Yet Naomi is given, as it were, credit for his birth, for it was she who introduced Ruth to Israel’s God and who brought her into the place of blessing. As to natural order, the son was born to Ruth, who was related to Naomi only by a previous marriage. When the child was named Obed, meaning “servant” or “worshipper,” the women once again said, “There is a son born to Naomi” ( Ruth 4:17 17And the women her neighbors gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
But it is Naomi to whom the women spoke, telling her that her daughter-in-law was better to her than seven sons and that the child born would be a nourisher of her old age.
TOAU NASOMI FULL
Ruth must have learned from Naomi about the true God and wanted to know more about Him.įinally, when Ruth has entered into the full blessing of the redemption of the inheritance and has become the wife of Boaz, she bears a son. Chemosh, the chief god of the Moabites, was a frightful idol, and human sacrifices were connected with their worship. Even though she had been in a path of disobedience, Naomi loved the Lord and no doubt had born a testimony to Him in a land characterized by idolatry. While Orpah goes back, Ruth’s heart had evidently been touched, for she insists on coming with Naomi. But she reckoned without the grace of God, who never turns His back on an earnest soul. No doubt Naomi was a bit discouraged, uncertain of her reception in Israel and seeing no future for her daughters-in-law, whom she knew would normally be barred from entering into the congregation of Israel ( Deut. 23:3 3An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord for ever: (Deuteronomy 23:3)). When Naomi was on the way to the land of Israel, there comes a point when she tries to persuade both Orpah and Ruth to go back to the land of Moab. The hearts of other believers should reflect the heart of the Chief Shepherd, in seeking to restore those who are away from Him.
The heart of God sought us when we were in our sins, and as Christians He continues His work in seeking those out of the way and bringing them back.
It is clear from the later chapters of Ruth that many remembered Naomi and were longing for her to return. Our hearts and prayers should be with them, using every opportunity to reach out to them and to encourage them. If dear Christians are induced to leave the path of obedience to the Lord and go out into the world, let us not forget about them. How she heard this we are not told, but no doubt someone remembered her and saw to it that she was given the good news. There is another point to be noticed in Naomi’s life, namely, that while in the land of Moab, she heard that conditions had improved in Israel “God had visited His people in giving them bread” ( Ruth 1:6 6Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread.
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