Tag: book of ruth

Naomi: bittersweet

Naomi ©MicahHayns

This post is part of a series on forty women from the Old Testament originally written for Lent 2020. It is now published by BRF as Unveiled: Women of the Old Testament and the choices they made.

The Book of Ruth

The ‘Bechdel Test’ is a measure of the representation of women in fiction and film and asks these three questions: does this feature at least two women; do the women have a conversation with each other; is that conversation about something or someone other than a man? It’s remarkable how many fail this simple test! The Book of Ruth passes the Bechdel Test. It is one of only two books of the bible named after a woman (the other being Esther), and it is a story that tells of the power of a deep, sacrificial relationship between two grieving women, Naomi and Ruth, and of their journey of friendship, faith and healing.  

Naomi and her husband Elimelech lived in Bethlehem in Judah with their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, at a time when Israel was ruled by the Judges (probably Gideon.). When a famine hit the region, Elimelech decided to move his family to Moab, a land on the other side of the Jordan with a non-Jewish population. He died soon after arriving and the sons took Moabite wives and settled. Tragedy struck again and both sons died leaving Naomi’s world devastated. It is akin to the tragic blows faced by Job, but Naomi’s situation is further exacerbated because she is a woman without the protection of a single male family member, and she is in a foreign land far from her extended family.

It isn’t surprising then that Naomi decides to return home to Bethlehem, particularly as she had heard the famine was over. Her two widowed daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, both began the fifty mile journey with her, but at some point along the way Naomi realised that taking these women far away from their own people would be the wrong thing to do. As they were still young there was still some hope for them and their future. She encouraged them to return to their families, to find new husbands, and rebuild their lives. Naomi had no such hope for herself. She believed God had turned against her and her pain was so deep rooted she even asked for her name to be changed from Naomi (which means delight) to ‘Mara’ (‘bitterness’).

After a great deal of persuasion Orpah tearfully turns back to join her family, but Ruth refuses to leave Naomi and ‘clung to her’. (Ruth 1.14) Naomi eventually relented and the two widows make their way together back to Bethlehem, where they arrived in time for the harvest. Ruth went to work in the fields gleaning, harvesting the wheat reserved in the Torah for widows, and the pair began the slow work of healing. This takes time for Naomi, but the dual balm of steadfast commitment alongside the practical support offered her by her daughter (as she now saw her) began to bring signs of hope that the bitterness was melting. One of these signs was the energetic support Naomi gives Ruth in securing a husband, Boaz, a match that would ensure the land lost by Elimelech’s death would be restored to the family.

This wasn’t all that was restored to Naomi. By the end of the book she had a secure home, a daughter who loved her, and a grandchild. She also had the respect and blessing of her community, and above all this, her faith in God.

Reflection

What is so lovely about Naomi and Ruth’s relationship is that their friendship seems to be without the rivalry and jealousy that we’ve seen in some of the other female relationships so far. There is a mutual reciprocity at the heart of it – Naomi relies on Ruth’s youthful energy to provide food for them, Ruth relies on Naomi’s wisdom and contacts in a strange land, and they walk together in their grief.

Friendships like this are a gift aren’t they? Let’s give thanks for them.

Prayer

Loving God, we thank you for the joy and comfort of friendships:
for those who have been their through the ups and downs of life;
for those who have walked beside us even when we’ve not
been great company; and for those friends who are no longer with us and who we long to meet again. Amen

Ruth: faithful friendship

The Book of Ruth

Ruth ©MicahHayns

As a young Christian I was transfixed by the story of Jackie Pullinger. In 1966, when she was in her early twenties, she was called by God to leave her home and family in London and she set off on a boat with a one way ticket to Hong Kong without any idea of what she would do when she got there. She then lived and worked in the infamous Kowloon walled city amongst drug users and triad gangs and developed a ministry which continues to this day. She was one of the first female role models I can remember, and what attracted me was her bravery and willingness to go where she believed God was calling her, even though that came with huge risks to her own life. In her book, ‘Chasing the Dragon’ she writes:

‘God wants us to have soft hearts and hard feet. The trouble with so many of us is that we have hard hearts and soft feet.’

I think we can be sure that Ruth had both a soft heart and hard feet. She was a non-Jewish women from Moab whose Jewish husband had died leaving her with a bitterly grieving mother-in-law, Naomi and a sister-in-law, Orpah, whose husband had also died. When her mother-in-law chose to return to her homeland, Ruth made the brave decision to move away from all she knew to go with her. She was determined and in deciding to bind herself to Naomi she also made a commitment to Naomi’s community, and to God. Her prayer of conversion is beautiful:

‘Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die – there will I be buried.

Ruth 1.16-17

What a powerful declaration of loving commitment from one person to another.

Ruth and Naomi’s journey from Moab to Bethlehem

Ruth chose to accompany Naomi and was willing to step out into the unknown, into a life that was unpredictable and precarious, to go to a foreign land where she would be vulnerable and unprotected. Her motivations for doing this are unclear. Did she stay with Naomi because of her deep love and affection for this older and in many ways bitter woman? Or did Ruth have a sense of God’s call on her life that meant that she knew deep down in her soul that she should leave Moab.

Whatever her reason, Ruth’s brave decision led her to Bethlehem where, whilst in the fields gathering food, she meets Boaz, a distant relative of Naomi’s. Boaz protects her from harm and Naomi encourages their blossoming romance and even gives her a few tips as to how to secure his affection: ‘Now wash and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing floor’ (Ruth 3.3). Ruth and Boaz eventually marry, her future is secured, and they have a child, Obed, who will one day be the Grandfather of King David.

Ruth becomes one of the small number of  women, alongside Tamar, Rahab and Bathsheba to be named in the genealogy of Jesus.

Reflection

Not many people are called by God to leave everything they’ve ever known in the way Jackie Pullinger or Ruth were, but we may be able to identify a time when we have been asked to take a step of faith. When I first felt God was calling me to be a priest, knew that this would mean we would have to leave our comfortable home in an Oxfordshire village, a decision that was harder to make because we had three young boys at the time. It’s tempting at times to wonder what might have been if we had taken other paths in life, but Jesus’ call to his disciples is always to follow, to look forward, to put the hand to the plough and not look back. (Luke 9.62).

Loving God,
We thank you for the joy and comfort of friendships:
For those who have been there for us through the ups and downs of life;
For those who have walked beside us even when we’ve not been great company;
For those who have given us advice and guidance;
and for those friends who are no longer with us and who we long to meet again.
Amen