articlesforchristians

LOVE AND LOYALTY

Once upon a time, long, long ago, there was a man who had a wife and two sons. There was a famine in the land where he lived, so he said to his wife and sons, “We will journey down to another country where the crops have not failed. There shall we find plenty to eat, and there will we make our home.”

So, the family moved to the strange land where they prospered and were happy. In time the boys grew to young manhood and married young women of the new land where they dwelt. Then sorrow entered their homes, as sorrow comes sooner or later to every home. The father and the two sons died, and the mother and her two daughters-in-law were left alone. The mother, whose name was Naomi, said, “I am going back to the land where I lived in former days, back to the people of my girlhood.” The young women said, “We shall go with you also.” “No,” replied Naomi, “you must not do that. Go back to your homes, there you shall be cared for, and may the Lord deal gently with you.”

The names of these two daughters-in-law were Ruth and Orpah. It was Ruth who then spoke up and said in words that are not surpassed in all the English language:

“Intreat me not to leave thee, Or to return from following after thee; For whither thou goest I will go; And where thou lodgest I will lodge; Thy people shall be my people, And thy God my God; Where thou diest will I die, And there will I be buried; The Lord do so to me, and even more, If ought but death part thee and me.”

Great words are these, words of love and loyalty.