So the woman was left all alone bereaved of her two children as well as her husband! Lot was turned to salt because she looked back at the city. For example, the opening lines point us back to the book of Judges and one of the recurring themes in that book. Her commitment is not just to Naomi; it is a lifetime commitment to Israel and to her God. We are not told how wide-spread it was, but we do know that it affected Bethlehem (which ironically means house of bread). And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? Naomi also made it clear that this was because (in her mind) God had dealt harshly with her.16 Naomi measured Gods blessing only in terms of food and of family. Some returned to the land of their birth.Is this what we have here in Ruth 1:1-5? So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him. 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. God bless you! 1. Return to Bethlehem (Ruth 1) | Bible.org How could Naomi encourage Ruth (and, by inference, Orpah) to return to their god(s), when doing so would condemn them eternally? Ruth and Naomi Unlike Orpah, who returns to her Moabite family in obedience to Naomis wishes, Ruth insists on traveling to Bethlehem with Naomi. Other than weeping, Orpah remains silent;20 Ruths words and actions are what the author has chosen to report. Here is a story that not only warms our hearts, it encourages our faith by unveiling the providential hand of God in bringing salvation and blessing during one of the darkest periods in history. Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? He is slow to anger, and He does forgive sin. in 1971. Such people are in misery, and honestly, they make those around them miserable as well. In Genesis 12, God tested Abraham's faith in his promises. Then we find that such ways become comfortable, and so we stand or linger in them. - Quora Answer (1 of 4): Because there was a famine in Israel, so he went to another country presumably It may be. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; addya1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68 = addya1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68 + 'sbcglobal' + '.' + 'net'; In short, Naomi is a picture of Israels spiritual condition at this point in their history. We cry out in frustration and desperation, "Who will free the people of God from this vicious cycle of failure and death? Whether its a place we dont belong or a relationship going in the wrong direction or an activity were ashamed of or a habit thats strangling us, we need to get out of Moab. She seems to have little or no conviction regarding her sins, the sins of her husband, or of the sins of the nation. 1, iv. As noted in the introduction, biblical narrative has redemptive or covenantal structure. (Ruth 1:1+2). Moab was a pagan land that worshipped many false gods and practiced human sacrifices. 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). When they return, Ruth meets Boaz, and he fulfills the role of kinsman redeemer. 3), he was of the family of the Hezronites. They emigrated from famine-stricken Israel to Moab (1-2). during the time of the judges in Israel. Ruth is the perfect story of transition. Web214 views, 46 likes, 14 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Reels from Prayers Move Mountains: Ruth 2:20 "The LORD bless him!" It reminds me of a horror movie in which the setting lets everyone know that something terrible is inevitable. law. But is this really all that the first five verses of Ruth contain? It is not only Ruth and Naomi who benefit from Gods work in the Book of Ruth, for everyone who has been saved by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ has been saved by the offspring of Ruth and Boaz. A famine plagued Israel in the days of the judges. As they entered Bethlehem, they became the talk of the town. This is entirely consistent with Old Testament history and with the warnings recorded in Leviticus 26:18-20 and Deuteronomy 28:23-24. Famine in the Old Testament is a call to repentance and to covenant renewal. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary She was married first to The book also presents a kinsman redeemer (Boaz) who buys back or redeems his deceased relatives wife (Ruth). And then, within 10 years, both Naomis sons died. 11 The thought occurred to me that Naomis journey back to her homeland traced the steps of the Israelites when they first entered the Promised Land. 9. In such a declared emergency, she reasoned, they must take extraordinary measures. Lots older daughter neatly avoided the moral implications of what she proposed. Elimelech had a wife named Naomi and two sons, Mahlon and Kilion. Elimelech exhibits an almost crazy decision when he left Bethlehem, the house of bread, and sought bread from Moab. Because her family died Why did Elimelech and his family go to Moab? moved to Bethlehem with her mother in law, Naomi, she met and They produced offspring for the Benjamites by orchestrating the kidnapping and rape of 200 virgins.26 The Israelites were like Moabs mother in that they were thinking and acting like Moabites. It is a beautiful story of redemption and restoration. Even if I thought that there was hope that I could get married tonight and conceive sons, 13 surely you would not want to wait until they were old enough to marry! The security in the home of a new husband referred to earlier is now spelled out in plainer terms. 22So Naomi returned from Moab, accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth, the young Moabite woman. 12No, my daughters, return to your parents homes, for I am too old to marry again. We find Ruth contrasted with Orpah, and then with Naomi. Who would want Naomi for a mother-in-law? There was a shortage of bread in Bethlehem, which towns name means house of bread. So what did Elimelech and his family do? Stated in the words of the author of Judges, every man (and woman) was doing what was right in their own eyes. Here is a woman who is not walking by faith, but by sight, who is not living according to the law, but in disregard for it. A Bethlehem forsaken for Moab - STEM Publishing Her boys ended up choosing Moabite women to marry and these women became part of Naomis family. These choices are also related to the covenant and to the unfolding theme of our story. Elimelech died (of what, we are not told), leaving Naomi a widow, and Mahlon and Chilion orphans, in a foreign land (3). Who was Elimelech in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org We should first note that Naomis words here are prompted by Orpahs decision to return home. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. Then she firmly stated her commitment to Naomi, to Israel, and to Israels God as a covenant. First, we have references to three deaths in one small family (3, 5). But wait, it gets even better! addy4e942a4423f495800f38cd74f5bbd140 = addy4e942a4423f495800f38cd74f5bbd140 + 'prca' + '.' + 'org'; 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? There is yet another irony in Elimelech's choice of Moab. But about ten years later, 5both Mahlon and Kilion died. Ruths spiritual journey is similar to that of Abraham. This is the modern understanding of weather. land of Israel, which included Bethlehem where Elimelech and Naomi No wonder God forbade Moabites from entering the assembly to the tenth generation.7. 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. document.getElementById('cloak6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19').innerHTML = ''; 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. 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. If you desire to join a community where you can meet others for hope and encouragement on your faith journey, I would love to have you as a fellow traveler. In Numbers 25 we hear that the Israelites were beginning to fornicate with the Moabite women, and as a result God began to kill the men then with a plague. This is the edited manuscript of Lesson 1 in the series, Ruth: A Story of Redemption, prepared by Robert L. Deffinbaugh on January 10, 2010. He came alongside Eve as her friend, as someone who was doing her a favor. A descendant of Nahshon mentioned in connection with the erection of the tabernacle (Numbers 1:7). var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; Elimelech was a faithless husband who led his family into the yawning jaws of death. God said that Moab was strictly off-limits for the Israelites. Thankfully, she later confessed and returned to Israel.Elimelechs sin is condemned inBelgic Confession28: We believe, since this holy congregation is an assembly of those who are saved, and out of it there is no salvation, that no person, of whatsoever state or condition he may be, ought to withdraw himself to live in a separate state from it; but that all men are in duty bound to join and unite themselves with it, maintaining the unity of the church; submitting themselves to the doctrine and discipline thereof; bowing their necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ; and as mutual members of the same body, serving to the edification of the brethren, according to the talents God has given them. The first concerns our Lord Jesus Christ. Both the Benjamites sin and their judgment are similar to what happened in Genesis 19. Ruth Access 50+ premium resources. Your Moab. Then the progression of sin is complete. There are those who attempt to guild the lily as they read the Book of Ruth, desperately seeking some basis for making a pious Israelite of Naomi. ELIMELECH - JewishEncyclopedia.com We, too, live in very pragmatic times, and those who live by principle especially the principles of Gods Word are few and far between. 25 Translations differ here, but I think that this daughters choice of words is very important to consider. Today, people move all the time for jobs, family, location, schools, etc. She had left her country and lost her husband and both her sons. He intended to leave the Promised Land briefly in a time of famine, but his sons decided to live in the foreign land. Web(3) Naomi selleth . It would also seem that Naomis barrenness was divinely imposed.18, (5) Moab was not the place of Gods promised blessings; Israel was.19. I am now inclined to believe that Ruth is an example of Romans 2:12-16. Anyone is at liberty to use this lesson for educational purposes only, with or without credit. (One was named Orpah and the other Ruth.) How could any faithful Israelite encourage someone to return to their (false) god(s)? Obviously, Naomi had changed. Ruth and Naomi are very different people. 3:16).Ruth 1 itself indicates the spiritual significance of its first five verses. In Esther, the people of God were supposed to return to the Promised Land, but they chose instead to dwell in the apparent peace and safety of Persia. We shall see more about this in chapter 3. It took two attempts to convince Orpah to turn back and three attempts to convince Naomi that her efforts to turn Ruth away were futile. We know that this backfired because Balaam could not curse those whom God had blessed.5 When this approach did not work, Balaam counseled Balak how to harm Israel in a very different way by having the Moabite women seduce the Israelite men.6 One might easily infer from this that the Moabites, like the Canaanites, were a sexually immoral people (in a way that tempted the Israelites). From these events, we can easily see that the Moabites were no friend to Israel. They entered the region of Moab and settled there. 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. I am no longer capable of giving birth to sons who might become your husbands! The all-powerful God was making Naomis life miserable, so she thought and said. Ruth focused on Naomi and her need and on Naomis people and their God. so this might not seem like a big deal to us. Orpah seems to have no great spiritual interest in Israel or in the God of Israel. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Naomi is not at all like Ruth or Boaz; she is, in fact, a backdrop against which Ruth and Boaz are contrasted. In her mind, this was the normal, the customary, way to produce offspring. Her name was Orpah. 16But Ruth replied, Dont ask me to leave you and turn back. You will note from the first verse of chapter 1 that the setting for the story of Ruth is the times of the judges. His occupation is not known; the Bible never says. 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. I am always seeking fellow travelers on the journey, so I hope you stay awhile, check out my free resources, and find encouragement for your soul. Both were traveling with Naomi as she made her way toward Israel. No, my daughters, you must not return with me. What a great story. For I am too old to get married again. How wrong Naomi was. PRC-Related: RFPA, Standard Bearer, Reformed Witness Hour, Etc. Ruth was the great grandmother of King David. Why did Elimelech live with his family in Moab? This family would have journeyed north to Jerusalem and then crossed the Jordan River by Jericho. Is God judging here? var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; The best thing for Orpah and Ruth to do was to return to their people and their gods, Naomi concluded. Isnt it so cool how the Bible is like that? Lot fled with his daughters and was living in a cave. For did Elimelech and his family really go up to all of the three pilgrimage feasts each of the ten or so years they spent in Moab (Ruth 1:4)? 15 In fact, if they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 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. I am so grateful for your encouragement! Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. In her third attempt, she orders Ruth to follow her sister-in-law back home. When famines strike the land, they are not the result of a bare meteorological phenomenon. It was my friend Dave Austin who reminded me of the danger of pragmatism from this text. But, like Naomi, God started taking things away from me one by one, so I was left standingat the crossroadsall by myself. Did Billy Graham speak to Marilyn Monroe about Jesus? where did these children come from? (Isaiah 49:20-21). Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Without a doubt, this is the most amazing and distressing thing Naomi has said so far. Leaving the people of God is leaving the God of His people. Famine drove them to leave their homeland and travel to Moab to make a new life. Yet, you guessed it; Moab is the very place that Elimelech chose as his destination for bread. She does not acknowledge sin on her part (and Elimelechs), and she does not seek to repent. var addy4e942a4423f495800f38cd74f5bbd140 = 'laning' + '@'; That is to say, the setting has redemptive or covenantal significance. WHEN YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF MOAB | At the Crossroads. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 19 and Micah 5:2. 2On one level the rabbi is exactly correct. Orpah and Ruth were committed to returning to Israel with their mother-in-law. Start your free trial today! Learn how your comment data is processed. So God says in Deuteronomy 4:1. Many are the times when friends counsel others to act in their own best interests, and all too seldom do they point their friends to the difficult principles and commands of Scripture. Ruth 1 RSV;NIV - Elimelechs Family Goes to Moab - BibleGateway Ruth would have none of this foolish talk, and she made this abundantly clear to her mother-in-law. She would go where Naomi went and live where she lived. Id like to deal with our text by calling your attention to the contrasts the author has highlighted in the first chapter of Ruth. Nobody would yoke a donkey with an ox because one is smaller and it wouldn't work. But Ruth refuses to abandon Naomi and clings to her tightly.
Skyward Employee Login,
Odyssey Of The Seas Thermal Suite,
Chynna Phillips Testimony,
Judge Andrew Nicol Conflict Of Interest,
Husqvarna Lc221rh Drive Cable Replacement,
Articles W