Ruth and Naomi -"Where You Go I Shall Go" -Ruth and Naomi in Bethlehem

It is, of course, one thing to put loyal love into words; it is quite another to prove the quality in action. Ruth had before her the opportunity to show her loyal love not only to Naomi but also to the God whom she chose as her own,  Jehovah.

The two women finally reached Bethlehem, a village about six miles (10 km) south of Jerusalem. Naomi and her family, it seems, had once been quite prominent in that little town, for the whole place was buzzing with the news of Naomi's return.  The women there would peer at her and say, "Is this Naomi?" Evidently , her sojourn in Moab has left her much changed; her countenance and bearing showed the mark of years of hardship and grief. -Ruth 1:19. 

To those kinswomen and neighbors of years past, Naomi revealed how bitter her life had become to her. She even felt that her name should be changed from Naomi, which means "My Pleasantness," to Mara, which means "Bitter."  Poor Naomi!  Much like Job before her, she believed that Jehovah God had brought her hardships upon her. -Ruth 1:20, 21;  Job 2:10; 13:24-26.  

As the two women settled into life in Bethlehem, Ruth began thinking about how best to take care of herself and Naomi. She learned that the Law that Jehovah had given to his people in Israel included a loving provision for the poor.  They were allowed to go into the fields at harvestime and follow the reapers, gleaning what was left behind as well as what grew at the edges and corners of the fields. -Leviticus 19:9, 10; Deuteronomy  24:19-21. 

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