Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.”
NL Daily Devotion for Monday, October 14, 2019
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah had all lost their husbands. It was the custom of the time that if a woman's husband died, she would then marry one of her husband's brothers. This would ensure that the women would be cared for, as women had few options for employment at that time.
But none of their husbands had brothers to marry. Naomi knew she could return home and there might be a chance that she could find some distant relative that would at least keep her fed. But Ruth and Orpah had no family there, and Naomi was too old to bear any more sons. Even if she could bear sons, it was ridiculous to imagine that Ruth and Orpah would wait until they were grown and then marry them.
It was a bleak future for all of them. Whether it was to protect her daughters-in-law or because she was too grieved to worry about anyone but herself, Naomi implored them both to return to their homes and begin their lives again.
When is returning home important? When is it best to venture out in the world? What are your thoughts?
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