by John O’Malley
“Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lordis gone out against me” (Ruth 1:13).
Naomi looked at her girls, Ruth and Orpah. She saw the reasons they should not follow her to Bethlehem-judah. Naomi realized that if she could provide sons to them, would they be willing to wait? Would the girls be willing to keep these boys from marrying any other? She saw the impossibilities and improbabilities and said, “Nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lordis gone out against me.”
Naomi knew that her choice to stay in Moab cost the death of her two sons. It was no small grief to her that the girls were being affected because of her errors. She viewed this as the Lord’s hand being against her, and she saw how it affected them. Naomi was forcing the girls to consider the implications of coming with her. She gave them no bright prospects, only words of dismay.
Was the Lord’s hand really against her? Did He not have her best interests at heart? Yes, His hand can be against us, but God is really for us. Remember, God’s disciplining hand is also His gracious hand.
Think about it...