Five Things We Can Learn from Naomi

In the week after Mother’s Day, we will take a look at one of the most famous mothers, and mother-in-laws in the Bible, Naomi. You can find her in the book of Ruth. What can we learn from Naomi, who lived 1000 years before the birth of Christ? More than we might imagine! That’s why we’ve divided the information up into two parts.

Five Things We Can Learn from Naomi (Part 1)

1.   Naomi endured heartache.

Naomi shows us it is okay to mourn and let people know we have a broken heart. All mothers endure heartache, because we’ve given our hearts to our husbands, and our children. That’s why divorce is difficult. That’s why, when children go astray, it keeps us up at night. That’s why it is so painful when our loved ones die before us.

My mother had mental issues most of her adult life due to the untimely death of my father, her husband, and because of that, she caused my grandmother great heartache. She was in and out of hospitals when she’d stray off her medication. But when my mother died ten years before my grandmother, she was still my grandmother’s child, and it upset her so much, that my grandmother had a mild heart attack. Her heart literally broke. We have a soul connection to our immediate families.

Naomi endured the death of her husband Elimelek, then when both her sons, Mahlon and Killian, passed away ten years later, it was too much for Naomi to take.

When people greeted Naomi and called her by name, she said, “Don’t call me Naomi (which means “pleasantness”), “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty.”

Has you ever lost someone close to you?

Have you experienced a move that did not turn out the way you expected?

Have you been disappointed by a child?  

It’s okay to mourn, and have a broken heart.

 2. Naomi was a mentor.

Just because she mourned, and may have been situationally depressed, doesn’t mean she wasn’t making an impact on those within her influence.

Naomi had nothing left in Moab, so she made a decision to go back home to Israel. She told both her daughter-in-laws, Orpah and Ruth, to return to their parent’s homes because she couldn’t do anything for them anymore. After a lot of coaxing, Orpah agreed to go, but Ruth was stubborn and clung to Naomi, saying:

“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. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried” (Ruth 1:16).

There is no evidence Ruth made a profession of faith prior to this, but I believe she had been watching Naomi for the past ten years. Ruth may have asked questions, wondering about this one God Naomi worshipped, but had never taken the step to believe.

Ruth’s people, the Moabites, had many gods, but the national deity of Moab was Chemosh.  Chemosh meant “destroyer,” “subdoer,” or “Fish god.” Chemosh was also the national deity of the Ammonites as well.

Where is Chemosh today?

This story was set about 1000 years before Christ walked this Earth, yet today, we still see the one true God at work in this world.

Ruth knew there was something different about the Hebrew God, and now it was coming out in her allegiance to Naomi.

“Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.”

Ruth made a profession of faith, because for ten years, Naomi lived out her faith, and was a mentor.

What mentoring experiences have you had? Has anyone ever followed you?

3. Naomi was brave.

You have probably been brave at one point or another in your life. It wasn’t just any old trip that Naomi decided to venture out on. It took 7-10 days on the road to get to Bethlehem. She had to cross a river, and climb a 2000 foot high slope. It was dangerous for two women to be alone on a journey like that, especially carrying all their worldly possessions, but I am sure Naomi prayed for protection before, and during the trek.

Sometimes God calls us to be brave, because we’ve experienced the truth of the Word, and the risen Christ.

We go where he calls us.

We do what he tells us,

and we abstain from those things that can separate us or anyone in our influence, from God.

Naomi wanted to go back to her homeland, where her God, Jehovah was worshipped.  But it took faith, and bravery to do it.

Is God calling you to do something brave?

If so, trust him on the journey.

Part Two is Saturday.