ORPHA’S DECISION
Orphan a Moabites took a great decision when she married a total stranger-Chilion. It means she must forsake her kindred, her gods and her country eventually. But with the death of her husband, that great decision was threatened and a room was created for a greater decision.
This she found difficult to take all alone, so she waited for her mate-Ruth, and they took a joint decision to follow Naomi back to Bethlehem Judah. Joint decision for heaven is taken only by fools. No joint decision lasts. Neither does God rely on such (Ex. 19:8). The race to heaven is a personal one. To jointly decided to run the race mostly leads to futility. It is everyone that must make up his/her mind and decide.
The decision concerning heaven cannot be a family or friendship matter. When Joshua made decision for his family (Josh. 24:15) it was good, but after his death what is heard about his children? No one of them was ever mentioned after him as serving the Lord. Joint decision! (Vs 6-10). But when the consequences of such decision was laid bare before their eyes the bleakness of the future, the uncertainty of the future, the hopelessness of the future, the darkness of the future the great price that follow the decision, the story that must come before the glory, the thorn before the crown, the test before the testimony, the price before the prize.
Then it was time for personal decision. Which you cannot take without first sitting down and counting the costs (Lk. 9:57-62, 14:28-33). Have you counted the cost (vs 11-13). Vs. 14&15 “ And……….. Orpha kissed her mother in law (good bye); …….And gone back unto her people, and unto her gods!…?
Oh! Sister Orpah, so you were only pretending all this while, so you were only following but never converted? Ah! Sister Orpah, with all those service, with all those tears, so you were not even born again?
Wherever there can be no personal encounter with the LORD, there can be no personal convictionwhich results in personal conversion. Orpah wanted to be married to God but still be romancing with the Moabitish idols.
Brother/Sister, you are in the church for these many years with much service like Martha, much zeal like Uzzah, but you never had a personal encounter with the LORD. No wonder you are still romancing with the world, no wonder you still finds it difficult to drop the things of the world. But remember the words of the LORD(Matt. 6:24) No man can serve two masters, you can’t love God and the world simultaneously (James 4:4, 1John 2:15-17).
Why are you finding it difficult to cut off from worldly desires and pleasures? Why are you finding it difficult to deal with that part of your life, the Holy spirit has been talking to you about? Why is it difficult for you to do away with the things of the world-mammons in your life? Why have you been proving stubborn to the prompting of the Holy Ghost? Is it not that you are a sister to Orpah? Is it not that you have never had any personal encounter with your maker?
So, you have been pretending all these while only to be recognized by the church leadership. You have no record in heaven, your name is not in the book of life because you were never converted, you never had a personal encounter with God. That is why you are still struggling to maintain a form of godliness but you deny the power thereof (2 Tim. 3:5).
`just as Orpah, you can’t go far because the day shall make all things manifest. Every sacrifice shall be known by the test of fire. When Orpah pass through the fiery furnace of God, her true nature was revealed (Job 28:10) Orpah was a gold plated vessel pretending to be golden vessel, but when passed through fire she came out as mere wood.
Truly, she pretended to be Israelitish, but her heart was deep in Moab. Unconverted, unregenerated Christians only pretend to be but they are not really true Christians and so heaven does not recognize them, nor know them (Matt. 7:21-23, James 4:4, 1 John 2:15-17). “And they lifted up their voice, and wept again;… joint effort, joint decision amounting to nothing. While they lifted ‘their’ each of them was deciding in her heart on what next to do. Corn and shalf may dwell together for a long time but when the wind blows, only the one with weighty corn will remain.
“And…… Orpah kissed her mother in law……” the shalf was separating from the wheat (Prov.24:10). That kiss was a kiss of final separation. The Psalmist said “Kiss the son, lest He be angry with you” (Ps2:12).
A kiss is a sign of love, a sign of peace and togetherness. But ….Orpah kissed her mother in-law…” to separate from her forever. Deceit! Betrayal! Orpah kissed her mother in-law’…. In the order of Judas Ischariot.
DECISION OF RUTH
“And they lifted up their voice (singular-together) and wept again;….. but Ruth clave unto her (mother in-law)’. The journey to heaven is an individualistic race it cannot be joint decision, it can’t be family decision, it can’t be by proxy. Both Orpah and Ruth started out, “but (only) Ruth clave unto her”.
Oh! What is it that would separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus? O LORD, help me as I have burned the bridge behind me, never to depart from you.
Orpah went back, but Ruth clave unto her, yes the cleaving is all that is important on this journey. When the going is good Ruth clave unto her, when the going was rough and stormy, Ruth clave unto her still. When there was hope, Ruth clave unto her, when there was no hope Ruth clave unto her still.Yes, Ruth clave unto her, knowing fully well that “No man, having put his hand unto the plow, and look back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).
Will you also go back? Others may, I shall never. Ruth clave unto her, though the future is bleak and hopeless. Ruth clave unto her, though every indices shows no future. What a decision!
To make it at last requires not just one starting the race. It is only “he that endures to the end that shall be saved.” (Matt. 24:13). Many things will definitely crop up on the way. To make one shake or turn back. But only “he that endured to the end, shall be saved”. Mentors may even go back, friends may desert me, family may disown me, rights may be denied me, yet the LORD expects that I cleave still unto Him to the very end.
The question is “What shall separate us from the Lord? Romans 8:35 says “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”
There are two questions in that verse; the first is Who? This talks about people, father, mother, brother, sister or wife or husband, or son, or daughter, or friend or colleague, or boss, or church member, or pastor, or leader, or mentor etc. who on earth? Who in heaven? Who beneath the earth? Who? Who? Who?. What relationship can be as close as to separate me from the love of Christ?
Yes, for Orpah “her people” separated her but Ruth clave unto her mother in-law. This question on who is very vital today in our relationship with the LORD. Many of our compromises are because of Who.
A lot of the little foxes destroying our vine (songs of Solomon 2:15) are simply because of one person or the other in our lives. God give me the grace and help me to be ready at all time to displease every man in order to please you.
Who is that person in your life you so much respect that you would want to please in everything even when it is subtly displeasing to God? Get ready to do away with such so that you will not be damned at last.
Your boss tells you to lie or sign a false document or falsify figures etc. if you do it you displease God for ‘Who’.
Your parent or spouse tells you to do or say one thing or the other contrary to God’s Holy word. Doing or saying it (because of the respect you have for him/her) you are displeasing God for ‘Who’.
Your Pastor, or spiritual leader tells you to do or say something which is subtly contrary (afterall it doesn’t matter, they may say)to God’s Holy word. Doing or saying it, you are displeasing God for ‘Who’ (Jer. 35:1-end).
Every heaven bound Christian must be ready to displease ‘Who’, offend ‘Who’, detach from ‘Who’ in order to please God and make heaven at last. Many of us, we don’t want to offend our family members and friends, we go ahead doing what we know is contrary to God’s word. Some go into debts just to please ‘Who’, some are even displeasing themselves in order to please ‘Who’.(Luke 9:57-62).
Have you confidently and truthfully answer this salient question ‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” who is that person in my life or ministry that I cannot boldly, sincerely and truthfully say ‘No’ to? If such is not urgently dealt with he/she may eventually separate me from the love of Christ.
The one million question begging for an answer is ‘Who do you fear his/her face, ‘Who do yourespect, that you find difficult to boldly confront on an issue? ‘Who? Who? Who?.
And the second is like it “What shall separate us from the love of Christ?” this talks about things. Yes, thing on earth, things that we pursue which suppose to be pursuing us, things which the enemy brings our ways. And Bro. Paul took time to mention some of them. “Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword, or death, or life, or angels, or principalities, or powers, or things present, or things to come, or height, or depth or any other creature?”
A lot of Christians today have because of ‘things’ dented the faith. They have left their first love just to get things. Many like Esau have because of a morsel of meat sold their birthright (Gen. 25:29-34, Heb. 12:16-17).
The fact is ‘things’ will finish here on earth, but eternity can be lost forever just as we never heard of Orpah again beyond verse 14. Because of ‘things’ you have given bribe or taken. Because of ‘things’ you have lied, because of ‘things’ you have defrauded, because of ‘things’ you have ‘sold your eternal heritage’.
Yes ‘things’; houses, land jewelries, cars, clothings, food, all the vain mammons; have separated a lot of people from the love of Christ. Many so called preachers today started well, declaring the whole counsel of God without fear or favour. Preaching holiness, having no othermessage than JESUS; the crucified, the resurrected and the soon coming King-Judge of the earth.
But today because of ‘things’ they are now preaching another ‘gospel’ building again what they have destroyed (Gal. 1:6-10).
The gospel today is being merchandized; prayers are being sold,anointed oil, anointed handkerchief, anointed biro, anointed fruits etc are being sold. Just because of ‘things’.
Earthly acquisitions will surely separate anyone who has not gained mastery over avarice and lucre. The presence or absence of ‘things’has separated many into eternal damnation. Yet we brought nothing into this worldand evidently we shall carry nothing out. Every worldly acquisition will one day be left here. The fists will be opened.
What shall separate us? Difficulty or distress, famine or nakedness, persecution or peril or sword? But the other side of this coin is that hardship times draws men to God, so the devil was pleasures, surfeiting, drunkenness, cares of this life etc. to draw men from the love of God(Luke. 21:34). Judas, Demas, Samson, Saul, and Several others were separated from God through pleasures and cares of life. Because these are veritable instruments in the hands of the devil.
The search for ‘things’has taken away the attention of many from Christ the love of ‘things’ has separated many from the love of Christ. Yet, the Holy Ghost by the hand of Apostle Paul says in Colossians 3:1-3 “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God”. Set your affection on things above not on things on the earth. “for ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God”. The love of the world and the ‘things’ thereof is damning many souls these perilous times.
“O LORD, blind my eyes to the things of this world. Let me only see you and you alone”.
“….But Ruth clave unto her”. To clave means to stick to somebody or to continue to believe in or pay allegiance to somebody. So, Ruth cleaving to her mother in-law despite all she heard of that the future held; means she believe in her still (though not really in Naomi, but in the living God of Israel Naomi had introduced to her). But Ruth clave means she had forsaking all others; her parents, siblings, relations, inheritance, people, friends, gods etc. she had chosen Naomi alone.