The negotiations and claim
for Ruth have been made, and Boaz and Ruth have been confirmed and
blessed by the people and witnesses. They are married and have a baby
boy, and life is wonderful for them at this point. But, what about
Naomi? What has she been doing while all these events are taking
place? Wasn't she instrumental in this relationship in the first
place? We discover more about her in today's verse found in Ruth
chapter four and verse fourteen where we read:
And the women said unto
Naomi, Blessed [be] the LORD, which has not left you this day without
kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.
Let's
remember the way Naomi was in our story when she returned from Moab.
She left her homeland Bethlehem to Moab because of a famine, and
while she was there her husband and two sons died. Although her boys
had married, she only returned to Bethlehem after she heard the LORD
had visited Judah, and only one daughter-in-law returned with her,
Ruth. Rather than being called by her name “Naomi” which means
pleasantness, she now desired to be called “Marah” which means
bitter because she perceived that God was against her. But God was at
work, and she had no idea of His plan.
The
women of the city now said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, which
has not left you this day without a kinsman.” Women who
witnessed the events in Naomi's life praised and blessed the LORD
because of what happened in her life. Naomi thought God left her,
however Naomi could not see what God was doing. Naomi had no idea
that in all her loss, God had a plan and He was working it out. Now
because God's plan is made visible, not only does she see it, but the
women see it as well.
The
women also expressed a hope for the kinsman redeemer, “that his
name may be famous in Israel.” This baby boy who was now
Naomi's grandson would carry on her family name, and the desire from
the women is that he would grow up to be famous in Israel like his
grandfather. These women saw the blessings of the LORD reaching into
Naomi's life both immediately and into the future as well. Let is
suffice to say that Naomi was to be blessed beyond her years because
of what the Lord did.
Are we
discouraged in any manner today? Do we wonder about our future and
perhaps think that God is somehow against us in some way? Maybe if we
could rename ourselves “Marah” before others we would. Let this
wonderful story of Boaz, Ruth, Naomi and the LORD remind us all that
God is working in ways that we cannot see, and through His Son Jesus
Christ, He has a plan for us that will continue forever and ever as
blessings to us and glory to His Holy Name. Truly others will be
witnesses and declare “Blessed be the LORD” in our lives as they
did in Naomi's.
Next
time we will see the benefits of being a kinsman, 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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