051 - Naomi - A Virtuous Woman Forgotten

Naomi - A Virtuous Woman Forgotten

 

When we read the book of Ruth, the first guy that comes to mind is Ruth. In fact, she is a virtuous woman. However, nobody stops to think on what stimulated Ruth to seek to experience a real conversion of life.

 See what she says:

 

·      "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: 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." (Rth 1.16,17).

 

Note that until this moment the people of Ruth and their gods were those of Moab. That is, during the time she was married to Mahlon, she felt no inner transformation. Therefore, what spurred the conversion of Ruth was the life of Naomi. She care about their daughters-in-law as daughters (as suggested the word “daughter-in-law”):

 

·        "And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?" (Rth 1.11).

 

Ruth saw something different in the life of Naomi that spurred her change. But it wasn’t just that.

Repair what Naomi said:

 

·        "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? 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." (Rth 1.20,21).

 

First: she said that she left full. However, Naomi came out of the land without anything (they were fleeing from famine - Rth 1.1). Therefore, she was full because of her husband and sons, i.e., she knew seeing the value of her family.

Second: She was bitter against the Eternal One. 

I know that, in principle, may sound something negative (and it is). However, nobody is bitter in vain.

Let's clarify: it is one thing to be angry: this everyone can be at any time. Bitterness, however, only arises in the hearts of those who deem themselves worthy of any favor. 

Comes the question: what Naomi did for Eternal which led her to believe that she did not deserve what was going on?

 

·        "Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons." (Rth 1.1).

 

She followed her husband. Even though she could have done this by love for Elimelech, she did this, above all, for the love of the Eternal One. She, as a good Israelite, knew very well that it was wrong to sojourn in Moab. 

 

·        "An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever: because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee. Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee. Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever." (Deut 23.3-6).

 

She knew that, by following Elimelech, was subject to suffer the consequences of the sin of her husband. However, even so she didn’t discussed with him, nor abandoned or divorced him. Before, she was submissive to him as the Holy Scripture (Eph 5.22). See what a great example! 

Many women have questioned the submission that they should the husband. However, through the life of Naomi, we can see that the mistakes of the husband does not justify their rebellion, such as Peter says:

 

·        “Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement." (1Peter 3.1-6).

 

It is obvious that it is difficult to be submissive to someone when this one is wrong, even more aware that we will suffer also by wrong decisions that they take.

However, remember the end that had Naomi: not only she won a daughter-in-law so wonderful (a true friend), but also had the privilege to be a grandmother of Obed, from which came Jesus Christ (it is good to remember that, according to the Law of Levirate, the first son of Boaz and Ruth belonged to the deceased Malom:

 

·        "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." (Ruth 4.10).

 

According to this, I ask for you to women: Which do you prefer: to avoid the problems brought by wrong decisions of your husband (through divorce) to enjoy a little of the pleasures of sin, or stay beside him, facing the consequences of his sin in the presence of Christ based on His word and, with this, inherit an unimaginable blessing?