Ladies Bible Class: Naomi's Choice ... Lesson 9

Naomi's Choices

Lesson 9: Take-aways from this study!

By Patsy Norwood © 2026.  All rights reserved.  Any and all commercial use of this study is prohibited.  Permission is given for use in ladies Bible classes as long as there are no changes made in the study and no monetary gain involved.  This Bible study is written for women.

In this final lesson we're going to look at some things we can take-a-way from this study.  Here are some that I came up with ...

We can’t always go by our feelings, Naomi felt God had abandoned her but He hadn’t.

God can make something good come out of our unwise choices when we are obedient to Him.

The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence.

We alone determine where we will spend eternity, the choice is ours.

Our spiritual health and security should be the driving forces in our decision making process.

We reap what we sow!

Sometimes, not getting what we want is the best thing for us.  Naomi wanted both of her daughters-in-law to stay in Moab, but Ruth refused.  God was working behind the scenes!

It’s never too late to turn back to God!

Our journey through life is driven by the choices we make.  When our choices take us away from God, there can be painful consequences as we saw in Naomi’s life.  How we react to those consequences is yet another choice we get to make.

Following are some Scriptures that I hope will encourage us to think carefully about the choices we make.

Joshua 24:15 (NASB) ... ¹⁵ If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” 

Circle the word choose.  What were the children of Israel not to choose?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

Proverbs 3:31 (NASB)

³¹ Do not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways.

Circle the word choose.  What was the audience admonished not to choose?  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

Proverbs 1:28-33 (NASB) ... ²⁸ “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me, ²⁹ Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the Lord. ³⁰ “They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof. ³¹ “So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way And be satiated with their own devices. ³² “For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them. ³³ “But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”

Circle the word choose.  What did they fail to choose?  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

Isaiah 65:12 (NASB) ... ¹² I will destine you for the sword, And all of you will bow down to the slaughter. Because I called, but you did not answer; I spoke, but you did not hear. And you did evil in My sight And chose that in which I did not delight.”

Circle the word chose.  What had they chosen? 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

1 Kings 18:21  (NASB) ... ²¹ Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word. 

What was Israel’s choice in this verse?  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

Deuteronomy 30:19-20  (NASB) ... ¹⁹ I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, ²⁰ by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.” 

Circle the word choose.  What is Israel being admonished to choose?  

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

 Exodus 32:26  (NASB) ... ²⁶ then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him.  

What was Israel’s choice in this verse?   

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Choices have been a part of mankind since Adam and Eve in the Garden, they were for Naomi and they are for us as well. It's so vitality important that we make choices with God as our guiding influence, that's what Naomi's story is all about, the choices she made, the consequences that followed and her/our Great Redeemer.  

This concludes our study on Naomi, I hope it has encouraged you to look more closely at the choices you make and the spiritual implications of each.  May God be glorified in all that we do!

patsy @ From This Heart of Mine

~ a place for women to gather and study God's Word ~ 

Ladies Bible Study: Naomi's Choices ... Lesson 8

Naomi's Choices

Lesson 8:  The End of the Matter!

By Patsy Norwood © 2026.  All rights reserved.  Any and all commercial use of this study is prohibited.  Permission is given for use in ladies Bible classes as long as there are no changes made in the study and no monetary gain involved.  This Bible study is written for women.

Last week we left Naomi and Ruth on the path to getting settled, safe and secure, but first ...

Ruth 4:9-13

Before long the end of the matter was settled and the results shared with Naomi and Ruth.  Boaz had redeemed Naomi and Ruth’s inheritance and Ruth became Boaz’ wife.

Ruth 4:9-12 (NASB) ... ⁹ Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. ¹⁰ Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today.” ¹¹ All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem. ¹² Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the Lord will give you by this young woman.”

But that’s not the end of the story, it never is with God when we are obedient to Him.  Boaz and Ruth had a son, whom they named Obed.  Obed became the father of Jesse and Jesse became the father of David, the man we know as “a man after God’s own heart!”  

¹³ So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.  ¹⁴ Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. ¹⁵ May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” ¹⁶ Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. ¹⁷ The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.  ¹⁸ Now these are the generations of Perez: to Perez was born Hezron, ¹⁹ and to Hezron was born Ram, and to Ram, Amminadab, ²⁰ and to Amminadab was born Nahshon, and to Nahshon, Salmon, ²¹ and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed, ²² and to Obed was born Jesse, and to Jesse, David.

Acts 13:22 (NASB) ²² After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.’

Questions: 

1.   Did Boaz ‘redeem’ Naomi and Ruth’s inheritance?

2.   Did Boaz and Ruth marry?

3.  Who was their son?

4.  Verse 16 tells us that Naomi ‘became her grandson’s nurse’ meaning that she cared for him as if he were her own.  Can’t you just see her gazing down at this child, this grandchild that she never thought she would have, with a heart overflowing with love and quite possibly a tear or two rolling down her cheeks?  Starting with lesson one, what emotions has Naomi experienced thus far?  I’ll get you started …

                Lesson 1:  Desperation over the never ending famine

                                   Grief over the loss of her husband and sons 

                                   Resignation over Ruth’s determination to ‘not leave her’

 5.   What relation was David to Naomi?

Next week ... let's talk 'take-a-ways!'

Until then!

patsy @ From This Heart of Mine

~ a place for women to gather and study God's Word ~ 

Ladies Bible Class: Naomi's Choices ... Lesson 7

Naomi's Choices

Lesson 7:  A Time to Wait!

By Patsy Norwood © 2026.  All rights reserved.  Any and all commercial use of this study is prohibited.  Permission is given for use in ladies Bible classes as long as there are no changes made in the study and no monetary gain involved.  This Bible study is written for women.

Last week we left Naomi and Ruth about to embark on a time of waiting.  Let's see what that's all about ...

Ruth 4:1-8

Naomi’s advice after hearing Ruth’s response in 3:18 was one of wisdom.

Ruth 3:18 New American Standard Bible (NASB)   ¹⁸ Then she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he has settled it today.”

Waiting can be hard and I’m sure that Naomi and Ruth found this to be true during this time.  Can’t you just see Naomi and Ruth going about their morning chores discussing the previous night’s events wondering and waiting or, maybe they were both deep in thought with few words being shared.  Either way, you know this situation had to be occupying both of their thoughts!

In the meantime, Boaz went to the gate of the city to find the relative that was closer than he to Naomi and Ruth.  Once he found him he made known to him of Ruth and Naomi and inquired whether he wished to redeem Elimelech’s inheritance.  Boaz also informed the closest relative that if he did accept the role of redeemer, that Ruth would become his wife and he must raise up children in the name of Ruth’s deceased husband.  The man informed Boaz that he couldn’t redeem the land because it would jeopardize his own inheritance.  The man then passed the right to redeem Elimelech’s inheritance to the next closest relative, which was Boaz.  

Ruth 4:1-6 ... 1Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Turn aside, friend, sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. 2He took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. 3Then he said to the closest relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. 4“So I thought to inform you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if not, tell me that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.’” And he said, “I will redeem it.” 5Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.” 6The closest relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, because I would jeopardize my own inheritance.  Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it.”

What would become of Naomi and Ruth’s inheritance, what would become of Naomi and Ruth?  These were thoughts that I’m sure occupied Naomi and Ruth’s minds as they waited to see how the matter would be settled.

Questions:

 1.  What do you think Naomi and Ruth’s state of mind was, as they waited to see what their future held?

2.  Where did Boaz find Naomi’s ‘next of kin?’

3.  When Naomi’s ‘next of kin’ was notified that Naomi was going to sell the family land and that he had the first option to purchase it, what was his reaction?

4.  What changed his mind?

5.  Whose ‘hands’ are Naomi and Ruth’s future in now?

Next week ... the end of the matter!

Until then!

patsy @ From This Heart of Mine

~ a place for women to gather and study God's Word ~ 

Ladies Bible Study: Naomi's Choices ... Lesson 6

Naomi's Choices

Lesson 6:  Naomi Has a Plan

By Patsy Norwood © 2026.  All rights reserved.  Any and all commercial use of this study is prohibited.  Permission is given for use in ladies Bible classes as long as there are no changes made in the study and no monetary gain involved.  This Bible study is written for women.

Last week we left Naomi with a plan forming in her mind ... will she implement her plan or abandon it all together?  Let's find out ...

Ruth 2:18 - 3:18

Upon hearing how Ruth’s day of gleaning had gone Naomi urged Ruth to do as Boaz had said for her own safety and possibly for another reason.  Naomi also informed Ruth that Boaz was one of their relatives, one of their closest relatives.  This is an important fact that Naomi uses in Ruth’s favor a little later.   Naomi is clearly forming a plan for Ruth’s future.

Ruth 3:1 … “My daughter, shall I not seek security for you; that it may be well with you.”

Ruth 3:3-4 … ³ Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself and put on your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. ⁴ It shall be when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you shall do.”

By the end of barley season Naomi, knowing the customs and law regarding marriage among God’s people (Deuteronomy 25:5), seizes the opportunity to secure Ruth’s future. She tells Ruth to make herself up, put on her best dress and go down to the threshing floor where Boaz was winnowing barley along with others.

Deuteronomy 25:5 New American Standard Bible (NASB) ... ⁵ “When brothers live together and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the deceased shall not be married outside the family to a strange man. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and take her to himself as wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her.  

She instructs Ruth not to make herself known until Boaz finished eating and drinking and had gone to bed.  Once he had lain down Ruth was to quietly slip in, uncover his feet and then lie down at his feet.

Ruth did as Naomi said and in the middle of the night when Boaz awakened startled to find a woman lying at his feet, he inquired who she was.

Verses 9 – 15 gives us Ruth’s and Boaz’s conversation:

Ruth 3:9-15 New American Standard Bible (NASB) ... ⁹ He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative.” ¹⁰ Then he said, “May you be blessed of the Lord, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. ¹¹ Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence. ¹² Now it is true I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. ¹³ Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as the Lord lives. Lie down until morning.”   ¹⁴ So she lay at his feet until morning and rose before one could recognize another; and he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” ¹⁵ Again he said, “Give me the cloak that is on you and hold it.” So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her. Then she went into the city.  

The next morning when Ruth returned home to Naomi, Naomi inquired how it all went.  Surely, Naomi had spent a restless night wondering if she had done the right thing in making such a bold move on Ruth’s behalf.  Surely, she was anxiously awaiting Ruth’s account of the night.      

Questions:

1.  What is Naomi’s plan for Ruth’s future? 

2.  In Ruth 3:3-4, Naomi gives Ruth a series of commands:  “wash … anoint … put on … go down … do not make yourself known … notice … go … uncover … lie down.”  It seems that Naomi’s reasons for these instructions might be that she is telling Ruth it’s time to lay aside her period of mourning after her late husband’s passing.    It might also be that Naomi was preparing Ruth to give the signal to Boaz that she was ready to lay aside her widow’s garments and that she was available.

Under line the words “wash … anoint … put on … go down … do not make yourself known … notice … go … uncover … lie down” in the Scripture below.

^{Ruth 3:3-4 .... 3} Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself and put on your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. ⁴ It shall be when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you shall do.”

3.  From another perspective Naomi, a native Israelite, could have been instructing Ruth, a foreign Moabitess, on proper procedures in their land.  It seems that Naomi has definitely taken charge of the situation.  Do you think she had any doubts about what she was doing?  

4.  Boaz was quite a bit older than Ruth so it was possibly important to Naomi that Boaz realize Ruth would be interested in becoming his wife.  It seems that Naomi’s plan was to plant the idea of marriage between Boaz and Ruth in Boaz’s mind.  Was she successful? 

5.  Mostly likely the first thing out of Naomi’s mouth the next morning when Ruth returned home was something along the lines of ‘how did it go?’  

How did it go? 

Next week, all Naomi and Ruth can do is wait!

Until then!

patsy @ From This Heart of Mine

~ a place for women to gather and study God's Word ~ 

Ladies Bible Study: Naomi's Choices ... Lesson 5

Naomi's Choices

Lesson 5: A Time to Glean

Ruth 2:1-17

By Patsy Norwood © 2026.  All rights reserved.  Any and all commercial use of this study is prohibited.  Permission is given for use in ladies Bible classes as long as there are no changes made in the study and no monetary gain involved.  This Bible study is written for women.

Last week we left Naomi and Ruth getting settled in Bethlehem, let's see what happens next ...

We are not told where Naomi and Ruth lived once they arrived back in Bethlehem, but we are told that they returned at the beginning of barley harvest in Ruth 1:22, which corresponds with our April/May calendar. 

It had been about 10 years since Naomi had seen her native land and one wonders if she was able to reclaim the home she had shared with Elimelech … but we are not told.

 Ruth 1:22  (NASB) …  So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the land of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.

The next thing we read in chapter 2, verse 1, is that Elimelech (Naomi’s late husband) has a wealthy relative whose name was Boaz living in Bethlehem and that he owned fields full of barley.  

Ruth 2:1  (NASB) …  Now Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.

This is significant as it was the nearest kinsman’s responsibility to look out for the deceased's family.  Was Boaz the nearest kinsman?

In the margin of your Bible near chapter 2, verse 1, write the following:  Responsibilities of the nearest kinsman:  Leviticus 25:25; Leviticus 25: 47-49; Numbers 35:19; Deuteronomy 25: 5 – 10; Ruth 4. 

Naomi is familiar with the responsibility aspect of the nearest kinsman and later we’re going to see how she takes that knowledge and devises a plan for her and Ruth’s future.

But for the time being, Naomi and Ruth had to eat so when Ruth asked permission from Naomi to go to the fields and glean grain along with the other gleaners, Naomi consented.   What Naomi didn’t know was that eventually the gleaners would come to Boaz’s field.  

To ‘glean’ is to gather grain or produce left in the fields from the harvesting.  That’s what Naomi gave Ruth permission to do.  

Ruth 2:2-3  (NASB)  And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain following one in whose eyes I may find favor.”  And she said to her, “Go , my daughter.”  So she left and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

Can you see God providentially working on Naomi and Ruth's behalf!!!!   Whose field?  Who's the kinsman?  Is he the nearest kinsman?  If he's not, then what?  Are you beginning to put 'two and two' together?

Boaz happened along, greeted the gleaners and took notice of Ruth.  He inquired of his servant in charge of the gleaners as to who Ruth was.  The servant answered that she was the Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from Moab.

Ruth 2: 5 (NASB) Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” 

Since this study is about Naomi and not Ruth per say, I’m going to summarize the next few verses up through verse 17.

Boaz told Ruth not to go on with the other gleaners when they left his field but to stay with his maids who were also gleaning his field.  Boaz went even further and instructed his servants not to touch her, to leave extra grain for her and let her glean among the harvested grain.  Boaz was clearly giving Ruth special treatment.

Ruth inquired why Boaz was being so good to her and in essence, he told her it was because of the choices she had made and her commitment to Naomi. 

Naomi at the time is sitting at home and waiting … she doesn’t know what she’s waiting for … she’s just waiting.  One has to wonder if she’s reaching out to God in prayer or if she still feels like God has abandoned her.  She doesn’t yet realize that God is actively working on her and Ruth’s behalf.  She’s just waiting.

Do we ever find ourselves in a season of waiting?

Questions:

1.         What time of the year did Naomi and Ruth arrive back in Bethlehem?

2.         A wealthy relative is introduced, who is it?

3.         We read that Ruth asked Naomi’s permission to glean grain along with the other gleaners, what is gleaning and what are gleaners?

4.         Eventually the gleaners wind up in Naomi’s wealthy relative’s field, what is his reaction to Ruth?

5.         What reason does the wealthy relative give for his reaction? 

 Next week Naomi starts planning and plotting!

Until then!

patsy @ From This Heart of Mine

~ a place for women to gather and study God's Word ~ 

Ladies Bible Study: Naomi's Choices ... Lesson 4

Naomi's Choices

Lesson 4: Home at Last

Ruth 1:19-22

By Patsy Norwood © 2026.  All rights reserved.  Any and all commercial use of this study is prohibited.  Permission is given for use in ladies Bible classes as long as there are no changes made in the study and no monetary gain involved.  This Bible study is written for women.

Last week we left Naomi and Ruth embarking on a journey back to Bethlehem.  Let’s see what happens once they arrive …

Naomi and Ruth arrive back in Bethlehem and everyone was surprised and maybe a bit dismayed at what they saw.  Verse 19 tells us that, “…all the city was stirred because of them, and the women said, “Is this Naomi?”

Naomi was ready with her reply in verses 20 and 21 allowing her bitterness to surface.  “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.  I went out full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.  Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

It’s clear that Naomi blames God for her current circumstances and that she is bitter about it.  It would appear that Naomi feels like God is against her and that He has abandoned her.  Little did she know that God had not abandoned her at all but was working behind the scenes to make something good come from the difficult circumstances in which she found herself.

God is like that isn’t He?  He can take a bad situation and make good come from it, if we let Him.  Romans 8:28 gives us that assurance …

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

But Naomi’s situation occurred before the New Testament was written, so she didn’t have the complete written word as we do today.  Have you ever thought about how blessed we are today?  We have God’s completed and written Word, we don’t have to depend on word of mouth or bits and parts of God’s revelation for us.

Naomi lived under the law of Moses and was the recipient of the historical evidence of what God had done for His people, of how He had taken care of them.  Should she have known better than to get all up in her feelings?  Didn’t her heritage show God’s provision and care?

Conquering our feelings is one of the hardest things we’ll ever do, isn’t it?  It was that way for Naomi, and it continues to be that way for mankind today.  The devil wants us all up in our feelings making impulsive reactionary decisions … and when things don’t go as we want, do we blame God … like Naomi did?

However, we today can see what Naomi couldn’t see then … God was working behind the scenes!

Does God work behind the scenes in our lives today?  Here’s something I wrote several years ago along with a bit of background for context …

Several years ago, I spoke at a lady’s day event on the topic of hope and used the following poem I had written.  First, the background ...

During the presentation, I talked about three benefits of having hope:

1.  Eternal life  (Titus 1:1-3)

2.  God taking our mistakes and making good come from them  (Romans 8:28)

3.  God working behind the scenes in our lives (Romans 8:28)

I asked the ladies to think about one thing that they longed for other than their home in heaven and I shared that the one thing that I longed for, other than my home in heaven, was that my loved ones who have drifted away from God, would return to Him.

I then shared how I had been particularly burdened with thinking about this one night on the way home from a Bible class my husband and I were taking and how I had silently cried out to God in prayer yet again as I rode home that night.  I went on to tell the ladies that I suddenly felt the urge to start writing so I picked up my cell phone and started typing. 

Here's what I wrote that night …

on the way home …

in our automobile …

in the dark …

using my cell phone ...

 

I’m Working Behind the Scenes

By Patsy Norwood, All Rights Reserved

I know your heart is aching,

I hear your agonizing prayers.

These words are for you My child,

I’m working behind the scenes.

 

I know you love your loved ones,

Please know that I do too.

Just listen to My word’s dear child,

I’m working behind the scenes.

 

Your loved ones have gone astray,

How hard that is to bear.

Just remember these words dear child,

I’m working behind the scenes.

 

I know that you grow weary,

I see your tears when they fall.

Remind yourself of this dear child,

I’m working behind the scenes.

 

The things that you’ve asked for,

Are indeed according to My will.

Be patient while I work it out,

I’m working behind the scenes.

 

Keep on keeping on dear one,

For nothing is impossible with Me.

Just hold on to these words My child,

I’m working behind the scenes.

 

 Questions:

1.       What was everyone’s reaction to Naomi when she and Ruth arrived back in Bethlehem?

2.      What was Naomi’s response to everyone’s reaction?

3.      Who does Naomi blame for her situation?

4.      Who and what really had put Naomi in the situation she was in?

5.      Had God abandoned Naomi?

6.      Does God abandon His faithful children today?

7.       Go back to lesson one and look again at the verses we talked about that assure us that  God never forsakes His children.  Write out your favorite and post it somewhere you will be able to see it every day.

 

Next week, we start to see how God works behind the scenes on behalf of Naomi and Ruth.

Until then!

patsy @ From This Heart of Mine

~ a place for women to gather and study God's Word ~ 

Ladies Bible Study: Naomi's Choices ... Lesson 3

Naomi's Choices

Lesson 3 … Two Choices

Ruth 1: 6-18

By Patsy Norwood © 2026.  All rights reserved.  Any and all commercial use of this study is prohibited.  Permission is given for use in ladies Bible classes as long as there are no changes made in the study and no monetary gain involved.  This Bible study is written for women.

Last week we left Naomi grieving over her sons’ death and the all-important question of what to do now?

Naomi now has more choices to make … let’s pick up there …

Naomi’s first choice was whether to stay in Moab or go back to Bethlehem. 

It was the drive for physical nourishment that drove Elimelech and family from Bethlehem, will it be that same drive that sends Naomi back to Bethlehem? 

Nowhere are we told that spiritual considerations were taken into account in either decision making process, Elimelech or Naomi’s.  Naomi, upon hearing that the famine was over in Bethlehem, decided to return home.    It seems Elimelech and Naomi’s decisions were both based on their physical needs and not on what would be best for them spiritually.  Even though returning to Bethlehem was the best spiritual based choice for Naomi, it was not her reason for going home.  According to verse 6, Naomi’s reason for returning to Bethlehem was physical nourishment.

Ruth 1:6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the land of Moab, for she had heard in the land of Moab that the Lord had visited His people in giving them food.

 Naomi’s second choice was what to do about her daughter’s-in-law?

When Naomi had the conversation with her daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, she admonished both of them to go back to their families and start a new life.  Her reasoning was that she had nothing left for them and that she was going home.  After some urging Orpah relented and returned to her family, Ruth however refused to leave Naomi and was determined to return to Bethlehem with her.

Ruth 1:7-18  So she departed from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 8 And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 May the Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10 And they said to her, “No, but we will surely return with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I should even have a husband tonight and also bear sons, 13 would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is harder for me than for you, for the hand of the Lord has gone forth against me.”  14 And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.  15 Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the Lord do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.” 18 When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.

 Naomi is going home but she is going as a changed woman; she is going back without her husband and sons, with a whole lot of bitterness towards God and with a daughter-in-law who refuses to leave her side. 

    Questions:

            In this lesson we learn that Naomi had two choices, what was the first one?            

            What did Naomi choose and what was the reason for making the choice she made?

                   What was Naomi’s second choice?

                  Was Naomi’s decision to leave her daughters-in-law behind spiritually wise for them?

                  How did Naomi want her second choice to play out?  Did it go the way she wanted?

                 Verse 13 gives us a glimpse into Naomi’s heart, what does it tell us?

                 Verses 16 & 17 contain a beautiful promise and pledge that Ruth made to Naomi, what was it?

                 What was Naomi’s reaction to Ruth’s pledge?

                 Contrast the Naomi that left Bethlehem with the Naomi that is heading back to Bethlehem.  What is the difference? 

Let’s talk a bit about our decision-making process:

            Do we base our decisions on our feelings?  Is that good or bad?

Are we honest with ourselves about the reason for the decisions we want to make, or do we dress it up and hide it amongst other reasons?  God knows the real reason; would the real reason be pleasing to Him?

Do we asked God for wisdom, guidance and discernment before making big decisions, or any decision we’re not sure about?

Do we need reassurance that God is willing, waiting and ready to help us in our decision-making process?  Look at James 1:5 …

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

There you go, go ahead and ask God, you have His permission!

This concludes lesson 3 of our study on Naomi.  I hope you’ll choose at least one of the questions above and answer it in the comments below. 

In lesson 4 Naomi is home at last!

Until the next time!

patsy @ From This Heart of Mine

~ a place for women to gather and study God's Word ~ 

Ladies Bible Study: Naomi's Choices ... Lesson 2

Lesson 2

Naomi’s Choices

By Patsy Norwood © 2026.  All rights reserved.  Any and all commercial use of this study is prohibited.  Permission is given for use in ladies Bible classes as long as there are no changes made in the study and no monetary gain involved.  This Bible study is written for women.

In our last lesson we set the stage for what’s about to happen next!  Let’s see what that is …

Time-out!  Before embarking on this lesson, I want you to be mindful of what is missing ... what we have no record of ... 

Let's get started ...

Ruth 1:3 (NKJV) … Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons.

We don’t know how long Elimelech and Naomi had been in Moab when tragedy struck, Elimelech died leaving Naomi and her two sons (age unknown) in this foreign land alone.   Naomi, however, did not choose to go back to Bethlehem after her husband’s death but chose rather to remain in Moab.  Could it be that they hadn’t been in Moab very long and the famine in Bethlehem was still raging? 

Could it be that the family had become entrenched in Moabite life and considered it home?  We are not told the reason why, but now Elimelech’s choice became Naomi’s choice, and she chose to remain in the land of Moab with her sons where foreign worship was all around them influencing their every choice.

 Verse 4 …  Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years.

Mahlon and Chilion chose Moabite wives entrenching the family even more in the Moabite lifestyle.  Mahlon married Ruth and Chilion married Orpah.  It certainly seems that they planned to stay in Moab long term. 

We need to take note here of who is making the choice to stay in Moab.  Who is it?

Verse 5 …  Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband.

Some scholars suggest that the death of all three of these men, Elimelech, Mahlon and Chilion, was due to their leaving Israel and the young men marrying foreign women.  God had warned Israel about intermarriage with unbelievers in Exodus 34:12-16 and in Deuteronomy 7:1-4 because of the potential negative spiritual effects.  Could this be the reason?    This is a good discussion question.

Exodus 34:12-16  (NASB) … 12 Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst. 13 But rather, you are to tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their Asherim 14 —for you shall not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God— 15 otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they would play the harlot with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone might invite you to eat of his sacrifice, 16 and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might play the harlot with their gods and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods.

 Deuteronomy 7:1-4 (NASB) … 7 “When the Lord your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and stronger than you, 2 and when the Lord your God delivers them before you and you defeat them, then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them and show no favor to them. 3 Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. 4 For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods; then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and He will quickly destroy you.

Naomi, Ruth and Orpah are now all three widows in Moab with no visible means of support and Naomi, in the midst of her grief, is once again faced with a dilemma and must decide what to do.

 

Questions:

1.            After Naomi’s husband died, she has a choice before her, what is it?

 

2.           What are some spiritual implications of Naomi’s choice?

 

3.           The next big events in Naomi’s life that we read about are weddings, who got married and who did each marry?

 

4.           It seems that Naomi and her sons intended to stay in Moab long term, verse 4 gives us two indications that this might be the case, what are they?

 

5.           Why should staying in an area where one is spiritually in danger be a concern?

 

6.           Tragedy strikes again, this time with Naomi’s sons, what happened? 

 

7.           This lesson ends with Naomi facing the same choice she faced when we began this lesson, what is it?

     8.           What are some take-aways from today’s lesson?  I’ll get you started:

 

Spiritual Choices Matter!

Before we close out this lesson, did you figure out what was missing, what we have no record of ... we have no record of anyone consulting God on the choices at hand!  Hmmm ... are we ever guilty of not praying/consulting God in our decision making?

This concludes lesson 2 of our study on Naomi.  I hope you’ll choose at least one of the questions above and answer it in the comments below.  

In lesson 3, Naomi is faced with two choices.

Until the next time!

patsy @ From This Heart of Mine

~ a place for women to gather and study God's Word ~