Other Religions

While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods.The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. And the Lord’s anger burned against them. - Numbers 25:1-3

Perhaps this is not the most inspirational passage you’ve read in a while, but it paints the backdrop for Naomi’s relationship with Ruth (who was from Moab). The book of Numbers sets this scene in the chapter of Israel’s history just before the Judges, which is when the story of Ruth occurs. Moabites - and especially their ‘evil’ women - were detested in Israel.

But Naomi does not detest Ruth. She loves Ruth. She welcomes Ruth into her family as her daughter-in-law and shows nothing but kindness to her in these pages. There’s no comment about Ruth leading Naomi’s son astray. To the contrary, Naomi even honors Ruth’s gods. Let’s hear that line again.

Naomi even honors Ruth’s gods.

The scripture tells it this way: “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her” (Ruth 1:15). Naomi sends Ruth back to her people and her gods and does so in the name of the LORD, Yahweh.

Many of us have come out of church cultures that have battled other religions, put them down, and taught classes on how to disprove them. But that’s not the way of Naomi. The way of Naomi is to bless, even when it comes to a foreign religion. And it doesn’t seem at all like a manipulative blessing - you know, trying to sneak in some ‘truth bombs’ under cover of kindness to blow up Ruth’s religion. It’s just the way Naomi is. Just like Naomi’s grief - it was authentic, so she shared it, no agenda attached. And Naomi certainly didn’t think it would lead to Ruth’s conversion.

But it did.

How do you relate to people of differing religious experiences and commitments? Do you judge? Are you fearful? Do you attempt to dismantle them? What might need to change in your heart to move to a place like Naomi - to freely bless the Ruths around us and to release them to their gods? Let these thoughts sit with you a while and talk with Yahweh about Naomi’s approach to bearing witness - and consider making it your own.