TWO MOABITE WOMEN MARRY TWO ISRAELITE BROTHERS
Naomi was content to keep living in Moab for the next ten years after Elimelech’s death. The land of Israel was a long, long journey from where they were. She could not think of how difficult it would be for her and her two boys to be traveling through the land alone. So she practiced the art of contentment and lived one day at a time.
Maybe she refered to the scriptures for help every day. I can see where many New Testament scriptures would have comforted her, such as 1 Timothy 6:6-7, or 2 Corinthians 12:10, or Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 6:33, Matthew 6:25-26, 1 Corinthians 7:17 and Luke 12:24; but Naomi had none of the New Testament as we do today.
Perhaps her heart clung to Psalms 37:3 – 5:
Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.
Perhaps that scripture was a guide to Naomi as she waited to discover what God was going to do next with her little family.
LOST AMONG A CROWD OF STRANGERS
As far as Naomi knew, the famine still raged in Israel. News from home must have been rare and seldom, if at all. Even if someone visited Moab, chances were that no one would have known where she was or how to find her. There must have been days when Naomi felt like she was lost amongst a crowd of strangers.
She probably missed her homeland every day.
Naomi’s sons finally grew into men and married.
CHILION’S WIFE ORPHA
Chilion married Orpha.
She was a woman of Moab.
Her customs were different than Naomi’s. The ways of Orpha’s people were completely different from Naomi’s ways. Orpha would have known different gods. Perhaps she even had idols, which she would have been required to leave at her family home by Chilion. I’m sure he knew Naomi would not tolerate such things under her roof.
Dispite their differences, it seemed that Orpha loved Naomi and admired her.
Naomi also loved Orpha. They both desired for Chilion to be happy, and they both worked toward that common goal. Orpha probably helped Ruth with some of the chores around the house. Perhaps she did the marketing and helped with the sewing. Their relationship seemed to be good.
MAHLON MARRIED RUTH
As Mahlon became a man; he met and married a Moabite woman also. Her name was Ruth.
Ruth was like Orpha in that she came from foreign ways and had been raised with many pagan teachings.
However; Naomi loved Ruth. They got along exceptionally well.
Ruth looked up to Naomi; always noticing how faithful she was to her Great God. Since Ruth seemed to be more in tuned to things of a spiritual nature, Naomi probably prayed openly in front of Ruth; allowing her to hear her prayers and observe how God listened. Maybe she even pointed out the fact that He helped this little family through surviving every day.
As Ruth watched Naomi from the point of view of a daughter-in-law, she saw a woman who only showed love to others. Maybe she understood that only a true God could produce this type of love. Ruth knew this was an important trait, a characteristic that all peoples could admire, accept and honor.
Honor is a good way to describe the relationship that Naomi and Ruth shared. Ruth honored Naomi in all that she did. I can imagine that Ruth volunteered for the hard jobs and Orpha, though helpful, took the easier jobs. When there was not enough of something, I picture Ruth giving up her share for Naomi, and sometimes even for Orpha.
Because Ruth accepted the spiritual side of Naomi’s life; these two women bonded and grew together as family.
A HOUSE FULL OF CONTENT WOMEN
It seems that though their life might have been very different from most of their neighbors, even sometimes a bit hard and often requiring patience and endurance to get them through the daily family struggles; that the women in Naomi’s house were content. They were happy to live together and be friends and family with one another. Mahlon and Chilion must have been very happy and blessed with the home situation which they maintained.
As the saying goes though; all that glitters is not gold. There were more unseen and unexpected troubles coming down the pike. Naomi had no idea the new depth of grief she was going to add to the mountain of pain that she already carried inside her broken heart.
For this moment though, we will leave these characters safely inside their little home in Moab, working and loving one another from day to day.
At that time, there was always the hope of a better future, of the children and grandchildren who would love and adore them in the days to come.
Yes; that was the hope that kept Naomi going.