VALUABLE LIFE LESSONS
Bob Gass said ‘When it comes to valuable life
lessons, the book of Ruth tops the best seller list’.
Life In Moab (A Strange land)
‘And they went
to Moab and lived there’
Ruth
1:2 (NIV)
The Lord promised to give Abraham the land of
Canaan Genesis 12:7. No matter what happens whether in famine or abundance,
never leave your Canaan.
Many men who left for foreign lands had bad
stories to tell. Abraham lied that his wife was his sister in Egypt Genesis
12:12, Lot was captured in a foreign land and later lost all he had Genesis
19:25, Abraham picked up Hagar in a foreign land and she later became a threat
to Sarah Genesis 16:1,4.
Those who go to foreign lands usually live
something good for something worse. Abraham went down to Egypt to live there for awhile because the famine was
severe Genesis 12:10.
A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho in Luke 10:30. He was robbed,
beaten, stripped and left for dead. Jonah also went down to Joppa Jonah and that trip landed him in the belly of the
fish. Samson was another man who had a habit of going down Judges 14, 1, 5, 7, 10,
16:4.
Elimelech left Judah, the land God gave to
Abraham and his descendants as an inheritance for Moab because of the famine.
The Moabites are the descendants of one of Lot’s daughters. The daughters of
Lot committed incest with their father. Even though the famine was very severe,
Moab does not seem to be the best place that Elimelech should have taken his
family too. The Moabite women were the ones who invited the Israelite men to
their sacrifices and committed sexual sins with them Numbers 25:1-3. God spoke
about the destruction of Moab through Amos (Amos 2:1-3)
The sons of Elimelech married women from Moab
which was against the commandments,
Deuteronomy 7:1-6. Elimelech and his two sons died in Moab and that was
why Naomi said ‘I went away full but the Lord has brought me back empty’ Ruth
1:21.
The blessing of the Lord does not abide with
those who do not belong to him. Your location is very important in the
fulfillment of God’s purpose for your life. Isaac was instructed by God not to
go into Egypt in the time of famine. He was instructed to plant where he was
and he reaped bountifully even in the mist of the famine Genesis26:13-16.
Samson was another man who made a habit of
going into a foreign land. Samson was a nazarite yet, he had a habit of
visiting foreign women Judges 14:1, 16:1. Solomon was also in love with foreign
women. He had 700 wives of noble birth and 300 concubines 2 Kings 11:1-8. The Lord was angry with Solomon and took the Kingdom
away from him.
SUMMARY
1. Men who go into foreign
land sometimes pick up ‘trouble’ from there e.g Abraham and Hagar
2. Men who go into foreign
land loose something good e.g Samson, Elimelech, Jonah. The man travelling to
Jerusalem.
3. Men who go into foreign
land lose their lives in the process e.g Samson, Solomon
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