¹⁹ Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, “Is this Naomi?” ²⁰ But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. ²¹ I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?” ²² So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.

1:19

Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem.

It was a long and arduous journey from Moab to Bethlehem (about 60-75 miles). This trip would have taken over a week.

And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, “Is this Naomi?”

Evidently Naomi experienced significant change in the eyes of the women of Bethlehem. She was now a desperate and desolate widow. The town was abuzz because of her return.

1:20

But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

The name “Naomi” means pleasant but “Mara” means bitter. She left Bethlehem with a husband and two sons; now she came back without any of them. Naomi chose to focus on her hardships. She forgot that God is faithful to His promises.

The word “Almighty” is “Shaddai,” the one who is sufficient. By using the name “Almighty” for God, Naomi put emphasis on His great power to provide. She understood that grief in her life came from God. She could not avert God’s design for her life.

1:21

I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

Naomi contrasted her former life with her present situation. She claimed that the Lord had brought her back “without a thing,” or empty-handed. This statement is ironic because Ruth stood by her side as she spoke, a gift of God.

1:22

So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.

This statement provides closure to the previous scene as well as making the transition to the next scene in the barley field.

PRINCIPLE:

Acceptance of God’s sovereignty is the place of rest in the believer’s life.

APPLICATION:

We need to place all our experiences under the arrangement of God’s sovereignty. Accepting God’s sovereignty is the only way we can cope with the pain and uncertainties of life. No tragedy in life is an accident; God’s hand is on each event. God can make all things work together for good (Ro 8:28).