Scripture References: Ruth 1:1-18; John 8:31-38

We’ve been talking about the positive values of persistence and perseverance, and Ruth has become a prototype for the person who is willing to stay with it and stick it out. Ruth’s proverbial persistence, unfortunately, is set against tragedy. The historical period is some time between the settlement of the Israelite tribes in the promised land and the beginning of the Israelite kingdom with the appointment of Saul as first king. It was a period for Israel of both war and drought which devastated the people. No doubt these had contributed to the famine in much of the land, including Bethlehem where Elimelech lived with his wife, Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. The famine forced this family, and, no doubt, many others, to leave Judah in search of more food and better times. Their travels took them across the Jordan River and into the promising country of Moab where they settled. They did not leave tragedy behind them in Bethlehem. Within a ten-year period, Elimelech died, as did both of the sons.

Mahlon and Chilion had married Moabite women during this time, who joined their mother-in-law, Naomi, as widows. Orpah and Ruth were mourning, too. They weren’t simply mourning their losses of mates; they were mourning their return to the level of radical vulnerability and societal insignificance. Generally, a woman had status only when she was in clear relationship with a man, typically father, brother, uncle, husband, or brother-in-law. Among other factors, women were not able to support themselves, and they were, therefore, dependent on men to provide for them. In the event of the husband’s death, the woman stayed in the new family [assuming that there was some male head of family], either as the mother of children, or being passed to another son [previously a brother-in-law to her] in the institution of levirate marriage (a custom of the ancient Hebrews and some other peoples by which a man may be obliged to marry his brother’s widow). In such a system, women had no direct access to power or decision making.

Even the usual limited options were further restricted for these three women: Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth. We don’t know what, after all these years, was the status of Elimelech’s family and Naomi’s relationship to it. Her age precluded a new marriage anyway. Now childless and likely beyond childbearing years, none of her brothers-in-law would have wanted her. To make it worse, she was far away from her homeland. As for Orpah and Ruth, both childless, they may have had the option of returning to their fathers’ homes in Moab, but there were no brothers-in-law. For the time, the best option seemed to be for them to remain with Naomi.

Naomi had heard that things were better in Judah, that times were peaceful and rains had alleviated the drought and famine. People there were praising God for the good He had brought to them. Naomi’s plan was to head back to Bethlehem. As she set out on her journey, Ruth and Orpah were traveling with her. Apparently, en route, Naomi became convinced that her young daughters-in-law would be better off to stay in Moab, each with her mother.

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
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