“Sojourn” is not a regular word found in most of our verbiage. It’s meaning has also found a lonely place in the shadows of cultural understanding. Such is the case with much of our English language; lost in the mix of modernism. The word does carry a diverse understanding, the greater being “abiding” or “dwelling.” At first it sounds like a journey is taking place, yet in reality, the sojourner was simply a man looking for a place to settle.
There was a man who sojourned in a sinful place. His name is forgettable, but his decision to “sojourn” or take up residence came at a steep cost to his family. It was a money move. He was struggling in his little town; working hard like most men without much benefit. The man moved his wife and two sons to a place where Yahweh was not worshiped. Elohim was absent from the law and language of Moab. Rather than being poor, he traded his inheritance and heritage for a “better life.”
I often wonder what a better life means. It seems to denote more material things or some place of ease. Left out, however, is the condition left on the soul. I wonder how many will read these lines. I have offered so many in the last 25 years, but I watch and am often burdened by the dismissal of spiritual priorities.
The man who sojourned moved to a godless place. He introduced his sons to a distorted view and in time, they married women who had no affection to the God of their father. At this point, people become lost by the recovery of Ruth and Naomi. The first few chapters are wiped clean as if nothing egregious had ever taken place. Yes, God was gracious to Naomi and He used Ruth to serve His purpose. However, we should not be too quick to forget: A father corrupted his family over money. He put priorities of possessions over holiness toward the Lord. We can read the Book of Ruth and find a plethora of redeemable moments; even profound outcomes. Yet no one can undo the godless choice of the man who sojourned in a godless place. Worse yet, he was from Bethlehem. He left the place where the Promise would come making the critical sentence even more glaring: Ruth 1:1 And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab…”
I offer this to you from every angle, but the most straightforward is this: Our decisions ripple through our families. Soul-decisions are the only things that matter. I ache for new souls for this very reason; to be born again. The body will die, regardless of how many prayers are offered. The mind will slip and waste away, but the soul will live forever. So make your calling and election sure.
Pastor Jeffrey Harpole
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