Before doing this Bible study, please read the 1-minute introduction Bitter is a Bad Name. It Naomi's bitter attitude after the death of her son and her husband. No one would disagree that she had some terrible circumstances in her life. But Naomi overlooked some very important blessings God was giving her.
Let's look at some elements of this story and carefully examine our hearts for similar attitudes:
1. Naomi was focused on herself, blaming God, and unable to sympathize with her grieving daughters-in-law.
Have you gotten so focused on your difficulties that you've ignored the difficulties of others?
Ruth 1:11-13: Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD’s hand has turned against me!”
2. Naomi showed no regard for Ruth's spiritual health.
Ruth 1:11-13: Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD’s hand has turned against me!”
2. Naomi showed no regard for Ruth's spiritual health.
Have your troubles caused you to lose interest in eternal values? Are you bitter toward God?
Ruth 1:15-18: “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” 16 But Ruth replied, “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. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.
This is Ruth's statement of faith. We don't know if she had converted to her husband's faith when she married him, but she genuinely believed and trusted the true and living God at this point. Yet, Naomi was encouraging her to return to her pagan gods.
3. Naomi couldn't see the blessings right in front of her eyes.
Ruth 1:15-18: “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” 16 But Ruth replied, “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. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.
This is Ruth's statement of faith. We don't know if she had converted to her husband's faith when she married him, but she genuinely believed and trusted the true and living God at this point. Yet, Naomi was encouraging her to return to her pagan gods.
3. Naomi couldn't see the blessings right in front of her eyes.
Have you lost your perspective on God's many blessings?
Ruth 1:19-20: So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” 20 “Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. 21 I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”
Naomi suffered great losses--the death of her husband and two adult sons. But she overlooked some important blessings in her life. She had left a land of famine and was now in a land of plenty. She had a daughter-in-law who vowed to care for her and Ruth did that in very tangible ways as the story continued. Naomi's attitude made her grieving worse.
Ask God to speak to you through this true Bible story. What is He saying to you?
Ruth 1:19-20: So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” 20 “Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. 21 I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”
Naomi suffered great losses--the death of her husband and two adult sons. But she overlooked some important blessings in her life. She had left a land of famine and was now in a land of plenty. She had a daughter-in-law who vowed to care for her and Ruth did that in very tangible ways as the story continued. Naomi's attitude made her grieving worse.
Ask God to speak to you through this true Bible story. What is He saying to you?
For more insights on Naomi and Ruth, I encourage you to read these devotions:
Was Naomi a Good Mom-in-Law?
The Cost of Selfishness
copyright 2015, Gail Burton Purath, BiteSizeBibleStudy.com, updated in 2023
The Cost of Selfishness
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