NAOMI - A WOMAN FOR ALL SEASONS

-
Study Passage: All 4 Chapters of Ruth. 

 Summarizing Passages: Ruth 1:11 – 18; 4:13 - 17

Introduction: The Book of Ruth seems to be more about Naomi’s prowess than Ruth’s. Ruth followed the lead of Naomi and entered into the majestic inheritance of the Royal Davidic and Messianic lineage. She could not have foreseen this, but the principles that she applied through the various seasons of her life made her stand out. Every woman has very valuable lessons to learn from Naomi. Naomi took her fear of the Lord very seriously and practically.

 In Marriage
–        She stuck to her husband, though to leave Israel to Moab (outcasts in Israel) was not prime option (Ephrata meant fruitful, and Bethlehem meant home of bread), being of the kingship line of Judah – she followed the realism of her husband and was not foolhardy!
–        She stood with her sons in their choices of wives, although, ideally, one would think they should have returned to Israel to marry.
–        She planned for the re-marriage of Ruth, but, ultimately, left the choice for the couple, allowing all the processes to take its course.
–        Note also her choice of a worthy husband, following the lead of Ruth, who was not in a position to help herself in the circumstance.

 In Bereavement 
– She took charge of the responsibilities thrust upon her, rather than simply lament and throw up her hands. That is probably how come her in-laws ended up with her. She ensured that her sons married properly, and kept the family close.

 In Discipleship 
– She related excellently with her in-laws as with her own children to the extent that Ruth matured and took after her in the fear of the Lord God, loyalty, industry, humility (in speech and obedience) and wisdom. She knew when to let her protégés exercise their maturity, by making them decide whether to follow her or leave her. She was not going to drag them along against their will, although as an old woman she was entitled to their service.

In Hardship 
– She looked up to God, rather than blame any other source. Note that she did not show by any behaviour that she had turned her back on God. She rather talked about the justice of God, believing that whatever might have happened to her had come from God the Just. She after all returned home to the country of her God. And it was in the returning that she brought home a convert that spiced up her story.

In Birth and Happy Moments 
– She was available to celebrate and help raise the youngster to the extent that the child born was considered hers. She was so social that people celebrated her joyous moments. Even her grandson was named by her neighbour as Obed, the short form of Obadiah, meaning “Servant of God”.

Think Naomi: As an Israelite (Christian), appreciate and live the institutions of God (marriage), be prepared to take up mantles, disciple those around you, look to God in hardship, and celebrate the success of others.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Story of Redemption as told through Israel

-
One very useful way of "unlocking" the Bible is to check how the Old Testament tells the story of the New Testament. After all the OT is said to be a shadow of the NT (Col 2:17, Heb 10:1). What would be our take on the following? Where do the realities of these shadows occur in the NT? 1. Journey to Egypt 2. Slaves to Pharaoh 3. The “futility” of all the plagues but one to weaken Pharaoh's grip 4. The Passover Lamb 5. Deaths of the firstborns that broke Pharaoh's grip 6. Pharaoh's pursuit 7. The Red Sea 8. The Desert 9. Pillar of Fire and Cloud 10. Manna 11. The Attacks in the Desert 12. The Apostasy and Punishments 13. The Midian Mix and the Grumblings 14. The Bronze serpent 15. Jordan 16. Manna stops 17. Warfare in Canaan 18. The Law 19. The Ark 20. The Tabernacle 21. The Gradual Take over If you really want to build people up, do not shy away from doing this. God contracted Israel mainly for the purpose of telling this story, to make salvation meaningful ...
Read more

BIBLE THROWBACK

-
The Bible explains itself. The Lord Jesus and the writers of the New Testament books and letters were proven by the Old Testament Scripture (OT). Their hearers and readers generally knew the OT context of their statements. Here are five key samples:   "FISHERS OF MEN" THROWBACK ““Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “that it shall no more be said, ‘The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.’ For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers. “Behold, I will send for many FISHERMEN,” says the LORD, “and they shall fish them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.” Jeremiah 16:14-16 NKJV “And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called P...
Read more

WE CAME TO PREACH CHRIST

-
*WE CAME TO PREACH* We came to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some of our hearers asked us, "What shall we do to be saved from the wrath of God reserved for sinners?" We told them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and God will forgive them, give them power to serve Him and to fulfil the desires of the flesh no more. Before they could make a move one young guy shouted loudly, "Hell no! You've got it all wrong. Don't start with REPENT. How can these sinners stop sinning without the power of God transforming them FIRST?" We said, "But that is what the Lord Jesus preached in Matthew 4:17, and asked us in Luke 24:47 to preach". By this time, the people who asked what to do had started dispersing ... This guy continued, "By repent, Jesus didn't mean stop sinning, or regret whatever wrong you have done, because He knows you have no capacity to do that. He just meant change your mind about Him. In Greek it's cal...
Read more