Famine is an unpleasant situation and no one wants to deliberately experience it. If you are extremely hungry, the feeling can be sore and unpleasant. Therefore imagine if in spite of the soreness in your stomach, there is actually no food to eat. Growing up in Ghana, my mum used to share her experience with famine. There was a significant drought between 1983-1984 and the result was the 1984 famine in Ghana. Many people experienced the excruciating effects of hunger and the cost of food increased exponentially. In ancient Israel Biblical history, different accounts of famine are recorded. When there is famine, people express different reactions: leaving to another place, staying back, becoming wicked in order to survive, among others. Today, we shall consider how famine caused a family to leave their home to find food in order to survive. For the next few posts, we shall dig deeper into the book of Ruth. The book stands as a connecting bridge between the period of the judges and the beginning of the reign of kings. Let’s begin with Naomi. In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. (Ruth 1:1) Like many women in the Bible, Naomi’s story teaches us profound lessons in life. This is how her story begins: “In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab.” (Ruth 1:1). Naomi was the wife of Elimelek and they had two sons: Mahlon and Kilion. The family were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. So, relocating from Bethlehem to Moab was to avoid the consequences of the famine. This really sounds like a good decision to make in such an unpleasant situation. However, as we read along, we realized that moving to Moab led to a far worse situation for the family. Naomi, like any other woman, might have been worried about the future of her family in the face of the famine. Therefore moving might have been the best option for her and the husband. But wait! They were living in Bethlehem, the House of Bread. How can the House of Bread suddenly become the house of hunger? The town of Bethlehem is significant in the history of God’s people because of the different major events that took place there. God’s desire is not to cause His children to suffer. However, when the worst happens, God still makes a way for survival for those who trust in Him. Moab is a land very close to the Promises land and in fact, before the Israelites finally took possession of the lands God gave them, Moab was one of the cities they had to cross. Moab was built by the incestuous son of Lot. That is, the descendants of the son of Lot which he had with his own daughter, built the city of Moab. The Israelites considered the Moabites as sinners who have no reverence for God. So why will an Israelite family relocate to a land that reminds them of sin and evil? Certainly, it was as a result of the famine. Important to note is that Naomi and her family were probably not the only people that migrated to escape the famine. There could have been others too. However, Naomi’s story leads to a very significant person in the history of Israel. Naomi might have breathed a sigh of relief when they finally settled in Moab. Her family had escaped the famine, she might have thought. A better life awaits them in Moab. They would have thanked God for taking them safely to Moab and as religious Jews, they might have had offered some sacrifices. As they look back to where the city they had left, they might have wondered why God would allow famine in a city which is known as the House of Bread. Like Naomi, many of us run away from the slightest sight of discomfort. Irrespective of the consequences of us leaving, we tend to dwell on the benefits of leaving rather than the discomfort of staying back. If there is hunger in the House of Bread, where else can you survive? Any decision we make ultimately affects us positively or negatively. Before you make a move, go to God and know if His plans for you will be fulfilled even in that move. Life is full of uncertainties but with God on our side, we shall overcome.
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