God's People: Orpah

But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had considered his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back each of you to your mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband.” Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. They said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the Lord has turned against me.” Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
So she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” ~ Ruth 1:3-15

OK, I'm going to try really hard not to accidentally type Oprah here!

Orpah (not Oprah) is the other daughter-in-law of Naomi. The one we don't generally hear about.

Admittedly, there isn't much here to tell, but of all the characters in the book of Ruth, something about this woman, who appears so fleetingly in the story, strikes a chord with me.

Maybe it is because Orpah didn't do anything wrong. She does what's expected. She follows her mother-in-law's directions when Naomi tells her to go home.

She goes back to her family. It's where she will be safe. It's where she might have a future. It's where the rules tell her to go.

And yet it isn't the rule following Orpah we remember. It will be Ruth, who steps off the expected path - who doesn't follow the rules. It is this rule bending girl who God will make a nation out of.

At this point in Hebrew scripture if we know anything, we know that God is ever moving outward - beyond the boundaries we construct, and even beyond the boundaries God constructs.

Always moving further and further outward. Not retreating to the safe or expected.

There is nothing wrong with Orpah. We don't find her demonized in the story compared to Ruth. 

But there is this sense that Orpah missed out on something great, isn't there? That in playing it safe, she didn't get to take part in the great adventure of God.

Our church communities are full of both Orpahs and Ruths. And I'll admit that for a lot of my life, I've been more Orpah: following rules, staying with the familiar. Not taking risks in the great adventure of God.

God loves Orpahs just as much as Ruths. Of that I have no doubt.

But if we are always Orpahs, then are we missing out on something: missing out on the great, expanding, and abundant life that God is offering?

God's invited us to be part of the adventure. And that means sometimes we have to break the rules and not play it safe.

Prayer: God of expanse: Send me. Help me to step out of my comfort zone and move into the places of discipleship and mission that you have created me for in this great adventure of faith. Amen.

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