Nisan 8 – She heard that the LORD had visited His people…

April 6, 2025

01 – Nisan, Firstfruits (Reshit Ketzir), Judah, Moab, Passover (Pesach), Ruth

Nisan 8, 5785; from sunset April 5, 2025, to sunset April 6, 2025

(The eighth day of the first month)

These are the names Naomi and Ruth as seen in the Aleppo Codex, written over 1,000 years ago.

Today in the Bible, we are weaving yet another story into the tapestry of the Passover narrative. This one is from the book of Ruth. Even though Passover is not mentioned by name in Ruth, we intend to show a connection.

The book of Ruth begins with the story of Elimelech, a man who lived in Bethlehem with his wife, Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. The text tells us that there was a famine in the Land. Elimelech moved his family from Bethlehem to the land of Moab. One supposes that he was looking to provide food for his family. In Hebrew, Bethlehem is “Beit Lechem” which means “House of Bread.” By its name, Bethlehem sounds like it would be a good place to be during a famine; nevertheless, Elimelech made the decision to leave. Sometimes we do stuff like that; leaving something or somewhere or someone because we think it may be better somewhere else.

While in Moab, Elimelech died. Mahlon and Chilion married Moabite girls. After about ten years, they died too, leaving Naomi with her two daughters-in-law. One spring day, Naomi heard that the LORD had provided food for His people back in Bethlehem. The crops were growing well, and a good harvest was imminent. Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem and her two daughters-in-law wanted to come with her. This is where we’ll pick up our story.

Then she (Naomi) arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the LORD had visited His people by giving them bread. Therefore she went out from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. – Ruth 1:6-7 (NKJ)

The text does not give us a date for this event; but if we do a little detective work, we can get close. Ruth 1:22 states that the women arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. The Bible tells us that no one was allowed to harvest, consume, buy, or sell this grain until the priests waved a sheaf of barley as the Firstfruits offering before the LORD. This offering took place on the day after the Sabbath of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The journey from Moab to Bethlehem probably took about a week to ten days. Naomi and the girls likely left Moab sometime around now in order to arrive in Bethlehem by the beginning of the barley harvest. We hope you’ll join us as we continue following the story of Naomi and Ruth, throughout the spring months.

To read all of our posts about Naomi and Ruth, please click on the image above.