Studies in the Book of Ruth
“It Never Too Late To Go Home.”
Ruth 1:6-21
“Have you ever experienced disappointment with God? It happens when you do what you think the Lord wants, but then things don’t turn out the way you expect. God doesn’t come through – like when you stick your neck out and do the ethical thing at work, but instead of getting praise, you get fired. Naomi experienced disappointment with God. She lost her husband, her two sons, her wealth, her position and her looks…. As a result… she gave up on God’s goodness, but did not give up on God. She became an embittered believer who interpreted God in the ‘worst case’ scenario whenever possible…. At this point…she interpreted God’s love by her circumstance rather than interpret the circumstances by God’s love.” [W. Gary Philips. Holman Old Testament Commentary. “Judges, Ruth.” (Nashville: Holman Reference, 2004) p.307]
As we discovered last time the story of Ruth is set “during the time of judges” (Ruth 1:1). There is famine in the land of Judah. To escape the effects of the famine a family of four leaves Bethlehem to dwell in country of Moab. Some believe that the move indicated a lack of faith in God.
Moab, was located due East of the Dead Sea. It’s people where descendants of Lot –through his incestuous relationship with his eldest daughter( Gen 19:36-37) Sometimes they were the friends of Israel but often they were regarded as enemies of Israel – (Judge 3:12-30, 1Samuel 22:3-4) The family was made up of Elimelech the father, Naomi the mother and their two sons: Mahlon and Chilion (Ruth 1:2).
Death strikes this family three times. First, Elimelech dies – (Ruth 1:3) leaving Naomi a widow with two sons in a foreign land. His two sons then marry women of Moab – Ruth and Orpah (Ruth 1:4). They live in Moab about ten years and then the two sons die – (Ruth 1:5). Leaving Naomi a widow and childless. Grieving the death of her husband and two sons, Naomi gives thought to return to her homeland.
First, Naomi’s Decision. (1:6-7)
“Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the LORD had visited His people by giving them bread. 7 There-fore she went out from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.”
Naomi makes the decision that with the death of her husband and her two sons there is nothing to keep her in the land of Moab, so she decides to return to her home in the land of Judah. The jour-ney begins with both daughter-in-laws accom-panying her. But is the choice that Naomi makes to return to Bethlehem the right choice for them as well? This sure is a dilemma that Naomi struggled with!
So what should these women do? Should they stay or should they go? They are returning to Naomi’s home not theirs. They would be as much a stranger in Judea as Naomi was in Moab.
Naomi receives word that the famine has ended in Judah and she decides to make the jour-ney home. This would not have been an easy journey some 50-60 miles on foot climbing appro-ximately 2000 ft. in elevation. Added to difficulty would be the danger of a woman traveling alone or with two other women.
At first, both daughters-in-law desire to go with Naomi. Their willingness to return with her to her people speaks highly of their love for Naomi and sense of duty as daughters-in-law.
Second, Naomi’s Deterrence. (1:8-10)
“And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each to her mother’s house. The LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with the. 9 The LORD grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.” So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10 And they said to her, “Surely we will return with you to your people.”
At some point in the journey Naomi encour-ages Orpah and Ruth to return to their mothers' house. In fact the phrase “go, return” or “go back” (v. 8) translates two imperatives in the Hebrew (go and return), Naomi commands them to return to their mother’s home. Naomi prays that God will treat them kindly, because of their kind-ness to her and that they will find rest in the homes of future husbands. In so doing she was releasing her daughter’s-in-laws from any further respon-sibility for her. Prompting sorrowful displays of great affection.
Just a little about a word that occurs here in verse eight it is translated “kindness” and is the Hebrew word ????? chesed in the Hebrew Bible and is a word that is difficult to translate into English, because it really has no precise equivalent in our language. English versions usually try to represent it with such words as "loving-kindness," when employed to describe God and "kindness," when used of man. The word occurs three times in the book of Ruth; at the beginning (1:8), in the middle (2:20) and at the end (3:10). In our text it is the kindness of Ruth and Orpah to Naomi. Ruth lived a life of kindness even when she probably did not feel like it. Her husband died, she was poor, and moved to a foreign land (Judea). But she chose to be kind, despite her circumstances. Even before Boaz met her, he knew who she was because people had been talking about her kindness (2::11-12).
Both daughter-in-law’s (v. 10) repeated their desire to return with Naomi. It is an obvious testi-mony to their love and her good character that the women did not want to leave her.
Third, Naomi’s Deductions. (1:11-14)
“But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons,
13 would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having hus-bands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me!” 14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.”
Naomi seeks to persuade them not to go with her (v.11). Naomi’s expressed her logic this way, she did not have any more sons to offer them, and now she considers herself too old to have another husband, but even if able to marry, she said I am too old to bear children. And even if I were not too old to bear children you could not wait until they were old enough to marry.
The custom she is referring to is called Levirate marriage which would require them to marry only close relatives of Naomi who could stand in the place of Elimelech’s deceased sons. (Levirate is from the Latin levri and had nothing to do with Levi or Levitical) Levirate Marriage was that the nearest unmarried relative of a man who died with children should marry the widow and preserve the family by fathering a child on his behalf (Deut. 25:5-10). Noami was releasing them from this obligation. It grieves her to see them suffer because of what she believes is God's judgment on her life. She regarded herself as “divinely jinxed.”
Orpah’s kiss of her mother-in-law was obviously a kiss of farewell. It is easy for us to see Ruth as the “good” daughter-in-law and Orpah as “bad.” But in reality Orpah also loved Naomi and wept over having to part company. Yet it is possible to only view Orpah’s decision from an earthly logically view that this was the most logically thing to do. But what does Naomi’s persuasion and Orpah’s subsequent decision mean in the eternal scope of things?
When viewed thought spiritual eyes, instead of being concerned with how that she might win her daughter-in-laws to the Lord, she instead tries to do everything that she can to talk them out of coming with her and serving her God.
Sadly, Naomi most likely had it within her power to influence her daughter-in-law Orpah to salvation through Jehovah, however instead she talked her out of coming with her to serve the Lord.
As one commentator points out, no “knows what happened to Orpah when she went home. Perhaps she met Mr. Right, had a pack of children, and lived happily ever after in Moab. So too, for many people works out relatively well, giving them in reasonable measure the things they have sought. But in the process of pursuing the Moabite option (or in our case the American dream), they miss out on the one thing of true value in life; a living rela-tionship with the LORD….The saddest part of Orpah’s story is that she probably never even knew what she was missing!” [Iain M. Duguid. Reformed Expository Commentary. “Esther & Ruth.” (Philipsburg, NJ: P & R Pub., 2005) p.145-146]
On her part Orpah demonstrates just how close one can come to trusting Christ, and then turn away. A New Testament example is seen in at the Last supper Jesus indicated that all the disciples were “clean” (saved) except one,” meaning Judas (John 13:10). Judas heard Jesus preach, Judas witnessed the miracles and yet He did not believe. Later Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26:49). That’s amazing! Judas KISSED the very Door to Heaven and then turned away from salvation. He kissed the Son of God and then rejected Him.
Sidelight story! If you have been thinking that Orpah name sounds a lot like a famous T.V. Personality, your right. Orpah is actually Oprah Winfrey’s real name. Here how she explains it. “I was born in rural Mississippi in 1954. I was born at home. There were not a lot of educated people around and my Aunt Ida chose my name from the Bible. So it went down at Orpah on my birth certificate, but people didn’t know how to pron-
ounce it, so they put the ‘p’ before the ‘r’ on every place other than my birth certificate. On the birth certificate it is Orpah, but then it got translated to Oprah, so here we are.” [David Dykes. “You Can Return To God.” Sermon on Ruth 1:7-22. www.gabc.org/wp-content/uploads/s081510.pdf]
It has been suggested by some that Naomi thought better of inviting Orpah and Ruth to return to Israel with her they would be a constant reminder to her and everyone around her of the fact that her family had abandoned the Promised Land and walked away from God, and allowing her sons to marry Gentile women. I believe that there is most likely some truth in this.
There must have also been some recogniztion that since Israelites were not supposed to marry Gentiles, if Orpah and Ruth returned with her that they probably would be widows for life because no Israelite would violate the law in order to marry them.
Yet we are told that Ruth “clung” to Naomi (v. 14). The word translated “clung” can be translated “glued.” It is the same word used in Genesis 2:24 that man was to leave his father and mother and be “glued” to his wife.
Fourth, Ruth’s Determination. (1:15-18)
For a third time Noami tries to change Ruth’s mind. “And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God.17 Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The LORD
do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.”18 When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.”
Orpah leaves and Naomi again tries once again to persuade Ruth to return (v. 15). But Ruth's has made her choice and now she gives her reasons why it was pointless for Naomi to continue to try-ing to persuade her to leave. She says she is deter-mined to go wherever Naomi goes, to live wherever Naomi lives, to make the people of Naomi her people, and even more importantly to make the God of Naomi her God. She says that only death will separate them.
Ruth reply broadly speaking can be broken down into three major parts; a plea for Naomi to not try to change Ruth’s mind, a threefold declar-ation of Ruth’s commitment and a final oath.
• The Plea. (v. 16a)
“Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you…” (v. 16a)
• The Pledge (v. 16b-17a)
“…For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. 17 “Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried.”
Each statement ratchets up the level of Ruth’s commitment to Naomi. (16b-17a)
? She is Committing her life to Naomi.
“For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people…”
? She is Committing her life to Naomi’s God. “… And your God, my God.” (16c)
Some commentaries view this statement as
evidence of her conversion others do not. But what-ever is the case at this point Ruth does decide to follow the God of Israel. Dave Guzik has an inter-esting thought, “In the ten years of Naomi’s com-promise in Moab never made Ruth confess her allegiance to the God of Israel. Yet as soon as Naomi stood and said, ‘I’m going back to the God of Israel, I’ll put my fate in His hands’ Ruth stood with her. If you think you will persuade your friends or relatives to Jesus by your compromise you are mistaken. Perhaps you are sincere, but you are mistaken. Only a bold stand for Jesus will really do.” [David Guzik. “Ruth’s Journey” Ruth 1. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/ruth-1/ ]
In making such a choice, Ruth has become a proselyte to Judaism. In verse seventeen Ruth uses the personal name of God (although it is not obvious in all translations “LORD” (in all caps) is the covenant name Yahweh.
? She is willing to be buried in Naomi’s Land. “And there will I be buried.” (17a)
The modern reader may not appreciate what an extraordinary commitment this. In the ancient world a proper burial was viewed as essential for a restful afterlife.
• The Oath. (v. 17b)
“…The LORD do so to me, and more also, If any-thing but death parts you and me.”
Ruth says if she reneges on her promises to Naomi , she invites the LORD – that is Naomi’s God to stretch out His hand and strike her down.
Verse eighteen says, “When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.”
No, thank you is heard from Naomi. Neither does she express any gratitude that Ruth is willing to make this difficult trip with her. In response, Naomi said nothing. We quote the words of Ruth’s pledge in our marriage ceremonies and get choked up at their implications. Yet as far as Naomi is concerned these were far from welcome words in her state of bitterness. In fact she said nothing in response to Ruth’s pledge.
Fifth, Naomi’s Reception. (1:19-21)
“Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; (pleasant) call me Mara, (bitter) for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”
Naomi came from a prominent family and was recognized by people who had known her before. But apparently the years had not been kind to her because her friends were shocked by the change that 10 years away in another land had made and asked, “Naomi is that really you?” (v. 19). Naomi tells the people of Bethlehem that her time away from Israel, her time away from the God of Israel has been bitter saying, “Do not call me Naomi; (pleasant) call me Mara, (bitter) for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.”
Some say that Naomi was bitter about her circumstances but not bitter against God. But that is not how it strikes me. It seems to me that although Naomi may have returned home in faith it was flawed faith, and while she does indeed recognize the sovereignty of God, but it is a sovereignty without grace.
Naomi expresses her bitterness against the Lord for the sorrows and trials that she has had to go through. “….for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty… the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?” (vv. 20c-21) As far as Naomi was concerned –“her losses were directly attributable to the Almigh-ty acts of judgement against her. In response, her heart had grown hard and bitter toward Him , both in recognizing and at the same time resenting His power in her life. At this point, there is no whis-per of acknowledgment in her heart of her own res-ponsibility in choosing the path of disobedience that had led her away from the Promised Land in the first place. Naomi was simply resentful that the greener pastures of Moab, outside the land of promise had actually turned into a desert exper-ience.” [Duguid. p.145]
Instead of realizing that the Lord brings trials into our lives as His people because He loves us and is using those difficulties for good in our lives to train us up in righteousness, she instead believes that God is against her and thus that the hand of the Lord has done these things to her.
Trials in our lives will either make us better or they will make us bitter, depending upon how we view them. If we receive them as coming from the loving hand of the Lord, just as a parent disciplines a child, and as sent as Rom. 8:28 tells to work together with everything else in our lives for good, then they will achieve the result of making us better people. However, if we don’t look at them in this way we can and will get very bitter as a result of experiencing them.
Although Naomi is now in the land (just as Israel as a nation is in the land today) she is not yet restored to the Lord (just like Israel today) but instead is filled with the bitterness of her years away from the land. She tells everyone to call her “Mara,” or “bitter.” The “pleasant one” was now the “bitter one.” This is of course a reference the story of the wilderness wandering of the children of Israel and the bitter waters found in Exodus 15:23. But Naomi forgets that it was also the place that God in spite of the grumbling of the people in his mercy reached down and made the bitter water, sweet (Gen. 15:25)
“One is left wondering what Ruth must have made of the townsfolk’s reception of Naomi and Naomi’s final impassioned accusation of the God whom she had just declared allegiance.” [Daniel I. Block. The New American Commentary. “Judges, Ruth.” (Nashville; Broadmand & Holman, 1999) p. 648]
Consider the reception that Ruth received. She is a Gentile, as such was about as welcome in Bethlehem, “As a ham sandwich at a Bar mitzvah.” In welcoming Naomi home the people of Bethlehem seem to take no notice of Ruth. Notice the omission in verse nineteen, “Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, “Is this Naomi?” Everyone could see that there were two of them yet no one asks the obvious question, “Ruth who is this with you?” They neatly side-stepped dealing with this person that to them must have be obvious was a Gentile.
Conclusion
This story reminds us that choices have consequences, sometimes good, sometime bad. Elimelech (and his sons) made a choice. What may at the time have appeared to be a logically choice; ultimately left not only Naomi a widow, but the two wives of the son’s widows as well. Ruth made a decision - a choice to leave family and false religion to follow the one true God. This decision not only provide temporal blessings but eternal blessings as well. As result it is through Ruth that God provided Israel with its greatest earthly king David, and also put in the lineage of the coming Messiah.
“It Never Too Late To Go Home.”
Ruth 1:6-21
First, Naomi’s Decision. (1:6-7)
Naomi makes the decision that with the death of her husband and her two sons there is nothing to keep her in the land of Moab, so she decides to return to her home in the land of Judah. The journey begins with both daughter-in-laws accompanying her.
Second, Naomi’s Deterrence. (1:8-10)
Naomi commands them to return to their mother’s home.
Third, Naomi’s Deductions. (1:11-14)
Levirate Marriage (Deut. 25:5-10).
Fourth, Ruth’s Determination. (1:15-18)
• The Plea. (v. 16a)
• The Pledge (v. 16b-17a)
? She is Committing her life to Naomi.
? She is Committing her life to Naomi’s God.
? She is Willing to be buried in Naomi’s Land.
• The Oath. (v. 17b)
Fifth, Naomi’s Reception. (1:19-21)
“It Never Too Late To Go Home.”
Ruth 1:6-21
First, Naomi’s ______________. (1:6-7)
Naomi makes the decision that with the death of her husband and her two sons there is nothing to keep her in the land of Moab, so she decides to return to her home in the land of Judah. The journey begins with both daughter-in-laws accompanying her.
Second, Naomi’s ___________. (1:8-10)
Naomi commands them to return to their mother’s home.
Third, Naomi’s ____________. (1:11-14)
Levirate Marriage (Deut. 25:5-10).
Fourth, Ruth’s ______________. (1:15-18)
• The ________. (v. 16a)
• The ___________. (v. 16b-17a)
? She is Committing her life to Naomi.
? She is Committing her life to Naomi’s God.
? She is Willing to be buried in Naomi’s Land
• The ________. (v. 17b)
Fifth, Naomi’s _____________. (1:19-21)
