Today I read Ruth 1 where Naomi and her family go to live with the Moabites and one by one Naomi loses her family. When she decides to return home to Israel after the famine has lifted, Ruth, her daughter-in-law, decides to go with her. It is very interesting and unique that in a culture where women are almost never even mentioned in writings, to have an entire book devoted to one.
That is because of how remarkable Ruth is. She is always held up as a model of faithfulness and family piety. As she should be. She is a remarkable woman and to be so faithful to her mother-in-law like she was, was not very common or heard of in those days I would imagine. At times I have thoughts about how life would be if my wife were to pass away. How would I handle my in-laws and make sure that they were able to be with their granddaughter. I know I would not sever contact with them, far from it, I would want to make sure they were still part of my life and part of my daughter's life, but I would most certainly go back to my own family more often. So it is interesting to me to see a story about someone that does the opposite and chooses their in-laws over their birth family.
I have often wondered if perhaps Ruth recognized the Lord in Naomi and realized that Naomi had something special that was worth pursuing. Did she recognize what so many of the Israelites themselves couldn't see? Perhaps so, because she tells Naomi that her Gods will be hers also. We will know someday but one thing that all scholars agree on, Ruth was one special woman. Until tomorrow.
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