Title (Thursday) When a famine is heard
Contents
Hymn: No. 486 “Lord Jesus, Grace”
Meditation: What is the role of a good leader when a community is going through difficult times?
Confession of Faith: Apostles' Creed
Text: “In the days of the judges, there was a famine in the land. A man from Bethlehem in Judah, taking his wife and two sons, went to live in the region of Moab… ” (Ruth 1:1-5)
Word: Luke 7 introduces two processions centered on Nain (7:11-16). One is going to the tomb with the body of the dead in Nain City, and the other is Jesus, who is the vanguard, breaking through the death and entering the city. So who is before us and who is our leader is a very important issue.
In today's text, Elimelech, the leader of a family, appears. He was an influential leader in his community. At the time Elimelech lived, in Matthew 1:5, Boaz in the book of Ruth appears as Rahab's son, indicating that it was the beginning of the period of the Judges. The famine occurred when the people of Israel entered Canaan after suffering and was just about to receive land distribution and settle down.
Then Elimelech, the leader of the family, decided to leave and urged the family to leave Bethlehem. His decision was unbelievable. He got up without worrying about why the famine came, how to deal with this situation, and where is God's will? Then, he went with his family to Moab, the place he had vaguely longed for and missed.
The sojourn in Ruth 1:1 means ‘to sojourn, to stay’. Elimelech didn't want to escape the famine for a while, but went down to Moab to sit down there. But the results were disastrous.
Leaders must be able to discern and present timing, direction, and goals. However, Elimelech failed to present any of these three, and as a result, the community that followed him was fatally wounded. What kind of leader am I in my community? My decisions determine the fate of myself and my community. No matter how difficult the circumstances, don't be impatient. Hold on to the Word and do your best until the end. Go to God for help in time of need. Then you will be the protagonist of the blessing.
Prayer: God who has made us leaders, above all, grant us the wisdom to discern We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Lord's Prayer: