Ruth 1
Kindness
We see that at this time there was a famine in Bethlehem, (there was no harvest and no food) People were forced go outside their land to find some food.
Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their two sons left Bethlehem and went to Moab in search of food. Not long after this trip Naomi's husband died and Naomi was left with her two sons. Later her sons took two of Moabite women and married them. After a while Naomi's two sons died without giving any children to Orpah and Ruth, their wives.
"Then she [Naomi] arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in he field of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food." (verse 6)
But Naomi wanted the best for her daughters-in-law and wanted them to remarry and stay close to their mother's houses so she told them to go back to their houses and Naomi would complete this journey on her own.
Eventually Orpah did as Naomi asked but Ruth was loyal to her mother-in-law and kind and decided to go with Naomi "Do not urge me to leave you or return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. "Your people shall be my people, and your God my God."...death parts me from you" (verse 16-17)
Ruth had a choice to leave her mother-in-law and go back to her house, and live like she lived before marrying, with the same gods and same traditions. But she knew that Naomi is old and she has no one to care for her in her old age, and she understood that if she goes with Naomi she will have to abandon her traditions and her gods.
They finally arrived to Bethlehem and Naomi (pleasant) told people that God have punished her and took her family away from her, and because of that she changed her name to Mara (bitter).
They arrived to Bethlehem at the beginning of harvest.
Today...
This is one of the famous Bible School stories. Teachers usually talk about this story to the children on a valentine's day since Ruth and Naomi have such a strong relationship.
Ruth showed kindness and loyalty to her mother-on-law.
To be kind, it's one of the fruits of the Spirit that all reborn Christians should have. Kind can be defined as generous, sympathetic and warm-hearted, with helping nature. This is such a simple word and we use in today's language almost everyday, and yet it's still hard to be kind on daily basis.
Ruth was kind to her mother-in-law and her mother in law was kind to her and their kindness didn't go 'unpaid' Ruth and Naomi (Mara) would not be left without a family after all.
Side Note: We also see that Naomi called Ruth her daughter instead of daughter-in-law later into their journey. Ruth must've followed Naomi because she wanted to be like Naomi she wanted to have a God that Naomi has, a true and living God. Today our children often look at us and they have a hard time seeing Jesus in our lives, and they end up outside of church, they end up getting bumps and burses in this world, because we haven't showed them the light. Our children look at us and they DON'T want to be like us, they don't want our God to be their God. There is a great responsibility to share and show Jesus in our lives not only outside the church and outside the house but also in our own families.
We see that at this time there was a famine in Bethlehem, (there was no harvest and no food) People were forced go outside their land to find some food.
Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their two sons left Bethlehem and went to Moab in search of food. Not long after this trip Naomi's husband died and Naomi was left with her two sons. Later her sons took two of Moabite women and married them. After a while Naomi's two sons died without giving any children to Orpah and Ruth, their wives.
"Then she [Naomi] arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in he field of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food." (verse 6)
But Naomi wanted the best for her daughters-in-law and wanted them to remarry and stay close to their mother's houses so she told them to go back to their houses and Naomi would complete this journey on her own.
Eventually Orpah did as Naomi asked but Ruth was loyal to her mother-in-law and kind and decided to go with Naomi "Do not urge me to leave you or return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. "Your people shall be my people, and your God my God."...death parts me from you" (verse 16-17)
Ruth had a choice to leave her mother-in-law and go back to her house, and live like she lived before marrying, with the same gods and same traditions. But she knew that Naomi is old and she has no one to care for her in her old age, and she understood that if she goes with Naomi she will have to abandon her traditions and her gods.
They finally arrived to Bethlehem and Naomi (pleasant) told people that God have punished her and took her family away from her, and because of that she changed her name to Mara (bitter).
They arrived to Bethlehem at the beginning of harvest.
Today...
This is one of the famous Bible School stories. Teachers usually talk about this story to the children on a valentine's day since Ruth and Naomi have such a strong relationship.
Ruth showed kindness and loyalty to her mother-on-law.
To be kind, it's one of the fruits of the Spirit that all reborn Christians should have. Kind can be defined as generous, sympathetic and warm-hearted, with helping nature. This is such a simple word and we use in today's language almost everyday, and yet it's still hard to be kind on daily basis.
Ruth was kind to her mother-in-law and her mother in law was kind to her and their kindness didn't go 'unpaid' Ruth and Naomi (Mara) would not be left without a family after all.
Side Note: We also see that Naomi called Ruth her daughter instead of daughter-in-law later into their journey. Ruth must've followed Naomi because she wanted to be like Naomi she wanted to have a God that Naomi has, a true and living God. Today our children often look at us and they have a hard time seeing Jesus in our lives, and they end up outside of church, they end up getting bumps and burses in this world, because we haven't showed them the light. Our children look at us and they DON'T want to be like us, they don't want our God to be their God. There is a great responsibility to share and show Jesus in our lives not only outside the church and outside the house but also in our own families.
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