Wisdom For Women
The Transformed Woman
Introduction
Greetings to you in Jesus precious Name! In our series of messages on different
kinds of women, today I would like to draw your attention to the topic, 'Transformed
woman'. As sisters we need this transformation in our lives. We come across many
characters in the Bible where the lives of the people were changed by the power
of God. The lives of Zechariah and Elizabeth were changed by the voice of God. Esther’s
life was changed by the plan of God. Ruth’s life was changed by the predestination
of God. Mary's life was changed by the Spirit of God. Lydia's life was changed by
the Word of God.
Some women want to effect some changes in their own lives which may end up in lot of problems. They may have to face defeat. But when God intervenes in our lives, a real transformation takes place. He may transform our lives by molding our character, by curtailing our rights, by turning the bad into good, by refining our nature for our own betterment and blessing. Divine changes may take place at the different stages of our lives. Divine changes discipline us, disciple us, direct us, develop us and destine us. Some people adapt themselves to changes. Some react to those changes. Some submit to those changes. Some accept those changes. Divine changes always perform something tangible in our lives.
For our meditation let us consider the life of Naomi. The efforts which we make to escape our destiny, only serve to lead us into it. Just because we have the freedom of choice, we ignore the will of God, argue with it, disobey it, and even fight against it. But in the end, the will of God shall prevail. The counsel of the Lord stands forever according to Psalm 33: 11 and He does transform us according to His will among the inhabitants of the Earth. None can stay His Hand and no one can question Him saying, “what doest Thou? The Patriarch Job asked, "Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered? (Job 9:4). If we obey God's will, everything in life will hold together; but if we disobey, everything starts to fall apart. Nowhere in the Bible is this truth better illustrated than in the experiences of Elimelech and his wife Naomi.
Naomi means "my joy" or "Pleasantness of Jehovah". It is a name suggestive of all that is charming, agreeable, attractive, until deep sorrow overshadowed her. We can understand Naomi, having a nature corresponding to her name. Although her character was to be purged and enhanced by her suffering, Naomi had the innate nobility that gave her personality, an irresistible charm. Elimelech who married Naomi, belonged to one of the outstanding families in Israel, being a brother of Salmon, prince of Judah, who married Rahab. If this was so, then Naomi began her married life in comfortable circumstance. Naomi and Elimelech belonged to Bethlehem Judah where two sons were born to them, namely Mahlon and Chilion.
The Book of Ruth is one of the loveliest literatures. It depicts the story of two women, which still captivates the world because of their unique devotion. Naomi and Ruth, her daughter- in-law, teach us some valuable lessons. Naomi knew a great deal about the ringing groove of changes that took place in her life. Because of the manifold changes in her life, Naomi came to fear God in a deeper way. In Psalm 55:19, we read "God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Because they have no challenges, therefore they fear not God". In the life of Naomi, we can see two sets of changes. They are as follows:
1. Humanly Planned Changes
2. Divinely Perfected Changes
1. Humanly Planned Changes
A. Change Of Country
Ruth 1:2 “And the name of the man [was] Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem-Judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there."
During the rule of the Judges, Israel suffered a serious famine which was deemed to be one of the punishments visited upon the people when they had sinned. Leviticus 26:14, 16 "But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; Verse 16- "I also will do this unto you; 1 will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it." When trouble comes to our lives, we can react in one of the following ways 1. Endure it 2. Escape it 3. Enlist it. If we only endure our trials, then trials become our master. If we try to escape, we will probably miss out the purposes of God. But if we learn to enlist our trials they will become our servants.
Driven to consternation, Elimelech decided to migrate with his family to another land where food was more plentiful. So, they traveled from Judah and settled in the highlands of Moab. In times of famine, claim the promises of God. Be sure to obey God's word in spite of what you see, how you feel, or what may happen. It means committing yourself to the Lord and relying wholly on Him to meet the need. When we live by faith, it glorifies God, witness to a lost world and builds Christian character into our lives. God has ordained that the righteous will live by faith. When we refuse to trust Him, we call God a liar and dishonor Him. For Naomi, home must have constituted a real sacrifice. Sincere in her faith, she loved the people of God and was strongly attached to the wonderful traditions of her race. But she left Bethlehem, meaning 'house of bread' for Moab which means 'waste'.
Although the land of Moab may sound remote, it was only some 30 miles from Bethlehem Judah a long Journey when they had no transportation. The distance was not one of miles but of mind. As H. V. Morton puts it, "Distances in the Bible are not measured from one place to another but from man to God". Naomi felt they were going to a land of bread but they landed up in a land of foreign worship. Thus Bethlehem to Moab measured the distance from God to the alien worship of an alien country. What disturbed feelings Naomi must have had as, with her family, she found herself in a strange land unknown, and with all the problems of establishing a home in repellent surroundings.
Naomi's family stepped out of the will of God by moving to Moab, a foreign country. If the famine was a judgment upon the land, they should have repented, tried to have helped his fellow countrymen back to God and prayed for the removal of scourge.
Psalm 34: 9 "0 fear the LORD, ye his saints: for [there is] no want to them that fear him."
Psalm34:11 "The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good [thing]."
Psalm 34:17 "[The righteous] cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles."
One must understand the importance of Bethlehem, the place where God has ordained for us. Refer to Mathew 2:5,6 ''And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us."
Life was not easy in those days during the period of Judges, "There was no king in Israel" but every man did what was right in his own eyes. The book of Judges is the story of Israel at one of its lowest points in history and is a record of division, apostasy, civil war and national disgrace. Spiritually speaking, we are living today in the book of Judges for there is no king in Israel and there will not be till Jesus returns. Like Israel in the past, many of God's people are living in disbelief and disobedience and are not enjoying the blessings of God. In the case of Naomi, at the end of that running away from God- ordained place, all that remained were three lonely widows and three Jewish graves in a heathen land. Everything else was gone. Such is the bad consequence of disbelief. We cannot run away from our family, society, church and office in order to avoid problems. We have to face them with the help of the Holy Ghost. Try to remove the unbelieving and disobedient heart. Majority of us begin with the bigger problems outside and forget the One who is inside.
B. Change Of Connections
Ruth 1:4 "And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one [was] Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years."
It was not long before Naomi discovered the error in leaving Bethlehem for in the new and heathen land nothing but misfortune dogged her footsteps. Her two sons married women of Moab. Instead of helping to support their mother, they took wives of the alien country they were in. The Jewish law forbade marriage outside of the nation. Moab was a place of heathen gods. In Moab Naomi's husband died. He had fled to Moab to escape a possible death from famine but died in the midst of plenty leaving his wife a widow in a land of idolaters. Bereft of her husband, Naomi lost all heart to live in a land of foreigners. Take heed to the connection we are not supposed to have with the country of Moab.
Naomi became one of the widows whom Paul describes as being 'desolate.' To add to her desolation and grief, she also lost both of her sons. By this time, she was old and helpless with her widowed daughters- in-law, Ruth and Orpah to shelter. They were neither of her people, nor had her faith in God. Moab, true to its name, must have been empty, desolate and inhospitable to Naomi's grief stricken, aching heart. Her heart and spirit were broken. Her conscience was pricking her intensely. She felt that the God of her father had deserted her for her desertion of Him. Bethlehem was Naomi's native land and all her relatives and friends were there. Now she had to leave for Bethlehem, not so much because of her cup of sorrow in Moab, but because she heard that the Lord had visited His people in giving them bread. She must retrieve the past - she must go back - back to the old soul - back to the favor of her God and His fellowship.
We must note the importance of fellowship.
Acts 2:42 "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."
2 Corinthians 6: 14 "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?"
Ephesians 5:11 ''And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove [them]."
I John 1:3 "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship [is] with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ."
2. Divinely Perfected Changes
A. Change Of Character
Ruth 1:13 "Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? Would ye stay for them from having husbands? Nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me."
Naomi was determined to return to Bethlehem alone, but her daughters-in-law left with her. It excited about a new start in a new land. But on the journey back, Naomi paused and pleaded with Ruth and Orpah to return to Moab. She knew what it would mean for them as Moabitess women to cross the boundary line, stressing the point that in Canaan there would be very little prospect of their finding husbands.
What a moment that must have been as those three widows stood there at the parting of the ways. Orpah kissed Naomi and then went back to her own idolatrous people, but Ruth clave unto Naomi and begged her to take her to Bethlehem. Naomi was trying to cover up. Orpah had given up. But Ruth was prepared to stand up. As Naomi and Ruth entered the city together, the thoughts of each must have been different. To Naomi there came flashing back thoughts of a happy youth and of a life at peace with God - thoughts which tended to aggravate her desolation. But for Ruth, there was the novelty of a foreign people and youth's quest for new adventure. Naomi's arrival at Bethlehem Judah shocked her people. Quickly it passed from lip to lip that the well-known beautiful and pleasant woman who had left ten years was back. As all the people of the city met her, they cried, is this Naomi? Why the strange form of welcome? Did they detect a radical change in her appearance and demeanor? The repetition of her significant name irritated her as she cried in Ruth 1:20 & 21.
Naomi could not bear the contradiction between the name she bore and the person she was. Ten years in Moab, with all its anguish and also the loss of fellowship with God and His people had dried up her finer feelings. Once so sweet, Naomi was now sour and blamed God for the poverty and desolation she had endured. But why chide with God? Naomi was a bitter woman with a bitter heart with a faltering faith. Was not her cup of bitterness, the result of the act of disobedience when, with her husband she left Bethlehem for Moab?
Had she stayed in her own land and maintained her trust in God, in spite of the famine, He would have undertaken for her and her family and brought them through. But the journey to Moab was a journey away from God and her bitterness was the fruit of such an act of disobedience. Take for example the life of the prodigal Son in Luke 15:17, "And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!"
Verse 15 “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before Thee".
Twice Naomi called God ''the Almighty". It is one thing to know God's Name and quite something else to trust that Name and allow God to work in different situations of life. Naomi was alive –
1. She had life which is a precious gift from God. Naomi had nothing but God in His goodness, had kept her alive and brought her back to Bethlehem. Naomi's faith and hopes were about to die but God had other plans for her.
2. Naomi had not only life but also had opportunity. She was surrounded by friends. Initially her sorrow and bitterness isolated her from the community but gradually that changed. Are you trusting God for new beginning? After all with God at your side, your resources are greater than your burdens. Cheer up! My dear sister! By faith get up and take a fresh start and be blessed.
B. Change Of Circumstances
Ruth 1:14, 17 "And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her." "Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, [if ought] but death part thee and me."
This speaks about the divine arrangement of circumstances in Naomi's life by allowing Ruth to follow Naomi and her God.
Naomi was back in Bethlehem as a "returned person and empty." She went away to Moab with plenty but retraced her steps in poverty. What a change of circumstances! She said I went out full and the Lord hath brought me home again empty. But God perfected those changes by creating new circumstances through her daughter-in-law, Ruth. Naomi and Ruth, then, clinging to each other, plunge into the poverty and solitariness facing them, but with a different outlook. Both women were widows and sufferers. God showed the field of Boaz. Ruth knew that her mother-in-law whom she surrounded with loving care, was too old to bend her back to work in the fields. Ruth goes out secures a job as a gleaner in the fields of Boaz. Under Jewish law, the poor were allowed to glean in any harvest field. Ruth was qualified for the weary, humble task of following the reapers and gathering up the gleanings for Naomi and herself.
The idyllic conclusion was reached as Naomi, through her tender boldness, saw Ruth lifted out of obscurity and poverty into marriage with a godly man, as well as a mighty man of wealth. For Naomi, the winter of desolation was past and the time of the singing of the birds had come. Although her natural hopes had perished, Naomi lived again in the life of her dear, sacrificial daughter- in-law who loved her.
Ruth was better to Naomi "than seven sons." How lovingly she would nurse Ruth's child and bless God because of the family she thought she had seen perish, has been restored to the genealogy of Israel, for baby Obed was born to become the father of Jesse and Jesse, the father of the great king David.
PSALM 51:12 "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me [with thy] free spirit."
As you have read this message, I believe that the Holy Spirit would have ministered to you and begin His wonderful work of restoration in your life as you decide to completely turn and return to your God who is so faithful and marvelous. May God richly bless you!