Naomi tells her daughters-in-law to go back to their parents homes.
“Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.”
Ruth 1: 8 to 10, NIV
Naomi advised her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, saying, “Go back, each of you, to your mother's house.” Going back to their mother’s homes was both a sensible and wise decision on their part. Orpah and Ruth had stronger familial ties in Moab than they did with Naomi in Israel. Therefore, it made more sense for them to remain in Moab rather than accompany Naomi to a new land. By staying in Moab, the two women would have the opportunity to find new husbands who could support them and provide them with children, ensuring their future security. The women could take comfort in knowing that their futures would be protected.
Although it may have been wise and common sense for the younger widows, it would not have been the same for Naomi. Although three women were travelling together to Israel and could have been less likely to suffer from robbery or violence, Naomi’s suggestion to travel to Israel on her own would have been extremely foolish.
Naomi was willing to sacrifice herself to ensure the future of the two widows. Much later, Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for our future. He went to the cross and died for us, even when we were destined for hell. If we believe in Jesus Christ as our Saviour, we can go to heaven and be in the presence of Father God. Naomi was prepared to go alone for these two women. Jesus’ sacrifice assured us that we would never be alone. Moses told the Israelites, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the L ORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
By staying in Moab, the two women hoped to find husbands. According to the Bible, we Christians believe the risen Jesus Christ is the Bridegroom, and the Church is the Bride. When Jesus was with His disciples, He answered a question about fasting with an analogy involving a bridegroom: “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast” (Mark 2:19–20). Jesus is the Bridegroom. His disciples are the wedding guests. John the Baptist presented himself as the “friend who attends the bridegroom,” which is the person we would today call the “best man” (John 3:29). John said, “The bride belongs to the bridegroom.” By this he referred to Jesus and the Church, His spiritual Bride, who stands by His side and invites people in, saying, “Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life” (Revelation 22:17).
The Church, often called the Bride of Christ, encompasses all believers throughout history. Everyone who has placed their faith in the Lord and has received salvation by grace is collectively part of His Bride. This analogy is found in several passages of the New Testament. The Apostle Paul instructs believers about marriage, stating, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Eph 5:25). He also describes the Church as a virgin waiting for her Bridegroom (2 Cor 11:2) and uses the relationship between Christ and the Church to illustrate the importance of wives’ submission to their husbands (Eph 5:24).
Later, the Apostle John writes that the New Jerusalem is “a bride beautifully dressed for her husband” (Rev 21:2), emphasising that all believers will ultimately be united with God, their Saviour.
Naomi said to her daughters-in-law, “The LORD deal kindly with you…. The LORD grant that you may find rest.” Naomi offered her blessing to them freely. The phrase “deal kindly” comes from the Old Testament Hebrew term “hesed,” which encompasses faithfulness, goodness, and kindness. It indicates a deed of mercy performed by a more powerful party to benefit a weaker one. In this context, the future husbands represent the more powerful party, while the women are considered weaker. This is undoubtedly true for Orpah and Ruth.
About the Church, the Lord has shown tremendous mercy and goodness. The Church does not deserve mercy; it is solely by God’s grace that we find ourselves in a relationship with Him today.
In Ruth 1:9, Naomi describes marriage as a place of rest: “May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” God intends that each marriage be a place and source of rest, peace, and refreshment in life.
The writer of the Book of Ruth may have been looking back to the days of Moses. You will recall that those who disobeyed God never entered the Promised Land. God declared, “On oath in my anger, they shall never enter my rest.” Moses and his generation never entered the Promised Land, only Joshua and Caleb, because their hearts were right. Not even the great Moses entered the Promised Land.
God equated entering the Promised Land with entering His rest. Once they entered and occupied the Promised Land, it would become their land, eliminating the need for further wandering. Their wandering would end, allowing them to finally rest from their travels.
However, Jesus had a different angle from which to rest. He said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” You see, the religious leaders of the day, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Scribes, laid down burdensome laws in addition to the Mosaic Laws found in the Old Testament. These laws were hard on the people. Jesus warned the people about this when He said, “They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on the people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.” He said this just before He lambasted the Pharisees for their hypocrisy.
In contrast, Jesus invited people to come to Him, promising they would find rest from the burdens imposed by the Law. He described His yoke as easy and light. Jesus took the burden of guilt from us by carrying our sins on His body when He was crucified. The sinless Son of Man bore the sins of all humanity and died the death of a sinner so that we, the sinful, might live in the presence of God. He lightened our load by taking away our burdens and sins. Today, we do not have to live strictly by the Law; we can live freely under God’s grace.
In the end, despite Naomi’s pleas, the two women are determined to stay with her and refuse to return to their parents’ house, insisting on going to Bethlehem alongside Naomi. This reflects the deep love that Naomi, an Israelite and Jew, had for the Gentile Moabite women as they cried in desperation at the thought of being separated from their mother-in-law. Today, we are encouraged to love our enemies and pray for those who may persecute us.
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Robert