Today's Reading: Ruth 1

Examples of Love and Loyalty

During the period that Judges ruled Israel*, we are told the story of one family – the family of a man named Elimelech with his wife Naomi and their two sons.  The year is approximately 1200 B.C.   Because of a severe famine in Israel, this family had to travel to the region of Moab to avoid starvation.

As the story unfolds, we meet a young woman named Ruth, who falls for one...

of Elimelech’s sons and marries him. During the next several years, Ruth and Naomi form a solid bond of friendship and love.  The love relationship between them is strong.  After ten years, Elimelech and both of his sons die, leaving Naomi and her daughters-in-law as widows.  Naomi then makes the hard decision to leave Moab and return to Israel where she will find the support of her relatives and friends. Ruth wants to go with her but Naomi tries to persuade her to stay behind.  Ruth refuses, insisting that Naomi let her come.  Verse 14 says, “Ruth clung to her.”   

Ruth declares her love and loyalty to Naomi, “Don’t force me to leave you; don’t make me go home. Where you go, I go; and where you live, I’ll live. Your people are my people, your God is my God; where you die, I’ll die, and that’s where I’ll be buried, so help me God—not even death itself is going to come between us!” Her words to Naomi reveal that she had grown to deeply love Naomi, and that she had also come to love Naomi’s God, Yahweh.  When Naomi saw how strongly Ruth felt, she gave up trying to persuade her to remain in Moab and accepted her company on the long journey home.

By their actions of love and loyalty, Ruth and Naomi have given all of us some life lessons. There are four lessons we can learn by looking at the bond between these two women. (There are probably more than four, but these are presented for your consideration.)

Loyalty.  Ruth could have easily gone back to the familiar.  She could have returned to her own family and friends.  But her strong bond with Naomi resulted in an unbending loyalty. Tough times did not break that loyalty, but rather strengthened it.  Do you remain committed to others even when troubles come?

Witness.  Naomi’s character and relationship with God were on display for Ruth to see.  And just by being around her, Ruth was drawn to her God.  Ruth now longed for the same relationship with God that she had seen in Naomi.  When others see your relationship with Jesus Christ, are they drawn to Him?

Perseverance.  Ruth held her ground.  She was determined not to lose that relationship that had brought so much value to her life. She would not – could not – let anything bring an end to her love and bond for Naomi.  Do others know that you will stubbornly stick by them when your relationship is threatened?

Trust.  Ruth’s future was uncertain.  She didn’t know what troubles might lie ahead.  But she trusted her future to the God of Israel, and as a result was willing to step forward in faith and follow Him.  In the midst of the circumstances you face, do you trust God to bring good out of it?  Are you willing to step forward by faith?

(*Editor's Note: We are studying through the Bible in chronological order.  Because the events of the Book of Ruth took place during the period that Judges ruled Israel, we insert the story here.)