And her mirror would give her no solce.

Last week we saw Elimelech and Naomi leave the borders of Israel “doing what was wise in their own eyes” and the resulting consequence. We ended Chapter 1 with the return of Naomi; return to a new beginning—the beginning of the barley harvest. This week we will look at chapter 2 and 3; but before that I want to tell you a story about a handsome prince.

This Prince once visited his people in disguise looking for a bride. And find her he did; but there was one problem – she was under a terrible curse; but that did not stop the prince. However, in freeing the girl, the prince is mortally wounded. The townsfolk didn’t know that the curse was not potent enough to keep the prince dead, and are unaware that the prince still lives; the bride-to-be is however, ecstatic.

Preparations for the wedding begin, but are delayed since the Prince is called away to attend to the affairs of the Kingdom. Before leaving, the Prince gives the girl a special mirror and tells her, “My love, every time you need me, look in the mirror and you’ll find me”.

Now the Prince was gone a long time; and often girl would be found looking into the mirror. The townsfolk didn’t understand this strange behaviour, and reacted with mixed emotions — emotions of concern, pity and anger. She would tell them her prince lived and that she could see him in the mirror. They would try to look but could never see the prince, which made it worse for the girl. They would tell her, she was foolish to even think she could ever marry a prince in the first place, and now that he is dead it makes it worse. They would make fun of her, and even jeer at her openly, but she still persisted in waiting for her Prince to return. She knew her Prince would surely come, and sweep her away off her feet to be his bride forever, …and so she waits even to this date.

Well you may have figured out who the characters are, but if need help figuring out what the mirror was– it is the Bible. It is the one thing that shows our Prince of Peace in His glory. It is the thing His Bride, the Church looks into and finds solace, just like He said it would.

Story of Ruth is as bizarre as this story. Boaz a man of wealth and fame, marrying a stranger; and if we care to check the entire Bible is filled with the presentation of a similar but greater love– of a God who came seeking for a bride among us commoners and strangers.

It is into this mirror we will look a bit deeply today to see our Prince in glory.

Returning with mixed emotions.

In Chapter 1:19, we saw last week Naomi’s reaction – bitterness not brokenness. We learned it is best to be broken than to be bitter. Well, there is another application. Naomi must have felt like most of us feel sometimes, when we walk into a room full of people. A feeling of being given the look – an uneasy feeling of being judged. This “feeling” can often become debilitating and corrosive to building relationships, if unchecked. On the flipside, I want to suggest it can be good to an extent; good because it holds up a mirror. However, we never view this uneasy feeling as being helpful. By nature we don’t like scrutiny, and so we seek out those who will never hold up a mirror to our face. We seek friendship without accountability, because we want to remove pain.

denchik ✉

link 31.07.2012 11:08

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