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May 10, 2009

Love Between In-Laws – Ruth (2)

by: Rev. Jeremiah Cheung

An important secret can be learned from Naomi and Ruth’s relationship, that is, to have good relationship with people, you must “consider the welfare of others.” But how many people are able to consider other people in every situation? In Ruth 1:8-19, two conversations occurred between the in-laws. The first, in verses 8-14, is the conversation between Naomi and her two daughters- in- law; the second, in verse 15-19, is the conversation between Naomi and Ruth.

In the first conversation (verses 8-14), Naomi spoke six of the seven verses. Her two daughters-in-law only spoke one line. We discover that Naomi is the major character in this first exchange. Her main intent was the well-being of her daughters-in-law. In verses 15-18, Naomi only spoke one line; the rest of the conversation was Ruth’s response, stating her concern for her mother-in-law’s well-being. The mother-in-law considers her daughters-in-law’s welfare, the daughter-in-law looks after her mother-in-law’s welfare, I show my concern for you, you show your concern for me. This is a demonstration of real love for one another, the secret to having good relationship with people.

I. The First Conversation between In-Laws (Mother-in-law Naomi considers the well-being of her daughters-in-law) v. 8-14

In this conversation, we realize two things :

1. Naomi shared the Gospel to her daughters-in-law
2. Naomi gave her daughters-in-law permission to remarry.

1. Naomi shared the Gospel to her daughters-in-law

“May the Lord show kindness to you, as you have shown kindness to your dead and to me.” Naomi spoke of the Lord. We must not forget that her two daughters-in-law were Moabites. They had idol-worshippers all their lives. They do not know the Lord. Naomi started her conversation with them by sharing the gospel, hoping they will acknowledge the Lord.

2. Naomi gave her daughters-in-law permission to marry

Naomi told her daughters-in-law, “May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” She encouraged them to remarry. For a mother-in-law to encourage her daughter-in-law to remarry is truly a great act of love. She did not require them to observe widowhood. She herself was a widow, she knows how difficult it was to be a widow, and she was not willing for them to suffer like her. She loved them as if they were her own daughters.

II. The Second Conversation between the In-Laws (Daughter-in-law Ruth seeks the well-being of her mother-in-law) v.15-18

Ruth told Naomi, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”

From Ruth’s moving discourse with her mother-in-law, we realize two things:

1. Ruth already knew the Lord

She said, “May the Lord deal with me be it ever so severely if anything but death separates you and me.” She made a vow to the Lord that she will never leave Naomi, apart from death; that if she breaks this vow, she wills the Lord to punish her severely. This Moabite, a pagan woman, made a vow in the name of the Lord, because she already knew the Lord from Naomi.

2. Ruth’s love for Naomi was very firm

Ruth told Naomi, “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried.” Ruth was very firm that nothing will make her leave Naomi. The Bible says, “When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.” Naomi knew no matter how she urged her, it was useless. She had already decided, she was very determined to follow Naomi.