What ever happened to Orpah?

What ever happened to Orpah?

No, I'm not talking about Oprah. The television talk show goddess. That so many women (ahem, people) adore and talk their socks off about.

I'm sure if someone really wanted to know about her, they could Google her, or Facebook her, or follow her on Twitter, or buy her magazine, or join her book club, or something…

But the woman I'm referring to Orpah. The girl mentioned in the Bible in the book of Ruth. And it's  100% doubtful that if the Bible doesn't tell us where exactly she went and what exactly happened to her, then we won't be able to find out the hard-and-fast truth of her whereabouts. At least not one with a Holy Spirit backing,stamp, seal, and inspiration packaged around it.

At first glance, you may be like I was. You think Orpah's just a supporting character. She's in the shadow of the spotlight. She's on the sidelines, riding the bench during the most exciting parts of the game. She's the back-up singer that adds something, but isn't quite necessary. She's a one-scene-and-she's-done type of actress.  She simply moves the plot from point A to point B….

Or is she?

Maybe you don't care.

Maybe you don't think it makes a difference where she ended up.

I mean, "If God wanted us to know, He would've told us," right? Maybe you're right. Maybe it doesn't matter after all.

But perhaps, you're in a different boat, heading in a different direction. You're now thinking, "Hmmm… you may be on to something, buuuut Rosemary, the title of the book is RUTH. Let's not get carried away. Let's simply focus on that the main character and the main story at hand."

Or perhaps, maybe you rowing in your little boat and you've just come upon the shore of a new line of thought….

maybe you've just never sat down and thought about it long enough to notice. 

Please don't get me wrong: I love the story of Ruth. I love her commitment to integrity, hard work, faithfulness to those she loves, and her unwavering heart that followed after God. 

I love knowing that God is always at work behind the scenes. And love watching love stories unfold. In God's way. and in His timing. for His ultimate glory. I love the picture that Boaz is of Christ. Not only the impeccable qualifications he exhibits as a-more-than-capable Redeemer, but His overwhelming willingness to do so. It. gets. me. every. time.

Being raised in church, I've heard the story of Ruth and Boaz over and over and over again.

But tonight, in Bible study, was different. (Perhaps, I just was searching for something deeper.)

I wanted, rather longed, to know just what happened to Orpah?!? I actually looked it up in my Bible, and I couldn't find it.  Yes, Ruth 1:14-15 tells us that Orpah "kissed her mother-in-law" (Naomi) and "returned to her people and returned to her gods." But what next??

Please tell me that bothers someone other than me. Or at least that it has some of you at the very least, curious.

I hope so. Because that's what my heart was asking God tonight. "What happened to Orpah?"

This is the simple answer He spoke directly into my heart tonight:

"Ruth lived by faith. She lived to be an integral part of My story as a result.

Orpah lived by sight. She lived to be a part of her own story, amongst her own people, worshipping her own gods. I wasn't even invited into her story. Her living-it-up-via-sight crowded out her giving-it-up-via-faith."

With that response from the Lord, I realized this. The initial prompting of that question wasn't and isn't about Orpah at all.

It's about me.

And it's about you.

When people think back to you and your life story and ask, "What ever happened to so-and-so?"

What will they say?