Historical background
Naomi was an Israelite woman who lived in Israel” Back in the days when the judges ruled “. That is the period roughly between 1300 and 1050 BC. C. (see timeline ), when the Israelites already lived in the land of Canaan, but did not yet have kings to rule over them. Naomi was married to Elimelech and had two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. The family lived in Bethlehem, a small town near Jerusalem. But when there was a famine in the land, they moved to the neighboring country of Moab. Part of the story about Naomi plays out there, and part of it in Bethlehem. All of this is described in the biblical book of Ruth.
Everything’s going wrong
From the beginning of the story, everything seems to be going wrong in Naomi’s life. There is a famine in the land (perhaps as God’s judgment on Israel’s idolatry), and her family moves to a neighboring country. This was not unusual in the event of a famine, but it was also risky since those other people did not fear the God of Israel. Living among them, and also living far from the tabernacle as the religious center of Israel, outside the land that God had given his people as an eternal inheritance, made it more difficult to remain faithful to the Lord and Live according to his commandments. .
We read how Naomi’s family not only stayed in Moab during the famine, but “went they stayed there “. Both sons marry Moabite women: Ruth and Orpah. But Elimelech, Mahlon and Chilion die, so Noami stays with her daughters-in-law. She decides to return to her homeland and urges Ruth and Orpa not to go with her, as she cannot offer them any hope for the future.
” No, my daughters, because it makes me very bitter that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me ” ( Ruth 1:13 ). Naomi is depicted as a completely disillusioned and desperate woman. She had moved to Moab to save her family’s life, but she returns as a poor widow. As she comments: “ Don’t call me Naomi ; call me Mara , because the Almighty has treated me very bitterly. I left full, and the Lord brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has caused me calamity? “( Ruth 1:20-21 ).
New Hope
But Naomi does not return alone. One of her daughters-in-law decides to go with her: “ Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God ”( Ruth 1:16 ). This young woman brings new hope to Naomi’s life. Not only does she work hard to support her mother-in-law, but she eventually marries a man from Naomi’s family and has a child.
According to Israelite law, this child was counted as a descendant of Naomi’s late husband and children, and thus her family line was saved from extinction. “ Then the women said to Naomi: Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you today without a redeemer, and may his name be famous in Israel! He will be to you a restorer of life and a nurturer of your old age, because your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him. ”( Ruth 4:14 ).
a great perspective
And the story does not end there. A brief genealogy follows, explaining how Naomi’s grandson became the father’s grandfather. king David , the greatest king of Israel. And we know even more: the New Testament testifies to the birth of another royal child from this family line . He is Jesus Christ, the Son of David and the Messiah of Israel. Of course, Naomi didn’t know all this. But we do, and it makes the miracle of Naomi’s renewed hope even greater. God not only provided a nutrient of your old age ” and one ” daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more than seven children for you ”, but this hopeless widow became an ancestor of the incarnate Son of God. That’s a very happy ending to the story!
Some lessons for us
- Naomi had done her best to save her family from famine, but all three men had died nonetheless. She was now convinced that God had brought calamity on her and she had lost all hope. But history shows that God can change any situation! For him, no one is desperate. You can always turn to God and put your hope in his endless love and power.
- At the end of the story, Naomi has found a new joy. But this was not as she would have expected: through her Moabite daughter-in-law who remarried after Naomi’s son had died. God can bless us in unexpected ways. And when we are in the middle of “the story”, it can be completely impossible to understand what God is doing!
- Naomi, great great great… grandson Jesus Christ brings new hope and an eternal and blessed future for all who believe in him. ” May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ” ( Romans 15:13 ).
The name ‘Naomi’ means ‘nice’
The name ‘Mara’ means ‘bitterness’