Naomi the woman who was embittered

Read Ruth 1

From afar we can say she was Ruth's mother in law. This woman stayed in a foreign country, dew to the drought, but she returned to her own people when the drought has passed. The get to know Naomi better we have to take a look at what her circumstances were like, who were the people in her life and how it affected her and lastly what she has done and the decisions she made.

The first thing we read about is that Naomi lived in the time of the Judges, and that they experienced a severe drought has passed. We also read about her husband and children. We don't read much about them only in the first five versus of chapter 1. There we read about Elimelech - Naomi's husband and Mahlon and Ghilion their two sons.

The affect Elimelech had on Naomi
Elimelech was a type of God and Naomi represented the Israelites. The death of Elimelech and the widowhood of Naomi represented the circumstances of the nation. This means that the Israelites has turned their backs to God and started to worship foreign gods, it also shows that God was dead to them. The drought indicate Naomi's widowhood, because God did not provided for them anymore.

Elimelech has decided to relocate, but he did not stay within the nation's boundaries, he immigrated to Moab, the land of the gentiles. He decided to relocated due to the drought, although it was not very severe, it only meant that they would not have the abundance they were accustomed to. Elimelech was not prepared to lower his living standards and rather decided to take his wife and children to another country.

The history as we knows it, does not tell us that Elimelech asked God's permission to relocate. We read in verse 3 that Elimelich died, and his wife and children stayed behind. Not long after that the two sons were old enough to get married and they also made a big mistake. They married women from the gentile country. It is clear that the Israelites practises did not mean much to them. They also acted against God's will, and Elimelech and his two sons died within 10 years of living in Moab. Elimelech was the head of his house, but he did not consult God in his decisions, but rather concentrated on his own feelings.

Where is Naomi in all this?
Naomi went with her husband. She might not have been to happy about all the decisions her husband made, but none the less she stood with him. This meant that she was obedient to the Lord. She had to leave all her family and friends behind to follow her husband. This shows me that our husbands may not always make the right decisions, and that may not always be the best for us or our children, but to be obedient to the Lord, we have to be obedient to our husbands and listen to what they say, and go with them. Like Naomi her husbands decisions did not meant any good for her, but she held fast to the Lord, and that is what we must do also, because that is what the Lord expects of us.

Naomi is alone in this foreign country, with only her 2 daughters-in-law, of whom one still served her foreign gods and the other were converted to the Lord of Israel. Naomi stayed in this country for 10 years when Naomi got word that he drought has been broken. She still had contact with her family and friends through all this time. During the time Naomi lived it was not easy for a woman to take care of herself and her family. She needed the guidance and provision of a man, whether it be her father, husband, or sons. Naomi decided to go back to her country and her people. Her two daughters-in-law decided to go with her, but Naomi realised that she would not be able to provide new husbands for them, and thus she encouraged them to turn around and go back to their own people. Orpha was very heart broken but decided to turn around, but Ruth stood with her, Ruth 1:16

Naomi was a much loved woman with lots of friends. When she got back to Bethlehem-Judah she was the sensation of the town. Her family and friends were very excited that she was back. She went with her husband and 2 sons, young, full of life, but came back as a woman embittered because of everything that happened to her. She felt so strong about it that she changed her name from Naomi meaning elegant and pleasant to Mara meaning bitter. Her life became bitter.

But Naomi was back in the promised land of the Lord God. Now she was back where the blessings of the Lord were, she was back where the Laws of Moses was upheld. Some of those laws helped her, as the Lord intended:

1. The law of the poor.. As the poor people were allowed to pickup the grain that fell from the farm workers hands. (Liv 29:9-19 and 23:22) Naomi send Ruth because she was still young and strong to go and fetch food for them. Ruth were blessed in abundance and she came back with a huge basked full of corn. What was Naomi's reaction to all this?m Ruth 2:19 She blessed the land owner that allowed Ruth to collect the corn and that protected her.
2. The Law of the Redeemer.. When Naomi heard that the man that blessed Ruth so much were Boas, she remembered this law, because Boas were Elimelechs brother. Ruth 2:20 Naomi decided that if she could help Ruth to get a husband in the long run she would benefit from it herself. She told Ruth to go lie down at Boas's feet, and that was the way for a woman to tell ask a man to redeem her.

All this changed Naomi's circumstances. Her circumstances did not stay the same, no the Lord blessed her again, and returned her to the position she held before she left. The only sacrifice she had to make, was to stay true and obedient to the Lord.

1. Naomi was obedient to the Lord because she stayed obedient to her husband.
2. Through all Naomi never back slided, but always consulted the Lord in all her decisions.
3. She started off taking both her daughters in law with her, but then decided to send them back, and only Orpha decided to go back.
4. Ruth was part of Naomi's new start in life, and the way the Lord used to bless her. Ruth and Boas were married and that way there was a man at the head of the family again. The baby that was born to Ruth and Boas, was the blessing of the male descendant, he also was the grandfather of King David.
5. Eff 5:22 says that woman should stay true to their own husbands. That is what the Lord wants us to do, even when they make a wrong choice, we have to bear the punishment with them. How can we help our husbands in making choices? 1 We must always pray for them in their decision making, and 2 we must pray for them when they made wrong choices so that they can correct them.
6. Naomi did not give up, she kept her head high and although she would have been ashamed in going back to her people she did it with pride. We sometimes think other people don't know when we are going through a difficult time, but that is not true. Have you ever experienced a friend giving you a hug when you need it and you did not even tell her about your troubles? That is because other people see more than what we think.
7. Naomi did not decide that because life has given her a few blows that she would start to fight with everybody around her. She stayed kind and gentle to other people.
8. Naomi used the circumstances and means available to her, like the laws of Moses. She only needed to be where the Lord wanted her.
9. When thins were still difficult in her life Naomi blessed others around her. When last did you bless those around you, and thank the Lord for all the blessings bestowed on you?

Lastly we must remember that as we are willing to help others, so we should let them help us. We will always need people just like Naomi did. That's why we have 'kitchen teas' and 'stork teas' we as women need to celebrate life together.