Part of the story about Naomi plays there, and another part in Bethlehem. 2 Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the NET Bible. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. To do it any other way was to disobey God. Other translations have another another husband. We find Ruth contrasted with Orpah, and then with Naomi. They insisted on going on to Israel with Naomi. 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). There is no doubt that this is a great honor and privilege for a woman. 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. There is really no evidence of faith (on Naomis part), either. Was it at Naomis initiative that her sons took Moabite women for wives? He was right, but, was there, perhaps, a personal element in his reaction? 12 The word new is not in the original text. But when there was a famine in the land, they moved to the neighboring country of Moab. More tears are shed. Ruth 1:3 Commentaries: Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. 1:1-5 Elimelech's care to provide for his family, was not to be blamed; but his removal into the country of Moab could not be justified. Beth-lehem-judahso called to distinguish it from a town of the same name in Zebulun. Now it is true that Machlon, Kilyon, and Elimelech pass quickly from the scene and Orpah follows them soon thereafter. 4 0 obj Both were related to Naomi in the same way. The text does not really tell us but the Sages do, and so, we will engage in reverse engineering, trying to grasp their view of this complex personality and then to appreciate the antecedents of their interpretation. Now that Orpah has decided to turn back, Naomi appears to have more leverage. If God has it in for Naomi, what woman in her right mind would want to be closely associated with her? The term she used to refer to Him Shaddai was a term that emphasized Gods great power. ), Handbook of Ugaritic Studies (1999), index, 841. It certainly would be safer for the two women to travel together, but it is Orpah who will travel alone, not Ruth. This is completely secular thinking. There are those who attempt to guild the lily as they read the Book of Ruth, desperately seeking some basis for making a pious Israelite of Naomi. WebElimelech was a member of the tribe of Judah, a native of Bethlehem Judah, a man of wealth and probably head of a family or clan ( Ruth 1:2,3; 2:1,3 ). Elimelech Weisblum of Lizhensk (1717March 11, 1787) was a rabbi and one of the great founding Rebbes of the Hasidic movement. For the children of the desolate one are more numerous. 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. I believe the opening words of A Tale of Two Cities go like this: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times . Surely these words aptly describe Ruth in the period of the judges. 3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your children will conquer nations and will resettle desolate cities (Isaiah 54:1-3). Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. 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. This news prompted her to return to her people and to her land. It was a bad start, and sadly things didnt get any better over time. Conversely, one who is not a Jew and isnt instructed by the Law may have the law written on his (her) heart, and thus do the things the law requires. 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. 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. Now, Naomi urges both of her daughters-in-law to go back home to their own land21 and to their mothers homes22 and to find a new Moabite husband, so that they might have security.23 While God promised to bless all those who blessed Abraham and his offspring, Naomi told her daughters-in-law that to stay with her would be to share in the curse God had placed upon her.24 As the story of Ruth and Boaz unfolds, God promises are fulfilled, while Naomis warning and instructions are proven to be false. 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. This story can be found in the book of Ruth. 25 Translations differ here, but I think that this daughters choice of words is very important to consider. I will be their God and they will be my people (Jeremiah 31:33). When the years of famine came he said, Now all of them will come to my door post, each one with his begging cup in his hand. The ultimate test is the Word of God and Naomis counsel, while it sometimes used Gods name, did not conform to Gods Word. Sixth, Elimelechs family left God. Elimelech died, whereupon Mahlon and Chilion both married local women. 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. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung tightly to her. The word redeem means to set free by paying a price. In the case of Ruth and Naomi, Elimelechs property had either been sold or was under some kind of mortgage, and the rights to the land had passed to Ruths husband, Mahlon, when Elimelech died. ELAM (Heb. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them (Hebrews 11:13-16). 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. Her God is all powerful, but not merciful and gracious. It is not for us to say how far those are right who see in the death of Elimelech and his sons Gods punishment for the disregard of His In moving to Moab, Naomi left the Lord to some extent and for some years. Orpah succumbed to Naomis reasoning and chose to pursue what appeared to be in her best interest. She has chosen to permanently leave her homeland and family and to embrace Israel, the Israelites, and Israels God as her own, forever. % I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts and minds. , ), Phoenician port, N. of Tyre in Lebanon. That is precisely what Naomi did with Orpah and Ruth. Their ultimate blessing would have been to leave their land, their people, their false religion, and to identify with the Israelites and with their God. We need to bear in mind that what is at stake here is the Messianic line, the line which will ultimately bring forth Messiah. Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-judah Bethlehem was otherwise called Ephratha. Naomi heard that the famine in Judah had ended and food was now available in Bethlehem ( Ruth 1:6 ), so she determined to return. Text Copyright 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. 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. 38 The younger daughter also gave birth to a son and named him Ben-Ammi. Her boys ended up choosing Moabite women to marry and these women became part of Naomis family. 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. 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. Eventually, Naomi steered Ruth into a relationship with a distant relative named Boaz. And so they did. God had just destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of their great sin. Naomi doesnt mention that these women would likely not find an Israelite husband. Web(5) And they died. Can this be Naomi? they asked (verse 19). Text Copyright 2005 by Rabbi Dr. Meir Levin and Torah.org. Fearing they would be overrun by the Israelites, Balak (king of Moab)4 hired Balaam to curse Israel. It has been supplied by the translators. 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). Put another way, the title of this book is Ruth, not Orpah. They would be a reminder that Elimelech and Naomi had left Bethlehem when the going got tough. There is literally a gap between the man and what he called himself. . But she concluded that God was using His power against her, rather than for her. Im an Assyrian not a Syrian. How did Elimelechs sons die in the Bible? Who would want a Moabite wife, especially a widow? Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. God has chosen to save Gentiles as well as Jews. We will not focus overmuch on the details as much as on the concepts. They came empty (at least according to Naomis assessment see verse 21), but God would not let them go hungry (or childless). The oldest daughter (who will become the mother of Moab) saw their situation as impossible. We should first note that Naomis words here are prompted by Orpahs decision to return home. (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. 11 In the same way, the promise that I make does not return to me, having accomplished nothing. After about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion died. This is entirely consistent with Old Testament history and with the warnings recorded in Leviticus 26:18-20 and Deuteronomy 28:23-24. Encyclopaedia Judaica. 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. 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