The blessed story of Ruth is well told in Scriptures. Ruth today, inhabits eternity with God, and represents a key character in Scripture to the point of naming a Bible Book after this former Gentile woman. Truly, Ruth is a huge lesson to all who will walk with God.
Conversely, Orpah’s story in Scripture, though short, is an epitome of all disheartening stories of all failed walkers with God. Her unpleasant retreat to Moab and eternal destruction is well known. Too bad her story is.
Under grace, there have been many Ruths over the ages. Likewise many Orpahs! But Orpahs under grace divide into two broad groups. There is the group that retreat physically, and spiritually of course. And there is the group that retreat spiritually but around physically.
We explain this below with near poetic effect:
So, Orpah left visibly and spiritually,
And under grace many Orpahs there are gone back:
Some retreat from day one, some others much later,
Some exit both visibly and spiritually,
Others leave spiritually but visibly seen:
All for want of roots, lack of heavenly vision!
So, there are ‘old’ Orpahs back to the world out there;
And then ‘new’ Orpahs lost to the world-in- the-church!
Which is why, God’s infallible Word do caution:
“Examine yourself whether you’re still in the faith.”
Like Ruth consecrated, heavenward we need be!
Of the Orpahs out there the Church must reach out to.
And this mix-of-world-and-church Orpahs in the Church;
These who think they can go Canaan path ‘with the world’;
These wanting to ‘make’ the Church part of hell’s broad-way;
Sweeping their number; clouding the gospel in minds,
And making the way of truth evil spoken of,
May we by way of truth that frees point to the Cross!
