It is John Piper who wrote a book called ' A Sweet and Bitter Providence', it is a based upon the book of Ruth. There are two main women in this book, Naomi , and Ruth,and both experienced what the Puritan Richard Baxter calls,'wine and vinegar', in the same cup. Naomi lost her husband ,and sons,and Ruth lost her husband. The book starts by telling us how Elimelek ,Naomi's husband and their two sons, left Israel because of Famine,and they went to the land of Moab. There the two sons married Moabite women,one called Orpah and Ruth, during the next ten years the three men died. A bitter providence.That meant that the three women were left in dire straits,no social security in those days,so it was a difficult time, but then a light of hope shone into the situation. Naomi heard encouraging news,that God in his mercy had come to the aid of his people providing them with food, so here we have a sweet providence. So Naomi told her two daughters- in - laws that she was going to return home.Naomi was a very understanding woman,she told them it would be better if they stayed in their own land. Orpah did stay in the land of Moab, but dear Ruth refused to leave her mother -in -law.This would became a very sweet providence, for as you read the whole story you would discover, that God would bring blessing upon Naomi, Israel, and the world,which is and was a very sweet providence. ( 4 v 13 - 22)
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