TURNING POINT

And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.

Ruth 1:22b

Poor Captain Von Trapp. He had hired countless nannies to care for his motherless children to no avail. They had all either quit or been fired. Then a nun showed up who seemed to be a good fit. But even she disappoints by unexpectedly leaving.

If you’ve watched the movie “The Sound of Music” you know what happens next. As the children dejectedly stand around, they begin to sing. Part way through the song their entire countenance changes when the nun, Maria, bursts on the scene. The viewer has observed a key turning point in the musical.

In the book of Ruth, the turning point comes at the end of chapter 1. Up to this point, it has all been discouraging. A man has left his homeland of Israel, sojourned much longer than he anticipated, and then died. His two sons had married Moabite women but likewise died without any children. Naomi had persuaded one of her daughters-in-law to remain in Moab before she and Ruth moved to Israel. That’s when it all begins to change. The city of bread is now experiencing the bountiful blessings of a barley harvest. What had before been a famine is now overflowing with food.

What was it that allowed this sudden change in the narrative? There seem to be two factors. First, Naomi was once again in the right place – Israel. If we expect God to bless, we need to be doing things that please Him. Second, Naomi had a true friend to encourage her – Ruth. Ruth had gently but forcefully corrected Naomi’s wrong attitude about God by assuring her that Israel’s God is worth following. Now, with a right heart attitude the groundwork has been laid for God to work.

Philip Moeller