WebWhy did Elimelech and his family go to Moab? Samuel immediately requires the reader to wrestle with the dire need of a faithful husband. Her faith and obedience was known by all. 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. Elimelechs family left the land God gave Mahlon, the older son, died. Im an Assyrian not a Syrian. 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. 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. In our text, Naomis conversation with her daughters-in-law is couched in language that gives the appearance that she is encouraging them to return to their families and their land because this would be in their best interest. But is this really all that the first five verses of Ruth contain? Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer[b] and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?. This would have been 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). We cry out in frustration and desperation, "Who will free the people of God from this vicious cycle of failure and death? God loves to show mercy and compassion. They arrived, in fact, just in time for the barley harvest. 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. Keep Shining for Jesus Friend. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way. We read in Deuteronomy 23:3-4. A godly Israelite would not only trust in the one true God, Yahweh, they would also know that there are no other gods. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary If God has it in for Naomi, what woman in her right mind would want to be closely associated with her? 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. (9) What we know (and Naomi does not) is that God is about to do a wonderful thing for her, solely on the basis of His grace. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there. 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. And she was honored to be a part of the messianic line.34. He is faithful and always right on time! 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. This email address is being protected from spambots. The Promised Land, which was supposed to be characterized as a fruitful land, is now described as dry. We, too, live in very pragmatic times, and those who live by principle especially the principles of Gods Word are few and far between. His occupation is not known; the Bible never says. We shall see more about this in chapter 3. He deliberately sought blessings outside of the land and thus outside of the covenant. in 1971. 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. (Now they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.) This is completely secular thinking. Anyone anywhere in the world with an Internet connection will be able to use and print out the NET Bible without cost for personal study. One has to ponder the outcome of her decision. var addy6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19 = 'spronk' + '@'; From Ruth 4:13, one might infer that God prevented both Orpah and Ruth from bearing children to their husbands. Who even remembers her name? The land of Moab had been a consistent place of curse for the people of God. (If you're a human, don't change the following field), Ruth 1:1-6 - Famine in the House of Bread. These choices are also related to the covenant and to the unfolding theme of our story. How do you know when to leave and when to stay? She would go where Naomi went and live where she lived. PRC-Related: RFPA, Standard Bearer, Reformed Witness Hour, Etc. The subject was the Book of Ruth. Naomi doesnt mention that these women would likely not find an Israelite husband. Not only were they renowned for their immorality in general, but they had an infamous place in redemptive history. He came alongside Eve as her friend, as someone who was doing her a favor. Later, things seemed to look up for the bereaved family. Orpah and Ruth were committed to returning to Israel with their mother-in-law. Naomi adds one final argument in favor of Orpah and Ruth returning home to Moab. Think of it: Naomi and her husband leave the land where God promised to bless them. First, departing from Israel for Moab is to leave Gods land, the land He gave His people, the land in which Jehovah dwelt. In Leviticus 26 we read. They worshipped the god Chemosh, and apparently even offered this god human sacrifices (see 2 Kings 3:27). 16But Ruth replied, Dont ask me to leave you and turn back. However, as they lived in the land and were not faithful, then God would bring famine. var addy_text4e942a4423f495800f38cd74f5bbd140 = 'Classical Committee';document.getElementById('cloak4e942a4423f495800f38cd74f5bbd140').innerHTML += ''+addy_text4e942a4423f495800f38cd74f5bbd140+'<\/a>'; What a mighty, magnificent, merciful, awesome God we serve! 14 Again they wept loudly. 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). 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. the portion of land, which belonged to our brother Elimelech. 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. Naomis hope was in the physical rather than in the spiritual, in the present rather than in eternity. Then we find that such ways become comfortable, and so we stand or linger in them. God had given the Israelite a way of understanding the world and life in the land. Hi, I'm Carla! she was the wife of Elimelech and the mother of Mahlon and Chilion (8) All of this leads me to conclude that Naomi is not an example of faith, but an excellent example of Israels poor spiritual health. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. They need new or different husbands to marry and to bear children. Isnt it so cool how the Bible is like that? 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. Rather it points to the common problem of the progression of sins. How unsearchable are his judgments and how fathomless his ways! var addy_text6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19 = 'Stated Clerk';document.getElementById('cloak6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19').innerHTML += ''+addy_text6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19+'<\/a>'; Classis WestThis email address is being protected from spambots. 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. Moabwas fun, it was easy, and it was making me feel good. We should learn from Naomi that if barrenness is ones earthly fate, our heavenly fate is vastly different. Ruth was determined to serve and care for her mother-in-law; Orpah chose to look out for herself. Naomi instructs us to beware of Calvinism run amuck. They did not seem to live by it, so why would they consider it important to teach it to a Moabite? 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. Naomis third appeal is to Ruth alone, based on Orpahs decision to return home. Subscribe today for access to my Free Faith Resource Library! We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. The New Covenant promises that God will write the law on the hearts of those He has chosen for salvation, whether Jew or Gentile. . 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. He and his sons die in Moab leaving his wife and eventually his daughter in law, Ruth, to return to Bethlehem. She gave them very pragmatic counsel, based upon what could be seen, rather than on Gods Word and the principle of faith. This means, says the rabbi, that Elimelech was only on a temporary journey. His oldest daughter concluded that their father would die without an heir. Ruth places us in the middle of a scene of covenant testing. Instead you must completely overthrow them and smash their standing stones to pieces (Exodus 23:24). 6: What did Naomi tell the people in Bethlehem to call her? I can imagine how it alarmed and frightened Naomi when Elimelech died while they were sojourning in Moab. Mahlon, son of Naomi and Elimelech. These cookies do not store any personal information. 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. 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to dissuade her. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Many of the commentaries on Ruth argue that the initial setting provides a mere backdrop to the story and nothing more. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 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. She was willing to sacrifice family ties, marriage, and a family to do so. The man whose name means God is my King decided to reject the way of the King, leaving the land of life and blessing for a journey to a land of certain curses. Each of you should return to your mothers home! 1, iv. WHEN YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF MOAB | At the Crossroads. As you will recall, Mrs. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; 1100. Stay in Bethlehem: risk starving their bodies. The two sons married: Mahlon was joined to Ruth and Chilion wedded Orpah (4).However, the two marriages remained childless and worse was to follow. Jacob & Esau Pharez & Zarah Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 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. Samuel's use of setting is powerful as he highlights the inevitable problems that Elimelech will have. They came empty (at least according to Naomis assessment see verse 21), but God would not let them go hungry (or childless). Required fields are marked *. Pat. The famine in Ruth 1:1 was itself a judgment of God upon Israel for its sins (Deut. If leaving Judah was not bad enough, the place he chose to go was even worse. WebAnd the name of the man (was) Elimelech. Bearing children was to be done Gods way. var addy79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c = 'jdengelsma' + '@'; Judging for sin? 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. The present tense of the English Version seems to suggest that the sale is He can respond out of a sense of fear and desire for food or out of a sense of faith. 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? It was my friend Dave Austin who reminded me of the danger of pragmatism from this text. 25 Translations differ here, but I think that this daughters choice of words is very important to consider. Its tough to do. 5 Then Naomis two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, also died. This was a grievous sin, departing from the church of God and the communion of saints (Heidelberg Catechism, Q. And thus there is no evidence of repentance on her part at this point in time. He sought wives for his sons from the worst place in the world that a faithful Israelite could imagine, from Moab. Her boys ended up choosing Moabite women to marry and these women became part of Naomis family. 3Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons. This also reminds us of the way of God's people in the book of Judges. 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). 10No, they said. And may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. If the reader knows redemptive history, then there isn't a place on earth worse than Moab for an Israelite to turn for bread. Return to Bethlehem (Ruth 1) 1 During the time of the judges there was a famine in the land of Judah. Who makes the plaid blue coat Jesse stone wears in Sea Change? I am no longer capable of giving birth to sons who might become your husbands! 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. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More. Both were related to Naomi in the same way. No wonder they didnt have a great reputation. There was a shortage of bread in Bethlehem, which towns name means house of bread. So what did Elimelech and his family do? (6) Most (if not all) of Naomis actions, attitudes, and advice were misguided and downright wrong. 26 The way they acquired the 400 wives by wiping out Jabesh Gilead is no more noble. It was a bad start, and sadly things didnt get any better over time. My problem with the text in Romans 2 was that I couldnt think of an example of what Paul was saying. Lenten Focus: Sacrifice As we head into our final, Lenten Focus: Worship This week we have done a de, Lenten Focus: Worship As we focus on worship this, Lenten Focus: Worship We began our Lenten series, Lenten Focus: Service "For even the Son of Man ca, Lenten Focus: Service She who does not serve God, Lenten Focus: Service We began our Lenten series, Lenten Focus: Silence & Solitude This week we hav, Lenten Focus: Silence & Solitude On Monday, I cha. Why do we know this? You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Others fail to see this teaching on church membership in Ruth because they have not fully grasped the robust biblical and Reformed doctrine of the church, as summarized, for example, 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. A famine was ravaging the land, and so Elimelech moved his family away from 17 Wherever you die, I will die and there I will be buried. They arrived in Bethlehem in late spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest. The contrast between Ruth and Orpah. Elimelech was a faithless husband who led his family into the yawning jaws of death. For my intense suffering is too much for you to bear. She was married first to Were Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion all Israelites? Thus, we know that in these kinds of redemptive narratives famines are not random. Even professing Christians can fall victim to the tyranny of the urgent. WebElimelech, one of the notables of Judah, came to Moab, where he hoped to find food and an easier life. 2 (Now the mans name was Elimelech, his wife was Naomi, and his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. The famine in the land informs us about more than the climate; it awakens us theologically to the unfaithfulness in the land. She went on to become so righteous that God made her the ancestress of King David. He intended to leave the Promised Land briefly in a time of famine, but his sons decided to live in the foreign land. 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. Many are the times when friends counsel others to act in their own best interests, and all too seldom do they point their friends to the difficult principles and commands of Scripture. document.getElementById('cloaka1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68').innerHTML = ''; New Living Translation (NLT). than the children of the married woman, says the Lord. Then grief befell them in Moab! Lot and his two daughters are now living in a cave. Scarcity of food compelled him to emigrate with his family to Moab, where he died, and where one of his sons married Ruth (ib. Judah (through whom the messianic line would be traced) kept his third son from a Levirate marriage with the first sons widow, and then had sex with a woman he thought was a cult prostitute.31 God not only preserved the messianic line, He was faithful to fulfill His (Abrahamic) covenant32 with Abraham. The Moabites had resorted to more than one way to curse and to destroy the Israelites. The oldest daughter went first, bearing a son whom she named Moab. We know that this backfired because Balaam could not curse those whom God had blessed.5 When this approach did not work, Balaam counseled Balak how to harm Israel in a very different way by having the Moabite women seduce the Israelite men.6 One might easily infer from this that the Moabites, like the Canaanites, were a sexually immoral people (in a way that tempted the Israelites). The wonder is that God remained faithful to those who so easily abandoned Him. WebElimelechs Family Goes to Moab. I am so grateful for your encouragement! Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, moved to Moab during a famine. Elimelech was Naomi's husband. The Messianic seed was often put at risk in the Old Testament. land of Israel, which included Bethlehem where Elimelech and Naomi Now that Orpah has decided to turn back, Naomi appears to have more leverage. It may be. 11 In the same way, the promise that I make does not return to me, having accomplished nothing. We will return with you to your people., 11 But Naomi replied, Go back home, my daughters! 14 In her first attempt, Naomi issues a parting blessing, punctuated by a farewell kiss (verse 9). And when both her sons died without bearing children, her situation seemed impossible. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung tightly to her. Sin has a way of making progress in our lives even if we start in rather small ways. Classis EastThis email address is being protected from spambots. Boaz informed her that there was another relative who, according to custom, had prerogative to redeem Elimelech's field and marry her. And what communion has light with darkness? However, even if the date does not match exactly with the conclusion of Judges, the author is definitely pointing us back to Judges and to something that occurred in that time. 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. 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. document.getElementById('cloak4e942a4423f495800f38cd74f5bbd140').innerHTML = ''; A famine plagued Israel in the days of the judges. He is the ancestor of the Ammonites of today (Genesis 19:30-38, emphasis mine). In our text (as in Judges and everywhere else in Scripture), man looks bad, very bad, and God looks good, very good. WebElimelechs Family Goes to Moab. But here is where the similarity ends. 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). To do it any other way was to disobey God. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Elimelech responds with fear and flight. What a marvelous woman of faith Ruth was. 2 These women invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods; then the people ate and bowed down to their gods. Webwhy did ruth and orpah make a different decision +27(0)11 048 1418 / (0)11 656 2000; subaru sambar parts canada; arkansas game wardens by county. Elimelech had a wife named Naomi and two sons, Mahlon and Kilion. Covenant Evangelical Reformed Church of Singapore, Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Australia, Missions, Sister Churches, Christian Schools. Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. On account of famine Elimelech and his family left Bethlehem-Judah for the land of Moab. Humanly speaking, staying with Naomi does not offer much promise of a good life for these Moabite widows. 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. Did Billy Graham speak to Marilyn Monroe about Jesus? You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. First, we have references to three deaths in one small family (3, 5). WebYet, you guessed it; Moab is the very place that Elimelech chose as his destination for bread. If I have counted correctly, the term is used 48 times in the Old Testament; 9 times in the Pentateuch, 2 times in Ruth, 2 times in the Psalms, 1 time in Isaiah, 2 times in Ezekiel, 1 time in Joel, and 31 times in Job.
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