16 The expression, the Sovereign One (rendered the Almighty by most translations) is the term Shaddai. Ruth 1:1. Because Moab was a place known for its refusal to feed Israel bread. What a great story. Naomi, so to speak, put all of her eggs into one basket marriage and bearing children. A Christian wife is having difficulties in her relationship with her husband, and she shares this with a Christian friend. Moabwas fun, it was easy, and it was making me feel good. The Cross And Our Response to Trials (1 Peter 4:12-19), 8. This email address is being protected from spambots. Many tears were shed, but in the end both women refused to leave Naomi and return to their mothers home. James 1:15. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More. To do it any other way was to disobey God. 34 So in the morning the older daughter said to the younger, Since I had sexual relations with my father last night, lets make him drunk again tonight. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. The famine in Ruth 1:1 was itself a judgment of God upon Israel for its sins (Deut. Their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. His occupation is not known; the Bible never says. The use of this word highlights for us the problem with trying to justify faithless living because it will only be for a short time. Be honest with yourself and recognizethat staying there is not good for you. She seems to have little or no conviction regarding her sins, the sins of her husband, or of the sins of the nation. Reformed Witness Hour Messages for May 2020, Corporate Responsibility and Ezekiel 18 . 17Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. has Naomi sold. var addy6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19 = 'spronk' + '@'; (2) There is no indication that other Israelites from Bethlehem (or elsewhere in Israel) accompanied Elimelech and his family to Moab. 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. This is the first Bible study on Ruth 1:1-6. Many years later, the Israelites were camped on the plains of Moab, across the Jordan River from Jericho, poised to enter the Promised Land. The Hebrew term Elohim is plural, but some render it god here, and others gods. Chemosh appears to be the primary Moabite god, but there may well have been others. The Messianic seed was often put at risk in the Old Testament. Of course, Moab is just such a place. Who would carry on his line? 3 I will bless those who bless you, but the one who treats you lightly I must curse, and all the families of the earth will bless one another by your name (Genesis 12:1-3, emphasis mine). His name was Nate Mirza. Im an Assyrian not a Syrian. As Orpah kisses Naomi goodbye and turns back toward home, Ruth clings all the more tightly to her mother-in-law. It may be. And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? And then, within 10 years, both Naomis sons died. Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. Naomi seems to be encouraging Ruth to accompany Orpah as she returns home. 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! What begins as a tragedy of death and sorrow ends in the birth of new life and the resurrection of hope for the family of David. Fifth, what about remembering Gods day and keeping the fourth commandment in Moab? It was my friend Dave Austin who reminded me of the danger of pragmatism from this text. One can even imagine Elimelech explaining his apparently unfaithful choice to leave the land of God and spend time in Moab, but only until the famine is over. addy79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c = addy79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c + 'gmail' + '.' + 'com'; Were Orpah and Ruth Israelites? var addy_texta1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68 = 'Classical Committee';document.getElementById('cloaka1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68').innerHTML += ''+addy_texta1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68+'<\/a>'; And they continued to live there about ten years. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. The first concerns our Lord Jesus Christ. In Genesis 12, God tested Abraham's faith in his promises. 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. Her boys ended up choosing Moabite women to marry and these women became part of Naomis family. She had given up all hope. The suffering of His people, whether for sins they have committed or for living righteously, is but the prelude to His glorious salvation. His occupation is not known; the Bible never says. 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)? var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; He is slow to anger, and He does forgive sin. 32 Come, lets make our father drunk with wine so we can have sexual relations with him and preserve our family line through our father. 33 So that night they made their father drunk with wine, and the older daughter came and had sexual relations with her father. This is not surprising since these verses are found in the Bible, which is an unashamedly religious book on knowing and serving the one, true and living God, revealed in Jesus Christ. Naomis second effort13 will be less subtle and more pointed and forceful. Continue Learning about Religious Studies. She makes this insightful observation about Naomis decision to leave Moab: In the same way and for the same reason, you and I need to leave the Moabs of our own making. & A. Ruth was the great grandmother of King David. They were of the clan of Ephrath from Bethlehem in Judah.) Learn how your comment data is processed. What was the reason that elimelech moved his family - Course Hero So she set out from the place [Moab] where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.. In an effort to escape the famine, a man named Elimelech took his family to Moab, where he intended for his family to sojourn until the famine ended.10 How could he have imagined how long his family would stay? Orpah succumbed to Naomis reasoning and chose to pursue what appeared to be in her best interest. 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. Elimelech was of the tribe of Judah. var addy79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c = 'jdengelsma' + '@'; It was a good number of years ago that I sat in on an excellent elective class taught by my friend, Tom Wright. They entered the region of Moab and settled there. 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. Lot fled with his daughters and was living in a cave. The context of these texts explains further the wickedness of those times. I remember responding to Nate, Neither do the rest of us. Well, if this is true of us, it is certainly true of the Moabites. Mahlon, son of Naomi and Elimelech. WHY DID ELIMELECH GO TO MOAB? Rather, the portion of land, which belonged to our brother Elimelech. The NEW ENGLISH TRANSLATION, also known as THE NET BIBLE, is a completely new translation of the Bible, not a revision or an update of a previous English version. She had had a long stretch of time during which she observed Naomi's righteousness, and she (Ruth) became convinced that she must serve the One God and abandon her former idolatry. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; He keeps loyal love; that is, He is a God who perseveres in His love, and thus He is a covenant-keeping God. Design by Social Village. Hence, we can connect a theme in Judges with the events unfolding in our story here in Ruth. married Boaz. Many of the commentaries on Ruth argue that the initial setting provides a mere backdrop to the story and nothing more. She went on to become so righteous that God made her the ancestress of King David. Because of a famine, they relocated to Moab, a neighboring country where there was food. If so, perhaps the minister can moralize a little on the problems and dangers of emigration. That strongly suggests that she was still a Moabite at heart, still an idolater at heart. DO LESS, BE MORE: HOW TO SIMPLIFY CHRISTMAS. This means, says the rabbi, that Elimelech was only on a temporary journey. (7) Naomi does appear to have one thing right humanly speaking, Naomis chances of perpetuating her husbands line are between slim and none. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 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. Ruth 1 RSV;NIV - Elimelechs Family Goes to Moab - BibleGateway 12 The word new is not in the original text. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Joseph's family were given the land of Goshen to live This news prompted her to return to her people and to her land. 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. These three widows, Naomi, Ruth and Orpah, were in a difficult and sad situation. 19 and Micah 5:2. She would be buried where Naomi was buried. Leaving Bethlehem for Moab (Ruth #1) - prca.org I was bereaved and barren, dismissed and divorced. Like Moabs mother, the Israelites reasoned that due to their circumstances, an Israelite line might become extinct. Naomis people (Israel) would be her people, and Naomis God would be her God. This would have been Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. What are the duties of a sanitary prefect in a school? Sign up by filling out the form below, and you will receive weekly blog posts, monthly newsletters, free faith resources, and more! 26 The way they acquired the 400 wives by wiping out Jabesh Gilead is no more noble. var addy_text6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19 = 'Stated Clerk';document.getElementById('cloak6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19').innerHTML += ''+addy_text6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19+'<\/a>'; Classis WestThis email address is being protected from spambots. Naomi thought of Gods blessings in terms of having food and a family. Likewise, the foolish person who decides to live like this soon discovers the deadly character of such a decision. Therefore all those who separate themselves from the same, or do not join themselves to it, act contrary to the ordinance of God.Rev. This takes risk, obedience, and movement in a totally different direction. We are not told how wide-spread it was, but we do know that it affected Bethlehem (which ironically means house of bread). Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. land of Israel, which included Bethlehem where Elimelech and Naomi We certainly are reminded of the sovereignty of God by our text, but unfortunately most of the emphasis on Gods sovereignty in chapter 1 comes from Naomi, and she is not seeing things as she should. It certainly would be safer for the two women to travel together, but it is Orpah who will travel alone, not Ruth. In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the And thus there is no evidence of repentance on her part at this point in time. There was a famine in the era of the Judges. (One was named Orpah and the other Ruth.) The Moabites were known for their evil and for their false worship. has Naomi sold. Surely you would not remain unmarried all that time! Mahlon, the older son, died. What are the qualities of an accurate map? This family would have journeyed north to Jerusalem and then crossed the Jordan River by Jericho. Arches National Park is famous for its iconic arches. In Job and in Ruth, this term seems to underscore Gods power, but in the context of suffering and adversity. Ruth's story has exactly this kind of setting as it regards the covenant. She was married first to The present tense of the English Version seems to suggest that the sale is When they turned away from God, He turned away from them. Ruth - Bible Quizzes and Puzzles Moab. When I realized this, I blurted out, What a witch!, much to the surprise of the rest of the class. Ruth would not only do this until death separated them, she would do so in death. 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. Today, people move all the time for jobs, family, location, schools, etc. ELIMELECH - JewishEncyclopedia.com But Ruth refuses to abandon Naomi and clings to her tightly. We answer this question with a reminder that Israel was under God's command to remain in the land as part of their call to be faithful. Is this merely a sad story of a family fleeing famine in Israel, only for most of them to end up in a graveyard in Moab? James illustrates the progression in the following way: Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. 12No, my daughters, return to your parents homes, for I am too old to marry again. WebSee Page 1. 1 During the time of the judges there was a famine in the land of Judah. He can respond out of a sense of fear and desire for food or out of a sense of faith. Both were traveling with Naomi as she made her way toward Israel. PRC-Related: RFPA, Standard Bearer, Reformed Witness Hour, Etc. Wow, Pat! Boaz informed her that there was another relative who, according to custom, had prerogative to redeem Elimelech's field and marry her. First, she insisted that Naomi must cease urging her to turn back. Lot and his family were spared, but his wife died (turned to salt) because she looked back. Stay in Bethlehem: risk starving their bodies. Why were naomi and elimelech forced to flee Bethlehem and journey to moab? than the children of the married woman, says the Lord. 36 In this way both of Lots daughters became pregnant by their father. As I was studying our text for this message, it occurred to me that the text which describes the origin of the Moabites in Genesis 19 is a key to understanding the story of Ruth, and especially Naomis role in this account. The barley harvest will play a significant role in moving this story forward in the next two chapters. Ruth opens with a startling statement of famine. The two women, now forever bound together by Ruths covenant, continued on their way until they reached Bethlehem. For the children of the desolate one are more numerous. Ruth would have none of this foolish talk, and she made this abundantly clear to her mother-in-law. WebYet, you guessed it; Moab is the very place that Elimelech chose as his destination for bread. His intent was that once his sons would gain their consent, he would go back with his family to Bethlehem and have them converted. How wrong Naomi was. (If you're a human, don't change the following field), Ruth 1:1-6 - Famine in the House of Bread. God had given the Israelite a way of understanding the world and life in the land. Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? Both the Benjamites sin and their judgment are similar to what happened in Genesis 19. TheMoabites had been horrible to the Israelites, refusing to give them water or feed them during their exodus from Egypt. 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. If Ruth is right in moving to Israel from Moab, then Elimelechs family were wrong in moving from Israel to Moab. You may not even notice this at first, but the very first man in the story remains unnamed. 19 So the two of them journeyed together until they arrived in Bethlehem. Ruth 1:1-6 - Famine in the House of Bread | Christian Library Rabbi Ginsburg argues that Elimelech is really not the problem; his sons are the problem. It must have been on Naomis watch that these two sons married their Moabite wives Orpah and Ruth. 21 I left here full, but the Lord has caused me to return empty-handed. Design by Social Village. That is to say, while Elimelech may have intended to stay only as long as the famine was in the land, his sons remained long enough to reap the consequences. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; The book of Ruth opens with an Israelite, Elimelech, leaving Bethlehem with his wife Naomi and two sons, Mahlon, and Chilion. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. For the Lord is afflicting me!. Naomi felt that God was against her, and every indication is that she felt God had dealt with her in a harsh and severe way. Why did you say, 'She is my sister'? The same pattern in the land is taught in Deuteronomy 28. 4The two sons married Moabite women. We can be sure from this word that Elimelech had every intention of staying in Moab temporarily. Because her family died Why did Elimelech and his family go to Moab? In such a declared emergency, she reasoned, they must take extraordinary measures. I had a decision to make, a choice to pursue, and a new direction to take. But she concluded that God was using His power against her, rather than for her. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; If you see what happens to Elimelech's sons you will remember Moab's method of destroying Israel. Therefore 'Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. They would be a reminder that Elimelech and Naomi had left Bethlehem when the going got tough. 1100. What was the reason that Elimelech moved his family to Moab in the first chapter of Ruth? He and his sons die in Moab leaving his wife and eventually his daughter in law, Ruth, to return to Bethlehem. A prominent man named Elimelech went to wait out the lean years in the neighboring land of Moab, with his wife (Naomi) and two sons. that Elimelech was one of the chiefs of Israel, andthat his premature death was his punishment for having left the Holy Land and having settled in the land of Moab. They did not seem to live by it, so why would they consider it important to teach it to a Moabite? 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. Naomi was now left without a husband, without sons, and without grandchildren. Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. 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). That is ominous. Im thankful that it encouraged you, Bill. This means that irony becomes the most important device for deepening our meditation on Ruth's story. 37 The older daughter gave birth to a son and named him Moab. Famine in the land of promise can mean only one thing; God is testing with his people. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. 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. Elimelech felt his family was at a crossroadsand made a decision to leave. For example, the opening lines point us back to the book of Judges and one of the recurring themes in that book. And what communion has light with darkness? When Abraham responded in fear rather than in faith, his choices were so bad that even an Egyptian king rebuked him in Genesis 12:18 saying. Web1. Then the progression of sin is complete. The Cross And Christs Suffering For Sins (1 Peter 3:18-22), 6. She believes in a God who is all powerful, but who is not merciful and compassionate. Not only were they renowned for their immorality in general, but they had an infamous place in redemptive history. This forces our first character, Elimelech into a very important choice. In Naomis mind, it probably was in their best interest, but it also appeared to benefit her. People of faith in God often stand out in times of crisis, so let us live by the principles of Scripture, rather than by pragmatism. Once again I would suggest that Naomis strong urging for Ruth and Orpah to return was as much for her interests as for her daughters-in-law. var addya1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68 = 'billlangerak' + '@'; 35 Or who has first given to God, that God needs to repay him? 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. They insisted on going on to Israel with Naomi. Surely this poor fellow doesn't understand the covenant". But according to Rab (B. He did not seek repentance, nor did he stay to witness the recovery of the land. 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. Ruth provides us with a vital part of our Saviours genealogy, for she was the great-grandmother of King David from whom came the Messiah, according to His human nature. Though a widow, Naomistill had her two sons to provide for and protect her. They lived in the town of Bethlehem in the tribe of Judah in the land of Israel, in the days of the judges (1), that is, after the deaths of the elders who outlived Joshua and before the reign of King Saul.But famine struck the promised land, including Judah and Bethlehem (1). 20Dont call me Naomi, she responded. Now that Orpah has decided to turn back, Naomi appears to have more leverage. 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. This is entirely consistent with Old Testament history and with the warnings recorded in Leviticus 26:18-20 and Deuteronomy 28:23-24. 21I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. 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. A.Stewart, Pastorates: Covenant Protestant Reformed Church of Ballymena, Northern Ireland - 2001. Do you recall what that method was? What a relief it is to leave Judges behind and come to the Book of Ruth! Even if we know it is best togo. Word had reached Naomi in Moab that God had visited His people by ending the famine and providing abundant crops back in Israel. document.getElementById('cloak79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c').innerHTML = ''; WebYet when this famine arises, he leaves to go to Moab with his family. RecentlyI spoke on MEETING AT THE CROSSROADS and used the story of Ruth and Naomi to talk about what it takes to connect withothers and walk in the right direction. First, departing from Israel for Moab is to leave Gods land, the land He gave His people, the land in which Jehovah dwelt. 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. For whatever the reason in God's sovereign purposes, famines provide the context for the test of faithfulness. Ruth Bethlehem forsaken for Moab. Today, to depart from a true church, manifesting the three marks of faithful preaching, sacramental administration and discipline (Belgic Confession28-29), involves leaving pastors, through whom Christ teaches us; elders, through whom He rules and supervises us; and deacons, through whom He shows us mercy (Belgic Confession30-31).Fourth, Elimelechs family left Gods worship at the tabernacle, where God had manifested His presence in the Shekinah glory.
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