Introduction.

Moses is considered to be one of the greatest leaders the Lord's people ever had, yet Moses was a reluctant leader. When the Lord instructed Moses to return to Egypt and lead his people out of the land of bondage, Moses did not respond positively. Listen to his response to this call to leadership in Exodus 3:11, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?' As a former prince in Egypt, Moses would have had the best possible education and training in leadership, yet he does not see himself as the right man for this task. This objection is overcome by the Lord's promise, ‘I will be with you.' God in his grace assures Moses that he will be guiding, directing and providing everything that he will need to exercise the role of leadership. The Lord called Moses to a leadership role that required him to walk with the Lord in total dependence. Moses would never be on his own, the Lord would be with him granting him strength and wisdom. Every Christian has the comfort of knowing that when the Lord places them in the position of leadership he will be with them. Those who belong to the Lord ought to be greatly comforted by the fact that if God by his providence places them in a position of leadership, he will be with them to exercise that leadership. In a Christian home the husband is appointed by God to be the head of the home. It is a great blessing to know that the Lord is with you as you carry the burden of leadership. We need to constantly remind ourselves that the home is the place where good leadership is needed most. The demands of home leadership are thrust upon wives and mothers when husbands die, or homes are fractured by divorce. One of the tasks faced by newly married couples is adjusting to the husband taking up the reins of home leadership to honour Christ and glorify God. Leadership is a burden and a difficult and complex task. When Elimelech and his two sons died the burden of leadership fell onto Naomi's shoulders. Ruth 1:6-17 reveals the struggle Naomi had with the demands of leadership.

1. Naomi had the heavy weight of leadership thrust upon her.

1. The burden of leadership came to Naomi in grim circumstance. The loss of her husband and two sons filled her with deep grief and profound sorrow. Having suffered such a loss we would expect Naomi to be heartbroken and emotionally worn out. Exercising leadership over Orpah and Ruth would have been very demanding as they were mourning the loss of their husbands. Being the leader of a group of bereaved widows is a very complex and perplexing task, as bereavement is usually accompanied by instability. Her leadership was made more difficult by the fact she was an Israelite widow living in Moab. The Moabites did not have laws that offered the protection found in Exodus 20:21-23 ‘You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry; and My wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword;  your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.' Naomi faced the task of leadership without any laws that assisted her or provided safety and security. Being in Moab she lacked the support usually given by relatives and was from a human perspective very much alone. The sense of being alone increases the pressure of leadership and can lead to a strong feeling of being trapped. To whom could Naomi turn for counsel? Orpah and Ruth loved Naomi, but their sorrow and grief would not have made the burden of her leadership lighter or easier.
   
   
2. Naomi had the burden of leadership thrust upon her at a time when she was in a very poor state spiritually. Backsliders do not seek the face of the Lord, nor do they turn to his Word for wisdom and guidance. Backsliders do not turn to the Lord for counsel. Naomi like every Jew of her day would have known most of the Books of Moses off by heart, but in a backslidden state she would not have referred to them. The questions, ‘What am I going to do, and what can I do' would have hounded her day and night. I am sure that Orpah and Ruth would have asked her that question over and over again. Every time the question was asked the pressure of responsibility increased. This kind of pressure in leadership makes you feel as if you are living in a pressure cooker and the urgency to do something to relieve the pressure becomes enormous. This pressure-cooker situation often results in people making poor and irrational decisions. Naomi's daughters in-law would have looked to her for leadership and expected her to know the right and appropriate thing to do. When others give you the responsibility to make life-securing and life-changing decisions it places an enormous amount of pressure on your leadership. When Orpah and Ruth set off with Naomi to go to Bethlehem their actions demonstrated that they accepted her leadership. As they traveled towards Bethlehem, Naomi would have been very much aware of the fact that Orpah and Ruth placed their futures in her leadership. The question, what am I going to do, was answered by the decision to go to Bethlehem, but a new question began demanding an answer, What am I going to do when we get to Bethlehem? Her life, like that of Orpah and Ruth was filled with uncertainties. None of us likes to live, a life dominated by uncertainty and insecurity. Naomi had this heavy burden of leadership thrust upon her while she was spiritually backslidden and emotionally worn out. Being in a backslidden state is very hard as you do not have the comfort, peace, rest and strength of going to the Lord in prayer and fellowship. Backsliders can say prayers, but they do not engage in fellowship with the Lord and therefore feel that their prayers are in vain. The picture you should have in your mind of Naomi is that of a woman who is under enormous pressure and carrying an enormous burden of leadership without anyone to turn to. Her situation is desperate and hopeless.
   
   
3. When Naomi tells her daughters-in-law to return to the homes of their mothers, she is seeking to shed the burden of leadership. Naomi is really telling them, ‘I do not want to be responsible for your futures; I have nothing to offer you, do not put your hope in me.' I believe that Naomi was finding the pressure of leadership too much to bear. Coping with the loss of a husband and two adult sons would be extremely difficult even if all the supports and safety nets of family and friends were in place. Naomi without a doubt was a very strong and determined woman and coped with her situation very well. Listen to Orpah and Ruth affirming their acceptance of Naomi's leadership in Ruth 1:10, "Surely we will return with you to your people." Orpah and Ruth refuse to leave Naomi and commit themselves to a future with Naomi's people. Naomi's response in Ruth 1:12-15 needs to be understood in the context of what was known as the ‘Levirate Law.' The word ‘Levir' is a Latin word translating the Hebrew word for ‘husband's brother.' When a married man died without a child his brother was expected to take the widow as his wife, children from this marriage were counted as children of the dead brother, and therefore these children would receive the dead brother's inheritance. Listen to Deuteronomy 25:5-6 dealing with this law, ‘If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family; her husband's brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her. And it shall be that the firstborn son which she bears will succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel.' The purpose of this law was to stop the name of the dead brother from being blotted out of Israel.  In Naomi's case there was a strong possibility that the name of her husband Elimelech would be blotted out as both Orpah and Ruth were childless widows. Naomi did not believe that the Levirate Law offered her or her daughters in-law any hope or future. Naomi makes 3 points:
   
   
1. She considered herself too old to have a husband even under the Levirate Law.
   
2. There was no guarantee that she would bare sons rather than daughters.
   
3. Asking her daughters in-law to wait another 20 odd years for a husband was too much to ask.
   
   
Naomi shows good leadership in being honest, practical and sensitive to the needs and aspirations of her daughters in-law. Naomi realised that Orpah and Ruth longed to have families and she had no means of meeting this need. The depth of Naomi's sympathy for her daughters in law can be seen in verses 13, ‘No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me!' Naomi recognises that Orpah and Ruth had suffered, because the Lord had afflicted her, she was indirectly responsible for their sorrow and desperate plight. Listen to Matthew Henry's comment on this aspect of Naomi's responsibility, ‘She (Naomi) judges herself chiefly aimed at in the affliction, that God's quarrel was principally with her: "The hand of the Lord has gone out against me. I am the sinner; it is with me that God has a controversy; it is with me that he is contending; I take it to myself.'' This well becomes us when we are under affliction; though many others share in the trouble, yet we must hear the voice of the rod as if it spoke only against us and to us, not billeting the rebukes of it at other people's houses, but taking them to ourselves.' Jonah's sin of refusing to go to Nineveh to preach repentance as the Lord commanded him caused suffering and loss to all the sailors on the ship he boarded to escape the task. We need to recognise that our sinful words or actions often cause others to suffer deeply. Naomi's task of leadership was made heavier by her sense that she had caused her daughters in-law severe suffering.


4. Orpah is persuaded by Naomi's arguments and returns to her mother's house and so releases Naomi of part of her burden of leadership. Ruth, rather than being persuaded by the arguments clings more tightly to Naomi. The Hebrew word translated as "cling" is the same word used in Genesis 2:24, listen to the translation of the King James Version, ‘Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.' Ruth cleaved to Naomi which indicates the deepest bond possible between two people. The saying ‘joined at the hip' is probably the best way to describe the concept of cleaving; husband and wife ought to be joined at the hip.' I do not think that Naomi felt this way about Ruth and this made her task of leadership more complicated as Ruth had bound up her future with the future of her mother in-law. Naomi was in the position of leadership and Ruth would not allow her to relinquish this duty. In Ruth 1:18 we are told, ‘When she (Naomi) saw that she (Ruth) was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.' I believe one of the reasons Naomi stopped speaking to Ruth was that she was too busy thinking about the burden Ruth would be to her in Bethlehem. The question, what am I going to do with Ruth when we get to Bethlehem, must have passed through her mind a thousand times. I do not believe it would be wrong to think that at this stage Naomi saw Ruth as a burden she did not need. In my minds eye I can see Naomi shaking her head and thinking please give me a break. The burden of leadership is made very difficult when others demand your leadership and you do not want to lead because you feel empty and bewildered by your circumstances and situation. How should you think of Naomi? Think of her as a woman at her wits end, who is spiritually backslidden, grieving deeply at her dreadful loss, and exercising leadership reluctantly. The packaging sticker which reads fragile, handle with care sums up Naomi's state. Thinking of Naomi in this way enables us to understand why she told the women in Bethlehem, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara.' How can a person in Naomi's fragile state find a place for pleasantness? The only answer is in the ever-loving and everlasting arms of God.  Naomi was in a backslidden state and therefore did not enjoy the benefits of fellowship with the Almighty.

2. Learning to live by faith rather than sight.

1. Believers who are in a backslidden state live by sight rather than faith. Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, ‘For we walk by faith, not by sight.' This should be true of you if you are a Christian. Being very honest about myself I must confess that I tend to live by faith and by sight. As I grow in grace I trust that I will progressively live more by faith than by sight. Living by faith is difficult as it calls on us to live believing what the Scripture says is true and reality, and fully recognise that what we see by sight is always incomplete. If you live by sight you are living on less than reality. What we see is only the tip of the iceberg. Using sight we do not see the continuous activity of the Lord in our lives and our circumstance and situation. We see what is visible and much, much more happens in the realm of what is not seen than you and I could ever imagine. When we are backslidden we live by sight and do not take into account the fact that God is present and at work in all things. It does not take much to sink those living by sight into a pit of despondency and despair. Naomi was on the brink of despair.
   
   
2. The great difference between living by sight and faith is the focus. The focus of sight is upon self, were as the focus of faith is God. Sight asks, what can I see happening, physically or in my mind's eye? Faith asks, what is the Lord telling me? Naomi was not in a spiritual state to ask the question faith constantly asks. I have no doubt that Naomi knew the theory, but she was not able to do the spiritual exercises that faith requires. In Ruth 1 Naomi refers to God by the titles of LORD and Almighty. The significance of these titles for believers is enormous. The origin of the title Lord is found in Exodus 3. God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and instructed him to go back to Egypt and lead the people of Israel out of the land of bondage. In Exodus 3:13-14 Moses offers a reason why he should not do as the Lord has commanded. Listen to the interaction between Moses and God, "Then Moses said to God, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, ‘What is His name?' what shall I say to them?" And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.'" God reveals himself as the great I AM, the one who is always present, always with his people, always actively involved in their lives, always committed to his people, and always faithful to his covenant. If Naomi had stopped and thought about God as the great I AM she would have grasped that she was blind to the fact that he was with her, fully involved in her life, committed to her and would be totally faithful to the covenant. The fact that Naomi was not looking at life through the eyes of faith did not make any difference to the reality of who God is and what he was doing. Her perception of carrying the heavy burden of leadership all alone was not reality, but the product of faith in a very poor condition. We look at God's Word and through the eyes of faith see the truth about God's total involvement in our lives. Backsliding affects our eyes of faith as cataracts affect our physical eyes. Naomi did not see life through the eyes of faith and suffered great anxiety in heart and mind because she did not see God at work.
   
   
3. The other title Naomi uses for God is Almighty. What does the Hebrew word Shaddai mean? As the etymology of the word is not clear, we extract the meaning from the context in which this title is used. Looking at the way the title is used in Genesis gives us a wonderful insight into the meaning behind this title. In Genesis 17:1 the title is used when God makes a covenant with Abraham promising that he will be the father of many nations. Listen to that verse, When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly." The title is used to convey to Abraham that his childless situation was not hopeless and helpless; God can transform the situation into a great blessing. In Genesis 43 Jacob filled with perplexity and fear reluctantly agrees to send his youngest son with his brothers back to Egypt to buy food. Listen to what Jacob says in verse 14, ‘And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!' The Almighty is the one who can give protection in a time of danger and uncertainty. The Almighty gives hope in hopeless situations. Jacob in Genesis 49:25 blesses Joseph concerning the future. Listen to what he says, ‘By the God of your father who will help you, and by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.' The Almighty is seen as the one who blesses and makes fruitful. The title Shaddai refers to God as the one who delights in transforming his people's helplessness and hopelessness into blessing and abundance. The work described in Psalm 30:11 is typical of the Almighty, ‘You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.' Naomi needed to be transformed; she needed to find the reality of being a friend of the Almighty. The Almighty was with her, but because of her backsliding she found no assurance in his presence. Naomi needed to exercise leadership by looking at life through the eyes of faith, but could not because she was backslidden.

Conclusion.

The way of the backslider is hard because they live by sight and not by faith. Seeing God's total involvement in your life through the eyes of faith is true reality, anything less than this is unreality. Leadership is very demanding, and overwhelming if we are seeking to lead by sight and not by faith. As a child of the LORD Shaddai you should enjoy the fullness of the security of knowing who he is and his commitment to you in Christ Jesus. We ought to live like those who see reality, rather than those who stumble through life because they are blind to the glory, majesty and power of God. If you belong to God you can never be in a situation that is helpless and hopeless. May God open our eyes fully.