Your God My God

“And they lifted up their voice and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law. But Ruth clung to her.” (Ruth 1:14)

This Scripture begins with the reaction of the two widows of Naomi’s sons when Naomi tells them to leave her because she is returning to Bethlehem. Orpah kissed Naomi and left her. But Ruth stuck with her and wouldn’t leave her. Kissing was a common way to depart. Laban rebuked Jacob for slipping out without allowing him to kiss his daughters before they left. (Genesis 28:31) Elisha wanted to kiss his parents before he departed with Elijah. (1Kings 19:20) So it was natural for Orpah to kiss Naomi as she departed.

Orpah and Ruth has stayed with Naomi as was the custom because of widow or bride inheritance. This required a widow to marry a male relative of her late husband, most often his brother. This would keep her late husband's wealth within the family bloodline. This resulted in a levirate marriage in which the brother was required to marry his brother’s widow. But not only had Naomi’s two sons died, but also her husband. “And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters. Why will you go with me? Are there yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? Turn again, my daughters, go. For I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have a husband also tonight, and should also bear sons, would you wait for them until they were grown? Will you shut yourselves up, not to have a husband? No, my daughters, for it makes me very sad for your sakes that the hand of Jehovah has gone out against me.” (Ruth 1:11-13)

Orpah returns to her life to probably find another husband, but Ruth remains with Naomi, even following her to Bethlehem. “And Ruth said, Do not beg me to leave you, to return from following after you. For where you go, I will go. Where you stay, I will stay. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May Jehovah do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.” (Ruth 1:16-17) Ruth knew that the prospects of being married again were nil. Naomi had no more sons and wouldn’t have any more sons. She purposed in her heart to serve Naomi. And she was faithful in her determination, working the fields of grain for Naomi and herself since there was not a provider in their household.

We don’t know Ruth’s spiritual commitment other than that she would make Naomi’s God, her God. This meant that she would give up her idol practices and follow the Torah. In a Hollywood movie made of Ruth, she is made to be a idol priestess, but the Bible doesn’t confirm that, although she was a descendant of Eglon, king of Moab and most likely would have been very involved in the Moabite practice of human sacrifice.

We know the outcome of Ruth’s story. She marries Boaz and become the ancestor of Jesus. What are the implications for us? We can see that although we never participated in human sacrifice, our past and old man was as detestable as Ruth in her participation in human sacrifice. Paul describes how we were in God’s eyes. “And He has made you alive, who were once dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience; among whom we also had our way of life in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the thoughts, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” (Ephesians 2:1-3) Peter also mentions how we lived our former lives. “From now on, then, you must live the rest of your earthly lives controlled by God's will and not by human desires. You have spent enough time in the past doing what the heathen like to do. Your lives were spent in indecency, lust, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and the disgusting worship of idols.” (1Peter 4:2-3 GNB) The Good News Bible makes the verses so understandable.

The acceptance of Ruth the Moabite and us sinners is an example of God’s mercy. He hasn’t excluded since the beginning those who repent of their sin and turn to Him. There is forgiveness (to be fulfilled in the future for Old Testament saints) and acceptance in the Old Testament. “...if My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2Chronicles 7:14) And there is forgiveness in the New Covenant through Jesus. “Therefore repent and convert so that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” (Acts 3:19) Ruth had the privilege of being an ancestor of Jesus. Her son was Obed who was the father of Jesse, who was the father of David ancestor of Jesus. (Ruth 4:17; Luke 3:31,32) And we have the privilege of being God’s children. “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26) God’s desire is for all mankind to be His children. “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1Timothy 2:3-4)

The great mercy and grace God poured on Ruth and on us is for all who will repent. This means turn from their sin. Ruth turned from her idolatry. We have repented of our sin to follow Jesus. “Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25) To follow Jesus is to deny ourselves. The word deny means in the original Greek to disown. Anything we were or had when we come to Jesus must be disowned. And we must allow Jesus to live His life in us. That is making Him Lord. Paul explained it in Galatians. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) This is what Ruth did in renouncing her Moabite gods. And it’s what we must do when we repent to receive the gift of mercy and grace.