It was completed by more than twenty biblical scholars who worked directly from the best currently available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. 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. Was it at Naomis initiative that her sons took Moabite women for wives? The chapter ends with the authors assessment of where things stand, with a hint of what lies ahead. Naomis people (Israel) would be her people, and Naomis God would be her God. And she was honored to be a part of the messianic line.34. However, for an Israelite family to abandon their clan and leave the land of Gods blessing and provision was a grave sin. Such people are in misery, and honestly, they make those around them miserable as well. But in Old Testament redemptive narrative, famines often come to the land as God curses his people or tests them regarding their faithfulness. 6 So she decided to return home from the region of Moab, accompanied by her daughters-in-law, because while she was living in Moab she had heard that the Lord had shown concern for his people, reversing the famine by providing abundant crops. of Orpah in the Book of Ruth. You should do the same.. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. Instead of trusting God to preserve her husbands line (indeed, the Messianic line), she at least passively (if not actively) approves of their marriage to non-Israelites. 2On one level the rabbi is exactly correct. That strongly suggests that she was still a Moabite at heart, still an idolater at heart. 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. 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. When famines strike the land, they are not the result of a bare meteorological phenomenon. But she concluded that God was using His power against her, rather than for her. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 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. Blessings to you and your ministry as well. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. There was no famine there Why did The two were penniless, and supported themselves by gleaning grain (Leviticus 23:22) in other people's fields. Rabbi Ginsburg argues that Elimelech is really not the problem; his sons are the problem. (2) There is no indication that other Israelites from Bethlehem (or elsewhere in Israel) accompanied Elimelech and his family to Moab. 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. Many tears were shed, but in the end both women refused to leave Naomi and return to their mothers home. 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?" God had given Israel the land as a place of rest and blessing. He is the ancestor of the Ammonites of today (Genesis 19:30-38, emphasis mine). Therefore all those who separate themselves from the same, or do not join themselves to it, act contrary to the ordinance of God.At first blush, Ruth 1:1-5 records a very simple human story, involving a family of four, consisting of a man and his wife, Elimelech and Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion (2). (Now they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.) 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). Chilion, the only remaining son, also expired (5).Of the four who had left Bethlehem, only Naomi remained. Ruth was born in Moab about B.C. Naomi and her sons lived in Moab for ten years and then both Mahlon and Kilion died as well, childless. She decided it was time to get out of Moab. Do Eric benet and Lisa bonet have a child together? What a great story. Ruth would not only do this until death separated them, she would do so in death. And thus there is no evidence of repentance on her part at this point in time. i. 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. 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. We read of the origin of the Moabites in Genesis 19,3 just after the account of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. This was a grievous sin, departing from the church of God and the communion of saints (Heidelberg Catechism, Q. To him be glory forever! The two women, now forever bound together by Ruths covenant, continued on their way until they reached Bethlehem. I am no longer capable of giving birth to sons who might become your husbands! 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. They entered the region of Moab and settled there. Ruth is the perfect story of transition. The contrast between Ruth and Naomi. Systems of Transliteration Citation of Proper Names. As noted in the introduction, biblical narrative has redemptive or covenantal structure. Ruth becomes a true Israelite in spite of Naomis persistent encouragement to return to her Moabite roots. Naomi is not at all like Ruth or Boaz; she is, in fact, a backdrop against which Ruth and Boaz are contrasted. Not even death would separate them. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. var addy_texta1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68 = 'Classical Committee';document.getElementById('cloaka1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68').innerHTML += ''+addy_texta1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68+'<\/a>'; Joseph's family were given the land of Goshen to live where did these children come from? (Isaiah 49:20-21). New Living Translation (NLT). Ruth focused on Naomi and her need and on Naomis people and their God. Naomi did not doubt the existence of God nor did she doubt His power. WebSee Page 1. Samuel immediately requires the reader to wrestle with the dire need of a faithful husband. I think I understand generally what Paul is saying here, based upon the promise in Jeremiah: 33 But I will make a new covenant with the whole nation of Israel after I plant them back in the land, says the Lord. It would also seem that Naomis barrenness was divinely imposed.18, (5) Moab was not the place of Gods promised blessings; Israel was.19. It is also true (as God Himself says above) that God also punishes the guilty, but that is not the totality of who God is. Ruth became acquainted with the Jewish family and with their religion. Is Brooke shields related to willow shields? Are you in a place you dont need to be? And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which. We already noted that irony occurs when something that usually means one thing is deliberately twisted or changed so that it transmutes into the opposite. Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. She had given up all hope. But it is not the essence of what our life in Christ is about. var addya1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68 = 'billlangerak' + '@'; DO LESS, BE MORE: HOW TO SIMPLIFY CHRISTMAS. 10No, they said. For whatever the reason in God's sovereign purposes, famines provide the context for the test of faithfulness. The more Naomi protests her miserable state, the more we are being prepared for a great work of God. WebElimelechs Family Goes to Moab. 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. Who even remembers her name? That person is a true Jew at heart. He is faithful and always right on time! And yet as the story of Ruth unfolded this time, it suddenly became obvious to me that Naomi was no role model. 15Look, Naomi said to her, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. 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. 20Dont call me Naomi, she responded. Classis EastThis email address is being protected from spambots. Why was Moab the worst place to look for bread? The context of these texts explains further the wickedness of those times. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there. 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. The barley harvest will play a significant role in moving this story forward in the next two chapters. Note Judges 21:25. The Messianic seed was often put at risk in the Old Testament. That is ominous. 2 Then I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, so that you will exemplify divine blessing. Reformed Witness Hour Newsletter - January 2023, The Punishment of Rebellious Children (2). Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest. But, given his subsequent actions, we have no problem understanding that his final decision was more closely connected with food than with faith. Do you recall what that method was? But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. These are the times of darkness when godliness should shine forth as a brilliant light. 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. At first they hired Balaam to curse Israel. So God says in Deuteronomy 4:1. Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. There is no reason for you to return to Judah with me! Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung tightly to her. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, moved to Moab during a famine. 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. Second, this book points ahead to the New Testament days of the catholic or universal church, for Ruth is a Moabitess, a Gentile who is grafted into Israel. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. The danger of practicing pragmatism above principle. When they return, Ruth meets Boaz, and he fulfills the role of kinsman redeemer. There was a shortage of bread in Bethlehem, which towns name means house of bread. So what did Elimelech and his family do? He deliberately sought blessings outside of the land and thus outside of the covenant. 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). 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. 3:16).Ruth 1 itself indicates the spiritual significance of its first five verses. reghdfe predict out of sample; These choices are also related to the covenant and to the unfolding theme of our story. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; Thus, we know that in these kinds of redemptive narratives famines are not random. To an ancient Israelite, the idea of famine in the land should have confronted them with a theological challenge. A Jew who knows the law and doesnt live by it is not really a true Jew. In Numbers 25:1-3 we read. When I realized this, I blurted out, What a witch!, much to the surprise of the rest of the class. Moses reiterates to the people of God that they must not only remain in the land He gives them, but they must occupy this land in spite of dreadful obstacles. 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Ruth was a superlative servant of God.Naomi and her family had sojourned in Moab during a famine. There is so much more to this story than merely the people in it this story is the story of the gospel. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. The present tense of the English Version seems to suggest that the sale is Fifth, what about remembering Gods day and keeping the fourth commandment in Moab? 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. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary You need JavaScript enabled to view it. What time does normal church end on Sunday? In the book of Ruth 1:1 we are told that there was famine in the Only death will be able to separate me from you!. 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. Why did you say, 'She is my sister'? 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to dissuade her. 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. married Boaz. And may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. from Bethlehem of Judah. In the dark shadows of the days of the judges, we find two individuals whose lives are truly lights in the darkness. People who want to stay in Moab. Will he respond with repentance and humility or will he seek blessings outside the land? Obviously, Naomi had changed. Follow your sister-in-law back home! (Ruth 1:15). In Judges 3, we read that the Israelites were subject to Eglon, king of Moab, for 18 years.8 Since the Moabites were not Canaanites, marriage to a Moabite was not strictly forbidden.9 Nevertheless, Moabites were not only regarded as aliens or foreigners, but also as second class citizens. Marriage to a Moabite was not something one did to gain status in Israel. Naomi thought of Gods blessings in terms of having food and a family. Elimelech was of the tribe of Judah. 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. Is God judging here? But about ten years later, 5both Mahlon and Kilion died. She believes in a God who is all powerful, but who is not merciful and compassionate. Im an Assyrian not a Syrian. The Cross And Our Response to Trials (1 Peter 4:12-19), 8. Ruth would have none of this foolish talk, and she made this abundantly clear to her mother-in-law. The psalmist maps out a common progression in the life of sin. We need to bear in mind that what is at stake here is the Messianic line, the line which will ultimately bring forth Messiah. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; I also think it is something for us to seriously ponder. Web1. 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, he and his wife and his two sons. This would have been 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. We are connected theologically with the last verse of Judges as it unfolds in Ruth, but with curses that will be reversed by a faithful husband rather than a judge. addy4e942a4423f495800f38cd74f5bbd140 = addy4e942a4423f495800f38cd74f5bbd140 + 'prca' + '.' + 'org'; (Ruth 1:1-22)2. var addy_text4e942a4423f495800f38cd74f5bbd140 = 'Classical Committee';document.getElementById('cloak4e942a4423f495800f38cd74f5bbd140').innerHTML += ''+addy_text4e942a4423f495800f38cd74f5bbd140+'<\/a>'; I would be very reluctant to conclude that Ruths husband or his parents taught her the law. Depending on where they settled, the trip would have been about one hundred miles and would have taken about a week. In the brief narrative no critical comment Probably the famine had not reached Moab, and this man heard that there was food there. They were both Moabite women, close to the same age. The law was there to remind them that they couldn't join together the clean with the unclean. Moab was a place of cursing for the people of God. Now that Orpah has decided to turn back, Naomi appears to have more leverage. Thus, when Elimelech began to purse daughters for his sons, ironically, he went to a place cursed for this very action. 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. But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, I will break the pride of your power; I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit. And they continued to live there about ten years. 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.. But leaving is hard sometimes, isnt it? In her second effort, Naomi insists that her daughters-in-law must not return with her because it would only cause them to endure some of her affliction (verse 13). But when Ruth refused to return to her people and accompanied her to Bethlehem, Boaz entered the picture, a close relative, a possible redeemer. He lived in Bethlehem during the time of the judges. 13Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Im thankful that it encouraged you, Bill. What route might one take from Bethlehem to Moab? Humanly speaking, staying with Naomi does not offer much promise of a good life for these Moabite widows. How wrong she was! 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. The contrast between Ruth and Orpah. 1 During the time of the judges there was a famine in the land of Judah. Naomi advised Ruth to glean in the field of Boaz, since he was a relative of Elimelech. What are the qualities of an accurate map? ii. Indeed, Ruth begins with a stark opening sentence that is intended to alarm the reader. So a man named Elimelech, who belonged to the clan of Ephrath and who lived in Bethlehem in Judah, went with his wife Naomi and their two sons Mahlon and Chilion to live for a while in the country of Moab. His occupation is not known; the Bible never says. She was one who received Gods blessings because she blessed one of Abrahams offspring by remaining with her and committing to care for her.28 Ruth was a woman who committed herself for a lifetime, and she did so in spite of her national pride, her family affections, the example of her sister-in-law, and the urgings of her mother-in-law. lived and so they went to Moab where conditions were better and get When they entered Bethlehem, the whole village was excited about their arrival. They werent just turning their backs on their hometown of Bethlehem and its people: they were turning their backs on God. It is a beautiful story of redemption and restoration. I want you to think about Moab. Even if she were able to bear children, it would be unreasonable for these two widows to wait 20 years for replacement husbands. No, in Naomis mind there was no good reason to remain with her as she returned to her homeland. - Quora Answer (1 of 4): Because there was a famine in Israel, so he went to another country presumably 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. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. What time does normal church end on Sunday? Pat. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Who would want Naomi for a mother-in-law? What is this you have done to me? 14 In her first attempt, Naomi issues a parting blessing, punctuated by a farewell kiss (verse 9). He keeps loyal love; that is, He is a God who perseveres in His love, and thus He is a covenant-keeping God. Elimelech faces the same kind of choice that Abraham faced. Ruth has an uncanny grasp of Israels religion and has chosen to embrace it as her own. What do I do about calling a priest father at my Catholic University? Naomis third appeal is to Ruth alone, based on Orpahs decision to return home. Ruth 1:1-5. (Ruth 1:1+2). The oldest daughter (who will become the mother of Moab) saw their situation as impossible. var addy4e942a4423f495800f38cd74f5bbd140 = 'laning' + '@'; Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. No, my daughters, you must not return with me. 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? But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. (6) Most (if not all) of Naomis actions, attitudes, and advice were misguided and downright wrong. Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands? What a marvelous woman of faith Ruth was. (4) While the author does not make a point of it, it seems reasonable to assume that the famine (as well as the deaths of Elimelech and his two sons) was a manifestation of divine discipline. 16But Ruth replied, Dont ask me to leave you and turn back. Think of it: Naomi and her husband leave the land where God promised to bless them. Start for FREE. When Naomi returns to Bethlehem, she finds most of the residents of the city still living there, and judging by what we are told about Boaz, they appear to have done fairly well. Mahlon, son of Naomi and Elimelech. Web(3) Naomi selleth . Orpah chose differently than Ruth and Naomi. Give a joyful shout and cry out, you who have not been in labor! This news prompted her to return to her people and to her land. The famine in Ruth 1:1 was itself a judgment of God upon Israel for its sins (Deut. The Promised Land, which was supposed to be characterized as a fruitful land, is now described as dry.