Son for Naomi

One old woman siddon for one doorway for Bethlehem. Di neighbours don gather round her. Somebody gently put one new-born baby for her hand, and di woman wey once talk say, call me bitter, begin smile.

No be long before, Naomi bin come back Bethlehem with empty hand. She don comot many years before with husband and two sons, dey run from hunger. She come back as widow wey no get son, only one foreign daughter-in-law dey her side. When di women of di town see her, dem talk, na Naomi be dis? Naomi mean pleasant, wey sweet. No call me Naomi, she tell dem. Call me Mara, wey mean bitter. I comot full, and di Lord don bring me back empty. But Ruth stay. Ruth glean for di farms. And Boaz, one relative, redeem di family land and marry Ruth. Now di story don reach im last scene.

Di book talk am simple. Boaz marry Ruth, and di Lord make her get belle, and she born son. Make you notice who get di credit. Na di Lord give am. Ruth don marry for years for Moab and she no get pikin. Now, for Bethlehem, God give her son. And di first people wey celebrate na di women of di town, di same women wey hear Naomi talk say she empty. Blessed be di Lord, dem talk, wey no leave you today without redeemer. Make im name dey famous for Israel.

Then dem talk one fine thing about di baby. E go restore your life, dem tell Naomi, and e go take care of you for your old age. And dem talk something wey fine pass about Ruth. Your daughter-in-law wey love you, wey better for you pass seven sons, na she born am. Seven sons na di picture of perfect family. Ruth, di outsider from Moab, worth pass dat one. Naomi carry di pikin put for her lap and she become im nurse, she dey care for am like her own. Di women even give am im name. Dem don born son for Naomi, dem talk. And dem call am Obed, wey mean servant, or person wey dey serve.

Then di book add one line wey change everything. Obed born Jesse, and Jesse born David. Suddenly, dis quiet story about two widows and one barley farm don become part of something wey big no be small. Di great-grandmother of Israel greatest king na one Moab widow wey choose Naomi God. Di book end with list of names, from Perez, Tamar son, come down through Boaz reach Obed, Jesse and David. Bethlehem, di small town where Naomi come back empty, go come dey famous as di city of David. And many hundred years after, di prophet Micah go talk say from Bethlehem one ruler go come out for Israel.

Di name Bethlehem come from two Hebrew words, beit, wey mean house, and lechem, wey mean bread. House of bread. Di book of Ruth start with hunger for there, when di house of bread no get bread, and e end with harvest, wedding and baby. Bethlehem dey for farm area for south of Jerusalem, wey grain farm and hills for sheep surround. Na di same place where Jesus, wey call imself di bread of life, go born.

You go find dis ending for Ruth chapter four, verse thirteen reach twenty-two, and Matthew call Ruth and Obed name for di family line of Jesus. Naomi think say her story don end, but God dey write new chapter. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When life dey feel empty, how Naomi story fit help you trust say God still dey work?