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Ever since Elimilech and Naomi had left Judah because of a famine things had not gone well with Naomi. Yes they had plenty to eat but then Elimilech dies and Naomi becomes a widow.
But then her two boys Mahlon and Chilion married, and sure Naomi would rather that they had married from their own people (and not moabite girls) but at least now she would at least have the prospect of grandchildren.
Ten years go by and no grandchildren and then both Mahlon and Chilion die and she buries them also. Moab had not been a pleasant place for Naomi. She had buried the three dearest people on earth to her. What to do with her daughter-in-laws?
So Naomi hears there is food in Judah and predictably decides to go back, and then something unusual happens… even though Ruth and Orpah want to go back with her to Judah, Naomi tells them not to and argues with them why they shouldn’t go with her.
Naomi was testing Ruth and Orpah.
What older widow woman wants to take a 75 mile trek by herself where she has to depend on the hospitality of strangers and perhaps even have to sleep on the road? There were thieves and wild animals along that road. I don’t know of anyone.
Orpah of course takes Naomi’s logical advice and returns to Moab and the house of her mother.
And then Naomi directs her attention to Ruth and said this… “Behold your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods…
Ruth with great faith and an unknown future said this… “your people will be my people and your God, my God” Ruth was not about to go back to her previous Moabite life and Moabite gods, even at Naomi’s urging. Naomi had found her true daughter.
Naomi knew she had ancestral land in Judah and she knew she had near relatives that could marry both her daughter-in-laws but she wanted it to be their choice and their decision and not a decision based on pity for her.
Orpah wasn’t a true proselyte, she hadn’t bought into judaism and quickly turned her back on Jehovah God and went back to the “gods” of Moab.
Ruth, of course, hammered the test because she like Naomi lived by faith in God. Poor choice Orpah, you have been lost to history but your sister-in-law Ruth and her example of faith lives on and on.
Lesson for us… faith trumps human logic. Choose faith. Don't be like Orpah... be like Ruth.
Ruth (and probably Orpah) was undoubtably a convert to Judaism. Ruth was familiar with Mosaic Law… she knew about Levirate marriage and she knew about gleaning the fields.
And then there is this…
But Ruth said, “Do not plead with me to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you sleep, I will sleep. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Ruth 1:16
Ruth was from Moab and Moabites followed the false Gods Chemosh and Baal. Their destructive practices included sacrificing their own children.
So, presumably when Ruth met young Mahlon and his God fearing parents (Elimilech and Naomi) and started going to the Synagogue with them she saw the superiority of Jehovah God and the character of his people. She converted from the false gods of Moab to the one and true God and became a person of faith.
By faith, Ruth refused to abandon her mother-in-law even after Naomi told her to.
By faith, Ruth left her own parents and her own country and followed Naomi to a people and a land which were not her own.
By faith, Ruth provided for her widowed mother-in-law by “gleaning” in the fields.
By faith, Ruth followed Naomi’s instruction and the instruction of the Mosaic Law and married Boaz the family's close relative.
By faith, Ruth became the great grandmother of David, King of Israel and progenitor of Jesus Christ King of the World.
Ruth, follower of the gods of Moab, became a follower of faith in Jehovah God and was richly rewarded for her faith.
I stated in a previous post that nothing in the Book Of Ruth happened by accident. The events recorded there were not random nor haphazard but rather were carefully planned and orchestrated by God.
Those aren’t just my thoughts. The best evidence for them comes from Naomi herself.
At the loss of her husband and sons Ruth said this…
“For the hand of the Lord has gone forth against me” Ruth 1:13
and this…
“The Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me” Ruth 1:20
and this…
“The Almighty has afflicted me” Ruth 1:21
Naomi, even in the face of losing her family, attributed that loss to God and yet she was still faithful and didn’t question him. Perhaps she knew something better awaits the faithful.
Once we understand that this whole sequence of events came from God then it allows us to look into the mind of God almighty and ask some questions.
- what was it about Ruth that made her so special that God would choose her to be in the lineage of his son?
- how did Ruth become so faithful? Was it through the influence of Naomi?
- how was Ruth spiritually superior to Orpah?
- why did God not allow Mahlon to sire the heir?
- what was so special about Boaz?
I look forward to exploring this with you.
I’m on a political discussion group and some were arguing that Israel was God’s covenant people “forever” and that’s why America should support them. Anyway this was my response.
"When Jesus was crucified God tore the veil to the Holy of Holy place in the Temple signifying that his deal with the followers of the Mosaic law was done. Jesus himself prophesied that God would send the Roman armies to destroy Israel for killing his son. He warned the Christians to leave when they saw the Roman armies coming.
He didn't destroy Israel immediately, he gave the Jews 40 years to witness signs and miracles and believe in Jesus. All who remained in Jerusalem had richly denied Jesus Christ and were complicit in his death and received a just punishment.
As a side note sometimes the scriptures use words like "all" and "forever" which don't really mean "all" and "forever". They are apocalyptic language.
The Israel of today and Jews of today are not God's Chosen people. They reject the deity of Jesus Christ which is the unforgivable sin (at least in the old Law) of Blasphemy. Those who support the religion of Israel support Blasphemers and are perhaps complicit in that great sin.
I support the Israel of today politically as an ally in the middle east and I pray for them that they will accept Jesus Christ."
One thing I’ve noticed about the scriptures is that they are lite on mental illness. No multiple personality disorder. No Bipolar disease. No PTSD. No Schizophrenia. No Bulimia. No serial killers. No Depression, etc., etc., etc. And yet we all interact with folks who have those maladies.
We have to be careful about attributing those things to Demon possession as found in the scriptures. Yes some of the cases of Demon possession in the scriptures sound like seizure activity. But we have to remember the text says it is Demon possession and the Demons recognized Jesus Christ and even talked with him.
What the scriptures are not lite on is love and wisdom. We should always love those with psychological disorders but be wise enough to know that some of these conditions are incurable and unmanageable and we shouldn’t feel guilty that we can’t do more. We just have to do the best we can and leave the rest up to God.
