Ruth Begs to Stay

by Mary Vee
Ruth 1

From Ruth's Journal

On the road to Israel Naomi stopped unexpectedly. I thought she wanted to rest, but the serious look on her face showed she had something to say.


She held Orpah and my hands and spoke with a shaky voice. "My daughters-in-law, you must go to your mother's home. Find new husbands and have a family."


Orpah and I hugged Naomi and begged her to let us continue the journey, but Naomi shook her head. After her second request, Orpah hugged Naomi and cried. "Bye, Mother. Have a peaceful journey." And then she walked away. 


I couldn't stop the pounding of my heart. Leave? 


How could I leave this precious woman who taught me about a loving God? The God who made heaven and earth and cared for her people. I couldn't breathe.  "Please, let me go with you." 


I pressed her frail body close and hugged her with every ounce of strength I had. "Please, Mother--please."


Naomi pushed me back and shook her head. "Sweet, beautiful Ruth look at your sister-in-law." By this time Orpah had walked down the hill and kept walking toward the city where we had lived. "You must go too. Return to your people and your gods. It's OK. I'll be fine."


How could she say she would be fine? She lost her husband and two sons? Orpah had left and now she wanted me to leave as well? I couldn't--I just couldn't do it. 


Words flowed through my mind that spoke the yearning of my soul. I didn't think of what to day; somehow the words just came: 

"Mother, dear Mother, please don't make me leave you or stop me from following you."

 I wiped a tear and sobbed. 

"Mother, please--

"Wherever you go, I will go.

And wherever you live, I will live.

Your people will be my people

And your God, my God.

Where you die, I will die

And there will I be buried.

May the Lord do to me and more if anything but death separates you and me."

Naomi looked at me and sighed. She pushed a strand of my hair back like a mother would and glanced at the sky then back at me.  "Well, then, my daughter--you may come with me."

We walked, taking breaks as Naomi needed, until we reached her home city, Bethlehem. People came from their houses and businesses to greet her. She must have known every living soul in the city. How they loved her, too.

Her neighbors seemed surprised to see Naomi traveling without her husband and two sons. They came to her one by one to give a hug. "Are you really Naomi?  Are you well?"

Naomi refused to look the people in the eye. "No, I am not well. I left with a husband and two sons. The Lord has taken them from me." She lifted her head to the sky. "Call me Mara from now on, for the Almighty has treated me bitterly."

And then she walked away. 

We walked to the home she had left behind and found it a mess. Cobwebs and dirt everywhere. We cleaned what was needed to sleep that night then we rested long into the next day.

Oh, if only the Almighty would heal her sadness. I pray He will.

Come back next time to see how God helped my beloved mother.

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1.  Orpah decided to ___________________

2.  Ruth chose to ______________________

3.  What did Ruth say to Naomi to show she truly wanted to go with her?

4.  How did the people in Bethlehem greet here?

5.  What name did Naomi want?

6.  Why--what does the name mean?

7.  Did Ruth stay with Naomi even after she told people to call her Mara?

  

Orpah Walks Away

By Mary Vee
Ruth 1

From Orpah's Journal

My heart was twisted in knots. 


I wanted to go with Naomi to her former home in Bethlehem, but I didn't want to leave Moab. 


Could I speak the language of the Moabite people in Naomi's home country, or would I have to speak Hebrew all the time? Would I have to cook only Hebrew food, or could I make my favorite Moabite meals? Did I need to make different clothes or could I wear my family's clothing? 


Would the people accept me?


Each step I took away from the land where I had lived added a weight to my soul. Ruth, perky Ruth, sang, bounced with each step, and chatted with Naomi from the first moment we locked the door of the home we left behind.


I pretended to be happy, to count the journey as a great adventure--but it wasn't true--for me.


Ruth asked Naomi tons of questions about Hebrew customs, proper words to say, ways of greetings, and songs. Her face lit up when they talked about the Hebrew God. She asked Naomi questions about Hebrew history and what God had done for them.


Naomi told us about Moses, their beloved leader who was rescued as a baby by Pharaoh's daughter and raised in the Egyptian palace. She told us Moses ran away to the desert one day after killing a guard who had attacked a Hebrew slave. He hid in the desert for forty years before God called him to return to Egypt and lead the Israelites to freedom.  God sent ten terrible plagues to the Egyptians before Pharaoh agreed to release the Hebrews. On their escape journey, God divided the Red Sea and made the ground dry for all the Hebrews to walk across. 


Ruth listened with awe and asked for more.


I tried to listen with the excitement Ruth showed, but I wanted to go back home with my family. Of course, I wouldn't tell Naomi. She had been the perfect example of a godly woman and her loss had been greater than mine. I lost my husband to illness, Naomi lost her husband and her two sons. Ruth and I, Moabite women, were all she had left.


Around lunch time, Naomi stopped walking. She sat on a nearby stump and closed her eyes for a moment. Ruth and I set down the load we carried and ran to her side. "Do you need water? Should we camp here tonight to let you rest? Can we get you anything to eat?"


Naomi shook her head and sighed. "No. Thank you, no."  She sat still for a moment then looked at each of us. "Ruth, Orpah, I couldn't have been more blessed to have you as daughters-in-law." 


She took our hands and rubbed her knobby, calloused fingers across our skin. "You have served me more than I deserve. I have no right to ask you to travel to another country where everything will be foreign to you." 


Naomi looked with her loving smile at both of us. "I want you to go home to your mother's house. May the Lord treat you kindly as you have been to my sons whom you married, and to me. May the great God Almighty grant you rest in a new home with husbands."


She pulled us closer and kissed us. Tears soaked her eyes and her love touched my heart. What a sweet, giving woman.  I couldn't stop my own tears from spilling on to my cheeks. How could I be so selfish when this dear woman thought only of the needs of others?


Ruth and I hugged her close. "Mother, we will return with you to your country and people."


Naomi laughed through her tears. "I can't give you any more. If I were to marry tonight and have two new sons, would you really wait for them to grow up to marry you?" A few more tears dripped down her face. She swiped them away and stood. "No, my daughters, I am saddened for your sakes that God has taken our husbands, but you are young and can marry again. Go home and do so."


I glanced back to the land in which I had lived all my life. Memories flashed through my mind--I didn't want to leave my family, my home, my gods--I didn't want to give them up.


I leaned over to sweet Naomi, kissed her on the cheek, picked up my things, and walked home.


I never saw Ruth or Naomi again. 


I wonder what my life would have been like had I gone with them.


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1. What did Orpah worry about?
2. What did Ruth do?
3. What did Naomi teach them on their journey?
4. Why did Naomi stop walking?
5. What did Naomi tell Ruth and Orpah to do?
6. What did Orpah want to do?
7. In the end what did Orpah choose to do?


In God's Word Jesus says, "I am the way the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by Me."  Had Orpah stayed with Naomi, she would have learned more about the true God, and maybe one day chose to worship Him. Instead she chose to worship the Moabite gods. How sad.

Ruth

By Mary Vee
Ruth 1

From Ruth's Journal

Orpah shared her journal entry from last time with me. She said she didn't mind if I told you more.


If you didn't get a chance to read it, click here


I am a Moabite. My mother taught me how to make our foods and clothing. We worshiped the god Chemosh, and followed the Moabite customs. I learned and followed our customs, but deep inside my heart I wondered if there was something different, maybe--.


Orpah told you about the Hebrew family, Elimelech, Naomi, and their sons, Mahlon and Chilion who came to live in our area in her journal post. 


Strangers in need had moved to our neighborhood before, but none had been as kind and giving as this family.


Even though Naomi's family followed their Hebrew customs and remained devoted to their God, they worked hard to help and give anything they could to the neighborhood. When Elimilech died, Naomi continued to give to others in need.


Not long ago, Orpah married one of her sons, and I married the other. We both moved to our new homes on their family land. Naomi welcomed us as her daughters. Her smiles encouraged us to listen and learn the Hebrew ways. 


Her forgiveness taught me I could still be loved even though I made mistakes. Her wise counsel  guided me to make choices that turned out good. Her respect for me as a person helped me grow as a woman and a wife. I wanted to learn about the Hebrew God more and more each day.


This is my family. A warm, loving family.


Not long after Orpah and I had become part of Naomi's family, our husbands became sick, really sick.  She and I took over the work in the fields to save the land. Naomi helped with our household chores. We couldn't have survived without her. 


We searched for doctors who could help our husbands. Naomi prayed to her God. Sadly, a month later, both our husbands died. 


The three of us cried together. We hugged, wept, and supported each other. There seemed no reason to laugh any more. We worked, sobbed, and stayed close together.


A week later Orpah and I made Naomi's favorite dinner for her hoping to find some happiness. It didn't work. We sat in silence at the dinner table, waiting for her to speak. After a few moments, Naomi prayed to her God thanking Him for the food. Even in all her sorrow, she thanked her God. After she took a bite of her dinner she looked at both of us and gave a tiny smile. "It's time to return to my home in Bethlehem. I recently heard from a traveler that the rains have come and the crops are growing."


I didn't need a moment to think. Neither did Orpah. "OK, Mother. We'll start packing tomorrow."


We didn't have any servants, camels, or large carts to help pack or carry the load. In a way, that made our work easier. We only took the most important items, locked the door then followed Naomi on the road to our new home.


Come follow our journey by reading the next story.


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1.  Where was Ruth from?
2.  How did Ruth describe Naomi?
3.  What happened to Ruth's husband?
4.  What did Naomi decide to do after her son's died?
5.  Despite Naomi's sadness, how did she show her faith in God?
(in an upcoming story, Naomi will become very sad, even angry--still, she will keep her faith in God)

Orpah

By Mary Vee
Ruth 1

From Orpah's Journal

I had great dreams of one day being married, a nice home, and children. My dreams didn't go exactly as I expected--but--well, let me tell you what happened.


A Hebrew family came to Moab, my country, to homestead: a husband, Elimilech, wife, Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. They said they came because there was a famine in Israel. Everyone in our neighborhood liked them right away. The Hebrew family worked hard to build a home, plant crops, take care of their herd, and help others in need. 


Even though Elimilech and Naomi kept their Hebrew traditions and didn't participate in the celebrations for our gods, the neighborhood appreciated them for their kindness. The longer they stayed, the more I realized what a loving family they were and this made me want to marry one of their sons. 


Several months later, Mahlon and Chilion missed some of the neighborhood gatherings. One of my friends said Naomi's sons needed to work longer days in the fields to help their sick father. When their father, Elimilech, came to any neighborhood gatherings he sat in a corner and watched the fun, wouldn't eat hardly any of the food served, and barely spoke a word.  And then, not many mornings later, we heard Elimilech died.


The whole neighborhood cried. I hugged Naomi, his wife, and felt her warm heart working to cheer me and the other neighbors through her tears. What a nice lady. 


We all thought she would move her sons back to Israel after her husband died, but, I must admit, I was glad to see them stay. Her sons knew how to take care of the land, and she took care of them.


Naomi encouraged her sons to get married. The new wives could help with the work and their land would prosper.  I'd hoped they would chose me to marry one of them.


One year later, my wish came true. I married one of Naomi's sons and my friend, Ruth, married the other. I couldn't have been any happier. We worked together to take care of the land. Naomi taught Ruth and I how to cook our husband's favorite meals and the Hebrew songs they learned as children.


Ruth and I laughed each time Naomi told us a story about our husbands as little boys. She'd start each story with a serious face then laugh between sentences until tears dripped.  Soon she snorted while laughing, and, well, we couldn't help but join the guffaw.  I'm surprised our husbands couldn't hear us from out in the fields.


We worked hard in the morning cleaning, washing, and mending then took a break during the hottest time of the day. That's when we sat at Naomi's kitchen table and talked. Naomi's eyes brightened each time she told us about her home country, Israel.  We couldn't help but grow to love her as a mother.


I found myself humming the Hebrew songs when I was alone. I'd look around to make sure no one was watching, then danced one of the Hebrew dances Naomi taught us. I liked singing and dancing to Hebrew music, I just wished I could do the steps as well as Naomi.


My life couldn't be any better. I love my husband, Naomi, my mother-in-law, our joined homes with Ruth and her husband, and our land. 


If only life could stay this good for always. But it didn't.  Next time Ruth will share her side of the story.


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1.  How did Orpah meet the Hebrew family?
2.  What country did Orpah live in?
3.  Why did the Hebrew family come to Orpah's country?
4.  What are the names of the Hebrew family?
5.  Who did Orpah marry?
6.  What did Orpah learn from Naomi?
7.  Who married the other son?
8.  Do you think Orpah learned about God?
9. Orpah's family and her neighborhood learned to like the visiting Hebrew family, why?


Photo courtesy of Visualbiblealive.com

Naomi's Broken Heart

Mary Vee
Ruth 1

Naomi's Thoughts

I've lived in Moab for about ten years now. My husband, Elimelech, two sons, and I left our home in Bethlehem when the rains stopped.


Not long after Elimelech built our home, planted the crops, and raised a barn for the animals here in Moab, he died. My sons, Mahlon and Chilion have taken good care of me.


We didn't have a lot, nothing extra, really. Still, God provided for our needs. I kept up with the news in Bethlehem each time a traveler passed my home. Recently Mahlon and Chilion married Moabite girls, lovely girls named Orpah and Ruth. Of course, I would have preferred they married Hebrew girls, but what could I say since we lived in Moab? There were no Hebrew girls living here..


Orpah and Ruth are nice girls. They seem to love their husbands and have been willing to follow our customs. They've asked me how to make our special Hebrew foods and help me with the chores after they finish their own.


I've actually enjoyed our conversations. Over time they've asked me to teach them the Hebrew songs their husbands know. Mahlon said he heard his wife humming one of the tunes while cooking dinner, and Chilion said he saw his wife dancing one of the Hebrew dances while doing her housework. God has blessed us with these two girls.


Not too long after my sons married, Orpah and Ruth spent less time with me. Seems they had to do more of the work than usual. Mahlon and Chilion took naps in the afternoons, they never had before and their skin turned pale. Maybe they didn't have enough to eat. I made special soups and other foods to restore their health. Neither of my sons ate much. 


They worked in the fields all day then came back to their homes and went to bed after only a spoonful of supper. I don't know what's wrong with them.


I asked the Almighty to take care of them. Without His healing hand, I had feared they will die.


A week ago neither of my sons got up from bed. They barely spoke. Orpah and Ruth tried to get their husbands to eat, but they wouldn't.  Yesterday, both Mahlon and Chilion died. 


I want to believe God would take care of me, and my two daughters-in-law, but I didn't know how. My stomach tightened and my head hurt.  I couldn't control the anger I felt growing inside my heart. 


Maybe we should have moved back to Bethlehem after my husband died. Maybe we should--maybe--


Orpah and Ruth came to the door, their faces stained from tears. "What can we do for you, Mother?"  


I hugged them both and invited them to the table. I could barely speak. These girls came to me, a foreigner in their country, and asked what they could do. They could have left, instead they came to comfort me.  O thank you God.


I poured them something to drink then sat with them.  "A traveler recently told me the Lord has visited Israel. The crops have grown and there is plenty of bread." I sighed. "I had put off returning to my home while my sons cared for our home here. Now there seems no reason to stay."


Orpah and Ruth looked at each other with their eyes wide. Orpah set her cup down. "Please don't leave us. We belong to your family."

 Ruth stretched her arm out to hug me. "We'll go with you, of course. We'll start packing first thing in the morning."


I didn't expect them to be so kind. "Are you sure?"


Both girls nodded and smiled. "We want to be with you, Mother."


We pack all morning then walked away from our Moab home. We hadn't gone far down the road before I realized I had made a mistake. These girls should stay in their home country, find new husbands, and make a home.


I stopped on the side of the road and sat on a rock. "Orpah, Ruth, I have been thinking. You girls should stay in your home country. Go back to your mother's house. May the Lord deal kindly with you as you have been to your husbands, my sons, and to me." I hugged them close. "May the Lord grant each of your rest in the house of a new husband."


I kissed them both and stood. The girls looked at me with their eyes wide. They shook their heads and cried to me. "No, Mother. We'll go back with you, to your people."


Sorrow pushed on my heart like a heavy weight. I could barely breathe. "No. Turn back, my daughters. I can't raise sons who can be your husbands." I gazed into their beautiful faces. "Turn back, my daughters, go--for I am too old to have a husband." Tears fell, I couldn't stop them. "No, my daughters, it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me."


What will Orpah and Ruth do? Come back next week to read more.


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1. Sad things will happen during our lives. What happened to Naomi?
2. Who were here daughters-in-law?
3. Where were they from?
4. What did Naomi decide to do?
5. Who went with her?
6. After she started the trip, what did Naomi decide?
7. As you read the rest of this story, you will see God has a plan for Naomi. She doesn't know the plan right now. How can this story help you?