NAOMI MOVES BACK TO BETHLEHEM

RUTH

The book of Ruth introduces us to Naomi and her family during the difficult and uncertain time of the judges in Israel (Ruth 1:1). Hardship forced Naomi to move from Bethlehem to Moab and back again. Although each move provided food, it was only the Lord who brought joy and restoration. And each move had a geographically related reason.

Bethlehem was home to Naomi, her husband, and two sons. In contrast to other villages in the hill country of Judah where deep, V-shaped valleys provided less area for produce, the terrain on the east side of Bethlehem provided large, fertile tracts of land for growing grain.25 No wonder this village was named Bethlehem, the Hebrew term meaning “house of bread.”

Bethlehem’s agricultural advantages depended on rainfall at the right times in the right amounts. When rain stopped or came at the wrong time, crops failed and famine resulted. That is the setting for the events of Naomi’s early life. A famine led her family to a difficult decision: Naomi’s husband moved them east to the Transjordan plateau of Moab in the hope of finding food. Their travels took them beyond the Dead Sea to the sharp mountain wall rising from the Jordan Valley floor that marked the western border of Moab. These mountains made Moab a desirable destination at the time because they rise higher than the mountains of Judah to their west, making them capable of extracting more moisture from the air masses passing over the area.26 Once Naomi and her family reached the top of those mountains, they stepped onto a plateau that promised what Bethlehem was not providing—wheat fields and regular water supplies. But the satisfaction of living without famine evaporated for Naomi. There in Moab, her husband died, and about ten years later both of her married sons died. The pleasantness of Moab faded, so when she heard that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them in Bethlehem (Ruth 1:6), she made plans to return home.

Young woman harvesting grain near Bethlehem.
© Direct Design

Winnowing grain near Bethlehem at sunset.
© Garo Nalbandian

Swaying fields of barley with the promise of healthy harvest in Bethlehem greeted Naomi and her one accompanying Moabite daughter-in-law, Ruth (Ruth 1:22). Though the reasons for leaving Bethlehem earlier had been reversed, and despite the willing support of Ruth, Naomi asked to be addressed as “Mara,” the bitter one. Thinking that the Lord was responsible for her past affliction, Naomi’s hope had not yet returned (Ruth 1:20–21).

But the Lord was not against Naomi. Verse after verse in the remainder of the book of Ruth shows him gently and powerfully at work through Ruth, Boaz (who became Ruth’s husband), and others in the village. Those gracious acts softened Naomi’s bitter heart. But God had an even greater act of restoration in mind.

Naomi moved back to Bethlehem for a reason. Weaving together the laws, customs, locations, and background of these people, the Lord was preparing the way for the most profound event in human history. The child born to Ruth and Boaz continued a family line that would bring King David and ultimately the Messiah to the threshold of Israel’s history. Bethlehem became the home of King David and the birthplace of Jesus. Bethlehem, house of bread and home of shepherds, became the home of the Bread of Life and the Good Shepherd. The Messiah, who would come to rescue all who called on him, counted in his ancestry a heart-broken grandmother, a foreign-born woman, and a kindly farmer. The one true, loving God wove together rain, land, hunger, death, heartache, love, and a baby, revealing to us his character and establishing his plan of rescue.

Ruth and Naomi leave Moab for Bethlehem

The broad geographical terrain just east of Bethlehem was ideal for grain crops.