The Bible consists of 66 separate short "Books" written by many different people.  Only two of them are named for women.  Ruth and Esther--and both of them are very short.  However, their stories are rich and wonderful.  The book of Ruth tells us the story of three women.  Ruth, Orpha, and Naomi.

There was a man who was living in the land of Israel during a time of great famine.  He could not care for his wife Naomi and their two sons.  He heard that there was grain in the land of Moab, so he took the whole family and they moved there until the famine was over.  In the meantime, his sons grew up and married Moabite women--Orpha and Ruth.  But before he could take his family back to Israel, both he, and his sons died. Leaving his wife Naomi and his two daughter-in-laws without a protector and no source of income.

I love some of the phrases in the Bible: "Then she arose...".  What else could Naomi do.  She had nowhere to turn; no one to help her.  I can just see her getting up one morning--resolved: "I am going home to Judah."  She told her two daughter-in-laws to return to their mother's houses and said, "May God deal kindly with you as you have dealt with me all of these years.  Maybe you will find another husband there."  But the women said no, that they would go with her to her people--so they all left.

But along the way, Naomi insisted.  "I am too old to have another son for you to marry.  I have no hope of finding another husband.  And even if I could find a husband today and became pregnant, would you want to wait for that son to grow up!"  So Orpha kissed Naomi goodby and went home.

But Ruth said, "Intreat me not to leave you, or return from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go: and where you lodge, I will lodge: your people shall be my people, and your God my God.  Where you die, I will die and there I will be buried.  The Lord do unto me, and more also, if anything but death part you and me."   Probably one of the more well known passages in the Bible.

Ruth's words are a testament to the character of Naomi.  Ruth had come to love Naomi and did not want to live her life apart from her.  She cast her lot--for good or bad--with her mother-in-law for the rest of her life.  Their stories are woven together into a tapestry of love in this short Biblical book.  It is a story of love, courage, trust, faith and fulfillment.  Just four pages long, but it has it all.