Where is God—when I can’t see Him… Ruth 1:19-22

There is an interesting chiasm that points out the center of this section, and its contrast between went out/brought back, full/emtpy:
19 they came to Bethlehem
20 Don’t call me pleasant…the Almighty…bitter
21 I went out full, empty the Lord brought me back
21b Why call me pleasant…the Almighty…calamity
22 …and they came to Bethlehem
The big issue is Naomi’s perspective, is she seeing things as they really are?

I went away full.
Was she really “full”? Depends on how you define full. She had her family intact but it was a time of famine and desperation, not plenty, the boys were weak and sick, not strong, they apparently chose to leave their inheritance and even have their sons take foreign wives, and settle in a foreign land. Life was not pleasant for Naomi then, and her husband Elimelech didn't really seem to trust and obey “My God is King.” It was perhaps more a cultural religious practice than real personal faith that stood the test of trials.

The Lord has brought me back empty.
She sees empty in terms of alone, with nothing, no hope of either provision or enduring happiness. She is not the first to fell this way: compare Exodus 5:21-23; Numbers 11:11-15; 1 Kings 17:20. Israel out of Egypt, Moses when the people grumbled, even Elijah expressed the same thing. God has done this to me! Yet, in that God was working new life from Egypt, and resurrection (in Elijah’s case). The prophet Habbakuk, in chapter 1 of that book, says” God where are you, why don’t you do something, and then, “no God, you can’t do that!” He openly challenges and questions God, but chapter 3 of his book closes in full trust. Naomi has not even recognized the blessing of Ruth. She is not alone, Ruth is beside her and God himself is there.
The truth is that Naomi, like Adam and Eve, and like us, has gone away and the Lord has brought her back.

Try to have people in your Growth Group describe situations where “someone” has felt this way, a time of darkness when it seemed the All powerful God either caused or did not prevent calamity. Let the group be a safe place for people to tell their story, people can be honest to God and one another. It is not good that church is often a place where one cannot be honest about how they really feel. We are taught not to express what we really feel, our anger and bitterness even toward God. But, does He not know? Find some psalms and other Biblical examples where people can be “honest to God” when their faith is shaken. Perhaps the group can find some.
What will help Naomi?

Naomi’s night-vision goggles.
My God is King (Ruth 1:2, 20b, 21c)
She heard (Ruth 1:6; Romans 10:17)
Now the two of them… (1:19; Hebrews 10:24-25)
The story has hinted toward three things that can help a person who has lost perspective and cannot see God.

1. First, remembering who God is. He is sovereign, the king, even if he doesn’t seem to be doing anything, He is the Almighty. The other name used, Yahweh or Jehovah, is God’s covenant keeping loyal love and mercy, redeemer of Israel name. God is all powerful and he is faithful in mercy and loving kindness to us, even when it doesn’t seem like it.
2. She heard. Compare Romans 10:17.
3. The two of them. Hebrews 10:24-25. Naomi is not alone, Ruth is there and Ruth with her, not with answers, but being there, will be central to the reversal that is coming and Naomi getting hope again. How have any of these three made a difference in dark times for members of your group?
   

You may have time to point out how chapter 1 ends. Have a Bible dictionary or other reference work ready and have someone look up what time of year Barley harvest is and what big feast of Israel occurs then. What does this suggest about the hint hope at this point of the story? Is the hope merely for barley bread, or is God hinting at something bigger?