Ruth's Loyalty

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on the Chosen People. 00:00:03 Speaker 2: Baomi, my love, you and our boys are more precious to me than even my father's ancestral home. I I never thought this day would come, but I just don't see your way around it. We will go to the land of Moab. I hear the territory is still yield be crops. 00:00:33 Speaker 3: Then we will hold fast to that future. 00:00:38 Speaker 1: Slowly but steadily, the family built a new life in Moab. Naomi turned that radiant smile to Elimelech in the entryway, but her smile fell as she saw Elimelech sway and gripped the stones for balance, still little whack. When the sun rose the following day, casting its warm rays across the plains of Moab, Naomi found herself to be a widow. The years marched on, and though it was harder than Naomi ever could have imagined, she made a life in Moab for her small family. Naomi scanned the feast again and found her younger son, Kelian, grinning at another local girl from town Aupa. Ruth's deep brown eyes seemed to sparkle under her veil in the glow of the torches, and she couldn't take them off her new husband, the girl adored Mana. Naomi was grateful that her son had found such an adoring wife. She prayed to the God of their homeland that her loyalty would be a blessing to her husband and their family. 00:01:51 Speaker 4: She stood in the ruins of her own life and dared to ask, is the Lord still good? Chello, my friends, from here in the holy land of Israel, i'm l extein with the international Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and welcome to the Chosen people. In ruth One, Naomi's family faces seemingly never ending grief, and yet in the ashes of her hope, a flicker remains a whisper of what could be. The scene is heartbreaking. Naomi's world has been shattered, her future looks bleak. She finds herself penniless and bereft. She's at rock bottom. And this is what makes the first words of verse seven so powerful. Translated from the original Hebrew, it begins and she got up. 00:02:49 Speaker 1: The thunderous finality of the stone being rolled shut on grave hollowed out Naomi's soul in way she had not thought was possible. Her sons were buried in darkness with their father Naomi wished she could throw herself into that tomb. Grief had come upon her like a cresting wave, plummeting its full weight on her chest and pulling her under. She was drowning in an ocean of emptiness. Somewhere far outside her body. Naomi could feel the arms of Ruth and Aupah, but she was numb to their touch. Naomi was deaf to their comforting words. The funeral was a dismal but light affair. They had no extended family beyond the inlaws and the few friends Naomi had made in the years in Moab. Naomi crumpled to her knees and waved away her daughters in law and other well wishers, and there she sat despondent. Tears dried and crusted on her face. She stared at the stone grave markers, the sun sunk in the sky. The shadows grew longer and longer with each hour, until they finally consumed the world in the darkness of dusk. Naomi allowed the memories of the past ten years to wash over her as she wallowed outside the tomb. Marlon and Ruth, and then Keleian and Orpah were happily married and settled these last ten years. Their stone houses were only a short walk from the original one built by their late father. Naomi still felt his loss keenly every day, but with each daily walk back and forth to visit with her children and their wives, her heart steadily mended itself back together. Day after day, year after year, her wounded heart began to heal. Her sons and their wives validated her purpose and gave her a sense of closure. It was a pale vap pit life without her husband, but Naomi remained faithful and steadfast for her sons. The five of them had all settled into a familiar, even comfortable life, one where as Marlon and Keelian often said the Moabite gods Keemosh and Baal seemed good, their bellies were full more often than not, and the future felt secure. 00:05:25 Speaker 3: Ugh, what a lie that turned out to be. 00:05:28 Speaker 1: Sickness swept through their town a few weeks back. Naomi, living alone in a separate dwelling from the others, had avoided it, but her sons and daughters in law caught it. The young women recovered quickly, but it lingered with Marlin and Keelian and terrible congestion gripped their lungs. Perhaps it was the malnutrition of their youth, or perhaps the angry gods of Moab were determined to steal Naomi's sole purpose for living. But either way, the god of naomi homeland turned a deaf ear to her pleas to heal her children. Marlon and Keelian joined their father in death, and the brittle, once mended heart of Naomi fractured and split into uncountable pieces. She knew instinctively there would be no coming back from this loss, and so Naomi was a ghost upon the land, haunting the hollow life she had carved out in the land of Moab. Ruth watched orper pace fretfully back and forth in the small stone room, her shadow dancing on the wall in the flickering candlelight. Ruth felt the same anxiousness Upa felt, but found she had a better way of masking it than her sister in law. Ruth knew that at least one of them would need to remain strong for whatever lay ahead. 00:06:56 Speaker 5: Do you think we should have left Naomi out there alone, Ruth? 00:07:01 Speaker 6: You saw how determined she was to stay. She'll return home when she's ready. 00:07:08 Speaker 1: Orpah abruptly stopped her pacing and collapsed into the chair opposite Ruth at the worn table in the room, looking distraught, Ruth, what. 00:07:18 Speaker 5: Will happen to us now? I dreamed so many things for my life, but never this. I thought Jillian and I would have had four sons by now, strong and on their way to being mighty warriors, strong courageous men, unmatched by anyone. I never imagined Shamash would take my husband away and leave me childless. And how will we please bail with no husbands to work the field and earn a living? Now? Oh, I don't know what we did to anger the gods. 00:07:50 Speaker 1: So Ruth's eyes narrowed at the mention of the patron gods of Moab, but she reached out and gripped Orpah's hand, just the. 00:07:58 Speaker 6: Same Orpah, when we married our husbands, we accepted the God of their people, the one true God. Don't you remember Naomi's stories. He's the one who freed their people from slavery, the one who parted the Red Sea, the one who brought down the mighty walls of Jericho, the name. 00:08:22 Speaker 5: But who will care for us now? Three widows living alone? What can the god of Israel do for us in Moab. 00:08:30 Speaker 1: Ruth opened her mouth to reply, but then paused. Perhaps there was some wisdom in what Orpah was saying. Orpah had never fully embraced the God of their husband's family, not as Ruth had. Ruth could never quite explain why her faith had taken hold. Even her own dear husband, Marlin, did not believe like she did. But when Ruth heard the stories of the God of Israel, it was like hearing her own name. It felt right, it felt true. 00:09:02 Speaker 6: Perhaps we should return with Naomi to the land of her people. I heard reports that the Lord finally brought the land back to life. The Israelites again eat from the fields of their land of Promise. 00:09:18 Speaker 3: Leave Moab. 00:09:20 Speaker 6: It will be Naomi's decision, but we will abide by it. Oh Orpah, my sister. I'm not eager to leave my homeland either, the land where I met Maelam. But there's nothing for us here in Israel. There are laws that protect widows. Here, there is only slavery, prostitution, or death. 00:09:51 Speaker 5: There are tribes that would still take a young widow of child bearing age. Our families have connections. 00:09:57 Speaker 6: Ruth, connections to who the Philistines, the giants of Gath? Is that really any better? 00:10:05 Speaker 1: Orpah ORPA's eyes brimmed with tears at Ruth's words. A woman without a husband or male relative was a vulnerable one. The world was not a kind place for a widow. But they had each other. Naomi was beside herself in grief, and she would need her daughters in law to protect her. Suddenly, a sound interrupted the sister's somber moment. A clatter from one of the neighboring houses on the property had them both on their feet in an instant. Orpah scurried behind Ruth as Ruth timidly crept to the window and peered out. Ruth let out a sigh of relief when she realized that it was just Naomi rummaging around her stone cottage. She must have lit a candle for a moment later, the dim light from within illuminated her silhouette through the window. Ruth frowned and turned to Orpah. 00:10:59 Speaker 6: It's just Naomi, but what is she doing at this hour? 00:11:03 Speaker 1: Ruth and Orpah quickly crossed the well trodden rocky path by the full moon's light between their homes and confronted their mother in law in the doorway. Naomi looked up at them with puffy red eyes in a vacant expression. She was in the middle of packing a small satchel with food and other supplies. 00:11:22 Speaker 6: Mother, I'm glad you're home. Remember we have dinner waiting for you in orpus home. But what are you doing? 00:11:32 Speaker 1: Naomi avoided Ruth's eyes as she continued her rummaging, placing more belongings into the bag. Orpah exchanged a wary look with Ruth before timidly reaching out a hand to stop Naomi. 00:11:46 Speaker 5: Mother, Please, you're scaring me. 00:11:49 Speaker 3: What's going on? 00:11:50 Speaker 1: Naomi looked briefly into her daughter in law's eyes, her face drawn in devastating, unspeakable sadness. She then shrugged off Orpah's grip and continued her hurried packing. Naomi knew the girls meant well, but they could never understand. They lost their husbands, a loss Naomi was all too familiar with, but they did not know what it was to lose a child, to lose their purpose. Without looking at them, she began to explain herself, Oh. 00:12:22 Speaker 3: I've been away too long. We promised we would return home after a short time, and now now I've lost everything. I can't bear to be here a moment longer, every stone reminds me of them. I cannot live here. We should never have left Judah. 00:12:43 Speaker 1: Orpah seemed unsure of what to say to that, and look to Ruth. 00:12:47 Speaker 6: Mother. You wish to return to Bethlehem. 00:12:51 Speaker 3: Where else where else on earth do I belong? Where else can I correct this terrible wrong? Where else can I go to die in peace? 00:13:03 Speaker 1: You wish to die? 00:13:05 Speaker 3: You wouldn't understand, child. You haven't lost what I have lost. All I have left is to return to the place of my ancestors. One of us should be buried in Israel at least. 00:13:19 Speaker 1: Ruth took a deep breath to steel herself against her mother in law's wretched outlook. 00:13:25 Speaker 6: Mother, you are not alone in your despair. It is true Orpah and I have not lost our sons. But have we not also been left with nothing? Do we not share a plight? Please? Please let us share your grief. Do not go down this road alone. Do not go where we cannot follow. Orpah and I will go with you to the land of our husbands, to the land of our people. You've carried far too much alone for too long. We will find a way forward together. 00:14:09 Speaker 5: Yes, mother, we will go with you so you won't be alone. 00:14:13 Speaker 1: Orpah reached for Naomi again and found that she softened to her touch. The tension in her shoulders eased. Ruth held Naomi's gaze across the small room for a charged moment, a moment too burdened and heavy for words. Naomi could not articulate what their words meant to her. She had felt so alone these past ten years. She wanted nothing more than for her sons to be married and have families of their own. But the trade off was a lifetime of loneliness, of observation rather than participation, one she made willingly and would again have given the opportunity, But there was a small selfish part of her that was soothed by the prospect of companionship. Naomi nodded to Ruth, and then to Orpah. 00:15:04 Speaker 6: It settled them. We will set out at first light. 00:15:11 Speaker 1: The three widows set out for the road that led to Judah, their few belongings carried on their backs. As each mile stretched behind them, doubt began to creep into Naomi's mind. She observed her daughters in law, clad in their widow's garments, fresh and new compared to Naomi's worn and faded garment. Ruth easily slung her pack as well as Naomi's over her shoulder. When Naomi needed a break, their veils parted so they could all drink. Naomi took in their youthful and lovely faces, far too young to be hidden beneath a widow's veil forever. For who was she to arrange a match for them? She had nothing waiting for her, nothing and no one waiting for her anywhere. This was not the life she wanted for them, not for the women who brought her son such happiness. This was no way to honor their memory. It was selfish of her to ask them to accompany her hateful even even if it meant she would be alone again. Naomi bit her lip in frustration. Once the thought clawed its way into her mind, it would not let go. Every time she looked at them, she would only feel the guilt of the lives she had robbed from them. Ah enough, both Aupah and Ruth looked up at her in surprise from over the top of their water skins. They were not privy to the thoughts raging inside of Naomi's mind, the unbridled bitterness and self contempt of her almost crime against their futures. 00:16:49 Speaker 3: Each of you go back to your mother's home, the families who can still make another marriage match for you. Hurry, go now, before we are too much further out of the territory. 00:17:01 Speaker 1: The two young women stared blankly at Naomi, as if she had spoken in a foreign tongue. Naomi tried again, with a bit more ceremony. 00:17:11 Speaker 3: You both should not be deprived of a life with a new husband. It is not right you have already lost so much. 00:17:19 Speaker 1: Naomi stretched out her hands to clasp each young woman's cheek and tenderly whispered her blessing over them. 00:17:27 Speaker 3: May the Lord show kindness to you, as you have shown to the dead and to me. May the Lord grant each of you rest in the house of a new husband. 00:17:36 Speaker 1: Orpah grasped Naomi's hand, and tears sprang to her eyes and her voice quivered as she grappled with this sudden change of heart. 00:17:46 Speaker 3: Mother, what do you mean you would send us away? We have agreed to go with you. 00:17:53 Speaker 1: Ruth, on the other hand, stood tall and resolute as she faced her mother in law. 00:18:00 Speaker 6: Oh we insist on returning with you to your people. 00:18:05 Speaker 1: Naomi drew herself up to her full height and held her ground. She refused to lose anything more. Her heart could not take another loss, and so she locked away all emotion and reasoned with the young widow standing before. 00:18:21 Speaker 3: Her return home. My daughters, think, why do you want to go with me? Am I able to have any more sons who could become your husband's No go on, for I am too old to have another husband, even if I thought there was still hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons. Would you be willing to wait for them to grow up? Would you restrain yourselves from remarrying? No, my daughters, my life is much too better for you to share. The Lord's hand has turned against me. 00:18:57 Speaker 1: Orpah and Ruth wept at Naomi's bitter, tormented words. They could see that Naomi would not be swayed. Though they wept into her shoulder and pleaded with her, she refused to change her mind. Whatever softness there pleased from the night before, unlocked was slammed shut. Today. Orpah finally sighed and kissed Naomi on the cheek and accepted her mother in law's blessing. 00:19:24 Speaker 5: Thank you, Naomi. I will never forget you. I pray that your God finds you again in Israel. 00:19:31 Speaker 3: Go in peace, my child. May the Lord bring you the warrior sons you've always prayed for. 00:19:37 Speaker 1: Orpah gave Naomi a sad smile and turned expectantly toward Ruth, but she found her as immovable as Naomi. Exasperated, she bid Ruth farewell. 00:19:49 Speaker 5: Ruth, I hope to see you on the road when you come to your senses. Naomi speaks the truth. It's far more likely that our families could find another husband for us than the strangers in it Israel. We are foreigners in their eyes. Do not forget that. 00:20:06 Speaker 3: Fine. 00:20:06 Speaker 5: Go in peace, Ruth. I pray that the God of Israel takes you under his care, since you are turning your back on our gods and our people. 00:20:16 Speaker 1: With that, Orpah shouldered her pack and walked back in the direction they had come from. When she was out of sight, Ruth turned back and searched her mother in law's face. She found nothing but a cold, unfeeling wall before her. Her heart ached at the pain Naomi had shoved deep within, the pain that would only fester and grow if left unattended. Naomi turned to walk away and gave Ruth a calloused wave, Go home, Ruth. But Ruth would not be deterred. Naomi was not the only one with an iron will. Ruth threw herself at Naomi's feet and clung to her garments, bawling the worn, tattered fabric in her fists. 00:21:03 Speaker 5: Stubborn child, look, follow your sister. 00:21:07 Speaker 1: The roar of vulnerability in Naomi's voice only added fire to the fierceness within Ruth. 00:21:14 Speaker 3: Noh, leave me to die alone. 00:21:18 Speaker 6: Don't ask me that you don't mean it. 00:21:21 Speaker 3: I do mean it. If you follow me, you'll meet the same fate as everyone else I care about. Go back to your people, go back to your gods. 00:21:31 Speaker 7: Wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me, and do so severely if anything but death separates you and me. 00:21:55 Speaker 1: Ruth's eyes brimmed with tears as she looked up at Naomi from her knees. But Naomi had retreated somewhere far within herself. Ruth stood and held Naomi's unyielding face. 00:22:09 Speaker 6: May the Lord punished me, and do so severe thee if anything but death separates you and me. 00:22:16 Speaker 1: Naomi's eyes, at first cold and impassive, gave way to something resembling love. Naomi pursed her lips, drew a deep breath, then nodded. 00:22:29 Speaker 3: Then I guess it's after Bethlehem we got. 00:22:32 Speaker 1: She said nothing more to Ruth, allowing her to follow, and so Ruth trailed behind Naomi like a shadow all the way to Bethlehem. They traveled the rugged and mountainous terrain over the course of two weeks. They passed over the Jordan River at the crossing, and Ruth even spied the ruins of Jericho, the remnants of the great City of the Palms, before cutting south into the hill country of Judah. Ruth had longed to see these two places, in particular from the stories Naomi had told her stories about the journey of the Israelites before they conquered the land, tales of Moses, parted seas and pillars of fire. Naomi was still distant and spoke sparingly, though so Ruth's joy at these significant landmarks went unshared. The two widows finally crossed the threshold of Bethlehem, a town of white stone buildings situated on a ridge overlooking hill after hill of farmland, mostly wheat and barley. Ruth smiled as she remembered the name of the city in her husband's tongue, the House of Bread. The hills teemed with activity, dotted with workers moving methodically through the golden fields, their voices mingling with the rhythmic rustle of grain. It was the season of harvest. Ruth was just about to ask Naomi where they would stay, when a few women emerged from one of the narrow streets and approached them with great curiosity. 00:24:16 Speaker 6: You there, welcome. 00:24:19 Speaker 1: Ruth noted that the woman took in their attire and seemed to fill in the pieces of their story. Two widows traveling alone. Her demeanor was kind, and the women around her followed suit, murmuring welcoming phrases and asking about their travels. Naomi stiffened at their kindness, reading it as pity. Then the recognition set in. 00:24:44 Speaker 6: Wait, you're Naomi, Naomi, is that. 00:24:50 Speaker 7: You You've been away for so long, but now you've returned. 00:24:56 Speaker 3: Don't call me that Naomi means pleasant. When I was married to Alimelech, it was a fitting name. 00:25:03 Speaker 6: But no longer then what shall we call? You? 00:25:08 Speaker 3: Call me Mara, for the Almighty has made me very better. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. 00:25:18 Speaker 1: Ruth winstood her mother in law's proclamation, but the women nodded solemnly and murmured their condolences. 00:25:25 Speaker 6: I am sorry, Mara, for all that you have lost. Where will you stay tonight? We will bring you food and water and tell your relatives that you have come back to Bethlehem. 00:25:37 Speaker 3: Has anyone taken my husband's land? We abandoned the farm and the farmhouse, but never sold the land. 00:25:44 Speaker 6: The land is still there, and the house still stands. No, it has fallen into disrepair. Please let us call in your relatives to take you in. 00:25:56 Speaker 3: No, if it still stands, it will serve come. 00:26:00 Speaker 1: Ruth was more startled at Naomi's acknowledgment of her than her denial of the women's kindness. She had come to understand Naomi's stubborn pride and unwillingness to accept help of any kind, But yet she had allowed Ruth to stay at her side. It was a small gesture, but Ruth took it as an ember of hope. Nonetheless, perhaps there would be a way back for Naomi. Ruth just had to remain patient and faithful. As they approached the dilapidated farmhouse on the edge of town, Ruth stoked her own fire of determination from within her. She would help Naomi rebuild a life here, starting with this house. Stone by stone, they would rebuild this life together. 00:26:53 Speaker 4: Wow. Naomi had gone from a comfortable life as the wife of a wealthy and noble man to a poor widow who had been married to a man who turned his back on his people. And life knocked Naomi down again when both of her sons died, leaving her with no means of support. But Naomi got up. She would return to her hometown of Bethlehem in the Holy Land in spite of everything. The Jewish Ages make an interesting comparison between Naomi and the wife of Job, who I mentioned in the last episode and who will study again later on. Both of these Bible stories are riches drag stories, a reversal of fortune. For the worse. Job's wife also lost her children and her wealth, But look at how she reacted. Job's wife said curse God and die. She had completely given up and encouraged her husband to do the same, and we'll see Job's wife remains nameless after that. She is barely mentioned again. But Naomi, Naomi has a greater purpose in the story that we're studying, and her refusal to give up paved the way for God's plan and for the Chosen People's redemption. Like Naomi, we must get up, we must never give up, and we must always move forward in faith. So far in the Book of Ruth, we've talked an awful lot about Naomi and not much about Ruth. And before we do start learning from Ruth, there's one more thought that I want to share about Naomi. I want to look at the very end of this chapter at Naomi's bitter response, don't call me Naomi. She says her name meaning pleasant, so it could be interpreted as, don't call me pleasant, call me Marah because Almighty has made my life this very bitter with mar Ah because mar an Hebrew literally translates as bitter. Here we see Naomi allowing tragedy to define her, to reshape her identity, and this is a trap many of us fall into. We let our lowest moments rename us or hurt becomes our bitterness, and our pain becomes our identity. We lose twice, first by what happened to us, and again by allowing that pain to define who we become. And this truly is the greater tragedy because God never promised that we'd be free of pain, but he did promise redemption in spite of our pain. Our identities should not be defined by our circumstances, but we should be defined by God's grace. So, my friends, I urge you refuse to become mar Ah, refuse to become bitter, choose to remain Naomi, to cling to pleasantness even when life gives every reason to become bitter. But before this, we find Naomi urging her daughters in law to remain in mob even though she is returning to the land of Israel. One of them, or Pah, reluctantly agrees, but the other Ruth makes her famous statement. These biblical words bring tears to my eyes every time I read them. Where you go, I go, where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God. Wow, how beautiful, how stunning? The Jewish ages expand upon Ruth's words, they understand that what Ruth was saying was I will never forsake the Torah of the chow and people or the oneness of God. Now, why do I get so emotional about this? And I think for me it is very clear. It's because in Ruth, I see pure faith brought up among the idle worshiping Moabites. Ruth, through the example of her mother La Naomi, sow the beauty and the purity of the faith of the Chosen people. We all know how hard it is to have faith, but we also know how important faith is. And Ruth is my example of faith because she didn't take the easy road of staying with her people, because she had faith in the one God of the universe and his Torah, the Bible that we've been studying throughout this podcast series. And I hope that your faith is strength and right now, just as mine is as we study the story of Ruth. Where you go, I will go, Your people will be my people, your God, my God. With these words, Ruth makes an irrevocable promise, a covenant a BRT. 00:32:09 Speaker 3: She binds her. 00:32:10 Speaker 4: Life to Naomi's proverbs. Tell us a friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. Ruth embodies this truth. Her loyalty carries her into dangerous unknown territory, away from her home, from her culture, away from all that is comfortable. Ruth chooses uncertainty, She chooses poverty, she chooses vulnerability, all for the sake of another. We all crave relationships like this. We long for friends who stay close when life gets hard. But the greater call here is not just to look for Ruth's, is to become Ruth's, to willingly enter into someone else's pain, to remain steady when others flee, and to bind our lives to theirs incovenantal love. So, today, my friends, ask yourself, who can you be a Ruth to who desperately needs your loyalty in your steadfast presence, chalome friends from here in the Holy Land, May loyalty lead you, and may you cling tightly to the name and identity that God has given you. 00:33:28 Speaker 1: You can listen to the Chosen People with Isle Exstein add free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey dot Com app. Today. This Prey dog comproduction is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Gattina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabaga and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People with Yile Exstein. Edited by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltefianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Selts, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvato, Bree Rosalie and Chris Baig. Special thanks to Bishop Paulinier, Robin van Ettin, kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot com productions on the Prey dot Com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People with Yeile Eckstein, please rate and leave a review,