Why did Naomi urge Ruth to return to her people and gods in Ruth 1:15? Reference Text “Then Naomi said, ‘Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; follow your sister-in-law back home.’” (Ruth 1:15) Historical Setting Naomi, an Israelite from Bethlehem, had sojourned in Moab during a famine (Ruth 1:1). By the time of Ruth 1, her husband and both sons were dead, leaving three widows—Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth—without male protection or provision. Moab lay east of the Dead Sea; Israelite–Moabite relations were strained (cf. Judges 3:12–30), and Moab was infamous for idolatry (Numbers 25:1–3). Maternal Concern and Practical Realism Ancient Near-Eastern widows relied on family networks for survival. Naomi believed her daughters-in-law would fare better among their own kin. “Have I any more sons in my womb that they may become your husbands?” (Ruth 1:11). Naomi’s age precluded remarriage and childbearing. In her mind, returning to Bethlehem with two foreign widows would multiply hardship: gleaning rights (Leviticus 19:9-10) could feed one widow, not three. Loving them, she urged what seemed the safest path. Levirate Marriage and Lineage Preservation Deuteronomy 25:5-10 required a kinsman to marry a deceased brother’s widow. Naomi assumed no kinsman in Judah would take two Moabite women. Urging return avoided subjecting them to lifelong widowhood in Judah. Her speech stressed legal-economic reality, not spiritual abandonment. National Deities as Civil Identity In the ancient world, “people” and “gods” formed one package. “Your people” implied “your gods” (cf. 2 Kings 17:26-34). Naomi spoke from sociological convention rather than prescriptive theology. She was not commending Chemosh worship (Numbers 21:29) but acknowledging Ruth’s cultural default. Her words functioned as a decisive fork in the road: ancestral identity or covenant allegiance to Yahweh. A Deliberate Faith Test Naomi’s rhetoric exposed motives. Like Elijah’s “How long will you waver…?” (1 Kings 18:21), she forced a choice. Ruth’s reply—“Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God” (Ruth 1:16)—shows the device succeeded. Ruth’s conversion was evidenced by forsaking ancestral deities (Joshua 24:15). Typological Foreshadowing Ruth prefigures Gentile inclusion in the Messiah’s lineage (Matthew 1:5). Naomi mirrors Israel’s remnant, seemingly barren yet destined for redemption through a faithful Gentile grafted in (Romans 11:17-24). The tension of 1:15 heightens the gospel trajectory culminating in Christ’s resurrection, the guarantee that outsiders may become “fellow heirs” (Ephesians 3:6). Devotional Application 1. God can turn pragmatic despair into providential blessing. 2. True faith entails renunciation of former idols (1 Thessalonians 1:9). 3. Believers must count the cost and follow decisively (Luke 14:26-33). Answer in Brief Naomi urged Ruth to return because, from a human perspective, Moab offered kinship, security, and religious continuity. Her words served as a practical recommendation, a cultural formality, and a spiritual litmus test. Ruth’s refusal spotlighted her conversion to Yahweh, set the stage for God’s redemptive plan through the Davidic line, and anticipated the inclusion of the nations in Christ. |
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