Ruth would have none of this foolish talk, and she made this abundantly clear to her mother-in-law. The more Naomi protests her miserable state, the more we are being prepared for a great work of God. There was a shortage of bread in Bethlehem, which towns name means house of bread. So what did Elimelech and his family do? This little family of four basically had two choices when they found themselvesat the crossroads: There they made a new home and seemedto do well (the Bible does not give us many details)until Elimelechdied. In the brief narrative no critical comment What route might one take from Bethlehem to Moab? There was no famine there Why did So the woman was left all alone bereaved of her two children as well as her husband! They emigrated from famine-stricken Israel to Moab (1-2). If Elimelech, Naomi, Mahlon, and Kilion suffered because of their sins, they deserved it. What Naomi does mention pertains to marriage and child bearing. The Messianic seed was often put at risk in the Old Testament. Naomi, so to speak, put all of her eggs into one basket marriage and bearing children. And she was honored to be a part of the messianic line.34. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; document.getElementById('cloak79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c').innerHTML = ''; No wonder they didnt have a great reputation. Naomi seems to be encouraging Ruth to accompany Orpah as she returns home. WebYet, you guessed it; Moab is the very place that Elimelech chose as his destination for bread. First, departing from Israel for Moab is to leave Gods land, the land He gave His people, the land in which Jehovah dwelt. Start for FREE. Ruth is the perfect story of transition. When we met, I had no idea who he was, but he introduced himself something like this, Hi, Bob, Im Nate Mirza. Elimelech had a wife named Naomi and two sons, Mahlon and Kilion. May your acts of kindness be repaid fully by the LORD God of Israel, from whom you have sought protection! (Ruth 2:10-12, emphasis mine). He is the ancestor of the Ammonites of today (Genesis 19:30-38, emphasis mine). Therefore all those who separate themselves from the same, or do not join themselves to it, act contrary to the ordinance of God.At first blush, Ruth 1:1-5 records a very simple human story, involving a family of four, consisting of a man and his wife, Elimelech and Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion (2). This email address is being protected from spambots. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. Ruth 1:22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her I think the message is pretty loud and clear: Liz Curtis Higgs wrote a book, THE GIRLS STILL GOT IT, about the story of Ruth. Naomi adds one final argument in favor of Orpah and Ruth returning home to Moab. Would he trust in God's promise to provide food for his family in the land or would he leave in fear? The place known for refusing Israel bread is the very place Elimelech chooses to move his family for bread. Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? When a famine came to the area around Bethlehem, Elimelech and Naomi moved to Moab (Moab was the name of Lot's elder However, even if the date does not match exactly with the conclusion of Judges, the author is definitely pointing us back to Judges and to something that occurred in that time. She was Naomis other daughter-in-lawthe wife of her other son. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. It was completed by more than twenty biblical scholars who worked directly from the best currently available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. She was married first to 16 The expression, the Sovereign One (rendered the Almighty by most translations) is the term Shaddai. Required fields are marked What are the duties of a sanitary prefect in a school? Who even remembers her name? Ruth 1:1. 38 The younger daughter also gave birth to a son and named him Ben-Ammi. His sons, on the other hand, decide to stay or to dwell in Moab. Hence, we can connect a theme in Judges with the events unfolding in our story here in Ruth. They struggled to find employment or they never really settled in their new environment or they experienced tragedy in their families (though few had it as hard as Naomi). Other than weeping, Orpah remains silent;20 Ruths words and actions are what the author has chosen to report. Its tough to do. Ruth's story springs up beautifully in the context of this agonizing cycle of failure, except with Ruth we are pointed to the need for more than a judge; there is a need for a faithful husband. All scripture [including the first five verses of Ruth] is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in0 righteousness (II Tim. As they entered Bethlehem, they became the talk of the town. Naomi was now left without a husband, without sons, and without grandchildren. WHEN YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF MOAB | At the Crossroads. Lot and his family were spared, but his wife died (turned to salt) because she looked back. 8But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, Go back to your mothers homes. Not even death would separate them. God bless you! And they went to the country of Moab and remained there. Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. Indeed, Ruth begins with a stark opening sentence that is intended to alarm the reader. Her husband and sons are gone, so the choice is now hers. This man, who is yet unnamed, left the land of promise. Naomi was preoccupied with the here and now, rather than trusting in Gods covenant promises by faith. May the Lord punish me severely if I do not keep my promise! Just as God had told the Israelites to remain in the land, He had also warned them about intermarriage with foreigners who may turn them to false gods. 2The mans name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. Such people are in misery, and honestly, they make those around them miserable as well. Why do we know this? She would have been very much at home in our Postmodern world. var addy_text79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c = 'Stated Clerk';document.getElementById('cloak79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c').innerHTML += ''+addy_text79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c+'<\/a>'; 2014 Protestant Reformed Churches in America. To walk in the steps of Abraham, one like Ruth would need to: (1) leave her relatives; (2) leave her homeland; and, (3) trust God to bless her as she sought to bless her mother-in-law. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. We can be sure from this word that Elimelech had every intention of staying in Moab temporarily. Judah (through whom the messianic line would be traced) kept his third son from a Levirate marriage with the first sons widow, and then had sex with a woman he thought was a cult prostitute.31 God not only preserved the messianic line, He was faithful to fulfill His (Abrahamic) covenant32 with Abraham. What is wrong with reporter Susan Raff's arm on WFSB news? From Ruth 4:13, one might infer that God prevented both Orpah and Ruth from bearing children to their husbands. Or, Ruth was Naomi's daughter in Lot was turned to salt because she looked back at the city. Surely it fell short of what Ruths experience will be. In fact, we might even think that Elimelech was being a good provider by looking out for his family. Who thinks of Orpah today? There is no reason for you to return to Judah with me! It was a good number of years ago that I sat in on an excellent elective class taught by my friend, Tom Wright. I pray that you, like Ruth, have forsaken all confidence in yourself and have cast yourself upon the one true God for salvation. First, departing from Israel for Moab is to leave Gods land, the land He gave His people, the land in which Jehovah dwelt. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 2 Then I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, so that you will exemplify divine blessing. This takes risk, obedience, and movement in a totally different direction. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. var addya1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68 = 'billlangerak' + '@'; A famine was ravaging the land, and so Elimelech moved his family away from Web(3) Naomi selleth . Hebrews 10:25 exhorts us, Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another.Sixth, Elimelechs family left God. document.getElementById('cloaka1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68').innerHTML = ''; var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; Even if we realize that there are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.. New Living Translation (NLT). This should not come as news to us, but it is a truth that has not come easily to Jews, even some Jewish Christians.33 It is Naomi who fails to live up to the faith of her fathers, while Ruth is an example for all to follow, Jew or Gentile. Now that Orpah has decided to turn back, Naomi appears to have more leverage. var addy6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19 = 'spronk' + '@'; Systems of Transliteration Citation of Proper Names. The wonder is that God remained faithful to those who so easily abandoned Him. He lived in Bethlehem during the time of the judges. Then grief befell them in Moab! May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us! 18When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more. Ruth does not cling to Naomi as a kindred spirit, but as a very needy person. The scene requires Elimelech to make choices about his family's future. Thus, we cannot say with certainty that the story of Ruth occurs late in the period of the judges, though this seems likely. Ruth was a superlative servant of God.Naomi and her family had sojourned in Moab during a famine. Another label for pragmatism is doing what seems right in our own eyes. That was the spirit of the age during the days of the judges. One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth. The psalmist maps out a common progression in the life of sin. "Then," he might say, "we will return to the land of promise." Note Judges 21:25. Humanly speaking, staying with Naomi does not offer much promise of a good life for these Moabite widows. After Mahlon died and Ruth had And yet as the story of Ruth unfolded this time, it suddenly became obvious to me that Naomi was no role model. 35 Or who has first given to God, that God needs to repay him? 9 May the Lord enable each of you to find security in the home of a new husband! Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept loudly. We already noted that irony occurs when something that usually means one thing is deliberately twisted or changed so that it transmutes into the opposite. Thus, the reader of this narrative is forced to see the covenant connection between famine and the passages found in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. 3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your children will conquer nations and will resettle desolate cities (Isaiah 54:1-3). The son of the oldest daughter was named Moab; the son of the younger daughter was named Ammon. I am reminded of Satans strategy in the Garden of Eden. These choices are also related to the covenant and to the unfolding theme of our story. You can easily imagine the many tears she shed, tears which were all stored in Gods bottle (Ps. In spite of the fact that Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and his two sons (Mahlon and Kilion) are living according to the spirit of their day (doing what is right in their own eyes), two people (Ruth and Boaz) stand out as examples of those who live by faith in the God of Israel, and whose lives exemplify living in accordance with Gods Word. 31 Later the older daughter said to the younger, Our father is old, and there is no man anywhere nearby to have sexual relations with us, according to the way of all the world. This faithless man journeys to the worst possible place one can imagine as it relates to the hope for bread, to the land of Moab. document.getElementById('cloak6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19').innerHTML = ''; during the time of the judges in Israel. The something that occurred is immediately coupled together with the problem of a famine. The barley harvest will play a significant role in moving this story forward in the next two chapters. Ruth 1:1b. A man of the tribe of Judah, living in Bethlehemjudah at the time of the Judges (Ruth i. And that this may be the more effectually observed, it is the duty of all believers, according to the Word of God, to separate themselves from all those who do not belong to the church, and to join themselves to this congregation wheresoever God hath established it, even though the magistrates and edicts of princes be against it, yea, though they should suffer death or any other corporal punishment. 1, iv. It certainly would be safer for the two women to travel together, but it is Orpah who will travel alone, not Ruth. Anyone is at liberty to use this lesson for educational purposes only, with or without credit. But sadly for his sons, then never comes, and they die in Moab. In short, Naomi is a picture of Israels spiritual condition at this point in their history. She was not a Jew, and she had not been raised by parents who taught her the law. Named after a female character, Ruth could be described as a romantic book, for it begins with several tragedies and it contains a courtship (of a sort) which issues in a marriage (between Ruth and Boaz) and the birth of their son (Obed). var addy_texta1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68 = 'Classical Committee';document.getElementById('cloaka1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68').innerHTML += ''+addy_texta1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68+'<\/a>'; To an ancient Israelite, the idea of famine in the land should have confronted them with a theological challenge. 2 (Now the mans name was Elimelech, his wife was Naomi, and his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. From start to his family's finish, Elimelech acted contrary to his name and to the lessons of redemptive history. Her faith and obedience was known by all. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; The term Ephrathites identifies the men with Ephrath. Her boys ended up choosing Moabite women to marry and these women became part of Naomis family. Was it at Naomis initiative that her sons took Moabite women for wives? WebAs a result, the socio-economic fabric of society was falling apart, and a famine gripped the land. Call me Mara because the Sovereign One has treated me very harshly. Could it be that this is a pointer? So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland. The genealogy provided in chapter 4 would incline us to believe that the events of Ruth took place later rather than sooner in the period of the judges, because Ruth is the great grandmother of David.17 But other than this, there do not appear to be any direct links to events or persons in the Book of Judges. Many of the commentaries on Ruth argue that the initial setting provides a mere backdrop to the story and nothing more. I think I understand generally what Paul is saying here, based upon the promise in Jeremiah: 33 But I will make a new covenant with the whole nation of Israel after I plant them back in the land, says the Lord. in 1971. That is why some men and women will choose never to marry or to bear children. 1 In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, Naomi instructs us to beware of Calvinism run amuck. The Promised Land, which was supposed to be characterized as a fruitful land, is now described as dry. Elimelech responds with fear and flight. Naomi tended to focus only on herself, on her lack of sons to give in marriage, and on her lack of a child to carry on the family line. This means that we can find redemptive theology or theological concepts not only taught explicitly, but also reinforced as the theology is embedded in the very structure of the text. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. They emigrated from famine-stricken There is yet another irony in Elimelech's choice of Moab. God had just destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of their great sin. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there. All good stories are generally divided into three basic parts: a problem, an unraveling, and a solution.1Following this pattern, Ruth's narrative has an opening scene that introduces us to a genuine predicament. food. God has chosen to save Gentiles as well as Jews. Return to Bethlehem (Ruth 1) 1 During the time of the judges there was a famine in the land of Judah. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary She had heard that the famine was over and was hoping to make a new start. Each of you should return to your mothers home! Who will be the judge that does not fall like Samson fell? And so this older daughter persuaded her younger sister that both of them needed to get their father drunk, and then each should lie with him, so that they might produce offspring for their father. Is it really Naomi? the women asked. In her third attempt, she orders Ruth to follow her sister-in-law back home. The translation project originally started as an attempt to provide an electronic version of a modern translation for electronic distribution over the Internet and on CD (compact disk). Perhaps one reason why the author does not make a major point out of the theme of divine judgment is because his purpose is to emphasize divine mercy, not only as God provided food for His people, but also in His providential provision of a family and a posterity for Naomi and Elimelech. Moabwas fun, it was easy, and it was making me feel good. Some are so focused on courtship and romance in Ruth that they overlook its instruction on joining, staying in and never leaving Gods church. However, as they lived in the land and were not faithful, then God would bring famine. Moabs hostility and opposition to Israel continued on into the period of the Judges. There the sacrifices were made, bespeaking the full and rich atonement made for our sins on the cross. And with Gods help and the support of others who love you and are moving in the same direction, make the decision to get out of Moab today. Joseph's family were given the land of Goshen to live This email address is being protected from spambots. How could any faithful Israelite encourage someone to return to their (false) god(s)? But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi. Look with me at these words from Genesis 19, taking up just after the account of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and Lots escape, along with his daughters: 30 Lot went up from Zoar with his two daughters and settled in the mountains because he was afraid to live in Zoar. Ruths words are her covenant with Naomi, with Israel, and with God, patterned after Gods covenant with Abraham and his descendants: Only death will be able to separate me from you! (Ruth 1:16-17). Id like to deal with our text by calling your attention to the contrasts the author has highlighted in the first chapter of Ruth. Ruth, the eighth book in the Bible, is relatively short, consisting of just four chapters. You may not even notice this at first, but the very first man in the story remains unnamed. Many, including me, are troubled by the times in which we live, but this is no excuse for ungodly behavior. Therefore, when we read of the times of the Judges and we also see that there is a famine in the land, we are confronted with a setting that is charged with theological/redemptive meaning. In our text, Naomis conversation with her daughters-in-law is couched in language that gives the appearance that she is encouraging them to return to their families and their land because this would be in their best interest. Why shouldn't he leave the land to find food? where did these children come from? (Isaiah 49:20-21). Will he respond with repentance and humility or will he seek blessings outside the land? The law was there to remind them that they couldn't join together the clean with the unclean. The book of Ruth opens with an Israelite, Elimelech, leaving Bethlehem with his wife Naomi and two sons, Mahlon, and Chilion. The Lord continue to prosper your ministry. While they were in Moab, Elimelech died, leaving Naomi and her two sons. 10 From what we learn from the Book of Ruth, one does wonder what role Naomi played in this decision. The sons married Moabite women and later died, and Elimelech also died.Naomi decided to return to Israel, and her daughter-in-law, Ruth the Moabitess, accompanied her with the intention of converting to Judaism. That person is a true Jew at heart. The law had made this clear to God's people using the illustration of yoking of a donkey with an ox. We are not told how wide-spread it was, but we do know that it affected Bethlehem (which ironically means house of bread). God had given the Israelite a way of understanding the world and life in the land. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them (Hebrews 11:13-16). This is leaving Almighty God out of a big issue, whether or not to stay in the church!Third, the very first verse of Ruth states, Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled Certainly, this is a temporal indicator, telling us when these events took place. Thanks for sharing and God bless your ministry. And then, within 10 years, both Naomis sons died. The lot of widows was especially hard in those days, but for a widow in a foreign land, like Naomi, it was even more difficult.We are not altogether unfamiliar with stories like this. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Her commitment is not just to Naomi; it is a lifetime commitment to Israel and to her God. She has no husband to father sons, and she is too old to bear children anyway. 9May the Lord bless you with the security of another marriage. Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept. For example, the opening lines point us back to the book of Judges and one of the recurring themes in that book. I would be very reluctant to conclude that Ruths husband or his parents taught her the law. 25 Translations differ here, but I think that this daughters choice of words is very important to consider. They left the judges, prophets, priests and Levites whom God had placed in His Old Testament church. var addya1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68 = 'billlangerak' + '@'; But what she fails to see is that God is only increasing her problems to the level of human impossibility, so that He can demonstrate His power and grace through her weakness. There is something particularly encouraging about our text. Naomi and her sons lived in Moab for ten years and then both Mahlon and Kilion died as well, childless. WebElimelech Moves His Family to Moab 1 In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. She was willing to sacrifice family ties, marriage, and a family to do so. i. Design by Social Village. They werent just turning their backs on their hometown of Bethlehem and its people: they were turning their backs on God. WebHence, Elimelech decided to go to Moab anticipating that his sons might marry the daughters of Eglon. This email address is being protected from spambots. 3 Sometime later Naomis husband Elimelech died, so she and her two sons were left alone. Yet, you guessed it; Moab is the very place that Elimelech chose as his destination for bread. What a delight it becomes to experience the layers of irony unfolding into a beautiful story that breathes with love, life, and hope. 1100. The land of Moab had been a consistent place of curse for the people of God. law. than the children of the married woman, says the Lord. so this might not seem like a big deal to us. Save 15% on BibleGateway+ with code SPRINGSTUDY15. Thus, when Elimelech began to purse daughters for his sons, ironically, he went to a place cursed for this very action. Wow, Pat! 10 But they said to her, No! The inference is clear: to remain with Naomi has no promise of blessing and every reason to expect that they will share in her divinely-imposed affliction. 3Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons. Scarcity of food compelled him to emigrate with his family to Moab, where he died, and where one of his sons married Ruth (ib. Sometimes we have to leave people too. She had left her country and lost her husband and both her sons. The Cross And Separation From The World (1 Peter 4:1-6), 7. For the children of the desolate one are more numerous. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; The oldest daughter (who will become the mother of Moab) saw their situation as impossible. Maybe you remember this from the story of Naomi and Ruththere was a third woman standing at the crossroads when they had to decide between staying in Moab or returning to Judah. 15 So Naomi said, Look, your sister-in-law is returning to her people and to her god. Ruth opens with a startling statement of famine. But the most dramatic new development in Naomis argument is her reference to Orpahs god: 15 So Naomi said, Look, your sister-in-law is returning to her people and to her god. 1 Copyright 2010 by Robert L. Deffinbaugh. Ruth 1:1-5. 1 Shout for joy, O barren one who has not given birth! 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous before God, but those who do the law will be declared righteous. We are connected theologically with the last verse of Judges as it unfolds in Ruth, but with curses that will be reversed by a faithful husband rather than a judge. In Judges 19-21, we find a similar situation. When they return, Ruth meets Boaz, and he fulfills the role of kinsman redeemer. What a great story. The sin of leaving Israel?Second, Ruth 1:1-5 is the only scene in the book in which the name of God is not mentioned. They came empty (at least according to Naomis assessment see verse 21), but God would not let them go hungry (or childless). The scriptures don't mention Naomi's parents, just the fact that WebElimelechs Family Goes to Moab.
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