Ruth: Loss, Love and LegacySýnishorn

A Long Obedience

Read Ruth 1:15. It’s interesting that even after Orpah went home, Naomi refused to abandon her In-law's "Turn-Back" campaign. She wasn’t going down easily. 

Although the text really doesn’t tell us, Warren Wiersbe suggests that it’s possible Naomi was trying to cover the fact that her sons had married Moabites (outside the covenant nation of Israel). If she returned home alone, perhaps no one would ever know.1 

Whatever the reason might have been, we just can’t miss how many times Ruth had to deflect Naomi’s discouraging persuasions to turn back. This is an important principle, as obedience to God is often wrought with a slew of obstacles that persuade us to change our minds. I used to think that my choice to obey in any given situation was a one-time decision, but I now realize that obedience might mean having to make that same choice several times in a week, month, or year. We saw in yesterday’s reading that Orpah successfully dodged Naomi’s first deluge of discouragement (v. 10), but after Naomi’s second and third push, she gave in. 

I find the idea of sustained obedience difficult in a myriad of situations but distinctly so when it comes to any kind of addiction. Just yesterday, I had coffee with one of my amazingly talented musician friends who is a recovering alcoholic. To quote Friedrich Nietzsche (of all people), my friend’s commitment to stay dry is “A long obedience in the same direction.”2 There is rarely a day in his industry when the temptation is not present in some form. And yet for over two years he has relied on the strength and grace of God to refuse every alluring drop, a sustained obedience I’m convinced rises to the heavens as a fragrant aroma to our Savior. 

Often times I can closely relate to Orpah, who made the right decision once but couldn’t hang on after further persuasions. But now I am learning the art of prolonged obedience as modeled so gracefully by Ruth. It’s easy to kid ourselves and justify our behavior when our hearts aren’t really committed to God. 

But when we grasp His love and the truth that obedience is for our freedom, we will change our circumstances to protect our environment to obey. Perhaps no one changed her circumstances more than Ruth when she decided to leave her people, false gods, and homeland for the God of Israel. 

1. Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, OT History (Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries, 2003), 180.

2. Friederich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil, (Project Gutenberg, 7 Dec. 2007), chap. 5