Mothers-in-law have had a rather bad reputation for many centuries. They have been described as being bossy, nosey, interfering, overbearing, and generally unpleasant. They have been the subject of many jokes, and the stereotypical mother-in-law is a character in many comedies. There are some nice and pleasant mothers-in-law out there. In our Scripture today we will meet one of the best. Let’s see who she is, and why she is an exemplary mother-in-law.
Our Scripture account comes from the Book of Ruth, and takes place during the time of the Judges, between the death of Joshua till when Saul became king. This was a very spiritually dark time, when everyone did as he saw fit (Judges 17:6; 21:25). However, during those evil times, there was still a remnant who believed in and followed Yahweh.
As our Scripture opens, a man named Elimelech, along with his wife Naomi, and two sons leave the land of Israel because of a famine. They go to the land of Moab, who were enemies of Israel. While there, Elimelech died, and the two sons married Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. Then the two sons each died, leaving behind two childless widows (vs. 1-5). Being left a widow in the past was a very bad fate. Unless a husband left his wife a large fortune, which very few would have, and unless the woman had an adult son to take her in, the woman was at great risk of becoming destitute, a beggar, and even starving to death. There were few, if any, jobs available for a woman, nor government assistance programs or charitable organizations to help. Naomi lost her husband and two adult sons in a short period, and was now left with two foreign daughters-in-law. They weren’t rich, so what was she to do?
Naomi decided she was going to return to the land of Israel, her homeland. There was nothing for her in Moab, and perhaps a relative back in Israel might have mercy on her and take her in. Otherwise her fate didn’t look good. Her two daughters-in-law decided to join her (vs. 6-7). That spoke volumes as to the type of woman Naomi was. These daughters-in-law were young, and could find new husbands to care for them, and could start a family. What would they find in Israel, since most Israelites hated the Moabites, as they were enemy nations? Yet these two were choosing to go with Naomi. Obviously Naomi had been such a kind and loving mother-in-law, more like a real mother, to these two women. Rather than rejoicing that they were finally rid of their mother-in-law, they were choosing to go with her into a foreign land. However, Naomi considered the future of these young women, and urged them to go back to their families and find new husbands. She knew that there was no future for them with her (vs. 8-13).
During the time that Ruth and Orpah had been married to Naomi’s sons, in addition to being a loving woman, she must have often spoken to them about Yahweh, the one true God. Her testimony and words of witness took root in the heart of Ruth, as she refused to return to Moab. She would cast her lot in with Naomi and the God of Israel. However, Orpah chose to return to Moab and their false gods (vs. 15). Orpah missed the greatest thing that could ever happen to any individual, and that is salvation and eternal life. She chose false gods, and eventually death and hell.
Ruth, on the other hand, turned her back on the world of idolatry and rebellion against God (vs. 16-17). She forever cast her lot with the Lord of Glory. She cut her ties with her pagan past, giving herself to Yahweh. During her time living with Naomi, Ruth had listened to her speak of the Lord God, and came to believe that He, alone, is the one true God, not the idols she had been brought up worshiping. Also, the loving character of Naomi helped in turning Ruth to Him, as she refused to leave Naomi, even during desperate times.
Ruth was a Moabite, thus a Gentile. But God loved her and accepted her as one of His children when she accepted Him as her God. The Jews were not the only people God loved. God chose the Jews to be the people through whom the rest of the world would come to know Him. Ruth would become the great-grandmother of King David, and thus an ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As we see in this account, having a sweet and loving character, even to our in-laws, is important. Because Naomi was a loving woman, her daughter-in-law Ruth not only became saved, but also chose to remain with her, thus ensuring her survival, as recounted in the rest of the Book of Ruth. Let’s make a point of having a sweet and loving disposition to all, as we never know what can result.
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