Ruth 1

Look at this family tree! 

A couple migrated from Bethlehem with their boys to Moab for economic reasons. Yes they did start new life in a new territory full of hope.  

But Elimelech died and Naomi was left widowed.  She struggled with her two sons Mahlon and Kilion. In interim, they married Moabite wives; the name of the elder son's was Orpah, the second Ruth. Yes they still lived in Moan for ten years. They should have lived happily ever after.  But these two brothers suddenly died -- rendering all 3 women as widows...Widowed women were cursed in those days! Wow, Naomi was void of a husband or any one of her young men. Just as what's on her mind later spoken to her folk in Bethlehem, “Don’t call me Naomi; call me Bitter. The Strong One has dealt me a bitter blow. I left here full of life, and God has brought me back with nothing but the clothes on my back. Why would you call me Naomi? God certainly doesn’t. The Strong One ruined me.” (Ruth 1:6-9, 16, 17, 20, 21 MSG)  I believe that she thought the same as early as that moment.

Elimelech died and Naomi was left, she and her two sons. The sons took Moabite wives; the name of the first was Orpah, the second Ruth. They lived there in Moab for the next ten years. But then the two brothers, Mahlon and Kilion, died. Now the woman was left without either her young men or her husband. (Ruth 1:3-5 MSG)

Naomi was cursed???

No husband! No sons to support.  Naturally she should become victimized or controlling to regain her security.  She had to shoulder up the house. How to feed three women was her new headache. She thought of God...

One day she got herself together, she and her two daughters-in-law, to leave the country of Moab and set out for home; she had heard that God had been pleased to visit his people and give them food. And so she started out from the place she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law with her, on the road back to the land of Judah. (Ruth 1:6, 7 MSG)

On her way to Bethlehem, she asked her two daughters to leave her and return to their own homes and may get married again. Give them a chance to live a better life.  She is merciful to them and gives them the best to free them not to retain them for her own sake.

After a short while on the road, Naomi told her two daughters-in-law, “Go back. Go home and live with your mothers. And may God treat you as graciously as you treated your deceased husbands and me. May God give each of you a new home and a new husband!” She kissed them and they cried openly.  (Ruth 1:9 MSG)

Oprah left with tearful eyes but Ruth insisted on keeping Naomi company wherever she went for the rest of her life.  

But Ruth said, “Don’t force me to leave you; don’t make me go home. Where you go, I go; and where you live, I’ll live. Your people are my people, your God is my god; where you die, I’ll die, and that’s where I’ll be buried, so help me God —not even death itself is going to come between us!” (Ruth 1:6-9, 16, 17 MSG)

They loved each other and opened their hearts to each other.  It is not easy but empowering every one of them.

忽發奇想：我想起元朝關漢卿的戲曲—竇娥怨，同樣是一對死了丈夫的婆媳。媳婦對婆婆的忠心不二，寧願含冤枉死也要保䕶婆婆，結果枉死刑場，也釀成六月飛霜的寃案。

中西有何分別？

有神冇神又有何不同呢？