Exposition
Not many Christians pay attention to genealogies in Scripture. In the genealogy of Christ recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, four women were mentioned: Tamar, Rehab, Ruth and Uriah’s wife (Bethsheba). All these women would easily be judged by people as not being worthy of the privilege of appearing in the earthly lineage of Christ. They, however, won the favour of God, who does not show favouritism.
It is said that you eventually become like the people you spend most of your time with. That can be true to a very large extent. Ruth found herself in the company of a godly woman and the people of God and that turned her life around for good. Orpah, on the other hand, went on to be with her own people and was never heard of again.
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:33 that bad company corrupts good character and also in Proverbs 27:17, we read that iron sharpens iron; so one man sharpens another. The people you associate with have a direct impact on the outcome of your life. You should not take for granted the choice of friends you make. There should be someone in your life that you can look up to and whom you give permission to correct and speak into your life. You can also have other people who you can build up through a supportive mentoring relationship. God is prepared to work with you to mold the life of other Christians.