不義感到憤怒。 神的憤怒總是導致祂去糾正出現在祂所創造的世界之中的錯誤。如果你的怒氣引導你朝那個方向發展,那就是符合神的道路的。當然,我們也要記住,神對我們的罪的怒氣使他差派耶穌來為我們的罪受罰。你看,神的憤怒總是伴隨著祂的慈愛。請跟著這樣的思路而行。而且,當你對神生氣的時候,你要告訴祂。讀一讀詩篇73篇或耶利米書19-20章。屬神的人在生氣時通常是這樣做的:他們向神禱告 ---- 誠摯、樸實、真實地禱告。神不會被你的憤怒所激怒。只有在與祂和好的關系中,你的憤怒才能得到引導和解決。
- 生氣時不要犯罪。使徒保羅在寫以弗所書4:26時,引用了詩篇4:4的經文,“生氣卻不要犯罪”。我認為,聖經反復強調這個命令,是因為我們很難遵守它。 當我們生氣的時候,我們的情緒經常失控。我們想傷害對方。當我們生氣的時候,我們很想去做別人所做的不義之事,而那正是惹我們生氣的原因!聖經說:“不要這樣做!”當你生氣時,小心!不要做錯事。
- 不要陷入憤怒之中 - 保羅在以弗所書4:26-27中寫道:“生氣卻不要犯罪,不可含怒到日落;也不可給魔鬼留地步”。以此來看,聖經的意思是要告訴我們,不應讓憤怒成為生活中的一種方式。它會像癌癥一樣把你吃掉。它會毀了你的生命和你周圍的一切。這將是魔鬼借以在你生命插足的方式。所以,當你感覺到憤怒的時候,不要忽略它,不要否認它。重要的是,不要陷入其中,或在其中久留。
這裏有一個重點:當你生氣並必須做出決定時,要盡可能做出最明智的決定。拿俄米對此做了一些描繪。 拿俄米苦澀而憤怒。 她沒有把它隱藏起來,而是表達了出來。 但同時,她在困難的境況之下做出了最好的決定。
決策之三:一個彰顯神的心意的決定——路得說:“不要催我回去不跟隨你。你往哪裏去,我也往那裏去;你在哪裏住宿,我也在那裏住宿;你的國就是我的國,你的神就是我的神”(1:16)。
路得的決定是整個故事的轉折點。事實上,我們會看到,她所作出的決定,成為了整個救恩史上的那個起決定作用的轉折點。而且請註意這一點:在她所處的那個時代的世人眼中,憑想象就可以知道,她是最為邊緣化和微不足道的人:她是一個已婚男人世界中的單身女人,一個寡婦,一個移民,一個摩押人! 所有這些身份都重疊在這個年輕女子身上。 然而,她的決定竟開啟了世界的救主將要到來的線路。
所以,在第七節中,三個女人都將啟程前往伯利恒,但是拿俄米卻突然之間堅定地敦促俄珥巴和路得回到摩押。讀一讀拿俄米的理由,問問自己,如果是你,你會做什麽。 拿俄米說:“如果你們和我一起走,對於你們來說是沒有希望的。 我不能再有別的孩子嫁給你們,即使我能夠有別的孩子,到他們長到能夠娶你們的時候,你們對他們來說也已經老了。 如果你們跟我一起去伯利恒,你們會被人憎恨,也不會有人和你們結婚的!
最後,俄珥巴回到了她自己的國家,聖經沒有為此批評她。從人的角度來看,這是最好的決定了,因為在當時情況下似乎看不到更理想的決定了。
但是,路得堅持要和拿俄米同去。 我們不敢忘記,在人看來,路得所做出的決定,幾乎肯定會在未來導致她遭受孤立、貧窮和痛苦。在這裏,聖經指出了路得做此決定的關鍵。在1:8中,拿俄米說:“願耶和華恩待你們,像你們恩待已死的人與我一樣”。
這個字被翻譯成“慈愛”,是聖經中最重要的詞之一。 在希伯來文中是“hesed”這個字。 這個詞可以用來概括神所有積極的屬性:祂的慈愛、信實、憐憫、恩典、善良和忠誠,並且也概括了我們這些按照神的形象被造的人在做出決策之時所應當表現出來的品質,在我們所有的行為中。 顯示“慈愛”就是聖經在哥林前書10:31所指的意思:“無論做什麽,都要為榮耀神而行。”榮耀神,就是要過上有“慈愛”的生活。
路得留在拿俄米身邊的決定,正顯明了一個人如何在每一天的生活中榮耀神。路得以一種非常實際的方式,選擇了像神那樣信實、良善和熱愛拿俄米。我想告訴大家的是,當你讀了耶穌的生平之後,你就會看到,路得所選擇的,正是耶穌做出決定的方式。這也是耶穌對待我們的方式:在我們還不認識祂的時候,祂就愛了我們。當我們犯罪之後轉向祂的時候,祂就赦免我們。祂也應許我們,永不離開或丟棄我們。無論我們走到哪裏,祂都會與我們同行。
如果我們要榮耀神的名,那麽路得所做的,就指示了我們如何在生活種做出抉擇。你應當原諒他人,因為你喜愛公正行事、心存憐憫。即使有人像拿俄米那樣苦澀和令人不快,你也不應當放棄他們。你應當喜歡謙卑地與人同行,因為你每日有神的同在。
這個故事告訴我們,一個人的決定,是的,一個在他人眼中最邊緣化的一個人的決定,竟能在世上為神的國度帶來永久的改變。
路得記第一章得到一個令人失望的結論。拿俄米,滿滿地離開伯利恒,卻行囊空空地帶著一個摩押女子重回故土。你看到19節了嗎?伯利恒的婦女們對路得熟視無睹,仿佛這個移民過去的女子毫不重要。但是,神有沒有在她的生命中作工?讓我們看一看第22節是怎樣結尾的:拿俄米和她兒婦摩押女子路得,從摩押地回來到伯利恒,正是動手割大麥的時候。
看來,“面包之地”又有面包了。那麽,人們什麽時候開始收割呢?正好當路得到來的時候。多麽巧!
在結束的時候,我想提醒大家,當我們相信神的時候,我們就會發現,祂一直都在,並且在萬事上作工。換句話說,任何事都不會偶然發生。所發生的一切,最終都將榮耀神的名。
榮耀歸給神,
Greg Waybright 博士
主任牧師
Small Group Questions
Read Ruth 1
- The book of Ruth is an incredible story, filled with dynamic characters, dialogue, and actions. Are there any other stories that have been especially impactful on your faith?
- After her husband and sons died, Naomi found herself in an extremely vulnerable situation. What dangers did she face? Who are some of the most vulnerable people in our society today?
- In verses 16 and 17, Ruth makes a stirring statement of commitment to Naomi. What are the implications of this for Ruth and Naomi? What does Ruth decide to value or not in this decision?
- Upon returning home, Naomi proclaims her bitterness about her life and God. Is this something you or someone you know has experienced? What should a Christian community's response to bitterness look like?
- At a critical moment, Ruth made a self-sacrficing choice to show God's love to Naomi. How do you make big decisions? What are some practical ways you can be more mindful of what God might have you choose?