Ruth 1:14-17
And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother
in law; but Ruth clave unto her. [15] And she said, Behold, thy sister
in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after
thy sister in law. [16] And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or
to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go;
and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and
thy God my God: [17] Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be
buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee
and me.
Oftentimes as we read the story of Ruth, we study it in the context of
marriage. However, I was greatly convicted of this young woman’s wholehearted
commitment to her mother-in-law! Ladies, how do you really feel about
your husband’s mother? After reading this moving account of Ruth’s heart
toward Naomi, can you say you are as committed as Ruth was to having a
right and respectful relationship with your mother-in-law? In contrast
to Orpah, another daughter-in-law whom the Bible reports as having “kissed”
Naomi, there is definitely a depth to Ruth’s resolve to get along with
her mother-in-law that goes beyond just a surface relationship. Her character
was such that she would not easily give up on her husband’s mother. It
was a deliberate choice she made to prove her love to Naomi – in spite
of the treatment she received in return…
Ruth 1:18-21, “When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with
her, then she left speaking unto her. [19] So they two went until they
came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem,
that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
[20] And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the
Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. [21] I went out full, and the
Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing
the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?”
Though they were both facing the same sorrowful trial of having lost their
husbands, Ruth was handling the situation much better than her mother-in-law!
While Naomi had changed greatly during her crisis, the grace of God was
evident in Ruth’s life... Ladies, when you and your mother-in-law face
the same trying situation, is she able to witness the strength and stability
of the Lord in you? Are you able to do right in spite of the fact that
she may not be interested in doing so at the time? Do you purpose in your
heart to support her through tough times when she is not able to bear
up under her circumstances? Many self-centered daughter-in-laws walk out
on their mother-in-laws during those taxing periods when they are most
difficult to live with. Not so with Ruth! She refused to part with her
mother-in-law for unnecessary reasons. Ruth remained steadfastly committed
to exhibiting love and patience toward a very bitter woman. Though her
name means “pleasant”, at this point it time, Naomi was anything but!
You see, Naomi was not wrestling with Ruth, she was really wrestling with
the Lord… If you notice in the above text, after the death of her husband,
Naomi returned to her homeland with a very dedicated daughter-in-law by
her side and still described herself as empty! Imagine kindly Ruth standing
by hearing Naomi say those thoughtless words right in front of her. Naomi
conducted herself in such a way that Ruth was of little importance to
her. In essence, her mother-in-law declined to acknowledge the goodness
of God in Ruth! How would such treatment make you feel after having chosen
to leave your family to cling to a woman who didn’t even recognize or
appreciate the depth of your love and devotion to her?? Would that be
all it would take to send you storming out of the room and her life altogether?
Not Ruth, she stood faithfully by and remained true to her purpose to
care for this woman in good times and in bad! When Naomi was unable to
see things clearly, the grace of God permitted Ruth to take a realistic
view of the situation and react in a godly manner.
Ruth 1:22-2:3, “So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter
in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they
came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest. [2:1] And Naomi
had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family
of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz. [2] And Ruth the Moabitess said unto
Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in
whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.
[3] And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers:
and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who
was of the kindred of Elimelech.”
As the story continues to unfold, I am still impressed with Ruth’s determination!
She has purposed to work hard and to work in a humble capacity to care
properly for her mother-in-law and herself. Ladies, do you put that much
effort into achieving a beneficial bond with your husband’s mother?? Are
you willing to put some sweat behind your relationship?? Though Naomi
was too old to perform the labor, Ruth did not mind carrying the load.
She was a servant at heart… In any relationship there comes a time when
one person must be willing to put forth more effort to keep things running
smoothly! I hope you are of the caliber that would do so! Ruth knew she
would find grace – and you will too! Through Ruth’s unwavering efforts,
Naomi would begin to lose her bitterness…
Ruth 2:4-12, “And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the
reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered him, The Lord bless thee.
[5] Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose
damsel is this? [6] And the servant that was set over the reapers answered
and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of
the country of Moab: [7] And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather
after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even
from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house. [8]
Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean
in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:
[9] Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after
them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee?
and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which
the young men have drawn. [10] Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself
to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes,
that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? [11]
And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all
that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband:
and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy
nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.
[12] The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of
the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.”
As Ruth’s new employer, Boaz saw something different in this young damsel’s
demeanor that stood out above the other women laboring in the field… What
had he seen? The beauty of her heart! Ladies, it gets God’s attention
when you are willing to exert yourself without protest in developing a
warm, healthy relationship with your mother-in-law! As you learn to trust
fully in Him, the Lord will bless your faithfulness and sacrificial hard
work and recompense you with a rich reward for doing right. A type of
Christ, Boaz extended the same lovingkindness and special oversight toward
Ruth that she herself had displayed toward Naomi. In Boaz, she came face
to face with her blessing, for the one who could reward her promptly compensated
her for her allegiance to family. We all know how matters developed between
Ruth and Boaz… They were soon married and God blessed this honorable couple
with a son which, when born, dissolved the remainder of Naomi’s bitterness
away.
Ruth 4:14-15, “And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which
hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous
in Israel. [15] And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and
a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee,
which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.”
The bond between mother and son is certainly a strong one, but the bond
that Ruth fashioned between herself and Naomi was better than seven sons
could assemble! It was formed through God’s love... Had she not had such
a faithful daughter-in-law, Naomi could have died an extremely miserable
woman! How good it must have been for Ruth to see these happy changes
unfold before her eyes – in spite of the fact that Naomi rarely commended
Ruth for her charity. It was enough that God had used her to restore Naomi’s
blessing and nourish her back to emotional and spiritual health. The Lord
employed other women in Naomi’s life who acknowledged Ruth’s worth to
speak to Naomi of the decency in Ruth and the goodness of God. In chapter
three, even Boaz stated that the entire city knew that she was a virtuous
woman. It certainly isn’t any wonder that one of the sixty-six books of
the Bible was named after Ruth. What a rich testimony!! Ladies, is there
any reason you can’t experience similar purpose as a daughter-in-law?
What would keep you from gleaning such worthwhile results with your mother-in-law?
No matter how difficult family situations may be for you today, the only
place for you is in the center of God’s will! If home ties are loose,
it’s time to tighten them up with greater dedication. There is much wisdom
in this story that we would all do well to put to good use and fresh attitudes
we could all stand to imitate.
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2002 Pamela A. Iannello
