Families of Hope (Ruth, 1 Samuel)

When last we saw the children of Israel (in the book of Judges), they were in grave danger of losing their identity as God’s people under God’s rule in God’s place. Even their national heroes often seemed to have little regard for being faithful followers of the God who had called them, rescued them, and returned them to their homeland. It is a pretty bleak picture. 

In contrast, the lovely little book of Ruth reminds us that even in the midst of their national chaos, individual families were serious about following God.

Ruth’s family story is followed by another family who refused to cave in to the chaotic culture around them. We meet them in the opening chapters of 1 Samuel: Their names are Elkanah and Hannah. Like Ruth and Boaz before them, they were neither judges nor one of the priestly families. There was nothing special about them. But they were devoted to one another, to the God of Israel, and like Ruth, they had a child who would bring deliverance to Israel.

Neither of them had any clue that their children would play such an important role in Israel’s story. They were simply trying to follow God in the best way they knew how, even at great personal cost.

For Ruth that meant giving up the gods of her country in order to follow the God of Israel. It likely meant that she would be impoverished, despised, and single the rest of her life. But God had other plans. He gave her a husband and a child, and a place of honor among her adopted people: She was the great-grandmother of David, Israel’s beloved king (and thus one of Jesus’ ancestors).

For Hannah that meant giving up the child she had longed for, the child who had been given to her as a direct answer to prayer. She had been childless for so long! And now, after all these years, God had blessed her with a son. 

What did she do with that child? She gave him back to God. As soon as he was old enough, she presented him to be trained as a priest. That priest became Samuel, the great leader of Israel who set them free from the Philistines and helped unite the people under their first kings.

What does any of this have to do with us?

I don’t have to tell you that we live in uncertain and divisive times, just as they did. We see it in our politics, our communities and even in our churches. We see it in our country's moral decline, its violent crime, its fractured families, and its mistreatment of people made in the image of God.

It is easy to get discouraged, isn’t it? It’s easy to become cynical, right? But neither of these are appropriate responses. For our reading this week reminds us of two things we must never forget.

First, God always accomplishes his purposes in history. God was not overwhelmed by the faithlessness of the people of Israel three thousand years ago. And God will not abandon our generation, either.

Will there be consequences for our disobedience? Of course. But even our failures can be used to advance God’s purposes. (Remember Good Friday?) No matter what, Christians are people of hope. (Remember Easter Sunday?)

We must never forget that we are people of hope. No matter how bad things get, there is always a Ruth, always a Boaz, always a Hannah, always a Samuel.

Which brings us to the second thing we must never forget: God works through families to accomplish his purposes. Before there was Moses, there was Jochebed and Amram. Before there was David, there was Ruth and Boaz. Before there was Samuel, there was Hannah and Elkanah. Before there was John, there was Elizabeth and Zechariah. Before there was Jesus, there was Mary and Joseph. 

Each of these heroes were born into a family of godly parents. Parents who took great risks in following God. Parents who made great sacrifices for the sake of their faith. Parents whose personal pedigree may not have seemed like much, but through whom God was able to accomplish great things. They simply followed God the best they knew how, no matter what kind of political, social, or religious craziness surrounded them.

Whatever our personal family situation, we can do the same. Our past family history need not determine our future. Whatever problems we see around us does not excuse us from doing what is right right in front of us. For we are people of hope. We can’t help it: we are resurrection people.