Ruth - Chapter 1

Elimelech (My God is King) Ephrathites

Naomi (Pleasantness)

Mahlon (Infirmity, a Harp, Pardon)

Kilion (Strife or battle, Small, fierce)

Oprah (Neck or Fawn)

Ruth (Companion, Friend, Vision of Beauty)

Boaz (Swiftness, Strength is within him)

 (behindthename.com)

Chapter 1

Elimlech made a choice for himself and for his family.

He left Bethlehem (house of Bread\Abundance)in Judah (Praise\Presence) because of a severe famine.

During their stay in Moab Elimelech Died. Unknown cause.

The sons took Moabitess brides. Ten years later the sons both died. Unknown cause.

Naomi is left alone with her two daughters in law with no sons. Ruth and Orpah had no children as well.

Naomi hears that Judah has been visited by the Lord and the famine is over. The women pack up to leave and go back to Judah.  On the way there Naomi urges the girls to go back to their homes and prays God will bless them with husbands and families.  At first both girls cry and refuse to leave. V13 Naomi states that the Lord himself has caused her to suffer.  Then Orpah agrees and turns back. Ruth clings to Naomi.   Naomi urges Ruth to leave but Ruth clings to Naomi and v16-17 pledges herself to Naomi and vows to never leave her. "Stop Asking me to go". Naomi gives up and the two walk on. They arrive at the beginning of the Barley Harvest.

When Naomi gets to Bethlehem the women there are shocked. The whole town is stirred. 'Is this Naomi?" Naomi is downtrodden, discouraged, bitter, depressed, probably looks a lot different.  She went out full but came back empty.  Don't call me Naomi (Pleasant) call me "Mara" (Bitter) v19-21 For the Lord has dealt bitterly with me. Naomi is taking the brunt of the decline of her family. She is accusing the Lord of taking everyone away from her and sending her tragedy and suffering. 

Imagine Naomi in the depths of despair and what kind of person Ruth must have been to love her so deeply that she would not leave Naomi. Naomi was a woman in mourning who has embraced sadness, suffering and despair as her identity. Ruth did not have to live with this,  She could have left and gone back to her own familiar family and country.  She could have started over and left the tragedy behind. But she did not.  She loved Naomi enough to stay.  Not just stay, she clung to Naomi.

I used to read this scene of Ruth's vow as a weepy wailing kind of a vow, ""Please don't make me leave!" But now I see it more as a stubborn persistent, I will not let you go.  I will not leave you like this. Your life still has meaning, purpose and hope for a future and I will stay with you and see that future happen as long as it takes.  Perhaps Ruth had learned something about the Lord, Naomi's God in the 10 years she was married into this family.  Maybe, she could see that this was not the end. She certainly loved Naomi enough to abandon her home, her culture, her country, her family who she would perhaps never see again, and cling to this woman lost in despair with no hope of ever being able to give her another prospective husband, nor provide for her, nor did she express any desire for Ruth to remain with her - on the contrary, She begged her to leave. 

We all need a Ruth in our lives.  Someone who will be a constant friend. Who isn't scared off by our emotional reactions to our circumstances. Who will not allow us to give up on God's dream for us. Someone who will grab us and look us in our tear filled eyes and say I am not leaving you like this! I will not pull out just because it gets messy or your life is falling apart.  At the same time, we all can BE this to someone else. Who has God placed in your life for you to be like Ruth? Not that you are always going to have to be like this - that would be unhealthy.  But there are people receptive to the anointing God has placed on your life, who need the power of the battles you have walked through to victory. These Naomi's need us to be Ruth's. Just as, at times, we need Ruth's when we are at our most Naomi.