Obed
She cradled the baby boy in her arms, smiling. Finally, a son! Her heart could not have been more full, because now the family line would go on. Hopelessness had been interrupted by the cry of a baby in the night.
It had been a long road to this moment. She had married so many years ago, and had great hopes for their life together. When she married into this family, she didn't realize how close they all were. "Marry the man, marry the clan" had real meaning in this clan! But she was happy. For the first time in a long time, she had been happy.
Until that awful day when the news arrived that her husband had been killed at his work. Suddenly, she couldn't even remember what she had said to him that morning. Had she told him she loved him? Had she said anything to him? She couldn't remember, but it didn't really matter. Both her husband and his brother were gone. Her father-in-law had died earlier, so now it was just the three of them. Naomi, Orpah and herself, Ruth. Three widows all by themselves.
There weren't any prospects for jobs (well, not any she would take), so Naomi decided that she would return home, to her family in Israel. "You two," she said to them, "go back to your families. You're still young. You can marry again. Your prospects are better there than with me. I'm just a bitter old woman who has lost everything." But they didn't want Naomi to travel alone, so they told her they would go back to Israel with her.
About halfway back, Naomi tried to convince them again. "Go home," she said. "What good does it do you to come with me?" She convinced Orpah who, with tears in her eyes, hugged us both and then turned back toward Moab without another word. Then Naomi turned toward Ruth. "You should go with her!" she yelled.
Tears in my eyes, Ruth told her no. "I will go wherever you go. You are my family now, and I will worship your God as my God." Naomi looked into the other woman's eyes a good, long time, and then she started walking again. They never spoke of that day again, because when they arrived back in Israel, there was much to do.
Ruth started gleaning in the fields of a relative named Boaz. Now, she couldn't help but notice he was a handsome man, and then she overheard that he made sure there would be grain left for her on the edges of the field. Naomi couldn't believe how much she brought home! "You must go back," she said. "I will," Ruth told her, "tomorrow."
"No!" Naomi said. "You must go tonight."
"Tonight?" Ruth asked. "It'll be dark. I can't see to glean in the dark."
"Not for gleaning," Naomi said. And then she told her daughter-in-law what she had in mind.
So Ruth went, and she laid down at Boaz's feet. Like the rest of his crew, he was asleep on the threshing floor. A good day's work and a good evening's feast always made them very tired. Or it might have been the wine. Anyway, the tradition said that if he was willing to marry her, to welcome her into his family, he would spread the corner of his garment over her. So she waited there in the dark. It wouldn't be proper for her to approach him, to ask him.
After a time, he woke up and realized someone was there. "Who's there?" he asked.
"It's me, Ruth," she said. "I am Naomi's daughter-in-law."
And with that, he spread the corner of his garment over Ruth. The next morning, she left, and waited at home. Naomi had told her that Boaz would next go to the city gate and invite anyone who was a closer relative to "redeem" the land and their family, but there was only one who was closer, and he didn't want to imperil his own inheritance by marrying Ruth. So he passed, and Boaz, there in the presence of the city elders, offered to marry Ruth and continue their family line. Which he did. It was the happiest day of her life.
No, the second-happiest. The happiest was today. Ruth has a son. His name was Obed, and Ruth had a sense his life would lead to something great. God had plans for their family, and this day was just the first step in something bigger. She just knew it.
It had been a long road to this moment. She had married so many years ago, and had great hopes for their life together. When she married into this family, she didn't realize how close they all were. "Marry the man, marry the clan" had real meaning in this clan! But she was happy. For the first time in a long time, she had been happy.
Until that awful day when the news arrived that her husband had been killed at his work. Suddenly, she couldn't even remember what she had said to him that morning. Had she told him she loved him? Had she said anything to him? She couldn't remember, but it didn't really matter. Both her husband and his brother were gone. Her father-in-law had died earlier, so now it was just the three of them. Naomi, Orpah and herself, Ruth. Three widows all by themselves.
There weren't any prospects for jobs (well, not any she would take), so Naomi decided that she would return home, to her family in Israel. "You two," she said to them, "go back to your families. You're still young. You can marry again. Your prospects are better there than with me. I'm just a bitter old woman who has lost everything." But they didn't want Naomi to travel alone, so they told her they would go back to Israel with her.
About halfway back, Naomi tried to convince them again. "Go home," she said. "What good does it do you to come with me?" She convinced Orpah who, with tears in her eyes, hugged us both and then turned back toward Moab without another word. Then Naomi turned toward Ruth. "You should go with her!" she yelled.
Tears in my eyes, Ruth told her no. "I will go wherever you go. You are my family now, and I will worship your God as my God." Naomi looked into the other woman's eyes a good, long time, and then she started walking again. They never spoke of that day again, because when they arrived back in Israel, there was much to do.
Ruth started gleaning in the fields of a relative named Boaz. Now, she couldn't help but notice he was a handsome man, and then she overheard that he made sure there would be grain left for her on the edges of the field. Naomi couldn't believe how much she brought home! "You must go back," she said. "I will," Ruth told her, "tomorrow."
"No!" Naomi said. "You must go tonight."
"Tonight?" Ruth asked. "It'll be dark. I can't see to glean in the dark."
"Not for gleaning," Naomi said. And then she told her daughter-in-law what she had in mind.
So Ruth went, and she laid down at Boaz's feet. Like the rest of his crew, he was asleep on the threshing floor. A good day's work and a good evening's feast always made them very tired. Or it might have been the wine. Anyway, the tradition said that if he was willing to marry her, to welcome her into his family, he would spread the corner of his garment over her. So she waited there in the dark. It wouldn't be proper for her to approach him, to ask him.
After a time, he woke up and realized someone was there. "Who's there?" he asked.
"It's me, Ruth," she said. "I am Naomi's daughter-in-law."
And with that, he spread the corner of his garment over Ruth. The next morning, she left, and waited at home. Naomi had told her that Boaz would next go to the city gate and invite anyone who was a closer relative to "redeem" the land and their family, but there was only one who was closer, and he didn't want to imperil his own inheritance by marrying Ruth. So he passed, and Boaz, there in the presence of the city elders, offered to marry Ruth and continue their family line. Which he did. It was the happiest day of her life.
No, the second-happiest. The happiest was today. Ruth has a son. His name was Obed, and Ruth had a sense his life would lead to something great. God had plans for their family, and this day was just the first step in something bigger. She just knew it.
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