RUTH...THE WOMB...PART 7 TEXT: RUTH1:18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. For the past one to two weeks I have been aggressively dragged by providence to meditate on the book of Ruth to the extent that I lost count of many things: the well is deep.. The risks taken by each character embarrass my cold commitment to the matter of Jesus and his kingdom. In our meditation today, we intend to look at the crossroad to which Orpah and Ruth came. By now Naomi has made up her mind to go back to her homeland and the two young ladies, would want to go with her because of the love they have for their husbands and her. The life she lived before them beckoned on them to stick to her of cause. Naomi must have told them about the culture of her people in respect of widows and the possibility of been remarried to any relative from the same family. This understanding formed part of their discipleship teaching even before the death of their husbands. Elimelech and Naomi must have taught them the details of the law of Moses: they were proselytes indeed to the Jews religion. So, Naomi set on to go back. Orpah and Ruth would have made known their desire to go with their mother in law to her homeland and the parents have no objection to that believing that their daughters would be happier if remarried again to other Jews. So these three women set on their way to Bethlehem. God needed only one womb for the messiah, the choice before God was eighter Orpah or Ruth. Who this book should be named after was about to be determined. Orpah was the one while Ruth was the plan B of God. So Naomi turned to both of them and begged them to go back to their mothers home. She blessed them and wished them happiness in their respective marriage. But they refused to leave her, they even wept greatly. Watch this: this is a very crucial tangent point for Orpah and Ruth, God was watching. chapter 2 was not yet revealed: there we see the introduction of the kinsman. It was kept away from them, yet it existed. So they followed their mother in law from one level of the test to another. first they left Naomi resident, secondly, they left the city and took the road that led to Bethlehem. While on the road, Naomi test them again by pouring blessing on them and wishing them luck in finding husbands. One of my fellowlabourer, Emeka Uzozike, calls this: relief package She even kissed them goodbye. However they cried and said surely we would go with you. After this she now told them this truth to know what was in their minds. She told them that marriage is not possible with her again and even if it is possible, they would be too old for the sons in her new marriage. This is commomsensical, rational and philosophical. It revealed what was in Orpahs mind. To me there is nothing wrong for a yoimg widow to think about marriage. Her emotion and desire for a man in her life got on her way. She remembered a pending proposal and told herself to be wise. Psychological and common sense sayings have robbed many of their ultimate in life. Orpah kissed her mother in law goodbye but Naomi cleaved to her. It was said of Orpah that has gone back to her people and her god. She went back to idolatry. This would be the end of Orpah and all the plan that God had for her. What made her to lose the opportunity of experiencing the God of Abraham, Isaac an Jacob? She received blessing from her mother in law and went back to a heathen land. Let us look at the acid requirement: we see this in vs 18, When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. (KJV) Therefore, Naomi saw that Ruth, being firmly resolved in her soul, was determined to go with her, and that she was unwilling to be dissuaded, and that nothing further could convince her to return to her own.(CPDV) When Naomi saw... this is what she has been looking for. what is the thing she saw? what she saw was the firm decision to go with her. She was unwilling to be desuaded. Orpah lacked this. To reach our ultimate in life, complete and absolute desire to become what God wants us to be must be exercised. A double minded man is of no momment with God. God wants us to follow Him out of love for him . Job says even if He slays me I would praise Him. God wants our commitments to Him to be unalloyed and pitch on nothing physical. To be continued.
Posted on: Wed, 30 Oct 2013 09:06:26 +0000
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