Elimelech was a family man. And when we read the story of Ruth which takes place around the period of the Judges, we know that it was a time when there were great difficulties in Israel. The Bible says the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6) and (Judges 21:25). And in this passage we are told that Elimelech took his family to a place called Moab. There, people worshipped pagan gods, the Moabites, lived in a lawless, immoral and brutal way. My brother, my sister, what happened to Elimelech can happen to any of us when we move away from the place God expects us to be.
Elimelech’s experience is a picture of that person who willingly turns his back on the things of God and pays an awful price. What we learn here is that living in a backslidden condition carries with it devastating consequences, but repentance and restoration are always the possibility that the Lord gives us to get away from the land of Moab. The fact is in the land of Moab, there is only despair, desolation and death assuredly.
When Elimelech went to Moab, he was looking for a better place to live with his family, to run away from famine (Ruth 1:1). But he died in Moab. His two sons also died after about ten years (Ruth 1:4). In fact Naomi, wife of Elimelech, lived to be the witness of a life lived out of God’s plan: she went to Moab in abundance, but she came out of it empty handed. Yes, all her hopes and dreams died in Moab: when she left the country she had nothing of value to take with her. She had nothing of value to leave behind either. My friend, when you go to Moab, know that you will leave something there. Naomi left three graves in her Moab. What could you leave in your Moab: your testimony, your innocence, your health, your wealth, your children, your family?
Indeed any time we take a journey away from where God want us to be, there is a cost. What you do today, if it is not aligned with God’s Word and plans for your life, could be leading you to death. It will cost less to come home today than it will if you wait until it becomes too late. Jesus is willing to save us but are we willing to be saved? Many believers assume they are saved because they have accepted Christ as their Lord and Saviour, while the Bible says: “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9)… In fact you confess this today and “YOU WILL BE SAVED” later… Why? Because on our way to salvation, we have to face temptations, etc… the race is long until the end when we die or our Lord returns in His glory. My friend, we are living in the land of Moab when we feel comfortable with the lawlessness and immorality of this world or anything that is an abomination to God… Stay blessed in Jesus’ name.