Reflections on Ruth 1

Ruth 01 (Contemporary English Version)

1. Before Israel was ruled by kings, Elimelech from the tribe of Ephrath lived in the town of Bethlehem. His wife was named Naomi, and their two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. But when their crops failed, they moved to the country of Moab. And while they were there,
   
2. (SEE 1:1)
   
3. Elimelech died, leaving Naomi with only her two sons.
   
4. Later, Naomi's sons married Moabite women. One was named Orpah and the other Ruth. About ten years later,
   
5. Mahlon and Chilion also died. Now Naomi had no husband or sons.
   
6. When Naomi heard that the LORD had given his people a good harvest, she and her two daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab and go to Judah. As they were on their way there,
   
7. (SEE 1:6)
   
8. Naomi said to them, "Don't you want to go back home to your own mothers? You were kind to my husband and sons, and you have always been kind to me. I pray that the LORD will be just as kind to you.
   
9. May he give each of you another husband and a home of your own." Naomi kissed them. They cried
   
10. and said, "We want to go with you and live among your people."
    
11. But she replied, "My daughters, why don't you return home? What good will it do you to go with me? Do you think I could have more sons for you to marry?
    
12. You must go back home, because I am too old to marry again. Even if I got married tonight and later had more sons,
    
13. would you wait for them to become old enough to marry? No, my daughters! Life is harder for me than it is for you, because the LORD has turned against me."
    
14. They cried again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth held on to her.
    
15. Naomi then said to Ruth, "Look, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and to her gods! Why don't you go with her?"
    
16. Ruth answered, "Please don't tell me to leave you and return home! I will go where you go, I will live where you live; your people will be my people, your God will be my God.
    
17. I will die where you die and be buried beside you. May the LORD punish me if we are ever separated, even by death!"
    
18. When Naomi saw that Ruth had made up her mind to go with her, she stopped urging her to go back.
    
19. They reached Bethlehem, and the whole town was excited to see them. The women who lived there asked, "Can this really be Naomi?"
    
20. Then she told them, "Don't call me Naomi any longer! Call me Mara, because God has made my life bitter.
    
21. I had everything when I left, but the LORD has brought me back with nothing. How can you still call me Naomi, when God has turned against me and made my life so hard?"
    
22. The barley harvest was just beginning when Naomi and Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law, arrived in Bethlehem.
    

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    The book of Ruth and its account of the woman Ruth is a bright spot out of the period of the judges which had few positive accounts related through the book of Judges. This was a dark period for Israel, dark primarily because of her lack of faith in God.
    
    This account of Ruth begins also in darkness, but it soon takes a turn for good. It begins with a famine in the land of Israel which very likely was a result of God's judgement on Israel - not an uncommon occurance throughout the history of Israel. Due to the famine, a family from Bethlehem decided to move to the land of Moab where there seemed to be promise of more prosperity. Doing so, however, was an act of disobedience with Israel's covenant with God. If the territory east of the Jordan, where Moab was located, was not experiencing famine one might wonder why this family did not choose to go to the area east of the Jordan where fellow Israelites lived? Yet, if the famine was God's judgment on all Israel even the region east of the Jordan which belonged to Israelite tribes would also be experiencing the famine. Would not the best choice for the family and for Israel be to turn to God in repentance and look to Him for deliverance?
    
    The choice of this family, the head of which was Elimelech along with his wife Naomi and their two sons, was to move to the heathen land of Moab. There the two sons married Moabite women which was also a break with the covenant. If we are looking for people worthy of God's blessing they are not to be found in this account. But then, none are ever worthy of God's blessing. It is only due to God's love and mercy that any receive His blessings. In time, Elimelech and both his sons died, leaving Naomi and her two daughters-in-law widowed. Is this also God's judgment on this family? Naomi certainly thought so as she states in verse 21, "the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has pronounced judgment on me."
    
    In her grief, Naomi decided to return to her home and her people, and possibly also to God. Unexpectedly, her daughter-in-law, Ruth, decided to go with her, leaving behind her home, her people, and her gods. She made a life-long commitment to stay with Naomi and adopt her people and her God as her own. Her commitment also included the risk of never again to marry and have the security of a husband that was so vital to women of that period. In Ruth's statement of commitment to Naomi she invoked the judgment of Naomi's God on her if she allowed anything but death to separate her from Naomi.
    
    Naomi's decision to return to her home and people was the beginning of a new life of blessing for Naomi, though she didn't realize it. Ruth's commitment to her was a sign of this new life and the chapter leaves us with yet another sign of good things to come when it says, "They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest." The famine was over and there was new life in Israel.