“Who do you ‘cleave’ to?”

Elimelech was a man from Bethlehem-Judah who married a woman from the country of Moab. Her name was Naomi. They had two sons who married Ruth and Orpha from Moab. Soon, the man and his two sons died, leaving his wife, Naomi, and two daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpha, to “not have a man” in the family… It was a disaster. He would be the one to inherit land. Every woman “had to have” a man child. So now, both of these young women were childless. Naomi, along with her two daughters-in-law, set off for a journey to Judah where they heard that there was food. Naomi was a good woman. She knew that these two girls would need to “move on” in life, get another husband, and have children. So, on the road, she stopped and encouraged them to “go back” and find a husband. Both women began to plead and cry. They did not want to leave their “mother-in-law,” but she insisted. Finally, Orpha “kissed her mother-in-law” and left, but “Ruth still clave to her.” The word “clave” is a very strong word. 

Have you ever said a “painful goodbye” to someone? Maybe someone that was dying that you did not want to let go. Or, how about separation from a child or a friend? You held on tight until the last minute. I remember being on La Gonave Island in Haiti, years ago. It was the first time that I had ever seen a child die of starvation. The people called me to come, and when I got there the mother “clave” to the dead child and would not let go. The men of the village had to “pry her arms away” in order to bury the child. When I think of the words “cleave to,” these are the pictures in my mind. It means, “don’t let go at any cost.”

Today, who do you “cleave” to? Do you wrap your arms, legs, and love around Jesus and say, “I will never let go?” That’s what He wants us to do. Deuteronomy 10:20 says, “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.”

Have a great day and stay “close” to Jesus! Sherry