Read: Ruth 1:16-17 But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!”
Loyalty – Ruth and Naomi
In the story of Naomi and Ruth, two women, from different cultures, come together under difficult circumstances. During a time of famine in Bethlehem, Naomi, her husband and two sons move to Moab and later the sons marry two Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. What is interesting about this is that Jews and Moabites were enemies because Moabites worshiped pagan gods. The coming together of these cultures would be unheard of and went against the law of Moses. Perhaps this is why after the death of Naomi’s husband and her two sons, she felt God had cursed her, prompting her to order her daughters-in-law to return to their family. Orpah eventually returns to her family, but Ruth decides to stay loyal to Naomi, ensuring her needs are met. This eventually leads to Ruth marrying a man named Boaz and giving birth to a son – an ancestor in the lineage of Jesus.
It may seem odd to become friends with ancestral enemies but the irony in the story is that God’s plan was revealed through this relationship. The Messiah, who walked the earth demonstrating love to others, came from a relationship that could have been denied by hate. When we look at others through the life of Jesus, we are able to look past differences in culture and opinion and build a devoted friendship with those we may have otherwise overlooked.
To learn more about the friendship of Ruth and Naomi read Ruth 1-4.
