The discussion was over, and
Naomi and Ruth were traveling together back to Naomi's homeland. Ruth
would be in a new country, a new environment with a new culture and
religion, yet she desired to be with her mother-in-law Naomi more
than her own security. In chapter one and verse nineteen we discover
what happens when the two ladies return. It reads:
So they two went until
they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to
Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said,
[Is] this Naomi?
After
over ten years being away from her home, Naomi now returns to her
once familiar Bethlehem. She is now a widow and the mother of two
deceased sons. Although she left out of her homeland because of a
famine of food, she was now experiencing a famine of relationships.
If it were not for Ruth by her side, she would be completely alone.
At least that is the way she viewed it. “So they two went until
they came to Bethlehem”. “Bethlehem” means “house of
bread”, and as we discovered in verse six of this chapter, the Lord
had visited Judah with bread and the famine was broken. This was the
catalyst for Naomi returning to her home.
We
continue “And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem,
that all the city was moved about them,” What a homecoming this
must have been. Imagine for a moment “all the city was moved.”
Naomi must have been well known for the entire city to be moved by
her return. Time had gone by, and although some aging occurred, the
city people still recognized Naomi. What a glorious homecoming it
must have appeared to be at least on the surface, but there is more.
Next we
read, “and they said, Is this Naomi?” As if to question
themselves as much as Naomi, the people who greeted her wondered if
Naomi was actually there. Perhaps the toil of tragedy showed upon
Naomi's face as anguish of soul often makes its appearance upon a
person's countenance, but nonetheless the people questioned who this
woman was.
As we
read these words we must keep in mind that presiding over all of
these events is a loving Heavenly Father who sees every aspect. What
seems to be a natural event for Naomi is within the guiding hand of
God as we shall discover in the next few verses. Naomi sees things
according to her limited knowledge, and although it is a natural
event to travel home when one is distraught and in anguish, there is
some significance in that she returns to the “house of bread”,
Bethlehem. Could it be that our Heavenly Father recognizes when our
souls are as distraught as Naomi's, the most natural move we can make
is to advanced to the “house of bread”? Jesus called Himself “the
bread of life” in the gospel of John in chapter six and verses
thirty-five and forty-eight. Although Naomi returned home by her
believed purpose of change, we may use this example to keep a daily
relationship with Jesus through the study of “our daily bread”
the Bible. Naomi returned to Bethlehem, and we may return to our
Bethlehem, the Bible, as often as we desire. May we evermore stay in
Bethlehem.
Next
time we will see Naomi's reaction to the question of the people, “is
this Naomi?”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites,
www.amazon.com
; www.barnesandnobles.com
; download
to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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