As Ruth and Orpah follow Naomi, she tells them to turn back. This may seem odd at first. But, Naomi saw what they were following - they were following something physical. They saw a warm, loving family. Such families are special things. But, they are not what saves us. What saves us is faith that Jesus Christ, the promised redeemer of all mankind, took the punishment for our sins when He died on the cross, and that He rose from the dead. What saves us is receiving Him by faith, and inviting Him to make us new on the inside, so He can turn us away from our lives of sin.
Missionaries today must inform people of the same thing. Indeed, someone may be reading this in a nation where it is very dangerous to be a Christian. In such lands, for instance, it may mean their families will desert or betray them. It's relatively easy to follow Christ in a free land. It is not as easy in other lands. But, it is worth it! Oh, it is so much worth it! It means freedom from hell! It means freedom from guilt and shame! It means a personal relationship with your Creator and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, in this life, as well as in Heaven! It means certainty of salvation, regardless of how you mess up, because of that Holy Spirit that lives in you! It means a peace that passes understanding; it means the God of all comfort guides you; it means so many more wonderful things than I could ever tell! And, it's all received by simple faith!
The Holy Spirit couldn't live inside people yet, because the curse of sin hadn't been broken. However, He could be on believers. He could guide and help people. This is why Naomi says, “The Lord deal kindly with you.” She knows that if they have faith, the Lord can help them.
She adds, too, that they have dealt kindly with her, and with the deceased members of the family. This was a warm, loving family like everyone should have. They had truly cared for each other. Even if such people aren't following God, He will also keep working in their hearts, with the hopes that they will realize that salvation is not by just being good. He wants us to realize we are all sinners, in need of a Savior. Families can be wonderfully loving, but no family is perfect.
Sadly, sometimes it takes tragedy to cause people to realize their need for the Savior. Because, only by having our sins forgiven can we have that personal relationship with Jesus that will help us through those sad times.
