Advent, Week 2: Hope

For this second week of Advent, we will focus on the quality of Hope. At the beginning of chapter 2, we find Naomi and Ruth in Bethlehem. The outlook had to be a bit frightening for the two women. But, faith has kindled hope. Ruth decides to look for work “gleaning” in the fields. Gleaning was a way that the Lord had instructed Israel to allow the poor to get food. A portion of the harvest was to be left, easily accessible to the poor. It was not a career. In fact, laws prevented gleaners from taking extra food to store. Gleaning was considered humiliating. For a young, single woman at this time, it was also dangerous. Yet Ruth does not despair. She does not scheme to devise a way to engage in more “honorable” work. She goes in hope. And she is not disappointed. One writer wisely pointed out, “Sin is a thing below us, but we must not think anything else so, to which Providence call us.”
The Lord leads Ruth to a field belonging to a wealthy man named Boaz, who just happens to be a close relative of Naomi. He takes note of Ruth and learns of her situation. As a result, he provides for Ruth’s safety and success in her work. The kindness of Boaz is noteworthy in its own right. I couldn’t help but wonder if his compassion for a courageous woman of questionable background was learned as a child from his mother, another courageous woman of questionable background. Her name was Rahab.
When Naomi learns of all that has happened, her own hope is rekindled. When she and Ruth first returned to Israel, she told the other women that the Lord had witnessed against her. Now, she recognizes that the Lord has not withdrawn His kindness from her.
Hope was Ruth’s response to hardship. Bible commentator Matthew Henry writes, “It is not affliction itself, but affliction rightly borne, that does us good.”
This week, as we think about hope and what it means for our own lives, here are some questions to reflect upon…
• How do I respond to the hard situations in my life right now? Is my “affliction rightly borne”?
• Have I let faith ignite hope in me?
• Am I being asked to do something that I consider to be “beneath” me?
• Am I jealous or resentful over the position, accomplishments, or abilities of someone else?
Hope is a great sustainer in times of hardship and dark uncertainty. The faithfulness of God tells us that hope is not stubborn foolishness. We have experiential evidence that God will not abandon us, will not allow us to suffer more than we can endure. The Psalmist knew it well when he wrote,
Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence. (Ps. 42:5)
As we approach Christmas, let’s hope in God with confidence in His great love. We have every reason to expect that, like Ruth, we will not be disappointed.
Grace and peace!