What can we learn about God's sovereignty from the deaths in Ruth 1:5? the raw shock of verse five “both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and without her husband.” ‑- Ruth 1:5 sovereignty in the shadows • Scripture records the deaths without apology or suspense; God’s Spirit simply states the fact. • The brevity underscores who truly controls the narrative. No human cause is highlighted, steering our attention to the unseen hand of the Lord (Psalm 115:3). • Nothing in the text suggests that fate, chance, or Moabite gods took Naomi’s family. The same God who “forms the light and creates darkness” (Isaiah 45:7) superintends even untimely funerals. four truths about God’s rule revealed here 1. God appoints the length of every life – “all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be” ‑- Psalm 139:16 – Mahlon and Chilion did not die one hour early or late. The timing fit a schedule drafted in heaven. 2. God weaves loss into a wider redemption – These deaths press Naomi back to Bethlehem, positioning Ruth to meet Boaz. Through that union comes David, and eventually Christ (Ruth 4:13-22; Matthew 1:5-6, 16). – Tragedy becomes the hinge on which centuries of saving history swing (Romans 8:28). 3. God remains faithful when circumstances look faith-less – Naomi feels abandoned (Ruth 1:13, 20-21), yet covenant loyalty (“hesed”) is quietly at work. – The famine ends back home exactly when she must hear about it (Ruth 1:6), affirming “the LORD is good; His mercy endures forever” (Psalm 100:5). 4. God’s sovereignty never negates human responsibility, yet always overrules it – Elimelech’s choice to leave Judah did not void God’s promises; neither did it box Him out of the story. – While people act freely, the Lord “works out everything according to the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11). comfort for present-day disciples • Because the Lord governed Naomi’s deepest grief, He can govern every crisis that touches His children today. • The same sovereignty that allowed three graves in Moab later raised up an empty tomb in Jerusalem (Acts 2:23-24). • When life feels stripped bare, remember: God may be clearing the stage for unexpected grace, just as He was for Naomi and Ruth. living under the King’s rule • Rest: nothing random can invade a life held by a sovereign God. • Submit: align decisions with His revealed will, trusting His hidden purposes. • Hope: the Judge of all the earth will “do right” (Genesis 18:25); every tear will find its answer in His greater story. |
    |