How Naomi Finally Got a Grandchild

Another Way for week of December 8, 2023

How Naomi Finally Got a Grandchild

(Editor’s note: Third in a five-week series on Biblical women—and their babies.)

The biblical story of Naomi, Ruth and their offspring is truly a fascinating history. As my pastor noted in a sermon recently, Ruth’s story links directly to the Bethlehem story, which we will get to in coming weeks. Pastor Stephanie said Bethlehem means “House of Bread,” and we learn in Ruth chapter 1, verse 1 that Bethlehem and the surrounding area was suffering from lack of bread in a difficult famine.

So we meet Naomi, married to a man named Elimelech. As they migrate to find food, they end up settling in a country called Moab (today in the south of Jordan) with their sons Mahlon and Chilion. Then Elimelech dies and the sons marry two local Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. Unfortunately, the couples don’t get a chance to have children before the two brothers die in Moab.  

After about ten years, the drought subsides and Naomi decides she wants to return to Bethlehem where her relatives live. She begs her daughters-in-law, “Why don’t you go back to your mother’s house? I have nothing else to give you—too old to have a husband or to bear more sons.” Finally persuaded, Orpah and Naomi hugged and cried as Orpah decides to return to her mother.

Then Ruth refuses to leave Naomi and speaks the beautiful words that many have used at their wedding: “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.” The Bible says that when Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.

When they got back to Bethlehem, the town came out to see them and some women exclaimed “Can this be Naomi?” At that, Naomi asked that she no longer be called Naomi: “Call me ‘Mara’, because my life has become very bitter.”

As they settled in and readjusted to life, Ruth said she would go out into the fields to pick up leftover grain so they would have food to eat. It was common for farmers to leave grain behind for those in need.

A man named Boaz was the owner of some land and after he inquired about Ruth as she gleaned, he made sure that the harvesters left grain for Ruth and to not hurt her. When the harvesting was done, Boaz celebrates, and Naomi encourages Ruth to lay down at the feet of Boaz. He eventually wakes up, quite surprised to find Ruth there. Boaz later sits down with a relative of Naomi’s to do as custom called for in those days, to see that widows are taken care of if a husband dies.

Thus, it was that wedding bells did ring for Ruth and Boaz and Ruth gave birth to her first born son, Obed. Naomi is delighted to have her first grandchild, and looks after him as things settle down. As a grandma I like this verse: “Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap, and cared for him.”

If you know your Biblical genealogy, you know Obed becomes the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David, who later becomes the first king of Israel. David of course had his faults but the Bible says David found favor with God in spite of his sins.

My grandma on my mother’s side was named Ruth (and we gave the middle name “Ruth” to one of our daughters). We were blessed to have three daughters when I was in my 30s and overjoyed with the five grandsons our daughters later brought to our family. Earlier this year, we were again super happy as our youngest daughter and her husband birthed our first granddaughter.

The Christmas season is certainly a time to not only give gifts and spread good will, but thank God for our families, friends and also the parents, relatives, and adoptive or foster parents who raised us.

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Enter a drawing by December 22 for one of three copies of the new book my siblings and I put together titled Cultivating Fields, Faith and Family: Mom and Dad’s Memorable Mennonite Life.

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Can also be purchased on Amazon, here.

For giveaway send your entry to Another Way, P.O. Box 363, Singers Glen, VA 22834, or email anotherwaymedia@yahoo.com, or enter on Facebook at Melodie.M.Davis. Deadline Dec. 22 2023.

Another Way is a column by Melodie Davis, in syndication since 1987. Another Way columns are posted at FindingHarmonyBlog.com a week after newspaper publication.