3 Now Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.
6 When she heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. 7 With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.
8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back, each of you, to your mother's home. May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. 9 May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband."
Then she kissed them and they wept aloud 10 and said to her, "We will go back with you to your people."
11 But Naomi said, "Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons- 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD's hand has gone out against me!"
14 At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her.
15 "Look," said Naomi, "your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her."
16 But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.
19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, "Can this be Naomi?"
20 "Don't call me Naomi, b]">[b] " she told them. "Call me Mara, c]">[c] because the Almighty d]">[d] has made my life very bitter. 21 I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted e]">[e] me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me."
22 So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.
After reading some commentaries on Ruth 1, there were some things that were significant to me. Firstly, in Ruth 1:8-9, ruth tells her daughter-in-laws to go back to their homes while she leaves to go back to where she came from. In the commentaries i read, they both asked a question, did she not want to 'save them from the idolatry of Moab, and bring them to the faith and worship of the God of Israel'? Well, the answer is that she probably wanted to do so, but would have rather they followed her on their own account. The commentary goes on to say 'Those that take upon them a profession of religion only to oblige their friends, or for the sake of company, will be converts of small value.' I guess it's not uncommon to pull people along to church activities giving friendship as the reason, but i guess what is achieved is of little value? hmm...stuff to think about?
Another thing was like a comparison between Orpah and Ruth. In Ruth1:10, they both said that they will go back Naomi. This shows that they both loved her very much. But in verse 14, orpah left naomi, while ruth clung on to her. This shows that though orpah loved naomi, she did not love her enough to go back with her. the commentary says 'Thus, many have a value and affection for Christ, yet come short of salvation by him, because they will not forsake other things for him. They love him, yet leave him, because they do not love him enough, but love other things better.' so if we love other things better, then who are we serving?
No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
Matthew 6:24
mmm. time for reflection and prayer.