06/01/2026
Names in Ruth
Names carry meaning. We are in the process of selecting a name for our fifth child, and historically, we have not officially named our children until after they are born. We like to see the baby, hold him or her, and “try on” the name before making it official. Our fourth child’s name is Ruth. We liked the name for a handful or reasons, but especially love the meaning.
The Hebrew meaning of the name Ruth means “compassionate friend”and our daughter seems to live into that name. Our Ruth loves to give hugs and offer her compassion when she sees someone crying. Recently, we were at a park and a boy hit his head on the playground equipment and started crying quite loudly. That cry caught Ruth’s attention and she started walking toward the boy to comfort him.
This month, our preaching series will focus on a book in the Bible whose main character, Ruth, displayed royal love to her mother-in-law Naomi. After Naomi’s husband and two sons died, Ruth remained by her side even though Naomi urged her to return to her home and her people:
16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return 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 will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” 18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more. Ruth 1:16-18
Naomi’s name comes from a Hebrew word that means “pleasant” or “joy.” But in the midst of her grief and upon returning home to Bethlehem, Naomi asked the women in her town to call her Mara, meaning “bitter” (Ruth 1:20).
20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?” Ruth 1:20-21
One can feel the deep hurt in Naomi’s words and can sympathize with her attitude toward God. What Naomi could not see in the midst of her grief was that God had not brought her back empty. God had given her Ruth, a Moabite daughter-in-law who would care for her and eventually provide her with a grandson (Ruth 4:13).
One name mentioned only a handful of times in the book of Ruth is God’s name. The characters talk about God a few times, but the narrator rarely ever mentions God explicitly doing anything in the story. And yet, God’s providence was at work behind every scene to bring redemption to not only Naomi, but to the nation of Israel at large. Naomi’s grandson, Obed, would become the grandfather of king David (Ruth 4:17)!
When it seems like God has dealt you a bitter hand, remember that he is up to more than you can see. When God appears absent or disengaged in the details of your life, rest assured that He is intimately involved. `While God does not promise favorable circumstances for his people, He does promise to work redemption and restoration and has provided a compassionate friend, Jesus, whose loyal love cannot be taken from you.
Your brother in Christ,
Pastor Adam
