Naomi: Her Pride Had Led Her Far from God. Could She Find Him [1 ed.] 9780834129177, 9780834114395

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.NAOMI OLIVE GURNEY

Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City Kansas City, Missouri

Copyright 1992 by Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City ISBN: 083-411 -4399 Printed in the United States of America Cover Design: Crandall Vail Cover Illustration: Keith Alexander Unless otherwise indicated all Scripture quotations are fro m the Nl!w Amtric,,', Standard Bibll! (NASS), @The Lockman Foundation, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and are used by permission.

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Ded icated to my mother, Ernestine Hanna Lutes, who directed me to the Savior in my childhood and has been a continual model of a woman committed to knowing the Lord and His Word.

Preface My atten tion was drawn to the woma n Naom i through a class taugh t by my pastor's wife and my friend, Betty Jo Ma this. As we studied t.he Book of Ruth, I became increasingly interested in the person and life of Naomi, and thus the desire was born to share my thoughts with orhers in this book. As I was writi ng the story of Naomi, I had several co ncern s. First, I wanted the book to be scripturally accurate, and I read a nd reread the Book of Ruth and related passages in rhe Bible in the code.avor to be true to the Word in every way possible. Second, I have tried to make the story hislorically and cul tura ll y accurate. I ha've tried to show life as it really was in the period in whic h Naomi lived. Because the sources that I researched did n ot always agree, at times I had ro choose between them. But please understand that this is a novel, a work of fict ion, based on a scriptura l person. It is not intended as a Bible study book, and I have taken the liberty of giving the Bible characters personality trai ts and experiences that are not recorded in Scriptune. For the factua l accou nt of Naomi's story, read the Book of Ruth in the Bible. It is my prayer that this book will make Naomi a real person to you and that you wi ll be blessed as you consider the Lord's dealings in h ~~r life.

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SHE TRUDGED WEARILY a lon g the road, Na-

omi's thoughts were far from the dusty journey that she was now mak ing. She was thinking of another journey, made just 10 yea rs ago-alt hough it seemed in a nothe r lifetime. I was so full of myself. she remembered. I was so sure that everything I wanted was waiting for me in Moab. I was a respected wi fe a nd m other, bu t st illl was very young. Like a gi rl, I thought that t hose w ho had little deserved their plight because they did not try hard e nough. Naomi was a brupt ly brought back to the present as she stumb led on the path a nd Ruth 's hand reached out to steady her. I am so tired and old! Her comp lai nt was silent as she smiled her thanks to Ruth a nd continued in deep thought. I never used to feel old, but defeat has such an agin g effect. When I left Bethkhem with a noble husband and my two sons, I was full of e nergy. People marveled at the work I could do in a day; and I loved being busy. Cooking, sewing,. managing the servants and Elimelech's house-every minute was full. No one cou ld say .that Naomi's family was poorl y fed or • 7 •

c10thedl she thought. Was this determ ination that people should thin k well of me where the problem began? Was I really proud a nd ambitious as old Cous in Leah accused me? Or was I just a d iligent woman who was willing to work hard? I wou ld prefer the second descr iption, but I wonder if she was right. W hatever, it seemed to lead to my downfall. I know that I was proud that Eli me lech had chosen me to be hi s wife. He was so handsome and disti ngu ished that I soon forgot my foolish daydreams of a young husba n d w hen he asked my father for my ha nd in marriage, Naomi remembered as her thoughts returned to the past. How well I remembe r th e evening w hen Fat her told me of his offer. It had been a hot summer day spen t watching the sheep. Contentment fil led my heart as I watched the animals th rough the long, drowsy afte rn oons. The sheep were content to graze quietl y in the plentiful grass, a nd only occasiona ll y d id I need to retrieve a straying lamb. Tw ice I had to throw stones at hung ry dogs who had threatened the flock. But few da ngers ex isted in the gentle hi lls near Bethlehem where I kept the small porrion of the flock fo r which I was responsible. The large flock was ta ken each su mm er to pasture m uch farrher afie ld, and my fat her's hired shepherds had ch arge of the m there. A nd so I had time to d ream-dreams of the house tha t would one day be mine. the h usband who would fi nd me the perfecr homemaker, and the children that would come along to fi ll out Ihe pictu re of bliss. It was late afternoon that day when I brought in the sheep and our one mi lking goat. I sang and danced joyfully u ntil l reached the outski rts of Beth lehem where I settled to the decorous walk of a young lady of virtue a nd ma turity. But my hea rt was as light as the breeze that had begun to lift the oppress ive hea t of the day. Little did I know that my ca refree life as a shepherdess h ad just come to an end. Never since that day have I known that complete joy, Naom i reflected. For years I thought that particu la r quality • 8 •

of happiness existed oilly among the very young, but now I wonder. Is it possible that I could once more experience that pure happiness when I get back to the ~place of blessin g"? As I feel the gradual lifting of my burden, the memory of that marvelous happiness hums through my though ts like a melody ba rely remembered. And agai n I feel the surge of hope, Perhaps it is neve:r too late for joy-and perhaps I am foolish ly hoping for the impossible. That fateful evening Father d id not look like a messenger of doom as he mer me in the courtyard, His gentle face did have a cur ious sti ll ness abou t it as he greeted me, ~Peace be on you, Little One." "A nd on you peact~, my father," I replied auto matically. "I have had such a good day, Father! You shou ld have seen li tt le Chelyah. She tried to stray away from the flock, and she looked so offended when I rescued her ..." My voice trailed away. It was obv ious that Father was paying me little heed. Indeed he only waited for my rush of words [0 cease before he spoke gravely. "Naomi. I would speak w ith you. Let us go up to the roof where we may be alone." Start led by his abrupt demeanor, I fo llowed him up the narrow stairway to the roof. My heart thum ped painfu ll y in m y breast as I waited for him to speak. Because I was my father's youngest chi ld and only daughter, our relationship was very differem from tha t of othe r fathe rs a nd dau.ghters. My father ind ulged me as m uch as possible, far more than was good for me accord.ing to Au nt Anna. He an d I had spen t much ti me together on our roof, but this was different, I cou ld tell, and I wa tched him nervous ly. Fin all y he cleared his throat and began to spea k, "Naomi, my pleasant one, I have had an offer fo r you in marriage. And w hile to me you are sti ll a llnle gi rl, your Aunt Anna has made me rea li ze that it is time fo r you to be m arried. , ," • 9 •

"O h, Father, who has asked for me?" 1 interrupted. Even in the moments si nce he had begun to speak, I had envisioned several young men who might have sought my hand. Their glances in my direction had assu red me of my beauty and desirabi lity. Which one of them . .. ? Could it be Ca leb? Oh, please let it be Ca leb! But Father was not to be hurried. "Now, Naomi, be quiet, Little One," but his voice was gen tle. He looked at me measuringly; as if trying to assess just how grown up his little girl was. "We are greatly honored, Naomi," He coughed, and I noticed again how uneasy he looked. Why, he is afraid to tell me! The thought flashed through my mind, and the knot wit h in me grew tighter. But I remained sile nt as he groped for words to tell me my fate. At last, evidently find ing no way to soften the truth, he told me bluntly. "E limelech came today and offered me a goodly su m as a bride-price for you. You must appear as lovely to him as you do to me, that he who is so honored among ou r people would desire you of all the maidens of Bethlehem." I knew he was tryi ng to encourage me, but the on ly response th a t could escape my stunned heart was an incredulous, "Elimelech?" "Naomi," Father's voice was full of undemanding. He hesitated a moment and then firm ly began to extol the meri ts of the marri age. "Elimelech is a good man. He would never treat you cruelly. He is known throug hout Bethlehem for his faith in the God of our fathers. He does not bow the knee to Baal or Ashteroth or a ny of the other foreign gods. And his faith has been tested and proven through the sorrow that he has borne. "And besides that," my father conti nued doggedly, "Elimelech is wealthy. His flocks are large. He has a lu xurious house and plenty of servants. You will have beautiful clothes a nd a position of honor as the wife of Elimelech." • 10 •

My thoughts were a seething mass of rebellion as I listened. Well I knew that Elimelech was a good man, a nd wea lthy too. He was evc.:'n handso me. But none of that cou ld compensate fo r his age. Why, he was surely nea ring a score and ten. ~But. Father, he is o ld!" My voice revealed my ang uish although m y eyes were dry. My tears seemed frozen in the icy lump w ithin my breast. Father e nclosed mt'" in a warm embrace. For a moment I fe lt hi s lips upon my fo rehead, a nd then he spoke close to my ear. "My dea r daughter, I realize that Elimelech seem s old to you. But he is far from being an old ma n. Losing his wife and son in the Midia nHe ra ids added lines to his face a nd gray to his hair, but it also added com passion and gentleness to his heart. "And also, Naomi," as he paused, he raised his hands to my shoulders and held me away from him, waiting un til m y eyes lifted to his own before continuing. "An older husband will be much better for you. You are strong-willed and spoiled, my Utr le One. You need a husband who w ill be firm w ith you, a man w ho wi ll be your strong leader so that you will fi nd happiness in your proper role as a submi ssive wife. You might find it all too easy to persuade a you ng man that your ow n way was best. But I a m sure that Elimelech will not allow you to usurp hi s aut hority." As he spoke, I realized that the decision had al ready been made. Of course, I thought bitterl y; other fathe rs did nor ask their daughters' opinions of a planned marriage, but I had assu m ed that I would be treated differently. "As you will, my father," I responded stiffly. Fat her's relief at m y answer was apparent. He sounded m ore cheerful as he added, "Elimelech wants the betrothal ceremony to be right away; he suggested the 15th day of this mon th . That is only five days from now, but of course, we • II •

w ill have the year of your betroth allo prepare you for marriage and to assemble your dowry." I nodded m y head, thankful to have the date of my marriage far in [he future. Perhaps m y life cou ld continue much as it had, and I could pretend that none of this was real. But Father's next words ripped up that comforting thought. HNo more will you be herding the sheep, Little One. Aunt Anna says it wi ll take a ll of a year to teach you to be a proper housewife and mother in Israel. I am afraid that I have done wrong in leuing you spend your days with the sheep instead of in th e house helping w ith the women's work. His last words were little m ore than a whisper, but I knew that my fate for the next year was sealed. No more would I roam the hills with the sheep or sit at my father's feet memorizi ng rhe Law. Aunt Anna had been aghast at those activities and repeatedly had told my father that 1 was receiv ing the attention normally given to a boy. But Father had resisted all her efforts to change ou r days' activities. He loved the Law and wanted to teach it, and I learned quickly and welL His eyes would shine with pride as I recited long portion s of the Sc ri ptures given to our fathers by Moses. He had been thrilled when, as a little tot, I toddled after hi m when he went about his tasks wit h the sheep. Looking back, I realized th at his lone liness for my mother had played a large part in my unusual upbri nging. If she had lived, my childhood would have been very different. And 1 knew that if my brothers had been youn ger, nearer my own age, they wou ld have filled his need for compan ionship. But they were grown men and busy tending their own flocks and herd s, teach ing their own children, wh ile I was still very young. And so I had become my fa ther's shadow and special pet. But al l that was fini shed_ In the next year Aunt Anna would teach me what other girls had been learn ing all their • 12 •

lives. She would be a good teacher, n o doubt. She ran the affairs of our household efficien tly. And wh ile she would be a stern tas kma ster, s he would not be unk ind. But at the thought of days spen t grinding barley and wheat, baking. spinning and weaving. the lum p of ice in my breast threatened to burst inro torrents of tea rs. "Please may I now leave you, my fa ther?" I gasped. HYes, Naom i, go in peace.H I fl ed down the stairs and out into the courtyard. In a dark corner, shehered from sig ht by a tamarisk tree, 1 wept sto rmily for the loss of my dreams. When the tears were used up, 1 sat desolate, faci ng the bleakness of my future. 1 left m y place of refuge onl y w hen ca lled to join my family for the evening meal. And while I was tha nkfu l that the la mplight was pa le and fli ckerin g so that my father cou ld not rea ll y see my grief- ravaged face, I was able to spea k wi th him in a normal e nough fashion so that he expressed no concern. I knew that Aunt Anna had d iscerned m y distress, but she d id not refer to it. She patted my shoulder kindl y; howeve r, as we rose from ea ling and directed, "I wi ll see you in th e court yard at first li ght, Naomi. We wi ll see w hat can be done about your tra inin g. Much w ill have to be done to prepare fo r you r bet rothal ce rem ony; so you ca n begi n to lea rn the housew ife's duties by hel pi ng wit h lhat." "Yes, Aunt Anna ," I rep lied Qu iet ly before slipping away to my pallet. As I la y th ere th at night, I tr ied to remember my mother. Although I had hea rd much about her-about her charm, her bea uty, a nd her kindness, 1 had no rea l memories of her. She had died before I was weaned. But noW; marc tha n ever, I felt th e need of a m other. Thinkin g of her, imagining her loving a rm s around me, brought me a measure of co mfon , and I s lept. I awakened at first light to discover that the desolation • 13 •

of the previous even in g was gone. With renewed courage, I rose from my pa llet to sta rt my new life. Those next few days gave me li ttle time to regret the loss of my dreams, and I even began to feel a budding excite m ent as the preparatio ns for the betrot hal ceremony progressed. My best robe was ca refully prepared; the veil, w hich would be lifted from my face and placed upon Elim elec h's shou lde r, must be absolutely immacula te. My long, dark hair a nd slender body were was hed a nd scented until I did not even fee l like the same girl who had sat on a hill side whi le the sheep nibbled grass nearby. I knew myself to be the center and object of all the hubbub, and that in itself was cheerin g.

* * * The day of m y betrothal a rri ved and was gone, and I wondered w hy there had been so much fuss for a ceremony that lasted only a few moments. That evening was unusually calm after the flurry of the la st few days. I found m yself unable to drift off into sleep. Although the betrothal ceremo ny had been very brief, I realized that now my life was changed irrevocably. I was commiued to Elimelech for the rest of my life. I was reminded afresh that from now on I must spin, weave, sew, grind, and cook like all the women 1 knew. And all for a man w ho had already had one wife, who would probably com pare me unfavo rably with her. How could I bear it? When I eventually slept, it was on a well-dampened pillow. But the morning brought new courage, a nd I soug ht out Aun t Anna in the courtyard and urged he r to teach me all that she knew. "I want to be rhe best housew ife and mother in Israel," 1 to ld he r, a nd she took me at my word. The lessons cont inued throug hout that trying year[fying for my a un t as well as for me. I was nor always an apt pupil, but 1 was a very determined one, and as the • 14 •

mont hs passed, r discovered that I d id enjoy many of the duties of homemaking. Aunt Anna even praised my efforts and confided to my father that I was doing much better than she had expeCled. Elimelech visited in our home nearly every week. At first I only watched and listened as he talked to my father. He seemed so solemn as they discussed the plight of our nation. Both men deplored the wickedness of the many people of Israel who worsh iped the false gods of the Canaa nites arou nd us. "You may be su re," my father declared, ~that God will again send judgment. Hight now our enemies a re not attacking, and all seems to be going well, but God will n OI be mocked. We are in for serious trouble!" MYes, that is true," Elimelech agreed griml y. HAnd those who have rem ai ned true to Jehovah are bound to suffer wit h those who have not" I did not like this talk of wickedness and suffering, so I shut out their words an.d turned to my own thoughts and dreams. I was much more concerned with Elimelech's appearance than with hi s thou.ghts and conversation, Naomi remem be red . As I assessed. him, checking off good poims and bad, I had to decide tha t his slow smi le was the only aspect of his appearance tha t kept him from being ordi nary. When he smiled, his whole fa ce ligh tened and wa rmed. I rea lized more and more that he was indeed a man to be ad mired. and I eagerly watched for the smiles he sent my di rect ion. AI night upon my pa llet I bega n to weave drea ms of winning his admiration by proving myself the best housewife in Bethlehem. While I still mourned the death of my dreams. I began to anticipate the new life I wou ld lead as his wife. I had been at my housewife training onl y a few weeks when Aum Anna began to send me to the well eac h morn• J5 •

ing for water. On my first trip 10 the well, the jar was heavy a nd awkwa rd in my inexperi enced ha nds. When I had finall y gOllen it on to my shoulder, I was exhausted and wondered how I wou ld ever make the jou rn ey back to our house. Then I heard the words of old Elisheba. spoken more loud ly lhan she rea lized because of her own deafness. "Im ag ine a man of Eli meiec h's age and aut hority choosin g a girl like that! She does n't even know how to carry water! Ca n you imagine w hat her stew w ill taste li ke! Poor Anna has the im possible task of turning her into a proper housewife! I would not be sur prised if even now Elimelech wou ld realize his error and put her awayr Th ey are all laughin g a t me, I thought billerly as I moved quickly out of ea rshot. Hl'll show her- I'll show all of themr I mUtlered. The rest of the morning I ground the grain w ith such vigor that Aun t Ann a laughi ngly protested. HGently, Nao mi . You w ill wea r the Slone dow n to noth in g!" A no th er d istress in g co n ve rsa t ion occurred a few mo nths later, Naomi remembered, and agai n it was at the wel l. Though the words were innocent and peaceful. they gave me even more hours of disquiet. By that time I was q uite profi cient at drawi ng a nd ca rryi ng wa ter, a nd I had relaxed enough in my new duties to enjoy sfX,'nd in g a linie time chatting wi th the other girls of my ow n age w ho were also at the well to carry wa ter to their houses. Tha t part icular mo rnin g, I cou ld tell that my friend Deborah was practically bu rsting wit h news as I watched her approach the well. Since we would both have to wail our tu rn at the well. I drew her away from the others. "Come," I sa id, "you had better tell me quickly before you burst like a n old wine skin tha t has been fi ll ed with new winel" She laughed joyously as she replied. HI, too, am to be betrothed, Naomi! LaSl night Ca leb's father offered my father the bride-price. Our betrothal w ill take place next week. • 16 •

Caleb has a nice flock now;" she went on eagerly, Nand he will build a little house for us. We w ill be poor, but I will be proud to help him beco me a rich and importa nt m an.N While I kept a smi le on my face, my hea rt was sore. Ca leb had always been my favorite of [he young men of Bethlehem, a nd he had give n me reason to thin k tha t he looked u po n me with favor. When I had spent the hours in the hi lls drea min g of m y future home, his was the face that had most often appeared in m y dreams. Deborah's happy words drove the fina lity of my own betrothal home to me anew. When I was finall y alone, my tears fl owed free ly. But life went on, and the work conti nued. Aunt Anna was a thorough teacher a.nd aimed to make me proficient in every area, One morning: as I tried to spin an even thread, I protested to her, "Surely in the house of Elimelech 1 will have servants to do the difficult work. I could just let the m do the sp in ning!" But her answer was firm. "You must never expect your serva nts to do things ben er than you ca n do them yourself. A nd who knows-you may not always have servants to do you r work." I could see the sense of her first reason, but not the second. How th ankfu l I am now t hat she taught m e to do things for myself. On ly in the evenings, after all the tasks of the women were finished, did I have time to spend with Fa ther. Together we would sit on the roof in warm weather, or close by the fire on chi lly evenings, and Father would prepare me in hi s own way for marriage. One night he reminded me of the story of Sara h, the fai thful, obedient wife of our father Abraham. "Sarah is a good example for you to follow; m y daughter. When Abraha m wen t to Egypt, away from the land that God had given him, he directed Sarah to tell the Egyptians that she was his sister." "But he was wrong to do that, wasn 't he, Father?" • 17 •

"Yes. Naomi, I believe that he was. But because Sarah obeyed her husband, God protected her. She did not understand, but she obeyed, and God always honors obedience, Litt le On e. You must remember that." An other evening he ta lked to me of Rebekah . "She started out so wel l. Like you, she had great courage, Naomi. "Remember, my daughter, the Almighty God has said. 'You r husband ... shall rule over you: You must submit to this rule, Naomi." Father left the inst ructio ns regarding the marriage bed to Aunt Anna, who covered the subject as efficientl y as she did everything else. No matter that she left no room for dream s of tenderness and roma nce. I had long ago given them up as connected with m y ow n marriage. Thus at the end of the year, prepared to the best of their combi ned abi lities, I faced m y marriage w ith some trepidation but also wit h a self-