INTRODUCTION: Naomi made a mistake. She should never have left Judah in the first place. Although, she did; and within ten years she lost her husband, two sons, and became saddled with two heathen daughters-in-law. She had nothing in Moab, except three graves. Like every Christian who leaves God's house of bread, which is the center of his will, Naomi felt the heavy lash of God's chastening hand upon her back.

I. UPON RECOGNIZING GOD'S CHASTENING UPON HER, NAOMI WAS CORRECTED THEREBY:

 A. Two phrases in verses 6 and 7 reflect the genuineness and completeness of Naomi's repentance and subsequent separation:

1. Verse 6 says "she arose ... that she might return from the country of Moab," and verse 7 says "she went forth out of the place where she was ... on the way to return unto the land of Judah. "

2. Repentance is by definition "to change one's mind," according to WEBSTER'S NEW WORLD DICTIONARY. One might be sorrowful and weep bitterly, but if there is no change of mind, there is no genuine repentance. Conversely, though tears often accompany true repentance, there may be none; yet true repentance has occurred, if there is a change of mind.

3. These statements about Naomi in verses 6 and 7 make it clear that she had, indeed, repented or changed her mind, in view of the Lord's chastening upon her. She had thought that in Moab she could find peace and prosperity to top what she had in Bethlehem-judah. That thinking was contrary to what God had promised. God had said the place for a "pleasant one" (literal meaning of Naomi) was in the house of bread within the land of praise. We are told in James 1:25, "But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. " Notice the necessity of being in the right place to receive blessings. By her actions to return to Bethlehem-judah, it is evident that Naomi had abandoned her vain thoughts about prosperity in Moab, and had come to agree with what God said.

B. Whenever a child of God decides to separate himself, he needs to recognize as did Naomi that separation is twofold:

1. The first aspect of Naomi's separation was that "she went forth out of the place where she was," verse 7:

a. Whenever a child of God realizes he's in the wrong place, the first thing he ought to do is separate himself from that place or get out of the place.

b. God's Word teaches us, "wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil, " Isaiah 1:16. It says, "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice," Eph. 4:31. II Cor. 6:17 says, "Wherefore come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing." Eph. 4:22 exhorts, "that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts." Romans 12:9 says, "Abhor that which is evil."

c. Like every believer should, Naomi, by leaving Moab, was practicing this first aspect of separation. A truly repentant heart had moved her to get out of the wrong place.

2. Naomi's second aspect of separation was that she "went on the way to return unto the land of Judah," verse 7:

a. It is not sufficient merely to get out of the wrong place; it is just as necessary to get in the right place :

(1) It is a matter of separating from something, but also to something; from evil to good.

(2) God's people need to get out of wrong places, but also into right places. There must be some subtracting and also some adding.

b. God's Word says cease to do evil, but it also says, "Learn to do we// ', " Isa, 1: 17. It talks about putting off some things, but it also says put on some things as in II Peter 1:5-7 which says, "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; [6] And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; [7] and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity." We're told to come out from the wrong crowd, but also to "assemble ourselves together" with the right crowd in Heb. 10:25. Ephesians 4:22 says put off the old man, but Ephesians 4:24 says, "put on the new man;" Romans 12:9 says "abhor that which is evil," but continues by saying, "c/eave to that which is good. "

c. The same repentant heart, which moved Naomi to get out of the wrong place, also moved her to get in the right place. True repentance will work that way every time.

3. The Christian, who is just "anti everything" is not a truly separated Christian, regardless of how negative he may be:

a. It is not enough to depart from error. Separation also requires adherence to the truth.

b. It is not enough to be anti evil. One must also be pro right.

c. God's chastening was not only designed to get Naomi out of Moab, but also to get her across Jordan, where the land of blessing was located.

II. THOUGH NAOMI REPENTED, HER DISOBEDIENCE HARSHLY AFFECTED HER AND THOSE AROUND HER:

A. We've already seen some of the harshness that Naomi faced:

1. Her husband and two sons died, verses 3, 5.

2. She was left alone in a heathen land with two heathen daughters-in-law.

3. She and the two girls apparently had so little that they could carry all they owned on their backs, and a decision to stay or leave Moab could be made as they walked to the border.

4. Naomi said, "the hand of the Lord is gone out against me, " verse 13; and "the almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty..... the Almighty hath afflicted me," verses 20-21.

5. Naomi changed her name to Mara meaning "bitter" in verse 20.

B. But instead of this heavy hand of chastening upon Naomi causing her to be rebellious, she was penitent; and her testimony drew the daughters-in-law after her:

1. Verse 7 says as "she went forth out of the place where she was" that "her two daughters-inlaw" went "with her. "

2. Paul said, "Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men," in II Cor. 3:2; and every one of you Christians should never forget that whatever you do is always going to affect other men for the better or for the worse. Romans 14:7 says, "None of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. " Right action on your part, a repentance from wrongdoing, a departure from wrong living, and a godly determination to do right will often inspire those around you to go with you.

3. Of course, as in the case of Lot, who fled Sodom in fear, not repentance, our lack of genuine repentance at the dealings of God will cause no one to go with us. When Lot left Sodom and pleaded with his sons-in-law to go with him, "he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons-in-law, " Genesis 19:14.

4. Our obedience to God will affect other people, as will our disobedience. People are either the better or the worse for meeting us.

C. But, these girls, who went on the way with Naomi, were also suffering because of Naomi:

1. Naomi's questions of verses 11-13 show the predicament they were in because of her:

a. Their husbands were dead because of her; Naomi was not pregnant, nor did she ever expect to marry and bear children. That meant these girls could never expect to marry any future sons from Naomi. Furthermore, if Naomi should immediately conceive and bear a son, by the time he was old enough for marriage, these two Moabite girls would be old women.

b. Long prior to Naomi's day, God had specified that whenever an Israelite husband died, the widow was to marry no one except a brother of the dead husband. The husband's brother was obligated to marry the widow, and the first son of such a union was to be reckoned in the name of the dead husband. Listen to God set it forth in Deuteronomy 25:5-10, "if brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband 's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her. [6] And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel. [7] And if the man like not to take his brother's wife, then /et his brother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother. [8] Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him; and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her, [9] Then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother's house. [10] And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed." According to Matthew 22:24-27, this custom was still being practiced in the days of Jesus, long after Naomi's day.

c. So, because of God's chastening hand upon Naomi, Ruth and Orpah were backed into a situation where they were at liberty to marry no one except a son of Naomi; and Naomi had no more sons, and never expected to have more.

d. The situation was further compounded by the fact that marriage was about the only career for an Eastern woman of ancient times:

(1) There was no social security or welfare. All public jobs were held by men, and almost all land was owned by men. There were almost no opportunities for women. About the only alternatives to marriage were harlotry or slavery.

(2) Furthermore, since Jews were forbidden to marry Moabites (Ex. 34:16), Ruth and Orpah could not expect any Jew to marry them, if they followed Naomi to Judah.

e. So, it is easy to see how Naomi's statements and questions to these girls impressed upon them what a really bleak outlook theirs' was.

2. Naomi had the wisdom to see and was grieved over the fact that these girls were suffering and facing hardship mainly because of her sins, and the resultant chastening of God upon her. Notice her words in verse 13 "it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me:"

a. Naomi saw that due to her sins, these daughters-in-law were suffering.

b. The Lord afflicted Naomi, and she lost her sons; but in that affliction, the women of Moab lost their husbands, and husbands were what these eastern girls needed more than any earthly thing. Without husbands, their lives could be nothing but misery and troubles.

3. Every child of God should bear in mind that once he sins, innocent people around him are going to get hurt too: