Our faulty view of God

Spent most of today studying Ruth - it is a great book and one I'm looking forward to learning from as we go through it on Sunday evenings at Lighthouse.

One thing in particular struck me today as I focused on Chapter 1 - the faulty nature of Naomi's understanding of God. I had never really noticed it before, quite how I'm not sure. But she lurches from praying that her daughters-in-law as she urges them to leave her would know and experience the ('hesed') unwavering, steadfast loyal love of God, to in the same exhortation (v13)saying God has been against her. A charge that she reiterates when she gets back to Bethlehem and tells them to call her 'Mara' (bitter) not Naomi (pleasant) because the Almighty has made my life very bitter, he has brought her back empty and he has afflicted and brought misfortune on her.

Added to all that as she seeks to send them back to Moab it is not just to the people but to their gods. Naomi's view of God is confused and is not grounded in the law (Gen-Deut) and its revelation of God and his character. It is amazing that Ruth woudl want to ally herself with the God of Naomi.

Her circumstances had made her bitter, her circumstances had determined her view of God. The question is which is right is God 'hesed' steadfastly faithful beyond what people deserve or is he responsible for her bitterness, has he left her bereft and without hope. The great irony is that as she describes herself as empty, beside her stands Ruth who has made Naomi's people and God hers and will be the means through which God provides and shows his hesed love for her.

It is striking because I think so often we are like Naomi - circumstances determined how we view and feel about God rather than how we view God determining how we feel about our circumstances.

Another facet I'd not thought about before is that Naomi is part of the lost generations following on from Judges 2:10 "After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel." I wonder if that is why her understanding of God seems so faulty, if that is what prompted the family to flee to Moab?