Pentecost: Naomi

 We continue our “Ordinary Time” look at women of the Bible who can help us see where God is present in our daily, ordinary, routine lives. Have you ever done a spiritual exercise where you chart out what amount of time you spend each day doing various things? It can be very illuminating. How much time do you spend in prayer or Bible reading? What percentage do you spend answering email (YIKES)? Do you find your time is taken up with mundane tasks like vacuuming or washing dishes? When do you find time to do things for others? Are there other categories you can think of? I did this just recently in response to my own questions above—and was a bit amazed at the amount of time email and social media consume… Makes you stop and think about where your day goes.

Naomi is the co-protagonist in the Book of Ruth in the Bible. We meet her as a young mother doing all the things relating to having growing boys. Even though she didn't have social media and email I'm sure she spent some daily time visiting with friends and neighbors. It's an important part of who we are. We need that human connection. 

We follow her to Moab where her sons grow up and get married. She likely took on new duties as they grew and when they brought home wives. New communities form around the new duties. Then, tragedy strikes when Naomi’s husband and both sons die. I’m sure that the daily duties seemed onerous in her grief. To add to her work and worry, a woman without male protector was likely to become impoverished. Therefore, she makes the difficult and frightening decision to travel back to Bethlehem. It seems that she retreated into herself in her grief and planned to cut ties with friends. 

As we saw last week, Ruth, one of the daughters-in-law, returns with her as a refugee and widow to glean in the fields. Upon their arrival in Bethlehem, Naomi is grieving and depressed. She doesn't seem to want to be welcomed even by old friends, saying, Call me Mara for the Lord has dealt harshly with me. However, God acts in the very ordinariness of her grief and despair to offer hope and remind us that faith isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes faith is a dark night of the soul when we think God is far away.

We know that Naomi trusted that the Law of Moses would provide for her and for Ruth. That was why she returned to Bethlehem. She seems to not have totally given up on God even though she is in despair. There can be times when we can simply hang onto the slightest bit of a string at the end of our rope. And God can use that to haul us back to the sunlight. Sometimes that thread is the love and outreach of a friend or family member. 

Naomi felt lost and alone and desolate except for Ruth’s companionship. She was like the lost sheep Jesus talks about. He explains that God is like a Shepherd who leaves 99 members of the flock to find the lost one and brings it back to the flock on his shoulder. Pause to think about the effort required to carry a sheep on your shoulders. The images we see in art are often of a sweet little lamb being cuddled, but Jesus says ‘sheep’ which can average around 200 pounds. Look at this image from Google and imagine carrying one of the animals over your shoulder. And, I suspect that the critter might be squirming, too. OOOF!

Naomi was like that sheep. She felt very alone and far from the fold. Deep inside she desperately wanted love. God uses barley and a farmer to bring Naomi back into the joy of God’s love. Boaz’s interest in Ruth sparks a glimmer of hope in Naomi who encourages a dangerous ploy by having Ruth go to the threshing floor and ask for Boaz to protect her.

It works, because God is in the tiniest of details. Naomi become a grandmother. Her friends rejoice with her! Her ordinary routine changed again with new grandmotherly tasks, which she no doubt rejoiced in. A life that seemed to stretch out hopeless is now filled with hope and love.

God acted in the despair of grief and destitution to bring new life and hope.

Think of times in your life when something similar has happened to you. 

Can you be a hand to help someone out of the chasm of their lonliness, loss, despair or fear?

Might you be the one to bring the sheep home to the fellowship of the rest of the flock? 

Is there time in your day to do that? 

Pentecost: Ruth

 We are in what is called “Ordinary Time,” the church season between Pentecost and Advent. If you think about it, most of our time is ‘ordinary’ or at least fits a routine. We can be so busy with our daily lives that we may miss it when God shows up. During this season, we are looking at the lives of women in the Bible who were met by God while going about their ordinary lives.

This week we consider Ruth, who has a whole Bible book. I’ve written about Ruth several times before on this blog. Footprints From the Bible: Cynthia Davis Author She is brave enough to leave her homeland and become a stranger in Bethlehem because of the affection she has for her mother-in-law, Naomi (who we’ll talk about next week).

Ruth the refugee followed her mother-in-law back to Bethlehem where Naomi believed they would be welcomed, if only as the poor and widowed who were allowed to glean the edges of fields. We know from the story that Ruth could have returned to her father’s home and let him care for her and find her another husband. Instead, she chose to be a refugee and befriend Naomi.

Ruth likely faced discrimination when she arrived in Bethlehem, although we don’t hear that in the story. She also found acceptance and love. The devotion of this Moabite woman caught the attention of Boaz who ultimately marries her. From that union comes King David and centuries later, Jesus of Nazareth.

Peter, the Jew, tells Cornelius, the Roman, I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism (Acts 10:34). Peter comes to the astonishing understanding that God doesn’t care if you are Jew or Roman as long as you seek God. Long before that Ruth of Moab learned that God can take a foreigner and create a dynasty.

Perhaps most surprising of all to those who like to label people—God LOVES each one, no matter their home, immigration status, or anything they have done. Ruth of Moab is a shining example of the inclusivity of God. In the middle of her new normal of gleaning in the fields, God steps in through the kindness of Boaz. In the middle of our daily routines, God can step in when someone offers friendship or a smile. We have the opportunity to be the face of God, too. 

Things haven’t changed much since  2017 when I wrote “Ruth: Foreign No More.” There is always talk about who is to be allowed into the country. We are often afraid of those who are different than we are or have had different experiences. It is easy to dismiss them with labels of ‘drug dealer,’ ‘terrorist,’ ‘thieves,’ etc. It is not so easy to sit and hear their story of a life filled with the horrors of war or poverty or failed crops. To hear of these things can make us vulnerable and remind us that we could be affected by similar disasters. We want to stay safely distanced in our comfy homes rather than ask what we might do to help either at the border, or in the places these refugees come from. Is there something we can do to help grow better and more crops? Could we work to stop war and oppression? Can we help provide better education?

What might you and I do to be a little more inclusive of those we currently exclude, for whatever reason, from our churches, neighborhoods, schools, relationships…?

Is there a simple something you can do to just be kind, and be the face of God to someone? 

Epiphany: Naomi

We have come to the end of ‘meeting’ the characters of the Book of Ruth. Today we meet Naomi, who was the one who instigated and held the story together. It was her family’s journey to Moab that began the process that led to Ruth’s marriage to Boaz and a place in God’s work of salvation.

The image is Ruth Swearing to Naomi by Jan Victors, 1653. I chose it because, as many artists have done, Victors dresses the women in contemporary clothing rather than Middle Eastern garb. I think this helps us understand the timelessness of this story and the way God continues to work our salvation through the loving actions of everyday people. Naomi’s life and actions impacted each person she met. We also make a difference, hopefully for good, with those we interact with. 

Naomi tells her story:


My life has never been easy. I think the Living God has been testing me from the beginning. I was born during the Exodus and married Elimelech while we were still traveling around. I could tell you stories of all the miracles that the Holy One of Israel did while we wandered. There was the daily manna-the sweetish bread-like food we ate. There was water flowing from a rock. There was the ever-present pillar of cloud and fire that we followed. At first, I was afraid of that, but you get used to it.

There were scary things too, like the snakes that killed many in the camp until Moses made a bronze snake on a pole. There was the time Miriam, Moses’ sister, got leprosy and had to live outside the camp for a week. I never understood why that happened.

Then we finally came to the Jordan River. Moses had died and Joshua was the leader. It was time to enter the “Promised Land”. It didn’t seem possible. Always that had been just a distant dream. Joshua told the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant to step into the River. Then the waters stopped flowing! All of us crossed the riverbed without getting our feet wet. I still get shivers thinking of that day. It was like the stories told of Moses separating the waters in Egypt so the Children of Israel could escape.

The strangest thing was walking around the city of Jericho in complete silence for seven days. When we finally shouted and attacked, we defeated the defenders of the city. We were free to settle in the lands given to each tribe.

Elimelech and I came to Ephrath, his ancestral hometown. We discovered it had been re-named Beyt-Lehem in honor of a local god. All the Children of Israel continued to call it Ephrath. Although now, some are saying that the name is Bethlehem (meaning House of Bread) rather than Beyt-Lehem for the god. It doesn’t matter to me.

When the Great Famine came, Elimelech thought we should move to Moab. We resettled there and were happy enough. When he died, my sons took care of me. They married Orpah and Ruth, local girls. We were content, even though I missed my husband.

My sons were killed, and that was the end of happiness. The townsfolk said it was raiders who burned our crops and murdered Mahlon and Chilion. They never knew that I overheard some speculation that it was really a couple of locals who hated us for being foreigners.

Gradually my dowry dwindled, starvation loomed, and I decided to return to this place. I can at least die among my own people, I thought. My daughter-in-law, Ruth, refused to let me go alone. She has been a great comfort. The people here have welcomed her for my sake. I think they have come to honor her devotion.

In fact, I noticed that Boaz, son of Salmon and Rahab, was interested in Ruth. I encouraged her to seduce him at the threshing floor. Even though I wasn’t sure it would work, I knew it would be the best solution and give her the security of a husband.

And God is gracious, Boaz married her! I am glad that she will be cared for. She has just given birth to a son. He will be named Obed. As the neighboring women say, “The Living God has not left you without next-of-kin. This child shall be a blessing, and your daughter-in-law, who loves you, has given birth to him.”

I think the best years of my life are ahead.



Naomi had a difficult life of travel and tragedy. Yet, God is present through it all. Can you see God’s hand in some difficult time in your life?

Naomi was an Evangelist even if she didn’t know that word. Her life and actions pointed others to God, even in her darkest times. How do you think you are an evangelist?

© Cynthia Davis 2020

 The story found in the Book of Ruth is one I told in my book Naomi’s Joy. A study guide for that book is now available for free download, or you can request a print copy ($5 to cover shipping). The study looks at the biblical record on which Naomi’s Joy is based and guides you in making a Tree of Faith as you consider the story of Naomi and Ruth in light of Jeremiah 17:8. (They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.) 
As you think about your life’s faith journey, and ‘grow’ a tree to represent it, I hope you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the work of God in your life. This might be a study aide for Lent since there are 6 parts to the study. 
On this blog during Lent, we'll be looking at ways God calls us Again and Again. We RE-Pent, RE-Member, RE-New and so on. If you are in NM or SW TX, you could also attend the Women's Ministry Retreat with that same topic. Info and registration can be found on the Women's Ministry website.  

Epiphany: Boaz

During the Season of Epiphany, we have been hearing from the various characters in the Book of Ruth. The family of Elimelech of Ephrath (Bethlehem) traveled to Moab during a famine. They took with them their faith in the God of Israel. They influenced those they met in Moab, including the women who married the sons of Elimelech and Naomi. When all the men died, the women were confronted with a dilemma. Naomi and Ruth traveled back to the Land of Israel where they hoped to find a refuge. Today we meet Boaz of Bethlehem. He is a central figure in the Book of Ruth because of his compassion and love for a foreign widow.

The image of Boaz was found online.  

Boaz speaks:

Bethlehem is my home. I grew up here. My father is a leader and my mother is well known. Let me give you a short family history, so you can understand why my family is honored.

Over 400 years ago, the place now called Beyt-Lehem (Bethlehem as we are starting to call it) was known as Ephrath. It is where Rachel, beloved wife of the patriarch Jacob died after giving birth to her second son, Benjamin. Rachel’s older son, Joseph, was betrayed by his brothers and sold as a slave to Egypt. Through the action of the Living God, he rose to leadership under Pharaoh. His wisdom helped the people of Egypt survive a wide-spread famine. Foreigners, like Jacob and his sons, came to Egypt for food. Joseph provided a home in Goshen for his family. Even after the famine ended the family of Jacob remained. The Holy God had given the name of Israel to Jacob and so all the descendants were called ‘Children of Israel’. For 400 years, the fortunes of this group grew worse and worse and Pharaohs forgot the wisdom and administration of Joseph. The Children of Israel became slaves and were derisively called Hebrew by the taskmasters. They prayed for help.

Finally, a son was born to the family of Amram and Jochabed, descended from Israel’s son Levi. The infant was cast adrift on the Nile River and rescued by the daughter of Pharaoh. He grew up as a prince named Moses. Later, he fled to Midian after killing a man while defending one of Hebrew slaves. After spending 40 years as a shepherd in Midian, Moses returned and by a series of miraculous signs, he convinced Pharaoh to let the Children of Israel leave Egypt. When Pharaoh changed his mind, he and his army drowned in the sea.

Then for 40 more years, the refugees wandered in the desert between Egypt and Canaan. The One God was testing and teaching the people. My father, Salmon, was among those born during that Exodus time. He was a young man when Moses died, and Joshua assumed leadership. The people were poised to enter Canaan. Joshua sent a couple of spies to the city of Jericho. My father was one of them. He met a woman of the city, named Rahab, who helped them by hiding the spies when the soldiers of Jericho were looking for them. Because of that, she and her family were saved when the Children of Israel attacked and razed the city.

After that each tribe was given land to settle. My father Salmon married Rahab, and I was born after they settled here in the hill country of Judah. My father has many fields, and the family is respected.

Not long ago, the widow Naomi returned to Bethlehem. I remembered her. As a boy her sons Mahlon and Chilion were part of the group that hung out with me. At the time, I felt important to have so many others admiring me and copying what I did. Now I know leadership is caring for those around you and not about being important. My mother taught me that.

Recently, I learned that the widow of Mahlon was gleaning in my fields so that she could have food for Naomi. The story of how Ruth refused to leave her mother-in-law and traveled with her from Moab to Bethlehem is well known. The young woman is modest and rather pretty. I told her to stay in my fields with my workers. She doesn’t know it, but I told the workers to leave extra grain for her to gather.

Last night was the first night of the threshing. All the men sleep at the threshing floor so we can start work early in the morning. I was startled to discover Ruth asleep at my side in the middle of the night. She asked for my protection. I was impressed by her courage, and by her choosing me instead of a younger man.

“I will do as you ask,” I told the woman. “Take this grain to Naomi as a sign of my intentions. Now, leave before others know that a woman has come to the threshing floor. I will see to this matter in the morning.”

Now I am heading to the city gate where all business happens. I have a cousin who could have a closer right to act the Leverite as set forth in the Law of Moses. He could marry Ruth and so gain Elimelech’s land and bear children to have Mahlon’s name. He is already wed, so I doubt that he will, but I must ask him.

I really do want to marry Ruth of Moab. She is a strong, courageous, and beautiful woman who will bear me many sons.



Boaz says he learned that leadership isn’t numbers of followers, but compassion and justice. Do you agree?

Imagine yourself as Boaz when he discovers Ruth lying near him at the threshing floor.



© Cynthia Davis 2020

Epiphany: Ruth

We have already met Elimelech, his sons, and Chilion’s wife Orpah. Today we meet the heroine of the Book of Ruth. Ruth was a woman of Moab who married Mahlon. After he died, she accompanied her mother-in-law, Naomi, back to Bethlehem. There she marries a local man and bears a son who will be ancestor of King David. The image I chose is called Whither Thou Goest by Sandy Freckleton Gagon. https://sandyfreckletongagonartblog.wordpress.com/. I love the way Ruth is holding her cloak over Naomi in protection and love.

Here is Ruth’s story:

My marriage ended with a tragedy. But that tragedy was a beginning.
I was married to the Hebrew man, Mahlon not long after I was old enough to be wed. His father had moved the family to Moab because of a famine in Canaan (or the Land of Israel as he called it). They came from the town of Beyt-lehem the place where the god Lehem was honored. However, Mahlon and his family always referred to the place by an ancient name of Ephrath. They worshipped the “Holy One of Israel” whose name no one was allowed to say.
When I was married, I had to learn new customs and even new recipes from my mother-in-law, Naomi. She was a patient teacher. As she taught me, and my sister-in-law Orpah, Naomi would tell us fascinating stories of her people and God. She had lived through ‘the Exodus’ when all the ‘children of Israel’ depended on something called ‘manna’ from God to eat. She explained it was sweet and tiny and had to be used the day it was gathered.
My husband and Orpah’s were killed by marauders who burnt the field the men had worked so hard to harvest. We found their bodies in the middle of the land. I heard whispers that it was perhaps someone local who had done the awful deed because Mahlon and Chilion were foreigners who had strange customs. I hoped that neither Naomi nor Orpah heard those rumors. They were devastated by the deaths, as was I. We now had no one to provide for and protect us.
As we grieved together, Naomi used her own dowry to buy us food. One day she announced that she was returning to Ephrath. Orpah burst into tears and I begged her to reconsider.
“It is for the best, my daughters,” she insisted. “You can return to your fathers’ houses and be cared for. I am a dry husk with nothing left to give.”
She had already arranged to travel with a caravan leaving that day, so we had no time to convince her. I only knew that she would not go alone. I snatched up my few possessions and ran after her. Orpah trailed behind, weeping. At the trader’s camp, Orpah turned back to town. I hugged her one last time before joining Naomi.
“Go home, Daughter,” she ordered. “Look, you can catch up to Orpah.”
I shook my head. “Wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you sleep, I will sleep. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die and be buried. May your God hear my oath.”
I thought she was still going to refuse to agree. Then her shoulders sagged wearily, and she leaned into my waiting arms.
It was a long, hard journey to Beyt…that is Ephrath (I must learn to use the correct name). The people of the town were amazed to see her.
In a monotone, she told them, “Do not call me Naomi. Call me Mara for God has made me bitter, empty, and alone. How can you call me Naomi when God has brought only calamity and punishment on me?”
Despite her attitude, we found a place to live. I go out in the fields now that it is the harvest time. I glean at the edges, as is allowed by the Law of Moses. I find enough to feed us and put some away for the cold months.

The God of Naomi will provide.

Ruth is fascinated by Naomi’s faith and stories. When we share our faith stories, we can inspire each other. When have you shared yours with someone who didn’t know God’s love?

Does Ruth’s story resonate in your life? Have you ever had to leave everything familiar to start something new? Maybe it was a job, ministry, marriage, children…?

© Cynthia Davis 2020

Lent 4: Turn and Return

In our continuing Lenten study of the Book of Ruth as it relates to the Way of Love, we come to the fourth practice. The Way of Love invites us to Turn. Looking back over the past three weeks, we see that we all find Rest in letting God be in control. We have seen that the mandate to Go, is a call to step out in faith and Learn that God never leaves us alone. Just like Ruth stayed with Naomi, God is with us.

In verse 19-22 of the first chapter of the Book of Ruth, we meet the two women as they “came to Bethlehem.” Naturally everyone wanted to know “Is this Naomi?” Rather than acknowledging the welcome, Naomi replies sadly, “Call me no longer Naomi, call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty; why call me Naomi when the Lord has dealt harshly with me, and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”

It may be hard to relate to the despair and grief of Naomi. She has lost all that she held dear, and all that offered security, in a worldly sense. All she sees is bitterness, emptiness, and calamity. As we hear of natural disasters, shootings, and deadly accidents in the news we know that people are still experiencing the same sorts of devastation. Sometimes we wonder how anyone gets through such tragedies.  

Naomi is not alone, though. She seems to have forgotten that she has great wealth in the love of Ruth and in God’s unfailing love. Naomi needs to Turn to God. God is beside us in the depths of despair, even if we may, like Naomi, think he has abandoned us. 

In the Gospel lesson for this Sunday (Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32), many will hear the story of the Prodigal Son. The parable says that a father had 2 sons. The younger breaks his father’s heart by insisting, “Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.” The father agrees and the son “gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living.”

As conditions worsen, the younger son has a change of heart. He Turns his mind back to his father. “I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.’” He knows he has broken his father’s heart, and has no right to be accepted as son any longer.

We know the result of this repentance and Turning. “While he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'” The father is simply and totally delighted to see his son, who he never expected to see again. He is full of joy and calls for a celebration. “Quickly, bring out a robe…get the fatted calf…let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!“ This sculpture by Charlie Mackesy captures the moment when the father and son are reunited. 

The women in Bethlehem want to welcome Naomi and rejoice that she has returned. Unlike the father and his younger son, she wants to sit and wallow in your grief and sorrow. Like the older son in the parable, she complains about how difficult her life has become. She wants everyone to know how terrible life is for her.

When he hears that his father is throwing a party for his brother, the older son “became angry and refused to go in.” His father tries to reason with him and gets an angry response, “For all these years I have been working like a slave for you,…yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back…you killed the fatted calf for him!”

Like Naomi, the older son is focusing on the negatives of the situation. He refuses to see the joy in his brother’s return, even though the father explains, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.”

The result when we Turn back to God is the same. God rejoices over us. The Sunday Epistle (2 Corinthians 5:16-21) states, “If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ.” Not only are we reconciled to God when we Turn to God, we have been given “the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.”

It’s amazing to think that God uses us to reconcile the world. We are entrusted with Turning the world back to God! First, we ourselves must Turn to God, like the Prodigal son returned to his father. Then, we become ‘ambassadors… reconciling the world to himself’.

Naomi first has to be reconciled to God’s plan for her life before she can find hope. That will mean she must let go of her old definition of herself as Elimelech’s wife/widow. She needs to see that God is providing a new life in Bethlehem. She stepped out in faith to return to Bethlehem and now must embrace the new and different person she is. At a recent retreat, the presenter noted that when we return to an old home, we discover that it’s not the same. Like us, the town and people have moved on and are in a different place. Everything is in a constant state of change and renewing.

When we feel that we are at the end of our ropes or that there is nothing left, we need to be reconciled to God so there can be “a new creation…everything has become new!”. We can become a new person with new gifts to offer when we start over.

Are you feeling reconciled to God, or do you need to Turn to God?

How can you be (or are) an ambassador for reconciliation?

Do you ever feel like the older brother when someone gets seemingly special treatment?

Naomi-Love is in the air

We now come to the romantic heart of the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament-which is in fact the heart of our loving God. We’ve been following the life of Naomi, mostly in our imagination of what could have been, from her childhood and marriage to the family’s move to Moab to escape famine in Bethlehem. Last time we saw that after the death of her sons and husband the bereft Naomi returns to Bethlehem. One of her widowed daughters-in-law also comes with her. Ruth, the Moabite, is now the foreigner in the land of Israel.

Naomi returned to Bethlehem hoping that she would be treated kindly because of the command by Moses in Leviticus 19:9-10 which says, ‘When you harvest your land’s produce, you must not harvest all the way to the edge of your field; and don’t gather up every remaining bit of your harvest. Also do not pick your vineyard clean or gather up all the grapes that have fallen there. Leave these items for the poor and the immigrant; I am the Lord your God.” She planned to live by scavenging the leftover grain at the edges of the field and survive.

As you read the Book of Ruth, try to put yourself into Naomi's sandals. She left Bethlehem as the wife of a competent husband with 2 sons, she returns a homeless widow, with only her widowed daughter-in-law as companion. How would you have felt? How would you have coped?  

In chapter 2 of the Book of Ruth we learn “Naomi had a kinsman on her husband’s side, a prominent rich man, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.” Cue the dramatic music. This gives us a hint of what may take place. Older than the Law of Moses is the tradition that a brother, or other kinsman, should marry a widow so that the family line continues. You can see this in Genesis 38 in the saga of Jacob and his sons. Judah’s son Er dies. “Then Judah said to Er's brother Onan, "Go and marry Tamar, as our law requires of the brother of a man who has died. You must produce an heir for your brother." There is hope whispering on the wind…

We learn that “Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, ‘Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain, behind someone in whose sight I may find favor.’” And by coincidence, or God’s guiding, or maybe a nudge from Naomi, ”she came to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.” (Ruth 2:1-3)

Boaz sees the stranger gleaning. Cue the soft music. “Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, ‘To whom does this young woman belong?’ The servant…answered, ‘She is the Moabite who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. She said, “Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the reapers.” So she came, and she has been on her feet from early this morning until now, without resting even for a moment.’” (Ruth 2:5-7)

“Boaz said to Ruth, ‘Now listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women...’” This is above and beyond the Leviticus ordinance, and Ruth knows that Boaz is singling her out. “She fell prostrate, with her face to the ground, and said to him, ‘Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take notice of me, when I am a foreigner?’ But Boaz answered her, ‘All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told me…May the Lord reward you for your deeds, and may you have a full reward from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge!’ Then she said, ‘May I continue to find favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, even though I am not one of your servants.’” (Ruth 2:8-13)

It is clear that Boaz is intrigued by this young woman from Moab who left her own family to risk life with her mother-in-law in a strange place. The strength of Ruth’s love for Naomi makes her truly a daughter even if not by blood bonds.

In the Biblical story we see Boaz making a special effort to see that Ruth is taken care of. “At mealtime Boaz said to her, ‘Come here, and eat some of this bread, and dip your morsel in the sour wine.’ So she sat beside the reapers, and he heaped up for her some parched grain…Boaz instructed his young men, ‘Let her glean even among the standing sheaves…You must also pull out some handfuls for her from the bundles, and leave them for her to glean...’” (Ruth 2: 14-16) Boaz may have told himself that he was just being a good kinsman to aid his kinsman’s widow, Naomi, by helping Ruth. However, you can read between the lines and see his budding romantic interest in the young widow.

Ruth does very well with her gleaning, thanks to Boaz’s instructions. ”She gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley…Her mother-in-law said to her, ‘Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.’ She [said], ‘The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.’ Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, ‘Blessed be he by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!’ (Ruth 2:17-20) Naomi senses Boaz’s interest when Ruth tells of her adventures. When she learns that Boaz invited Ruth to stay with his men throughout the harvest she advises, “It is better, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, otherwise you might be bothered in another field.” (Ruth 2:20) Naomi starts to think about the possibilities for future stability.

In Chapter 3, Naomi decides to take concrete steps to further the budding romance. She instructs Ruth to do something that seems, to 21^st Century minds, to be both tricky and a bit risqué. Naomi says, “Now here is our kinsman Boaz…he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing-floor. Now wash and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing-floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, observe the place where he lies; then, go and uncover his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what to do.’” (Ruth 3:1-4)

Ruth does as she is told. “She went down to the threshing-floor…When Boaz had eaten and drunk, and he was in a contented mood, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came quietly and uncovered his feet, and lay down. At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and there, lying at his feet, was a woman! He said, ‘Who are you?’ And she answered, ‘I am Ruth, your servant; spread your cloak over your servant, for you are next-of-kin.’ He said, ‘…I will do for you all that you ask.” (Ruth 3:6-11) Boaz then notes that there is one potential problem, (cue the dramatic music) “there is another kinsman more closely related than I…in the morning…If he is not willing to act as next-of-kin for you, then, as the Lord lives, I will act as next-of-kin for you.’” (Ruth 3:12-13)

When morning comes, Ruth “got up before one person could recognize another; for he said, ‘It must not be known that the woman came to the threshing-floor.’” Boaz gives her a gift which she takes back to Naomi “saying, ‘He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said, “Do not go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.”  Naomi is satisfied with the success of her plan and replies, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest, but will settle the matter today.”

Sure enough, Boaz heads for the city gate where business was transacted. Along comes the other potential kinsman redeemer. Boaz proceeds to play it cool, inviting the other man and 10 of the city elders to confer. “He then said to the next-of-kin, ‘Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our kinsman Elimelech. So I thought I would tell you of it, and say: Buy it in the presence of those sitting here, and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not, tell me, so that I may know; for there is no one prior to you to redeem it, and I come after you.’”  Ruth 4:1-4.

Seeing a bargain, but not seeing the trap, the other man says, ‘I will redeem it.’ It is only then that Boaz explains, ‘The day you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you are also acquiring Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead man, to maintain the dead man’s name on his inheritance.’ Just as Boaz planned and hoped, “the next-of-kin said, ‘I cannot redeem it for myself without damaging my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.’” Cue the romantic theme music.

We then get a little peek into the customs of Israel. “To confirm a transaction, one party took off a sandal and gave it to the other; this was the manner of attesting in Israel. So when the next-of-kin said to Boaz, ‘Acquire it for yourself’, he took off his sandal. Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, ‘Today you are witnesses that I have acquired from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, to be my wife, to maintain the dead man’s name on his inheritance, in order that the name of the dead may not be cut off from his kindred and from the gate of his native place; today you are witnesses.’ Then all the people who were at the gate, along with the elders, said, ‘We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you produce children in Ephrathah and bestow a name in Bethlehem; and, through the children that the Lord will give you by this young woman, may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.’ (Ruth 4:7-12) This elaborate wording and blessing was the sealing of the contract, which was not written because writing was still a very young art. There is little likelihood that anyone in Bethlehem even knew that there was such a thing as writing, much less could have drawn up a written contract.

God is on Naomi's side to bring good from the disastrous events of recent years. It has not been an easy life for Naomi, but now it looks like everything is going to come out alright. The story of Naomi and Ruth reminds us that God loves us through thick and thin! Can you think of times in your life when God helped turn what seemed bad into a blessing?

“Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife.” Naomi’s plan worked, and they all lived happily ever after. But wait, there is more to the story that we’ll get to next time. 

Naomi, named 'Mara'. Ruth named Friend

Now we come to the part of the story that nearly everyone is familiar with. We meet Ruth, the Moabite woman, whose unconditional love helps bring God’s right-ness and righteousness into the broken situation. Naomi is a bereft widow in a foreign country 4000 years ago. She has no reason for hope and decides to return to her old home in Bethlehem.

In the first chapter of the Book of Ruth we hear, “she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had had consideration for his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, ‘Go back 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. The Lord grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband.’ Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud.” (Ruth 1:5-9)

At first the women resist her suggestion, “They said to her, ‘No, we will return with you to your people.’ But Naomi said, ‘Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have 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. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the Lord has turned against me.’ Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.” (Ruth 1:10-14)

Even though her friend Orpah returns to her home, Ruth refuses Naomi’s continued urging. “So she said, ‘See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.’ But Ruth said, ‘Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die—there will I be buried. May the Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!’ When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.” (Ruth 1:15-18)

I would suspect that Naomi is glad of the company. She is returning to the place that was her home, but her circumstances have changed dramatically. She really doesn’t know what sort of welcome awaits her. The Law of Moses provides for the care of widows and orphans, but Naomi doesn’t know if that will be true for someone who left the tribe.

Naomi’s bitterness is obvious when she comes to Bethlehem. “…the whole town was stirred because of them; and the women said, ‘Is this Naomi?’ She said to them, ‘Call me no longer Naomi, call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty; why call me Naomi when the Lord has dealt harshly with me, and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?’ So Naomi returned together with Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, who came back with her from the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.” (Ruth 1:5-22)

Naomi is being showered with friendship by Ruth, and welcomed back to her hometown by her neighbors. However, she cannot find joy in the friendship or welcome. Sometimes, when life just seems too hard, it can seem easier to simply close out the world and pull the covers over your head. I think Naomi was feeling so battered and grief stricken after the deaths of all her family in a foreign country, that she just couldn’t summon any joy.

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt so angry and upset at the world in general that you couldn’t accept a simple offer of friendship or welcome?

What has helped you find happiness?

The last line of the chapter might not seem terribly important, just an afterthought or a notation of the season of the year. However, as we’ll see, the fact that it is harvest time is very important! 

The Journey Toward Home

Often Journeys are hard. Even trips that start out filled with excitement and promise can have some bumps along the way. A recent song by Steven Curtis Chapman illustrates this. You can watch Long Way Home here:

Chapman refers slyly to his song “The Great Adventure” in the first lines of “Long Way Home”I set out on a great adventure The day my Father started leading me home He said there's gonna be some mountains to climb And some valleys we're gonna go through But I had no way of knowing Just how hard this journey could be Cause the valleys are deeper and the mountains and steeper Than I ever would've dreamed.

Dorothy set out on the Yellow Brick Road thinking she just had to get to Oz in the Emerald City and everything would be fine. She had no way of knowing the adventures that waited for her. She met some new friends, and with them she encountered flying monkeys, defeated a witch, and learned that she could live her own life.

Naomi also had to take responsibility for her own life. When she returned to Bethlehem she blamed God for her problems. “The Lord has dealt harshly with me…” In my novel, she beings to understand that God was really in all happened.

“I was wrong. The Living Lord did not desert me.” I spoke low as comprehension burst into my heart. Tears I could not stop rolled down my face. “You once said that the Holy One of Israel provides healing even for death and pain. Ever since my father died from the bite of the serpent I have been angry with God. Everything that went wrong was another reason to blame the Lord of Life. All I saw were the many laws that had to be followed. When I AM brought the people from slavery it was not to blindly follow laws.”

“Really?” Ruth was trying to understand me. “All the gods have rules to follow.”

“That is not the way of the One God. Sarai once tried to explain to me that the Law is a guide built on love not a whip for punishment.” I raised my head and took my friend’s hands in my own. “It is in relationship with one another and with God we can all live in freedom no matter what our circumstances. Your loyalty and steadfast faith in God are all that kept me alive even when I have refused to be free. All my life I preferred rage. The Almighty never stopped providing help and comfort. Even in the depths of my despair, a way was opened to return to Bethlehem. We have come here to the land of promise.”

Only when she understands God’s love is she free to discover new joy. She can cease to be Mara and return to being Naomi. 

The disciples were filled with joy and hope when they first started following Jesus. They were ready for a ‘great adventure’. Confrontations with the authorities of the day and Jesus’ own warning, “the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again,” must have made them wonder exactly what they had gotten into. Then came the entry into Jerusalem-a high point in their experience, but it was followed too quickly by betrayal, arrest and their denials. The mountains and valleys suddenly became pretty precipitous and the result pretty shrouded in fog.  

I recently read a quote by Spurgeon that puts our journeys in perspective if we remember we are on the road for and with God: "He who would glorify his God must set his account upon meeting with many trials. No man can be illustrious before the Lord unless his conflicts be many. If then, yours be a much-tried path, rejoice in it, because you will the better show forth the all-sufficient grace of God. As for His failing you, never dream of it--hate the thought. The God who has been sufficient until now, should be trusted to the end."

We all slip and stumble along the way. Dorothy had her share of problems in poppy fields and with flying monkeys. Naomi’s life was indeed difficult and the disciples struggled with understanding their Master. However, as Chapman says: “Well I know we're gonna make it And I know we're gonna get there soon. So I'll keep on singing and believing what all of my songs say, Cause our God has made a promise And I know that everything He says is true. And I know wherever we go He will never leave us Cause He's going to lead us home Every single step of the long way home.”

Where are you on your road-are you starting out or going through those deep valleys? Rejoice if you are on top of the hills where you can see the vistas. We are walking with God on our journey, no matter where along the path we are. Chapman reminds us “And even on the best days He says to remember we're not home yet So don't get too comfortable Cause really all we are is just pilgrims passing through.” That is a wonderful promise and reminder.
Next Sunday is Palm Sunday and we’ll consider how dead endings may just be new beginnings.