Ruth 1:6-14
6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the land of Moab, because she had heard in the land of Moab that the Lord had visited His people by giving them food.
7 So she departed from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.
8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to your mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me.
9 May the Lord grant that you may find a place of rest, each one in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they raised their voices and wept.
10 However, they said to her, “No, but we will return with you to your people.”
11 But Naomi said, “Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
12 Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I were even to have a husband tonight and also give birth to sons,
13 would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is much more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the Lord has come out against me.”
14 And they raised their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
Naomi’s Decision
A faint hope
Christian faith places greater importance on the inside than the outside. In other words, it is a faith that concerns the state of mind or the heart. Even with worship, unless it is a heartfelt, genuine worship, it cannot please God. Naomi was a devout and kind-hearted person who understood this very well. Having lost her husband and two sons, Naomi heard through word of mouth that the Lord had blessed the land of Canaan and provided bountiful harvests. This gave Naomi a glimpse of hope in her distress. She made the decision to return to her hometown of Bethlehem, leaving behind the familiar land with her two daughters-in-law.
Parting words
Naomi, however, had a change of heart along the way and decided to send her two daughters-in-law back to their own families. (1) Naomi thought that it would be best for her two daughters-in-law to seek new husbands and continue living in Moab. (2) Naomi’s words of parting were filled with love, and the response of her daughters-in-law was also overflowing with love. They truly were bounded by love for one another. (3) Persuaded by Naomi’s words, Orpah returned to the land of Moab. However, Ruth clung to Naomi and was unwilling to return to her own family. Why didn’t Naomi take her two daughters-in-law to the land of Judah? Wouldn’t it have been better to bring them along, as she could have provided them with an opportunity to worship the true God instead of Moab’s idols? That is certainly true. However, Naomi may have had other things to consider. Life in the land of Judah was not easy. It required making choices on your own in order to survive there. The same applies to worshiping the God of Israel. True worship should not be forced but must be voluntary. If they were to follow their mother-in-law out of duty or responsibility, their motives are not at the right place. And it cannot be considered a voluntary choice, if the mother-in-law commanded them to follow her. Naomi wanted nothing out of formality but sought genuine faith. Are you worshiping God voluntarily, not out of compulsion? “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24).
Today's prayer
Father God of Jesus Christ, please help me to always worship You in spirit and truth. I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.