Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem

The famine in Judah is over.

Naomi and her daughters-in-law are getting ready to leave Moab to return to Naomi’s homeland.

Dialog is the primary device used by the author.  85 verses in the book of Ruth.  59 verses contain dialog.

Ruth 1:6-22 NLT
Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem
⁶ Then Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland. ⁷ With her two daughters-in-law she set out from the place where she had been living, and they took the road that would lead them back to Judah.
⁸ But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes. And may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. ⁹ May the Lord bless you with the security of another marriage.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept.
¹⁰ “No,” they said. “We want to go with you to your people.”
¹¹ But Naomi replied, “Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands? ¹² No, my daughters, return to your parents’ homes, for I am too old to marry again. And even if it were possible, and I were to get married tonight and bear sons, then what? ¹³ Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters! Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord himself has raised his fist against me.”
¹⁴ And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi. ¹⁵ “Look,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.”
¹⁶ 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. ¹⁷ 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!” ¹⁸ When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.
¹⁹ So the two of them continued on their journey. When they came to Bethlehem, the entire town was excited by their arrival. “Is it really Naomi?” the women asked.
²⁰ “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. ²¹ I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?”
²² So Naomi returned from Moab, accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth, the young Moabite woman. They arrived in Bethlehem in late spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest.

Examine the Scriptures

Ruth 1:6-22 NLT
Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem

⁶ Then Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again.

• The famine in Judah was over.

• The Lord blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again.

So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland. 

Naomi was going home.  She was leaving Moab, an idolatrous land, and was going back to Judah, the land of promise.

60-75 miles away.
7-10 days of travel.

Naomi was reversing her direction and was going back home (like repentance).

• Naomi had good reasons to return to Bethlehem.
• Naomi had friends, family, and property in Bethlehem.

Friends:

Ruth 1:19 NLT
¹⁹ So the two of them continued on their journey. When they came to Bethlehem, the entire town was excited by their arrival. “Is it really Naomi?” the women asked.

Family:

Ruth 2:1 NLT
¹ Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech.

Property:

Ruth 4:3 NLT
³ And Boaz said to the family redeemer, “You know Naomi, who came back from Moab. She is selling the land that belonged to our relative Elimelech.

⁷ With her two daughters-in-law she set out from the place where she had been living,

and they took the road that would lead them back to Judah. 

• Both of the daughters-in-law were loyal to their mother-in-law and were willing to move to Judah.

(Verse 10 “We want to go with you to your people.”) 

⁸ But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes.

• Naomi believed that she had to leave her daughters-in-law in Moab because she thought that would be best for them.

The prospects of a Moabite female remarrying in Israel would be slight.

• Ruth and Orpah had good reasons to remain in Moab. 

And may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me.

• Naomi blessed her two daughters-in-law.

Naomi viewed both Orpah and Ruth as kind individuals in light of the way they treated their husbands and her.

The three women had a good relationship with each other.

Since they had married Israelite men they were under God’s covenant. 

 ⁹ May the Lord bless you with the security of another marriage.”

Naomi asked that God would bless them with another husband.

At this point in time marriage was security for a woman.

• In the ancient Near East a woman without a husband, especially a widow, was very venerable.

It is clear that Naomi loved her two daughters-in-law and wanted what she thought was best for them. 

Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept. 

¹⁰ “No,” they said. “We want to go with you to your people.” 

¹¹ But Naomi replied, “Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands? 

Deuteronomy 25:5-10 NLT
⁵ “If two brothers are living together on the same property and one of them dies without a son, his widow may not be married to anyone from outside the family. Instead, her husband’s brother should marry her and have intercourse with her to fulfill the duties of a brother-in-law. ⁶ The first son she bears to him will be considered the son of the dead brother, so that his name will not be forgotten in Israel.

¹² No, my daughters, return to your parents’ homes, for I am too old to marry again. And even if it were possible, and I were to get married tonight and bear sons, then what? ¹³ Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters! 

• Naomi knew that she was too old to provide her daughters-in-law with new husbands. (She was probably over 50.) 

Things are far more bitter for me than for you,

• Naomi felt like her situation was “far more bitter” than Orpah’s or Ruth’s situation.

because the Lord himself has raised his fist against me.” 

• Naomi believed that the Lord had caused her to suffer and the Almighty had sent tragedy upon her. 

Looking ahead to verses 20-21

²⁰ “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. ²¹ I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?” 

¹⁴ And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye.

• Orpah did exactly what her mother-in-law asked her to do.

She does what makes sense from a human perspective.

Nothing more is said about Orpah in the book of Ruth.

But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi.  

An expression of loyalty and devotion. 

¹⁵ “Look,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.” 

This does not seem to be the best advice she could have given.

¹⁶ But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back.

• Three times Naomi had encouraged Ruth to return to her people.

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. ¹⁷ 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!” 

• Ruth chose life with Naomi over her family, her national identity, and her religious idolatry.

Ruth chooses a path that doesn’t make sense humanly speaking, and God will honor her for her loyalty to him and to her mother-in-law.

Ruth chose the people of Israel (your people) and the God of Israel (your God).

• Ruth was making a complete break from her past despite Naomi’s encouragement to do otherwise.

Ruth’s commitment was for life.

Ruth invoked judgment from Israel’s God if she were to break her commitment of loyalty to her mother-in-law.

• Ruth was turning away from idols to serve the living and true God.

¹⁸ When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.

¹⁹ So the two of them continued on their journey. When they came to Bethlehem, the entire town was excited by their arrival. “Is it really Naomi?” the women asked.

• Many changes had taken place in Naomi’s life from the time she left Bethlehem until the time she returned home.

²⁰ “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. ²¹ I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?”

Naomi’s grief and depression (verse 13) continued.

Instead of being called Naomi (sweetness or pleasantness) she wanted to be called Mara (bitterness).

• Naomi was sure her problems were all God’s fault.

Naomi was feeling “empty” and depressed.

• Naomi saw nothing ahead but the loneliness, abandonment, and helplessness of widowhood.

²² So Naomi returned from Moab, accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth, the young Moabite woman. They arrived in Bethlehem in late spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest.