The story is told in the Book of Ruth. It is not a love story at the first. Naomi had a husband named Elimelech. They had two sons named Mahlon and Kilion. They had moved to Moab for there was famine. The two sons each had wives, Orpah and Ruth. Death hit them hard. Maomi
lost her husband Elimelech. Then both the sons died. There were three widows. One was older but the other two were young. This is as bad as it gets. Three widows in a famine in a foreign land. For Naomi her world had crashed upon her. The three set out on the road to Judah. There would be food for them there among family. Upon Naomi's pleading Orpah went back to her home before marriage. Ruth committed to go with Naomi. The words she spoke have often been read at weddings and applied to the couple at the altar. They were originally, however the beautiful words of a young widow to her mother-in-law. When the two women arrived back at Naomi's home in Bethlehem it stirred the little town. They could hardly recognize Naomi. They didn't know Ruth. When asked, "Can this be Naomi?", she gave a sad answer, "Don't call me Naomi. Call me Mara because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me. The Lord has brought misfortune upon me." (Ruth 1)
The name she chose was Mara. It meant "bitter" in the Hebrew language. Naomi meant "pleasant". The circumstances of life turned a pleasant person to a bitter one. God received the blame for it. So often this happens today. Tragic or difficult circumstances crash down upon us and we go from "Mr. Nice Guy" to "I Am Bitter" and I know Who is to blame !When you read the rest of this love story it is clear God will use it all to complete a world-changing, exciting, life-changing, unbelievable but true, God prepared and God touched
lineage! Boaz, Ruth, Obed, Jesse, King David. At the end of the lineage is this: "Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary of whom was born JESUS who is called Christ." It is impossible to see the workings and plan of God as it unfolds until we look back. So, we must live by faith and trust in God. To talk about faith is easy. To live by faith can be incredibly difficult at times. Remember, "The just shall live by faith."
