The term she used to refer to Him Shaddai was a term that emphasized Gods great power. There were no men nearby to marry, she reasoned, so there was no conventional way25 for them to bear children and thus to preserve their fathers line. 11 In the same way, the promise that I make does not return to me, having accomplished nothing. Stay in Bethlehem: risk starving their bodies. Elimelech responds with fear and flight. Save 15% on BibleGateway+ with code SPRINGSTUDY15. It would do us well to review where the Moabites came from and how they related to Israel in the past. Thus, we know that in these kinds of redemptive narratives famines are not random. This is a text that has always puzzled me. Naomis second effort13 will be less subtle and more pointed and forceful. It must have been on Naomis watch that these two sons married their Moabite wives Orpah and Ruth. Amen (Romans 11:33-36). Naomi saw singleness (widowhood for her) and childlessness as a curse, while Paul taught that singleness could facilitate ministry to others and to God (1 Corinthians 7:32-35). Orpah succumbed to Naomis reasoning and chose to pursue what appeared to be in her best interest. Shouldnt Ruth follow her lead? 1, iv. The best thing for her to do was to return to Bethlehem and live out the rest of her days, dying empty (i.e., childless). 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. 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. 91a), Elimelech, Salmon (the father of Boaz), Peloni-Almoni, and the father of Naomi were the sons of Nahshon ben Aminadab. She was married first to It would also seem that Naomis barrenness was divinely imposed.18, (5) Moab was not the place of Gods promised blessings; Israel was.19. the portion of land, which belonged to our brother Elimelech. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; Even the structure of the Hebrew in our story is similar to that of Abraham's story. 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. 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. Give a joyful shout and cry out, you who have not been in labor! document.getElementById('cloak79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c').innerHTML = ''; As Orpah kisses Naomi goodbye and turns back toward home, Ruth clings all the more tightly to her mother-in-law. 15Look, Naomi said to her, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. And they went to the country of Moab and remained 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. Orpah and Ruth were committed to returning to Israel with their mother-in-law. I would be very reluctant to conclude that Ruths husband or his parents taught her the law. Yet, you guessed it; Moab is the very place that Elimelech chose as his destination for bread. Ruth would not only do this until death separated them, she would do so in death. To use a food metaphor, the table is set for a choice that will determine the course of the story. Is it also a suggestion that the emigration of Elimelech and his family from Bethlehem to Moab is of a piece with the disobedience of that period? Then Elimelech, Naomis husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. And what communion has light with darkness? What are the duties of a sanitary prefect in a school? He and his sons die in Moab leaving his wife and eventually his daughter in law, Ruth, to return to Bethlehem. They emigrated from famine-stricken So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to Orpah seems to have no great spiritual interest in Israel or in the God of Israel. 7With her two daughters-in-law she set out from the place where she had been living, and they took the road that would lead them back to Judah. For instance, Samuel opens the story without naming Elimelech. Elimelech faces the same kind of choice that Abraham faced. One would have to begin by saying that these two women have a fair bit in common. 2The mans name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. 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. Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, moved to Moab during a famine. from Bethlehem of Judah. Moab was the nation that actually hired Balaam to curse the Israelites. has Naomi sold. Both were traveling with Naomi as she made her way toward Israel. 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? A.Stewart, Pastorates: Covenant Protestant Reformed Church of Ballymena, Northern Ireland - 2001. Reformed Witness Hour Newsletter - January 2023, The Punishment of Rebellious Children (2). But she concluded that God was using His power against her, rather than for her. Covenant Evangelical Reformed Church of Singapore, Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Australia, Missions, Sister Churches, Christian Schools. WebSee Page 1. WebThe name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. 12 May the LORD reward your efforts! 1: Why did Elimelech go to live in Moab with his family? And when both her sons died without bearing children, her situation seemed impossible. Lot fled with his daughters and was living in a cave. Second, Naomis words are even more forceful here,14 issuing Ruth a command to leave her. Without a doubt, this is the most amazing and distressing thing Naomi has said so far. 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. PRC-Related: RFPA, Standard Bearer, Reformed Witness Hour, Etc. WebElimelech, one of the notables of Judah, came to Moab, where he hoped to find food and an easier life. My impression is that Naomi had changed not only in her appearance (she may not have aged well in Moab), but also in spirit. Where did Elimelech die? As they entered Bethlehem, they became the talk of the town. Were Orpah and Ruth Israelites? At this point in time, one would not think that Naomi would be at the top of the list in the hall of faith: 13 These all died in faith without receiving the things promised, but they saw them in the distance and welcomed them and acknowledged that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth. She decided it was time to get out of Moab. In this emergency, she was proposing an unconventional solution to their problem. 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. This email address is being protected from spambots. 1When Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to commit sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab. elimelech died, leaving naomi and her daughters-in-law alone. Elimelech was of the tribe of Judah. In fact, we might even think that Elimelech was being a good provider by looking out for his family. 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! It is a beautiful story of redemption and restoration. "Then," he might say, "we will return to the land of promise." What is this you have done to me? The Promised Land, which was supposed to be characterized as a fruitful land, is now described as dry. Would Abraham believe that God would provide for him and protect his wife to whom God had given a promise of future blessings? As a relative of Boaz ( ib. For example, one might wonder, "Who is this guy anyway? Neither does she mention the mistreatment they would likely receive because Moab is Israels enemy, but they could probably read between the lines. That person is a true Jew at heart. food. Surely it fell short of what Ruths experience will be. 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. These are the times of darkness when godliness should shine forth as a brilliant light. 13Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? They emigrated from famine-stricken Israel to Moab (1-2). It is as though she has forgotten Gods description of Himself in Exodus 34: 6 The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed: The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness, 7 keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. He says "a certain man" of Bethlehem went to sojourn away from the land. There was a shortage of bread in Bethlehem, which towns name means house of bread. So what did Elimelech and his family do? 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). And they will do this because they believe they are doing their friend a favor. Is it really Naomi? the women asked. Ruths spiritual journey is similar to that of Abraham. 1100. How unsearchable are his judgments and how fathomless his ways! Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary Yet we are about to learn that the man who acts contrary to faithful service actually has a name that means God is King; he acts in complete opposition to his name. They arrived in Bethlehem in late spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest. Then she firmly stated her commitment to Naomi, to Israel, and to Israels God as a covenant. For I am too old to get married again. She had to leave her family, her homeland, and her gods and go to the place of Gods blessing. 12 For all who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. She persuaded her younger sister to help her get him drunk, and then for both of them to sleep with him to produce offspring for him. And all of this resulted in the near annihilation of one of the twelve tribes (Benjamin) and a conspiracy to acquire wives for the remaining Benjamites in a way that was morally unacceptable. Then grief befell them in Moab! Famine should have provoked the faithful person to inquire, "How could there be famine in the land that was supposed to be flowing with milk and honey?" 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. Of course, Moab is just such a place. I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me? (21). A few years later, king Saul will offer the sacrifices, even though he was instructed to wait for Samuel, all because Saul felt this was a crisis that justified setting aside obedience in faith to Gods Word.27. They would be a reminder that Elimelech and Naomi had left Bethlehem when the going got tough. He is faithful and always right on time! In the midst of her affliction and hopeless despair, God is at work preparing for the gracious things He is about to reveal to her and to the reader. WebElimelech Why did Naomi decide to return from the country of Moab? 26 The way they acquired the 400 wives by wiping out Jabesh Gilead is no more noble. Web(3) Naomi selleth . First, departing from Israel for Moab is to leave Gods land, the land He gave His people, the land in which Jehovah dwelt. It was a bad start, and sadly things didnt get any better over time. 10No, they said. They entered the region of Moab and settled there. 17 Wherever you die, I will die and there I will be buried. I hate to say this, but after being involved in ministry for many years, I would have to say that some of the worst counsel I have ever heard has come from well-meaning Christians. The son of the oldest daughter was named Moab; the son of the younger daughter was named Ammon. 1, iv. 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 A descendant of Nahshon mentioned in connection with the erection of the tabernacle (Numbers 1:7). 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. Naomi and her two daughters-in-law had already set out for Israel11 when Naomi began to have second thoughts not about her return, but about having two Moabite daughters-in-law in tow when she arrived at her home town of Bethlehem. Naomis hope was in the physical rather than in the spiritual, in the present rather than in eternity. What are the qualities of an accurate map? 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). She would have been very much at home in our Postmodern world. My passion is helping women connect Faith + Life in authentic and meaningful ways. Rabbi Ginsburg argues that Elimelech is really not the problem; his sons are the problem. How does one today keep the Lords Day holy when he or she has no faithful church to attend? However, for an Israelite family to abandon their clan and leave the land of Gods blessing and provision was a grave sin. Lot was turned to salt because she looked back at the city. He was clearly a faithless husband who led his family directly into death. You may not even notice this at first, but the very first man in the story remains unnamed. Paul restates this law in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18: Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. I am reminded of Satans strategy in the Garden of Eden. 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. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. Could it be that this is a pointer? They would be (or so it may have seemed to Naomi) a liability to her when she returned. Certain decisions have a way of progressing to their natural conclusion. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. She has been convinced and turns back to her own country. Just being Jewish and knowing the Law of Moses isnt enough; one must also live by the law. 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). Is God judging here? And so they did. It reminds me of a horror movie in which the setting lets everyone know that something terrible is inevitable. 12No, my daughters, return to your parents homes, for I am too old to marry again. 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. The all-powerful God was making Naomis life miserable, so she thought and said. var addy_text79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c = 'Stated Clerk';document.getElementById('cloak79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c').innerHTML += ''+addy_text79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c+'<\/a>'; 2014 Protestant Reformed Churches in America. Required fields are marked land of Israel, which included Bethlehem where Elimelech and Naomi Word had reached Naomi in Moab that God had visited His people by ending the famine and providing abundant crops back in Israel. 4 So her sons married Moabite women. Elimelech had a wife named Naomi and two sons, Mahlon and Kilion. At first they hired Balaam to curse Israel. Ruth was the great grandmother of King David. The Messianic seed was often put at risk in the Old Testament. Follow your sister-in-law back home! (Ruth 1:15). 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. Ruth is the perfect story of transition. For those of you unfamiliar with the story, here is a brief summary of just the first chapter: The book of Ruth opens with an Israelite, Elimelech, leaving Bethlehem with his wife Naomi and two sons, Mahlon, and Chilion. Each of you should return to your mothers home! There is something particularly encouraging about our text. 37 The older daughter gave birth to a son and named him Moab. B. Leaving His land, His people, His office-bearers, His worship and His day is leaving God. First, departing from Israel for Moab is to leave Gods land, the land He gave His people, the land in which Jehovah dwelt. Abraham had been faced with similar choices and God had used a famine to challenge him. Keep Shining for Jesus Friend. 1:2 (Now the mans name was Elimelech, his wife was Naomi, and his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. 9. The benchmark by which we need to compare Ruth and Naomi is the Abrahamic Covenant: 1 Now the LORD said to Abram, Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father's household to the land that I will show you. The latter chapters of the book of Judges contain variations of In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes (17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). 3), he was Likewise, the foolish person who decides to live like this soon discovers the deadly character of such a decision. I was bereaved and barren, dismissed and divorced. WebAnd the name of the man (was) Elimelech. Rev. No, of course not, my daughters! There is a difference between fearing God, and being afraid of God; the Godly fear God as a child does his father, the wicked are afraid of God as the prisoner is of a judge. It was a good number of years ago that I sat in on an excellent elective class taught by my friend, Tom Wright. Ill attempt to support my conclusions as we proceed in our study of this book. Even professing Christians can fall victim to the tyranny of the urgent. where did these children come from? (Isaiah 49:20-21). 20 Yet the children born during your time of bereavement will say within your hearing. The chapter ends with the authors assessment of where things stand, with a hint of what lies ahead. Read More. Sometimes we have to leave people too. This means that irony becomes the most important device for deepening our meditation on Ruth's story. However, as they lived in the land and were not faithful, then God would bring famine. (6) Most (if not all) of Naomis actions, attitudes, and advice were misguided and downright wrong. Im thankful that it encouraged you, Bill. The very first Psalm teaches us this in vivid images of walking, standing and sitting. Somehow God wrote His law on Ruths heart, not unlike Tamar and Rahab, her predecessors. 3 When Israel joined themselves to Baal-peor, the anger of the LORD flared up against Israel. DO LESS, BE MORE: HOW TO SIMPLIFY CHRISTMAS. Thus, when Elimelech began to purse daughters for his sons, ironically, he went to a place cursed for this very action. When we met, I had no idea who he was, but he introduced himself something like this, Hi, Bob, Im Nate Mirza. Famine in the Old Testament is a call to repentance and to covenant renewal. After Mahlon died and Ruth had Remember this, if ever you are tempted to leave the church, which is where the Lord dwells (I Tim. 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. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. She believes in a God who is all powerful, but who is not merciful and compassionate. 1 Copyright 2010 by Robert L. Deffinbaugh. Today, people move all the time for jobs, family, location, schools, etc. As the story of Esther unfolds, it looks as though every Jew is doomed to annihilation, but for the providence of God, whereby Gods enemies are destroyed and His people are spared. 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest. In short, Naomi is a picture of Israels spiritual condition at this point in their history. My problem with the text in Romans 2 was that I couldnt think of an example of what Paul was saying. They entered the region of Moab and settled there. Bethlehem forsaken for Moab. 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. 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. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 15 The translations differ here. 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, If our text tells us anything about God, it is that His ways are not our ways. 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. 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. He deliberately sought blessings outside of the land and thus outside of the covenant. Elimelech died (of what, we are not told), leaving Naomi a widow, and Mahlon and Chilion orphans, in a foreign land (3). Hence, should a sensitive reader become surprised to read now that the result of Elimelech's decision is death to his sons? This website uses cookies to improve your experience. 1In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. And in good covenant form, she pronounced a curse upon herself if she did otherwise. We shall see more about this in chapter 3. addy6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19 = addy6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19 + 'prca' + '.' + 'org'; Thanks so much for meeting me here AT THE CROSSROADS. Of course as we will see in a moment, this becomes even more ironic because the story is set in Bethlehem. 10 But they said to her, No! Elimelech was a faithless husband who led his family into the yawning jaws of death. But, given his subsequent actions, we have no problem understanding that his final decision was more closely connected with food than with faith. R. Simon b. Yoai contends (ib.) As God has said: 'I will dwell in them and walk among them. Moab was a land of rich soil and adequate rainfall so this man traveled to a place where his crops wouldnt fail. 3, 4). Instead, call me Mara,[a] for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. 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). She was married first to This also reminds us of the way of God's people in the book of Judges. 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. 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. 4The two sons married Moabite women. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. - Quora Answer (1 of 4): Because there was a famine in Israel, so he went to another country presumably Do you have pictures of Gracie Thompson from the movie Gracie's choice. Even if we realize that there are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.. land of Israel, which included Bethlehem where Elimelech and Naomi Not only were they renowned for their immorality in general, but they had an infamous place in redemptive history. To this we shall return in our next article in theNews, DV. Do you recall what that method was? The book also presents a kinsman redeemer (Boaz) who buys back or redeems his deceased relatives wife (Ruth). And when they reached Moab, they settled there. so this might not seem like a big deal to us. Their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. 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. 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? 16But Ruth replied, Dont ask me to leave you and turn back. 36 In this way both of Lots daughters became pregnant by their father. She has no husband to father sons, and she is too old to bear children anyway. Who would want a Moabite wife, especially a widow? 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. His intent was that once his sons would gain their consent, he would go back with his family to Bethlehem and have them converted. Naomi, that is come again out of the land of Moab, selleth a parcel of land; meaning, that she was determined upon it, and was about to do it, and would do it quickly, and he had it in commission to propose it to a purchaser: which was our brother Elimelech's; not in a strict sense, but being akin to the kinsman and himself, and having been a neighbour of them all, and an inhabitant of the place, he is called their brother; though some Jewish writers (f) say, that he was in a strict sense a brother of Boaz and this kinsman, and that Tob, Elimelech, and Boaz, were brethren, and so Tob was reckoned the nearest kinsman, and had the first right to redeem, because he was the elder brother but this does not seem likely; See Gill on Ruth 3:13. His counsel (even though it effectively called God a liar) was given as though it were in her best interest. God loves to show mercy and compassion. 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). I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.'. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; We will return with you to your people., 11 But Naomi replied, Go back home, my daughters! In Naomis mind, it probably was in their best interest, but it also appeared to benefit her. 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. addy79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c = addy79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c + 'gmail' + '.' + 'com'; 8 Indeed, my plans are not like your plans, and my deeds are not like your deeds, 9 for just as the sky is higher than the earth, so my deeds are superior to your deeds and my plans superior to your plans. var addy79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c = 'jdengelsma' + '@'; He sought wives for his sons from the worst place in the world that a faithful Israelite could imagine, from Moab.

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