He is slow to anger, and He does forgive sin. Did Billy Graham speak to Marilyn Monroe about Jesus? She then kissed both of them, a very clear signal of dismissal. As a relative of Boaz (ib. 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. 54-55). Even if we know it is best togo. She gave them very pragmatic counsel, based upon what could be seen, rather than on Gods Word and the principle of faith. But, like Naomi, God started taking things away from me one by one, so I was left standingat the crossroadsall by myself. B. It has been supplied by the translators. Scarcity of food compelled him to emigrate with his family to Moab, where he died, and where one of his sons married Ruth (ib. No, of course not, my daughters! Shouldnt Ruth follow her lead? She had heard that the famine was over and was hoping to make a new start. Elimelech responds with fear and flight. var addy_texta1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68 = 'Classical Committee';document.getElementById('cloaka1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68').innerHTML += ''+addy_texta1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68+'<\/a>'; 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. 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. Both women initially refused to heed Naomis exhortation to leave her and return to Moab. during the time of the judges in Israel. Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely (which is exactly what we see later when Boaz the faithful husband responds to God with faithfulness remember he lays down on a huge pile of harvest from the land). But ten years later tragedy hit struck again as both of Naomis sons diednow leaving three women defenseless, alone, and with no way of supporting themselves. Moabwas fun, it was easy, and it was making me feel good. 9May the Lord bless you with the security of another marriage. Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept. She was full when she had a husband and two sons; now she was empty, for all she had was Ruth. Naomi did not doubt the existence of God nor did she doubt His power. Then the progression of sin is complete. The only time the land was dry was during times of curse. We cry out in frustration and desperation, "Who will free the people of God from this vicious cycle of failure and death? Judah married a Canaanite woman, and two of his sons died because of their sin. Ruth 1:2b. Famine in the Old Testament is a call to repentance and to covenant renewal. There do not appear to be many generations between Boaz and David, but biblical genealogies dont always include every genealogical link in such cases. But about ten years later, 5both Mahlon and Kilion died. But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. God bless you! The all-powerful God was making Naomis life miserable, so she thought and said. 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. This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband. It was completed by more than twenty biblical scholars who worked directly from the best currently available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. 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. Psalm 1:1-2. And they will do this because they believe they are doing their friend a favor. That is why some men and women will choose never to marry or to bear children. Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, moved to Moab during a famine. of Orpah in the Book of Ruth. 1When Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to commit sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab. In her thinking, God had stripped her of all hope by taking her husband and her sons in death, and by preventing their wives from bearing children. 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)? She had to leave her family, her homeland, and her gods and go to the place of Gods blessing. 3, 4). She returned to Moab. For you are the temple of the living God. 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! Without a doubt, this is the most amazing and distressing thing Naomi has said so far. Do Eric benet and Lisa bonet have a child together? Note Judges 21:25. Naomi thought of Gods blessings in terms of having food and a family. This is the modern understanding of weather. Is God telling you to get out of Moab? 19So the two of them continued on their journey. The contrast between Naomi and Ruth is very clear when the two womens words and actions are viewed from the vantage point of the Abrahamic Covenant. Is it really Naomi? the women asked. The closing chapters of the Book of Judges contain some of the most gruesome accounts in all of the Bible homosexual Benjamites want to rape a guest in their city; a woman is brutally gang raped by these same men; her husband seems more than willing to sacrifice her to save his life, and then he chops her dead body into twelve pieces which he delivers to every part of Israel. At the very times when outward appearances look to us as though God is against us, God is at work behind the scenes for us. As Elimelech searched for bread, he went to the worst place in the world for bread. Elimelech is confronted with more than merely the problem of feeding his family; he has a covenantal choice set before him. May the Lord show you the same kind of devotion that you have shown to your deceased husbands and to me! No wonder God forbade Moabites from entering the assembly to the tenth generation.7. And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which. In her third attempt, she orders Ruth to follow her sister-in-law back home. No wonder they didnt have a great reputation. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. Yet, you guessed it; Moab is the very place that Elimelech chose as his destination for bread. I will be their God and they will be my people (Jeremiah 31:33). Save 15% on BibleGateway+ with code SPRINGSTUDY15. The just God, of course, is right in so doing, for He is judging sin.We also have Ruths beautiful and moving words to Naomi: Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me (16-17). Another crossroadsbut now the decision falls to Naomi to choose. And it happened or came to pass when the judges judged "famine" was in the land. 1 Copyright 2010 by Robert L. Deffinbaugh. What are the qualities of an accurate map? 17 Wherever you die, I will die and there I will be buried. Warren Wiersbe, one of my favorite Bible teachers, puts it like this: Emilelech walked by sight not by faith and took his whole family right down with him. 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. Can this be Naomi? they asked (verse 19). 3 Sometime later Naomis husband Elimelech died, so she and her two sons were left alone. Many, including me, are troubled by the times in which we live, but this is no excuse for ungodly behavior. First, departing from Israel for Moab is to leave Gods land, the land He gave His people, the land in which Jehovah dwelt. It led to a hopeless fatalism: It doesnt really matter what I say or do; God is against me, and there is nothing I can do about it.. 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. She has chosen to permanently leave her homeland and family and to embrace Israel, the Israelites, and Israels God as her own, forever. Ruth is never dealt with as a second-class believer. 15 The translations differ here. We read of the origin of the Moabites in Genesis 19,3 just after the account of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Ruth focused on Naomi and her need and on Naomis people and their God. 14 For those who speak in such a way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. Who will be the judge that does not fall like Samson fell? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 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. Naomi should teach us to be careful about accepting the counsel of those who seem to be well meaning. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them (Hebrews 11:13-16). How will this family survive without a faithful husband? Amen (Romans 11:33-36). Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary 10 The rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return, but instead water the earth and make it produce and yield crops, and provide seed for the planter and food for those who must eat. We are not told how wide-spread it was, but we do know that it affected Bethlehem (which ironically means house of bread). Learn more about our. He came alongside Eve as her friend, as someone who was doing her a favor. What route might one take from Bethlehem to Moab? 35 Or who has first given to God, that God needs to repay him? 1, iv. This seems to be designed to provoke some questions in the mind of the reader. Many of the commentaries on Ruth argue that the initial setting provides a mere backdrop to the story and nothing more. We read in Deuteronomy 23:3-4. When famines strike the land, they are not the result of a bare meteorological phenomenon. Responding to the famine, Elimelech, his wife Naomi and their two sons moved to Moaba move of desperation given the long enmity between Israel and Moabwhere they thought the prospects for productive work were greater. Was it at Naomis initiative that her sons took Moabite women for wives? 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. The incarnate Son of God redeems His elect people through His cross for He is our blood relative who makes us flesh of His flesh and bone of His bone spiritually. Like Moabs mother, the Israelites reasoned that due to their circumstances, an Israelite line might become extinct. var addy4e942a4423f495800f38cd74f5bbd140 = 'laning' + '@'; WebWhy did Elimelech and his family go to Moab? The next day, the other man refused to take Ruth, and she and Boaz were married. I want you to think about Moab. If the reader knows redemptive history, then there isn't a place on earth worse than Moab for an Israelite to turn for bread. A Jew who knows the law and doesnt live by it is not really a true Jew. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The book also presents a kinsman redeemer (Boaz) who buys back or redeems his deceased relatives wife (Ruth). var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; In the book of Ruth 1:1 we are told that there was famine in the From Ruth 4:13, one might infer that God prevented both Orpah and Ruth from bearing children to their husbands. They were of the clan of Ephrath from Bethlehem in Judah.) One manifestation of Gods mercy, expressed through His sovereignty, is His providential working at times when there appears to be no hope. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; Give a joyful shout and cry out, you who have not been in labor! However, there appears to be far more than meets the eye. A baby viper, says the old puritan preacher, will soon grow into a large snake if you let it live so don't let it live for one second, but kill it quickly. He and his sons die in Moab leaving his wife and eventually his daughter in law, Ruth, to return to Bethlehem. Reformed Witness Hour Newsletter - January 2023, The Punishment of Rebellious Children (2). 14 In her first attempt, Naomi issues a parting blessing, punctuated by a farewell kiss (verse 9). The next thing we know, we find ourselves sitting in the seat of the fool. We should note several things about Naomis third attempt to persuade Ruth to join Orpah as she returned to Moab in verse 15. the portion of land, which belonged to our brother Elimelech. The story of Ruth and Boaz (yes, and even Naomi) should encourage us to live godly lives in dark days, days of unbelief, disobedience, and disregard for the Word of God. These choices are also related to the covenant and to the unfolding theme of our story. Rather, the portion of land, which belonged to our brother Elimelech. It is not Naomis belief in the sovereignty of God that troubles me as much as how she applies it. If Naomi had other sons, she could give them to these women in Levirate marriage, but she has no other sons. 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. WebScarcity of food compelled him to emigrate with his family to Moab, where he died, and where one of his sons married Ruth ( ib. Naomi was preoccupied with the here and now, rather than trusting in Gods covenant promises by faith. var addya1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68 = 'billlangerak' + '@'; When we met, I had no idea who he was, but he introduced himself something like this, Hi, Bob, Im Nate Mirza. When a famine came to the area around Bethlehem, Elimelech and Naomi moved to Moab (Moab was the name of Lot's elder daughter's son and the people and land WebAnalyzes how ruth opens with a man leaving bethlehem of judah, along with his wife and two sons, for the land of moab during the time of the judges. More tears are shed. Ruth was the great grandmother of King David. Why do we know this? Not even death would separate them. Classis EastThis email address is being protected from spambots. Chilion was the son of Elimelech and Naomi and the late husband My impression is that Naomi had changed not only in her appearance (she may not have aged well in Moab), but also in spirit. In Leviticus 26 we read. This is the origin of the Moabites and the Ammonites. The danger of practicing pragmatism above principle. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; Elimelech was of the tribe of Judah. Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. Ruth was a superlative servant of God.Naomi and her family had sojourned in Moab during a famine. And yet as the story of Ruth unfolded this time, it suddenly became obvious to me that Naomi was no role model. May the Lord punish me severely if I do not keep my promise! 19 and Micah 5:2. This is the first Bible study on Ruth 1:1-6. If you need my help and encouragement along the way, you know I am here for you! The chapter begins, In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a man from Bethlehem in Judah left the country because of a severe famine. The author uses the literary setting to highlight for us that matters for this man are about to go from bad to worse. Who would carry on his line? The first concerns our Lord Jesus Christ. Having started off on a rather negative note, let me hasten to say that the Book of Ruth is a breath of fresh air for those of us who have just come from the Book of Judges. Dispensationalism misses this because it denies that Israel is the Old Testament form of Gods church (and the church is the New Testament form of Israel). Lots daughters, the Israelites (on behalf of the Benjamites), and Naomi are inclined to resort to a pragmatic solution, rather than one that is faith-based and rooted in principle. The barley harvest will play a significant role in moving this story forward in the next two chapters. Because Moab was a place known for its refusal to feed Israel bread. Thus, we know that in these kinds of redemptive narratives famines are not random. moved to Bethlehem with her mother in law, Naomi, she met and But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. In such a declared emergency, she reasoned, they must take extraordinary measures. Rather it points to the common problem of the progression of sins. Im an Assyrian not a Syrian. He intended to leave the Promised Land briefly in a time of famine, but his sons decided to live in the foreign land. 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. I was bereaved and barren, dismissed and divorced. Her boys ended up choosing Moabite women to marry and these women became part of Naomis family. A pointer to the fact that, in moving from Bethlehem to Moab, Elimelech did not truly take God and His Word into account? Ruth was born in Moab about B.C. 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. If you have time this week, my suggestion is to go to the book of Ruth and read it. This also reminds us of the way of God's people in the book of Judges. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; They attempted to destroy Israel by getting them to marry their daughters. The same is true for Naomi. As Orpah kisses Naomi goodbye and turns back toward home, Ruth clings all the more tightly to her mother-in-law. We know about people emigrating, often because of economic reasons, like famine or unemployment, and out of a desire for a more prosperous life in another land. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; The place known for refusing Israel bread is the very place Elimelech chooses to move his This means that irony becomes the most important device for deepening our meditation on Ruth's story. Boaz informed her that there was another relative who, according to custom, had prerogative to redeem Elimelech's field and marry her. Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. I am so grateful for your encouragement! Naomis second effort13 will be less subtle and more pointed and forceful. Will he respond with repentance and humility or will he seek blessings outside the land? People who are not traveling in the same direction. My sense is that most of the residents of Bethlehem stayed in Bethlehem, rather than leaving to sojourn in a foreign country during the days of the famine. The contrast between Ruth and Orpah. There is a vital spiritual lesson to be gleaned from Ruth 1:1-5 (we covered its history in the last issue of the News). Wouldnt it be better for the two of them to travel together? Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord himself has raised his fist against me., 14And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. And so they, like Lots daughters (the oldest one in particular), devised a scheme whereby the line would be preserved, albeit apart from faith and obedience to Gods Word. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung tightly to her. I am reminded of Satans strategy in the Garden of Eden. Indeed, Ruth begins with a stark opening sentence that is intended to alarm the reader. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; I might have taken her as my wife. WebElimelech and His Family Move to Moab 1 1-2 Long ago, in the days before Israel had a king, there was a famine in the land. 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. The chapter ends with the authors assessment of where things stand, with a hint of what lies ahead. 15 So Naomi said, Look, your sister-in-law is returning to her people and to her god. 4 The LORD said to Moses, Arrest all the leaders of the people, and hang them up before the LORD in broad daylight, so that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel. 5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, Each of you must execute those of his men who were joined to Baal-peor (Numbers 25:1-5). How unsearchable are his judgments and how fathomless his ways! If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Naomi, seeking a husband for the young Ruth, sent her to Boaz's threshing-floor when he would be there, in the hope that he would want to marry her. One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth. We need to let that sink in just a bit. What a mighty, magnificent, merciful, awesome God we serve! WebWhich was our brother Elimelechs He calls him their brother, because he was near of kin to them.
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