Humans cannot see beyond these two alternatives but God has another choice. 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. 17 Wherever you die, I will die and there I will be buried. Second, Naomis words are even more forceful here,14 issuing Ruth a command to leave her. In the past, Naomi was always portrayed in a somewhat flattering way. While they were in Moab, Elimelech died, leaving Naomi and her two sons. God loves to show mercy and compassion. She urged her daughters-in-law to return to their mothers home, with the expectation that the LORD would bless them with security in a marriage to a new12 Moabite husband. For my intense suffering is too much for you to bear. When a famine came to the area around Bethlehem, Elimelech and Naomi moved to Moab (Moab was the name of Lot's elder Somehow God wrote His law on Ruths heart, not unlike Tamar and Rahab, her predecessors. ." The final chapters of the Book of Judges are certainly the worst of times, and yet the Book of Ruth describes the best of times. This suggests to me that godly character is not only evident in the good times, but even more dramatically in the bad times. 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. Why do you call me Naomi, seeing that the Lord has opposed me, and the Sovereign One has caused me to suffer? 22 So Naomi returned, accompanied by her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth, who came back with her from the region of Moab. Instead, it was God who demonstrated His sovereignty by bringing about the chain of events that culminated in the establishment of monarchy in Israel. Elimelech was Naomi's husband. (One was named Orpah and the other Ruth.) 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. Naomi did not doubt the existence of God nor did she doubt His power. Ruth emphatically says No to Naomi, but with such wonderful words Naomi can hardly continue to stand in her way. I pray that you, like Ruth, have forsaken all confidence in yourself and have cast yourself upon the one true God for salvation. Surely you would not remain unmarried all that time! 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? 15 They show that the work of the law is written in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend them, 16 on the day when God will judge the secrets of human hearts, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus (Romans 2:12-16, emphasis mine). 2 0 obj He will do what he says he will do. All this is described in the Bible book of Ruth. 14 For whenever the Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature the things required by the law, these who do not have the law are a law to themselves. And his little boys died too. xkOF;GBYH6=3fn=3_]o{09j?]YNvflo'N_~iv4:8N.N";>5"!2M*bNH$!E/EA@e|h9!MSrj:3Y^&!:Xqw-8O?n#-"XY+;-ZN$ayCp}k _F+w +g du]yB2 (0#`2BYfeu(pV,!g\A:>ffY)Yr,gl}*>3|5g-a>F#oE|v0m7G;o}\B,=y"Z|GMogbAD[ J6tW8!jm4GIt\ul4yg2b>x|YH&-B(k7zk4%>5z$@Q8nK+ja4aAqTND&QqM @%(g]v/mnn-vTY2^JrxVNgl/'u:K-cdw>-xs_X0$%.$f#X2l| @n:c 0/#S=>k"ey4=^Gy^tb^ e But what she fails to see is that God is only increasing her problems to the level of human impossibility, so that He can demonstrate His power and grace through her weakness. Her boys ended up choosing Moabite women to marry and these women became part of Naomis family. , Akk. Naomi was preoccupied with the here and now, rather than trusting in Gods covenant promises by faith. Naomi also made it clear that this was because (in her mind) God had dealt harshly with her.16 Naomi measured Gods blessing only in terms of food and of family. Beware of well-meaning advice that is not rooted in Scripture and that is supportive of what you would really like to do, rather than what God commands us to do. 12 The word new is not in the original text. "I Have Already Written of You Thrice:" Megilat Esther and the Eternal War with Amalek, Many Can Have "Urim" - Power; But Few Have "Tumim" Power. The all-powerful God was making Naomis life miserable, so she thought and said. Posted on September 7, 2005 By Rabbi Dr. Meir Levin |, Bar Mitzvah Keeping the Right Perspective, Bar and Bas Mitzvah A Special Celebration, Bar/Bat Mitzvah: A Re-enactment of Kabolas Hatorah, Shavuos and Bar Mitzvah: Causes For Celebration, Marital Partners Compatibility of Missions. The name (Phoen. 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. Elimelech died, whereupon Mahlon and Chilion both married local women. 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. It certainly would be safer for the two women to travel together, but it is Orpah who will travel alone, not Ruth. This is entirely consistent with Old Testament history and with the warnings recorded in Leviticus 26:18-20 and Deuteronomy 28:23-24. 1 Shout for joy, O barren one who has not given birth! Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023, Ruth: A Story of Redemption -- A Study of the Book of Ruth. It had been at least ten years since Naomi and her family had left them. In moving to Moab, Naomi left the Lord to some extent and for some years. (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. Naomi adds one final argument in favor of Orpah and Ruth returning home to Moab. After only ten years in Moab, Elimelechs sons also died. 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. Once again I would suggest that Naomis strong urging for Ruth and Orpah to return was as much for her interests as for her daughters-in-law. Naomi signifies my amiable or pleasant one; Mahlon and Chilion signify sickness and consumption. But In our text (as in Judges and everywhere else in Scripture), man looks bad, very bad, and God looks good, very good. She had to leave her family, her homeland, and her gods and go to the place of Gods blessing. 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. The security in the home of a new husband referred to earlier is now spelled out in plainer terms. Each of you should return to your mothers home! Elamtu), region on the edge of the southwestern part of the Iranian plateau, modern Khuzistan, Sidon Spouse. This, of course, is Naomis meaning. Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. (1) There is no clear link to a particular time, to a particular judge, or to a particular event recorded in the Book of Judges. Give a joyful shout and cry out, you who have not been in labor! And they will do this because they believe they are doing their friend a favor. 2 Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the NET Bible. And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband. Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. Leaving His land, His people, His office-bearers, His worship and His day is leaving God. We shall see more about this in chapter 3. Elimelech was severely punished for his failings but the good within him was preserved and rewarded and he became the progenitor of the Royal line. 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. 15 In fact, if they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Naomis hope was in the physical rather than in the spiritual, in the present rather than in eternity. Moab is where Elimelech died. I can imagine how it alarmed and frightened Naomi when Elimelech died while they were sojourning in Moab. Ruth would have none of this foolish talk, and she made this abundantly clear to her mother-in-law. When we met, I had no idea who he was, but he introduced himself something like this, Hi, Bob, Im Nate Mirza. From Ruth 4:13, one might infer that God prevented both Orpah and Ruth from bearing children to their husbands. The story in the book tells that Naomi plans to If our text tells us anything about God, it is that His ways are not our ways. 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 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. 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. 31 Later the older daughter said to the younger, Our father is old, and there is no man anywhere nearby to have sexual relations with us, according to the way of all the world. Now it's ironic that he left Bethlehem because he was afraid he couldn't survive there, yet he went over into Moab and died anyway. Ruths words are beautiful, and thus it is no wonder that some have chosen to employ them for their marriage vows. Naomi counseled Orpah and Ruth to do what seemed right in their eyes. He was a leader who possessed the requisite qualities, except for that of deep love and concern for his flock and of disregard of his own worthiness and rights. 1 Copyright 2010 by Robert L. Deffinbaugh. 3 Sometime later Naomis husband Elimelech died, so she and her two sons were left alone. He was one of the c, JETHRO It is available on the Internet at: www.netbible.org. Mahlon married Ruth in Moab while Kilion married Ruth's sister Orpah. 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. And when both her sons died without bearing children, her situation seemed impossible. Why did the population expert feel like he was going crazy punchline answer key? Elimelech was Naomi's husband. Copy. And they continued to live there about ten years. You will note from the first verse of chapter 1 that the setting for the story of Ruth is the times of the judges. Encyclopedia.com. % You, leaders, did not stand at the opening like Moses. 36 In this way both of Lots daughters became pregnant by their father. ELAM (Heb. Web- And Elimelech Naomi's husband died. More tears are shed. Many tears were shed, but in the end both women refused to leave Naomi and return to their mothers home. "Elimelech Best Answer. Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-judah Bethlehem was otherwise called Ephratha. What a marvelous woman of faith Ruth was. . Because he abandoned his people during a famine. This is exactly what Boaz commended Ruth for doing: 10 Ruth knelt before him with her forehead to the ground and said to him, Why are you so kind and so attentive to me, even though I am a foreigner? 11 Boaz replied to her, I have been given a full report of all that you have done for your mother-in-law following the death of your husband how you left your father and your mother, as well as your homeland, and came to live among people you did not know previously. 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. 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. She has chosen to permanently leave her homeland and family and to embrace Israel, the Israelites, and Israels God as her own, forever. In addition, anyone who wants to share the Bible with others can print unlimited copies and give them away free to others. 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. Finally, the description of Elimelech departure is frugal and bereft of detail. Someone reminded me that the Book of Ruth is a lot like the Book of Esther. 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. ; "God [or my God] is king"), the husband of *Naomi and father of Mahlon and *Chilion, from Beth-Lehem in Judah. It led to a hopeless fatalism: It doesnt really matter what I say or do; God is against me, and there is nothing I can do about it.. Humanly speaking, staying with Naomi does not offer much promise of a good life for these Moabite widows. But when Ruth refused to return to her people and accompanied her to Bethlehem, Boaz entered the picture, a close relative, a possible redeemer. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. Ruth would not only do this until death separated them, she would do so in death. Apr. Call me Mara because the Sovereign One has treated me very harshly. - As part of a small team, I organized a five-day congress (90 participants, budget 17,000), the largest yearly event of the association. ELIMELECH (Heb. There is no doubt that this is a great honor and privilege for a woman. His faithfulness to His people and to His covenant is at a time when His people are not faithful to Him and when they are living in disregard for His law. They were of the clan of Ephrath from Bethlehem in Judah.) The son of the oldest daughter was named Moab; the son of the younger daughter was named Ammon. She seems to have little or no conviction regarding her sins, the sins of her husband, or of the sins of the nation. ). 4 0 obj The book of Ruth opens with a presentation of several characters. where did these children come from? (Isaiah 49:20-21). WebElimelech died, leaving Naomi with only her two sons. 25 Translations differ here, but I think that this daughters choice of words is very important to consider. Clearly as quite young men. <>>> It was a bad start, and sadly things didnt get any better over time. This makes perfect sense when we consider that Biblical individuals were called by several different names over their lifetimes and that names were given in remembrance of major events. If Naomi had other sons, she could give them to these women in Levirate marriage, but she has no other sons. Elimelech Weisblum 1717 Tykocin, Kingdom of Poland. 14 In her first attempt, Naomi issues a parting blessing, punctuated by a farewell kiss (verse 9). The woman was left of her two sons and her husband , The Lord had visited his people in giving them bread . When it sees people coming, it immediately runs away. WebDeutsches Jungforschernetzwerk - juFORUM e.V. 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