Ruth 1:4-5
4 These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, 5 and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
Genesis 19:30 Lot and His Daughters
30 Now Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters.
SOAP: Ruth 1:4-5
Our sinful choices impact our whole family. Here Mahlon and Chilion followed the poor example of their father and chose to live like pagans. Rather than fear God and obey, they chose wives who did not follow Jehovah God. The famine that was in the land they had left now inhabited their hearts, and they lost their very lives. Naomi was left truly barren and empty.
Sin leads to grief and sorrow that poisons everyone in our home. If you were raised in a godly home, thank God for the legacy of faith that set you on the right course. If you grew up in a home where sin ran rampant, you can break that cycle by asking God for forgiveness and choosing to walk in obedience to His Word. May our homes be built on a legacy of faith that honors God.
Father God, thank You for the gift of family. We want our homes to honor You. We want to leave a legacy of faith in our children. Show us how to build wisely and please You. Amen.
Right now my son desperately needs God’s goodness in his life. I ask God to offer him compassion and guidance in his life.
I love the devotional and it’s discussion on the way in which the famine became internalized and present in Naomi’s life. In my own SOAP notes I noted at length the starkness of the Bible writing she was alone. This just hit me so deeply how their sin of leaving to go to Moab and then the choice of the son’s taking Moab wives left Naomi deeply destitute. Even the presence of her daughters in law made no difference in that early moment. At the same time, this is a story of redemption thru and thru and of Christ’s heritage. Ruth ultimately comforts Naomi, feeds her soul and her body through her own return to the Lord. Perhaps in some way redeeming the Moab people. Praise God for His ever present goodness.