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. Such people are in misery, and honestly, they make those around them miserable as well. 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. They would be (or so it may have seemed to Naomi) a liability to her when she returned. Is God judging here? Such is not the case, my friend, and seeing her as some kind of heroine will distort our understanding of the message of this wonderful book. This she must do by faith. 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. Moabs hostility and opposition to Israel continued on into the period of the Judges. The stage is set, and the setting is loaded with redemptive meaning. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Im thankful that it encouraged you, Bill. 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 can almost feel the trembling in his voice as he pleads with his wife to pretend to be his sister. Call me Mara because the Sovereign One has treated me very harshly. Naomi doesnt mention that these women would likely not find an Israelite husband. If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. While they were in Moab, Elimelech died, leaving Naomi and her two sons. Many of the commentaries on Ruth argue that the initial setting provides a mere backdrop to the story and nothing more. He was clearly a faithless husband who led his family directly into death. This is the origin of the Moabites and the Ammonites. And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which. In fact, we might even think that Elimelech was being a good provider by looking out for his family. Give a joyful shout and cry out, you who have not been in labor! It is no wonder that Naomi speaks to her daughters-in-law about husbands, marriage, and children, because this is what is on her mind. No wonder Naomi finally ceased trying to convince her to turn back (verse 18). 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. WebBible: Ruth Flashcards | Quizlet. & A. In Leviticus 26 we read. As they continue their journey toward Bethlehem, Naomi makes a three-fold attempt to persuade Orpah and Ruth to return to their homes, rather than to accompany her all the way back to Israel. We should never have taken that one step in the direction of sin. 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. And so they, like Lots daughters (the oldest one in particular), devised a scheme whereby the line would be preserved, albeit apart from faith and obedience to Gods Word. But Ruth refuses to abandon Naomi and clings to her tightly. We are not told how wide-spread it was, but we do know that it affected Bethlehem (which ironically means house of bread). than the children of the married woman, says the Lord. Ruth was the great grandmother of King David. We need to bear in mind that what is at stake here is the Messianic line, the line which will ultimately bring forth Messiah. A Jew who knows the law and doesnt live by it is not really a true Jew. Ruth 1:1-5. The term she used to refer to Him Shaddai was a term that emphasized Gods great power. To develop this point, I would have to summarize the four chapters of Ruth, but you can read the book for yourself to trace Jehovahs sovereign decree and hand guiding the various characters.Fourth, this book is significant because it presents the godly examples of Ruth herself, Naomi and Boaz, people whose virtues we would do well to emulate.But there is another important theological and practical lesson from the book of Ruth, especially chapter 1, that is often unnoticed or underdeveloped in sermons and writings on the eighth book of the Bible. But it is not the essence of what our life in Christ is about. Did Billy Graham speak to Marilyn Monroe about Jesus? You may not even notice this at first, but the very first man in the story remains unnamed. As you will recall, Mrs. We are not told how long Elimelech may have waited before he made his fateful decision. 19 and Micah 5:2. Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. The Cross And Unjust Suffering (1 Peter 2:19-25), Ruth: A Story of Redemption -- A Study of the Book of Ruth. Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. i. 21 I left here full, but the Lord has caused me to return empty-handed. PRC-Related: RFPA, Standard Bearer, Reformed Witness Hour, Etc. What a delight it becomes to experience the layers of irony unfolding into a beautiful story that breathes with love, life, and hope. It took two attempts to convince Orpah to turn back and three attempts to convince Naomi that her efforts to turn Ruth away were futile. His name was Nate Mirza. 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). But sadly for his sons, then never comes, and they die in Moab. What a great story. The very first Psalm teaches us this in vivid images of walking, standing and sitting. 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! She had heard that the famine was over and was hoping to make a new start. Systems of Transliteration Citation of Proper Names. 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). Your Moab. That person is a true Jew at heart. So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel. daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. There we read of the Sodom-like immorality of some of the Benjamites in the city of Gibeah, which resulted in the near extinction of their tribe. Keep Shining for Jesus Friend. Other than weeping, Orpah remains silent;20 Ruths words and actions are what the author has chosen to report. Ruth 1:2b. Start for FREE. The subject was the Book of Ruth. Ruth 1:1. Be honest with yourself and recognizethat staying there is not good for you. In such a declared emergency, she reasoned, they must take extraordinary measures. She had to leave her family, her homeland, and her gods and go to the place of Gods blessing. The next day, the other man refused to take Ruth, and she and Boaz were married. The danger of practicing pragmatism above principle. addy6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19 = addy6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19 + 'prca' + '.' + 'org'; var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; The barley harvest will play a significant role in moving this story forward in the next two chapters. The place known for refusing Israel bread is the very place Elimelech chooses to move his family for bread. And with Gods help and the support of others who love you and are moving in the same direction, make the decision to get out of Moab today. (Ruth 1:1-22)2. DO LESS, BE MORE: HOW TO SIMPLIFY CHRISTMAS. They emigrated from famine-stricken The reader is required to peel back these layers of irony so as to deepen his appreciation of God's grace and mercy to the needy. from Bethlehem of Judah. When they return, Ruth meets Boaz, and he fulfills the role of kinsman redeemer. Naomi adds one final argument in favor of Orpah and Ruth returning home to Moab. Elimelech's actions are an apt illustration of this principle. Abraham put the seed at risk when he represented his wife Sarah as his sister, and she ended up (temporarily) in Pharaohs29 (and later Abimelechs)30 harem. 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. 1 Shout for joy, O barren one who has not given birth! Ruth is very significant as regards church membership, departing from the church and joining the church. var addy_text4e942a4423f495800f38cd74f5bbd140 = 'Classical Committee';document.getElementById('cloak4e942a4423f495800f38cd74f5bbd140').innerHTML += ''+addy_text4e942a4423f495800f38cd74f5bbd140+'<\/a>'; Thus, we know that in these kinds of redemptive narratives famines are not random. Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. Nobody would yoke a donkey with an ox because one is smaller and it wouldn't work. WebYet when this famine arises, he leaves to go to Moab with his family. Naomis hope was in the physical rather than in the spiritual, in the present rather than in eternity. Why do we know this? food. of the backslider driven by momentary trials from Gods ordinances down to Moab. And when both her sons died without bearing children, her situation seemed impossible. addy4e942a4423f495800f38cd74f5bbd140 = addy4e942a4423f495800f38cd74f5bbd140 + 'prca' + '.' + 'org'; Ruth focused on Naomi and her need and on Naomis people and their God. Then we find that such ways become comfortable, and so we stand or linger in them. May you grow in giant leaps in Jesus Name. However, as they lived in the land and were not faithful, then God would bring famine. Do you have pictures of Gracie Thompson from the movie Gracie's choice. 3), he was Reformed Witness Hour Newsletter - January 2023, The Punishment of Rebellious Children (2). Her God is all powerful, but not merciful and gracious. Indeed, the structure of Judges begs us to ask about the future. A famine plagued Israel in the days of the judges. One would have to begin by saying that these two women have a fair bit in common. The women of the village said, Can this be Naomi? 20 But she replied to them, Dont call me Naomi! These cookies do not store any personal information. Rather, he searched for other places of blessing; he left the land of promise. BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. And it happened or came to pass when the judges judged "famine" was in the land. WebAnalyzes how ruth opens with a man leaving bethlehem of judah, along with his wife and two sons, for the land of moab during the time of the judges. 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). married Boaz. He is the ancestor of the Moabites of today. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; I pray that you, like Ruth, have forsaken all confidence in yourself and have cast yourself upon the one true God for salvation. 9May the Lord bless you with the security of another marriage. Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept. He sought wives for his sons from the worst place in the world that a faithful Israelite could imagine, from Moab. Sometimes we have to leave people too. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us! 18When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more. Both were related to Naomi in the same way. 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. Would he trust in God's promise to provide food for his family in the land or would he leave in fear? 1In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. Naomis first attempt is described in verses 8-10. (7) Naomi does appear to have one thing right humanly speaking, Naomis chances of perpetuating her husbands line are between slim and none. 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. Maybe you remember this from the story of Naomi and Ruththere was a third woman standing at the crossroads when they had to decide between staying in Moab or returning to Judah. He is faithful and always right on time! I will be their God and they will be my people (Jeremiah 31:33). People who are not traveling in the same direction. They left the judges, prophets, priests and Levites whom God had placed in His Old Testament church. Even the structure of the Hebrew in our story is similar to that of Abraham's story. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like Why did Elimelech take his family to Moab?, Why was it wrong for Elimelech to take 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. 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. Ruths words are beautiful, and thus it is no wonder that some have chosen to employ them for their marriage vows. Naomi tended to focus only on herself, on her lack of sons to give in marriage, and on her lack of a child to carry on the family line. 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). You need JavaScript enabled to view it. All good stories are generally divided into three basic parts: a problem, an unraveling, and a solution.1Following this pattern, Ruth's narrative has an opening scene that introduces us to a genuine predicament. 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. It is available on the Internet at: www.netbible.org. 5 Then Naomis two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, also died. Thus, when Elimelech began to purse daughters for his sons, ironically, he went to a place cursed for this very action. They came empty (at least according to Naomis assessment see verse 21), but God would not let them go hungry (or childless). 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. 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). 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. Mahlon, son of Naomi and Elimelech. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Leaving the people of God is leaving the God of His people. 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. 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. People who have chosen different paths. WebElimelech and His Family Move to Moab 1 1-2 Long ago, in the days before Israel had a king, there was a famine in the land. The word of God required him to hold fast to the promises and thus to seek the restoration of the land. Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord himself has raised his fist against me., 14And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. Elimelech faces the same kind of choice that Abraham faced. A sensitive reader would have learned in covenant history that there are certain places one should never go for bread. Lot and his two daughters are now living in a cave. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. 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. 9 May the Lord enable each of you to find security in the home of a new husband! Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept loudly. When a famine came to the area around Bethlehem, Elimelech and Naomi moved to Moab (Moab was the name of Lot's elder 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. And so they did. WHEN YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF MOAB | At the Crossroads. Mahlon, son of Naomi and Elimelech. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way. As Elimelech searched for bread, he went to the worst place in the world for bread. She believes in a God who is all powerful, but who is not merciful and compassionate. They worshipped the god Chemosh, and apparently even offered this god human sacrifices (see 2 Kings 3:27). For some who emigrated, it worked out well, but for others it did not. R. Simon b. Yoai contends (ib.) 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. var addy_text79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c = 'Stated Clerk';document.getElementById('cloak79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c').innerHTML += ''+addy_text79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c+'<\/a>'; 2014 Protestant Reformed Churches in America. The closing chapters of the Book of Judges contain some of the most gruesome accounts in all of the Bible homosexual Benjamites want to rape a guest in their city; a woman is brutally gang raped by these same men; her husband seems more than willing to sacrifice her to save his life, and then he chops her dead body into twelve pieces which he delivers to every part of Israel. His counsel (even though it effectively called God a liar) was given as though it were in her best interest. This is completely secular thinking. Read More. If God has it in for Naomi, what woman in her right mind would want to be closely associated with her? Lots older daughter neatly avoided the moral implications of what she proposed. When I realized this, I blurted out, What a witch!, much to the surprise of the rest of the class. 25 Translations differ here, but I think that this daughters choice of words is very important to consider. NLT Teen Life Application Study Bible, Softcover, My First Hands-on Bible--soft leather-look, bold blue, NLT Thinline Reference Bible, Filament Enabled Edition--soft leather-look, rustic brown, NLT Spiritual Growth Bible--soft leather-look, cream floral, NLT Large-Print Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition--genuine leather, brown (indexed). She was not a Jew, and she had not been raised by parents who taught her the law. First, we have references to three deaths in one small family (3, 5). 17Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. 12 Go back home, my daughters! 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. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. She gave them very pragmatic counsel, based upon what could be seen, rather than on Gods Word and the principle of faith. Ruth opens with a startling statement of famine. Not even death would separate them. This takes risk, obedience, and movement in a totally different direction. Follow your sister-in-law back home! (Ruth 1:15). You need JavaScript enabled to view it. There is something particularly encouraging about our text. Start your free trial today! The geological marvels, millennia in the making, drew more than 1. Samuel uses irony as his most powerful literary tool. Ruth would not only do this until death separated them, she would do so in death. Some are so focused on courtship and romance in Ruth that they overlook its instruction on joining, staying in and never leaving Gods church. Rev. They were of the clan of Ephrath from Bethlehem in Judah.) var addy_texta1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68 = 'Classical Committee';document.getElementById('cloaka1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68').innerHTML += ''+addy_texta1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68+'<\/a>'; var addy79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c = 'jdengelsma' + '@'; The more Naomi moans on about how bad things are for her, and how hopeless it would be for Orpah or Ruth to stay with her, the more we see the mighty hand of God working all things for the good of His people, as well as for His glory. 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. In the dark shadows of the days of the judges, we find two individuals whose lives are truly lights in the darkness. And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's: And he said to the kinsman, Naomi, who has returned from the land of Moab, has resolved to sell the portion of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech.