Bitter or a Believer? - July 9

Read Ruth 1:11-14 (ESV)

But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and bear sons, would you therefore wait till they are grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.” Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

Reflect

Why does Naomi tell her daughters-in-law not to go with her back to Judah? What options might they have that she does not? What challenges might they have faced in Judah?

The origins of Orpah and Ruth’s people, the Moabites, are scandalous and their history with the people of Israel was hostile. Back in Genesis 19:30-38, we read that Abraham’s nephew, Lot, had incestuous relationships with both of his daughters after they escaped from Sodom. Both daughters got their father drunk, tricked him into sleeping with them, and they both became pregnant by their father. The eldest daughter gave birth to the father of the Moabite nation and the youngest gave birth to the father of the Ammonites. Both nations were pagan and vicious  towards God’s people.

For example, in Numbers 22-24, Balak the king of the Moabites attempted to curse the Israelites through the false prophet, Balaam. Failing at that, Balaam advised the Moabite women to seduce the Israelite men (Numbers 31:16) and convinced them to engage in sexual immorality and idolatry. This brought the justified wrath of God upon them and He sent a plague that killed 24,000 Israelites (Numbers 25:1-9). Balaam’s thought process was that if he couldn’t curse God’s people, he’d cause them to stumble and curse themselves.

This background information should help you understand the nature of the relationship between the Moabites and the Israelites. Naomi had several concerns about her daughters-in-law leaving their homeland and going with her to Bethlehem. I am sure their people’s sordid history with Naomi’s people crossed her mind as a potential obstacle for the girls finding men willing to marry them and remarriage was really their only hope.

In those days, widows were extremely vulnerable, especially elderly ones. Women relied on men for provision. Young widows like Orpah and Ruth could return to their parents’ homes until they found a man to remarry. But Naomi was older and her parents had likely died long ago. Naomi had to return to Israel. But logically, it made much more sense for the girls to go back to their own homes. But they didn’t want to. They loved her and they wanted to stay with her.

So, Naomi laid out her arguments for why her daughters-in-law should go back home. She argued that remaining with her didn't make any sense. She reminded them that she had no husband, no more sons, and she was past her childbearing years. Even if she got remarried that very night, conceived, and gave birth to another son, were they seriously going to wait for him to grow up to marry them? Naomi did not have and never would have another son able to marry his brothers’ widows (levirate marriage). If they remained with Naomi, they were likely condemning themselves to remaining widows with no one to care for them for the rest of their lives. Their best shot at remarriage was among their own people!

Even worse, Naomi warned them that she thought God was against her. In verse 9, Naomi had prayed that God would bless them and grant them new husbands which seemed to be an act of faith in the Lord’s sovereignty and provision. But just a few verses later, Naomi revealed bitterness in her heart and a belief that God was to blame for all of her troubles. It’s as if she believed that her daughters-in-law would be cursed as she is cursed if they continued to do life with her. At this point, Orpah saw the logic in Naomi’s argument, kissed her good-bye, and headed for home. But not Ruth. She was going to stand by her mother-in-law, despite the fact that her own personal prospects were better elsewhere. She wasn’t going to leave Naomi all alone.

Apparently, Naomi was bitter, but Ruth was a believer. Despite the hostile relationship between her people and Naomi’s people, despite the lack of marriage prospects, and despite Naomi’s perception that her God was against her, Ruth must have trusted that the Lord was going to work it all out somehow.

Friend, if you are going through a challenging time, I urge you not to lose heart! Keep the faith! We can’t choose our circumstances, but we can choose our response. Are you going to become bitter or will you be a faithful believer?

Respond

Lord, I confess that during difficult times, it is easy for me to allow bitterness to take root. Help me to keep a soft heart toward You, Lord. Help me to continue to trust in Your sovereignty and believe in Your goodness and grace. Amen.

Reveal: Do you know a fellow believer who has slipped into bitterness? How might your faithful friendship towards them and belief that God is still good encourage them to move away from bitterness and towards belief?

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