Sometimes there are choices we make early in our lives that have lifelong consequences, whether they are positive or negative. Not all, but a few. Our goal is to see positive spiritual growth experiences from those opportunistic choices.
In Jewish tradition, if an older son marries a young lady and he dies, then the next single brother in line was to marry the older son’s widow. This is the story we read in Ruth 1. Naomi told her two daughters-in-law to go back to their homes because the girls’ husbands died and Naomi had no more sons to offer the girls (Ruth 1:14-18). Orpah said goodbye, but Ruth indicated that no way would she leave Naomi. In fact, she made the statement, “Where you go I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God.”
That meant, for Ruth, a couple of things. One is her mother-in-law, Naomi, had no more sons for Ruth (or Orpah) to marry, thus Ruth, a fairly young woman yet, would remain a widow the rest of her life. In that tradition the woman immensely depended upon her husband to provide a roof over her head and food to feed her. Ruth was facing for herself difficult days ahead with no husband to support her.
Second, Ruth was raised as a Moabite, not as a Hebrew, who ...
