Bible Women: Naomi, the Book of Ruth

Naomi is one of the central characters in the book of Ruth.  Her history begins in the time of the judges, when "...every man did that which was right in his own eyes." (Judges 21:25).

In the days of Naomi, God brought a  famine to Bethelehem-Judah, and Naomi's husband Elimelech,  instead of staying and trusting God, made the unwise choice to leave his home in Bethlehem, and journey to the land of Moab with his wife and two sons Mahlon and Chilion. (Ruth 1:1-2)  There,  Naomi's husband died, and Naomi, instead of returning home with her two sons, decided to stay in Moab with her sons.  This was a pagan land, with pagan gods.  Naomi's sons made the choice to marry  Moabite women..they "took them wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years" (Ruth 1:4).  While at first glance this is an unequal yoke of Jew and Gentile, we will  soon find out that it was in the providential will of God for Ruth to marry Mahlon, one of the sons.

After ten years, both sons die too, and Naomi is left with her daughters-in-law.  Hearing that the Lord has brought bread to the land of Bethlehem-Judah, Naomi  decides to return to Judah, and tells Orpah and Ruth to return to their mother's homes, as she has no more sons for them to marry -  Ruth 1:11 "And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?"   But the two ladies desire to stay with Naomi.  She knows that if they stay with her, they will still be considered part of her family, and as such, would be required to marry within the family and raise up sons as unto their dead husbands, and Naomi knows that even should she remarry and have sons, it would be a very long time before they were reach the age of marrying.  And so Naomi wants them to go back to their own land.   At this time, Naomi believes that "the hand of the LORD is gone out against me" (Ruth 1:13). She does not know of the wonderful blessing to come.

At first Orpah and Ruth want to stay with Naomi, but after more urging, Orpah turns and goes back to Moab where her heart truly lay..we never hear from her again and she is a reminder like king Agrippa "almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian"  almost, but in choosing the gods of Moab, Orpah has destined herself to be eternally separated from the Lord.   Ruth, however, "cleaves unto her" (V14) and confesses that most wonderful "...for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:" (V 16) 

They return to Bethlehem, but Naomi still sees no blessing as she now says "Call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me" (V20).  Some say that Naomi herself was bitter, yet I would rather believe that Naomi chose Mara for a name because of the chastening of the Lord, and not because she herself was bitter.   Naomi could not know that all these things happened according to the perfect plan and purpose of God. How often do we fail to see God's hand in our own trials, but only the pain at the time.  We would do well to remember Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are the called according to his purpose"

The time of their return was divinely inspired, it was the beginning of the barley harvest. Ruth asks permission "Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace" (Ruth 2:2) and Naomi tells her to "Go, my daughter" (Ruth 2:3)  In the field, which is owned by one called Boaz, Ruth is noticed, and by day's end, she returns home with much barley.  Ruth then tells Naomi that the field is owned by one named Boaz, and  Naomi sees the hand of God "Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead." And Naomi said unto her, "The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen." (Ruth 2:20)

Naomi then tells Ruth to stay in that field Ruth 2:22-23"And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.  So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of the barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law..  " At the end of harvest, Naomi instructs Ruth as to the steps she must take in order that Boaz may come to marry her (Ruth 3:1-5 "...my daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?  and now is not Boaz of our kindred...behold, he winnoweth barley tonight in the threshing floor: Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.  And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in and uncover his feet, and lay thee down, and he will tell thee what thou shalt do..And she (Ruth) said to her, all that thou sayest unto me I will do." and Ruth agrees to do as she says "And she went down unto the floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law bade her" (Ruth 3:6).  Upon her return home, Naomi now gives very wise advice "...Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day" (Ruth 3:18).  Good advice for us also, when we have done all we can about a matter, should we not sit still and trust the Lord for the outcome according to His will? Proverbs 3:6 "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct thy paths."

Before Boaz can marry Ruth, he must go to a nearer kinsman who would have the right to buy the parcel of land belonging to Naomi's husband, but that kinsman was not willing to "raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance" (Ruth 4:5) He replies "...I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it", (Ruth 4:6) Not "cannot" but "will not".

And so Boaz marries Ruth, and "The LORD gave her conception and she bore a son" (Ruth 4:13). Children are a gift of the LORD..  And Naomi was given a kinsman. She, whose husband and sons died in a strange land, was blessed for returning home, and for trusting the Lord. Ruth 4:14-16 "And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.  And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.  And Naomi took the child and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it." That child was called Obed, which was the father of Jesse, which was the father of David, the shepherd boy who became King of Israel.

In summation we may say that Naomi was obedient in that she left her home and followed her husband and sons to a strange land.  She was separated, in that she desired to return home to Judah after the deaths of her sons, rather than stay in that strange land.  She was greatly loved by her daughters-in-law to the point of weeping and cleaving unto her.  Upon her return she showed great wisdom in her advising of Ruth in the matter of Boaz.  And she showed great trust in God by advising Ruth to sit still  until all had been accomplished. Finally, she was greatly blessed by God with a daughter-in-law who loved her, with Boaz, and with a grandson, who was to be the grandfather of Israel's greatest King., but ultimately that grandson is part of the genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ.

vcg/August 2015