1. Entering into the Bitter Waters: Ruth 1:19-22, "So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole city was stirred with excitement over them. The women asked, “Can this be Naomi?” “Don’t call me Naomi [pleasant],” she answered them; “call me Marah [bitter], because Shaddai has made my life very bitter. I went out full, and Adonai has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? Adonai has testified against me, Shaddai has afflicted me.” This is how Naomi returned, with Rut the woman from Mo’av, her daughter-in-law, accompanying her from the plain of Mo’av. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest."
- Naomi has the confession of life no longer being "pleasant" [Naomi], but now it is "bitter" [Marah].
Exodus 15:22-25: "Moshe led Isra’el onward from the Sea of Suf. They went out into the Shur Desert; but after traveling three days in the desert, they had found no water. They arrived at Marah but couldn’t drink the water there, because it was bitter. This is why they called it Marah [bitterness]. The people grumbled against Moshe and asked, “What are we to drink?” Moshe cried to Adonai; and Adonai showed him a certain piece of wood, which, when he threw it into the water, made the water taste good."
- Two key words to make note of: “Marah” = bitterness & "Wood” = humanity
- The Lord uses each one of us to minister and be ministered to--many times we are not even aware that we are doing so.
- It was not sin, I believe, for Naomi to make this confession because she was in the will of the Lord. However, she remained out of sin because she allowed God to move her through the bitter waters.
2. Finding the Purpose of the Bitter Waters: Ruth 3:1, "Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, I should be seeking security for you; so that things will go well with you."
- Naomi saw that Ruth needed to be taken care of (security). Ruth, not a Jew, needed things to be put in order in her life for the Lord’s will for her life to be fulfilled. This could only happen through Naomi.
- If Naomi remained in isolation (refusing to allow her daughters-in-law to come along); then, not only would she have missed God, but Ruth would have struggled unnecessarily. God may have used another people to fulfill His will for Ruth. But, as it is said of Esther, Naomi was created for such a time as this! Naomi was brought into the bitter waters to bring Ruth into her calling.
- Now was not the time for Naomi to wallow in her sorrows and live daily in a pity party. It was time for Naomi to be the voice of the Holy Spirit to Ruth and guide her to know the Lord’s will and ways. We must realize that to love someone we must allow ourselves to be brought to a low point to lift them up. Ruth, though we might now realize it, was also at a low point. Here she is in a foreign land--different culture, different God, different mentalities, etc... If Naomi had returned with a rejoicing spirit, then she probably would have completely overlooked Ruth's need. The bitterness was not to destroy Naomi, if I could be bold enough to say, it was to humble this woman of God. She was a well-known and loved woman; and yet, God saw fit to humble her so that she could see the need of her daughter-in-law.
- So, if you are brought to the bitter waters, remember, God saw it fit to humble Naomi so that she could see the need of someone already in a low state and lift her up into new waters.
3. The Fruit of Enduring the Bitter Waters: Ruth 4:13-15, "...Adonai enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be Adonai, who today has provided you a redeemer! May his name be renowned in Israel. May he restore your life and provide for your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”
- Because Naomi endured this long trial and allowed Ruth to be the wood tossed into her life, she has found the sweet sweet waters again.
- “Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him. Worship God if you want the best; worship open doors to all his goodness.” – Psalm 34:8-9 MSG
- Her daughter-in-law has now produced an heir who will continue the family line (the Davidic line which Christ would be born of). What once was impossible, we now can clearly see is possible and has happened.
- There are children, young men, and parents in the kingdom of God. Spiritually, we are given children to mature, young men to become fathers, and fathers to be a covering. Ruth was fruit to Naomi and she was fruit the produced more fruit and that fruit would produce much more fruit (more heirs). Spiritually, we must apply this to our own life. There is fruit in our life that is waiting to be produced: a calling, a people, etc...
Conclusion
- If you feel that you are trying to drink the water in your life and it tastes bitter; don’t be discouraged or angry at God. Pay attention to what wood He is bringing into your life. Proverbs 27:4 tells us that iron sharpens iron and that applies to the water and wood situation. The wood/iron is doing a work to bring us to a new level of fruitfulness in our life along with others. If you are praying, “Lord, I want to be more fruitful for your kingdom”, then don’t be discouraged when things become bitter and unpleasant. He is answering your prayer. Just take one day at a time and observe all the things that He is doing to bring you to a point of fruitfulness. Hold fast and do not give up because you are indeed created for such a time as this—even if you may not know what “this” is yet.
