“It’s the Character for Me” (Part 1) Women in the Bible (Part 7): A Look at Ruth & Naomi

For this part of our “Women in the Bible” series, I have decided to take a look at Ruth, which, in all honesty, feels like an extremely daunting task. There’s so much to her story that I can’t imagine fitting it all into one blog post, so I decided to break it up into sections. I love the Book of Ruth because the one thing that is abundantly clear to me throughout her story is that she had an impeccable character.

She is the type of person that you strive to be, not because of her great beauty, intelligence, or status, but because of her heart, and that is exactly why I have to say, emphatically, “It’s the character for me.”

​Do you know the story of Ruth? Oftentimes, I hear it brought up in the context of dating or marriage (i.e., finding that special someone; waiting on your “Boaz”), but I believe that disregards the most important piece of her story. The way I see it, there’s no need to even mention Boaz if Ruth doesn’t grow into the person that she is destined to be.

​From the very beginning of Ruth’s story, God was making a way for her and setting her up for victory. Although, from the way her story begins, that’s not the way it seems, but a large part of ensuring her success was getting her linked up with the right team. If there’s nothing else to be gleaned from the beginning of her story, it’s that God can and will use your greatest tragedies, the fieriest darts of the enemy, to give you exactly what you need.

​The Bible says that, “In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab (Ruth 1:1 NIV). The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there (Ruth 1:2 NIV).

Now Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons (Ruth 1:3 NIV). They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, (Ruth 1:4 NIV), both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband” (Ruth 1:5 NIV).

Do you know what’s crazy to me about the beginning of Ruth’s story? It starts with tragedy, and it’s not even Ruth’s misfortune that the Bible mentions; it’s Naomi’s. Why is that? Why talk about Naomi’s calamity in the Book of Ruth? The Bible says that a famine led Naomi and her family to seek refuge in Moab. They were forced to leave everything they knew because of a shortage in food. In other words, to survive, they had to leave their people, customs, and livelihood behind. Without the famine in Bethlehem, Naomi and Ruth would likely never meet. It amazes me how God can use the most tragic of things to bring about your destiny.

​At this point in the story, my heart breaks for Naomi. She has lost everything in her pursuit of survival. She only moved so that her family could eat, and yet, after moving, her husband dies. I can only imagine that Naomi sought to console herself with thoughts of, “At least my sons are still alive.” Then her sons are married, and even though they don’t have any children, her family is extended; she gains two daughters in the process. However, over the course of ten years, Naomi loses both of her sons.

Can you imagine? Everything you fought to keep alive has died, and the one thing that has survived feels like it’s obligated to remain in your life. Think about it. Naomi had two daughters-in-law, but she knew that the reasons they were connected to her, her sons, were no longer there. She thought, “Why would they want to stay with me? Why should they confine themselves to misery when they still have the rest of their lives?” She felt, “This is selfish of me.”

The Bible says that “When she (Naomi) heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there (Ruth 1:6 NIV). With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah” (Ruth 1:7 NIV).This means that her daughters-in-law were willing to stay with Naomi and leave behind everything that they knew to accompany her. They were willing to put aside their needs to ensure that Naomi was not left alone.

“Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, ‘Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me (Ruth 1:8 NIV). May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband’” (Ruth 1:9 NIV).

Naomi realized that her daughters-in-law were not willing to let her go on their own accord, and she knew that it would be up to her to make sure that they did. She felt that their willingness to stay with her was a “kindness” to her and to their dead husbands, her sons, but that her need for their presence was a selfish one because they were still young, and they could still remarry and have children. However, the future they could achieve (i.e.,marriage and children) would not be possible if they stayed in her company. The Bible says that “she kissed them and they wept aloud (Ruth 1:9 NIV) and said to her, ‘We will go back with you to your people’” (Ruth 1:10 NIV). They were not willing to let her go so easily.

“But Naomi said, ‘Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? (Ruth 1:11 NIV). Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me---even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons (Ruth 1:12 NIV)---would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has gone out against me!’” (Ruth 1:13 NIV). She used her logic to cut through their emotions. She said, “This is harder for me, and yet, this is the way it has to be. You still have a chance at a better life, even though mine has been taken from me.”

“At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her (Ruth 1:14 NIV). You see, Orpah understood Naomi’s logic, and she agreed. Orpah didn’t believe that her life could be redeemed in her effort to cling to and live for Naomi. In essence, Orpah said, “You know what, Naomi, you’re right. I love you, but I have to do what’s best for me.” Ruth, on the other hand, was unwilling to concede.

“‘Look,’ said Naomi, ‘your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her’” (Ruth 1:15 NIV). Naomi was trying to convince her that leaving her would be in her best interest by pointing out the actions of another to solidify her point. “But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God (Ruth 1:16 NIV). Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me’ (Ruth 1:17 NIV). This is where we first see the strength of Ruth’s loyalty and selflessness. Ruth didn’t care what following Naomi may cost her. She was determined to be with Naomi no matter what the price was. This fact alone shows the impact that Naomi must have had on Ruth’s life.

While the Bible doesn’t go into the details of their relationship, the mere fact that Ruth was willing to abandon everything and follow her at all costs is a strong indication of their bond. “When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her” (Ruth 1:18NIV). This shows Ruth’s extreme determination. She was relentless . She said, “I’m not giving up on who matters to me.”

I believe Ruth’s story begins with Naomi because Naomi is who taught Ruth how to be. It is clear to me that their relationship was strong and meaningful, and that Ruth valued Naomi greatly. I believe the story of Ruth begins with Naomi’s tragedy because it is Naomi’s tragedy that birthed the character that Ruth needed to see.

Character isn’t something that appears out of nowhere; it is built up, and established over time, through trial and circumstance. The Bible says in the Book of Romans that we “rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4 NIV).

When Ruth met Naomi, she met someone she aspired to be. Naomi was a woman who had endured many things, but a famine and the loss of a husband were no small feats. In the time that Ruth grew to know Naomi, she displayed many things.Loyalty, hope, strength, selflessness, determination, and resilience were just a few of those things.

Ruth saw Naomi’s loyalty to her family’s well-being when she left behind everything. She saw her hope and determination in her traveling. She saw her strength and resilience in her loss and suffering. She saw her selflessness when she urged her and her sister-in-law, “Please, don’t choose me.” It is because of Ruth and Naomi’s encountering that Ruth was able to grow into the person that God created and destined her to be.

Like Ruth, I had a “Naomi” that I aspired to be, my grandma; She was my everything. It’s a humbling moment when you come into the realization that your hero had to endure enormous and immense suffering to become the person that you knew them to be. More than that, God put them in your path, so that you could become who He intended you to be.

God knew who Ruth could be if He got her linked up with the right team. Ruth’s team happened to be Naomi, and it was Naomi who would lead Ruth by example, so that Ruth could be who God destined her to be. It’s not enough for us to lead with words, lectures, and stories. The people that God has connected to each one of us, are begging, “Show me.”

ABBA, I pray that each one of us would grow to be like Naomi. I pray that every tragedy is used as a testimony of Your Goodness and Glory. I pray that our circumstances grow and prune us the way that only they can do, and I pray that each and every one of our circumstances and trials bring us closer to You. May the ones that are watching the things that we do, learn how to worship You the way You intended them to. May we grow in character and become all that You created us to be, and may we never forget that “There are Ruth(s) who are watching me.”

In the Name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.

“Just Like You” by Lecrae https://youtu.be/IiDOyQCCpKs

“Talking to Jesus” by Elevation Worship & Maverick City https://youtu.be/OXsxw1fRHMA

“Less Like Me” by Zach Williams https://youtu.be/fkYL1b7MCEw

Written by Crystal Bryan.