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The land of Moab had been a consistent place of curse for the people of God. 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. The scriptures don't mention Naomi's parents, just the fact that In fact, we might even think that Elimelech was being a good provider by looking out for his family. 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. He says "a certain man" of Bethlehem went to sojourn away from the land. That is why some men and women will choose never to marry or to bear children. There was a famine in the era of the Judges. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Thus, there was something covenantal about this famine. - Quora Answer (1 of 4): Because there was a famine in Israel, so he went to another country presumably It would do us well to review where the Moabites came from and how they related to Israel in the past. var addy_text4e942a4423f495800f38cd74f5bbd140 = 'Classical Committee';document.getElementById('cloak4e942a4423f495800f38cd74f5bbd140').innerHTML += ''+addy_text4e942a4423f495800f38cd74f5bbd140+'<\/a>'; I will be their God and they will be my people (Jeremiah 31:33). Naomi was preoccupied with the here and now, rather than trusting in Gods covenant promises by faith. All rights reserved. When we met, I had no idea who he was, but he introduced himself something like this, Hi, Bob, Im Nate Mirza. This takes risk, obedience, and movement in a totally different direction. Why Elimelech's actions are an apt illustration of this principle. and lifts up the needy from the garbage pile, 9 He makes the barren woman of the family. The people were to know that as they lived in the land of promise in faithfulness, God would bless them. Jacob & Esau Pharez & Zarah If her daughters-in-law could snag a good (Moabite) husband, bear some children, and have a bountiful harvest they were indeed blessed, at least as Naomi viewed it. And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which. Many years later, the Israelites were camped on the plains of Moab, across the Jordan River from Jericho, poised to enter the Promised Land. 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.. in 1971. In moving to Moab, Naomi left the Lord to some extent and for some years. 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. Ruth provides us with a vital part of our Saviours genealogy, for she was the great-grandmother of King David from whom came the Messiah, according to His human nature. They were of the clan of Ephrath from Bethlehem in Judah.) Ruth, the eighth book in the Bible, is relatively short, consisting of just four chapters. Her husband and sons are gone, so the choice is now hers. Mahlon, the older son, died. What a delight it becomes to experience the layers of irony unfolding into a beautiful story that breathes with love, life, and hope. We dont have a very good reputation in the Bible.. 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. This, of course, is Naomis meaning. Who was Elimelech in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org But she concluded that God was using His power against her, rather than for her. This was the land in which God had already killed the men of Israel for the very same action. It is four short chapters and will only take you a few minutes. The same pattern in the land is taught in Deuteronomy 28. Her commitment is not just to Naomi; it is a lifetime commitment to Israel and to her God. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah went to live as a resident foreigner in the Lots older daughter neatly avoided the moral implications of what she proposed. 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). About four years ago I was fasting on a 21 days with the church and the Lord said get out of Moab' I had no earthly clue what that meant until the end of July and reading your message is a confirmationI thank GOD for his perfect timing because I had struggled trying to find out what exactly God was trying to get across. Many in Israel were wicked and unbelieving, and even the elect were not perfect, but the latter were the redeemed, called and believing people of God. The first chapter of Ruth is very important because our appraisal of Ruth, Naomi, and (soon) Boaz in the first chapters of Ruth will greatly shape our understanding of the rest of the book. The two were penniless, and supported themselves by gleaning grain (Leviticus 23:22) in other people's fields. How will this family survive without a faithful husband? var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; He says this because the Hebrew that Samuel uses to describe Elimelech's action is the word for "sojourning!" Why shouldn't he leave the land to find food? The Cross And Our Response to Trials (1 Peter 4:12-19), 8. WebElimelechs Family Goes to Moab. But sadly for his sons, then never comes, and they die in Moab. 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. WebYet, you guessed it; Moab is the very place that Elimelech chose as his destination for bread. 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. so this might not seem like a big deal to us. It is a beautiful story of redemption and restoration. 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. First, departing from Israel for Moab is to leave Gods land, the land He gave His people, the land in which Jehovah dwelt. Let us reflect on these contrasts for a moment. addy79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c = addy79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c + 'gmail' + '.' + 'com'; Because they had neither food nor money, Naomi chose to return to her homeland, Bethlehem, in Judah. A few years ago, I found myselfat a crossroadswith a several key friendships in my life. 12 The word new is not in the original text. This email address is being protected from spambots. Thus, when Elimelech began to purse daughters for his sons, ironically, he went to a place cursed for this very action. The first concerns our Lord Jesus Christ. The women of the village said, Can this be Naomi? 20 But she replied to them, Dont call me Naomi! 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. When famines strike the land, they are not the result of a bare meteorological phenomenon. These are the times of darkness when godliness should shine forth as a brilliant light. If our text tells us anything about God, it is that His ways are not our ways. PRC-Related: RFPA, Standard Bearer, Reformed Witness Hour, Etc. Certain decisions have a way of progressing to their natural conclusion. Another label for pragmatism is doing what seems right in our own eyes. That was the spirit of the age during the days of the judges. Naomi, so to speak, put all of her eggs into one basket marriage and bearing children. Leaving the people of God is leaving the God of His people. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. The more we read itthe more we learn. (3) One gets the impression that those who remained in Bethlehem fared reasonably well during the famine; certainly better than Naomi and her family did. For you are the temple of the living God. They insisted on going on to Israel with Naomi. Amen (Romans 11:33-36). These choices are also related to the covenant and to the unfolding theme of our story. New Living Translation (NLT). Elimelech had a wife named Naomi and two sons, Mahlon and Kilion. 22So Naomi returned from Moab, accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth, the young Moabite woman. 1: Why did Elimelech go to live in Moab with his family? 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). Reformed Witness Hour Newsletter - January 2023, The Punishment of Rebellious Children (2). 15 In fact, if they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters. He did not seek repentance, nor did he stay to witness the recovery of the land. Ruth focused on Naomi and her need and on Naomis people and their God. In the book of Ruth 1:1 we are told that there was famine in the If you have time this week, my suggestion is to go to the book of Ruth and read it. has Naomi sold. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. In the brief narrative no critical comment This news prompted her to return to her people and to her land. Each of you should return to your mothers home! He can respond out of a sense of fear and desire for food or out of a sense of faith. Wouldnt it be better for the two of them to travel together? Look with me at these words from Genesis 19, taking up just after the account of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and Lots escape, along with his daughters: 30 Lot went up from Zoar with his two daughters and settled in the mountains because he was afraid to live in Zoar. Chilion, the only remaining son, also expired (5).Of the four who had left Bethlehem, only Naomi remained. Naomi seems to be encouraging Ruth to accompany Orpah as she returns home. Moabs hostility and opposition to Israel continued on into the period of the Judges. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More. 3, 4). Who makes the plaid blue coat Jesse stone wears in Sea Change? According to Jewish doctors, a noble and potent person. In her thinking, God had stripped her of all hope by taking her husband and her sons in death, and by preventing their wives from bearing children. But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children and childrens children, to the third and fourth generation (Exodus 34:6-7, emphasis mine). I also think it is something for us to seriously ponder. The book of Ruth opens with an Israelite, Elimelech, leaving Bethlehem with his wife Naomi and two sons, Mahlon, and Chilion. Moab was a land of rich soil and adequate rainfall so this man traveled to a place where his crops wouldnt fail. How wrong Naomi was. of Orpah in the Book of Ruth. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. In this emergency, she was proposing an unconventional solution to their problem. Ruth was born in Moab about B.C. Naomi is not at all like Ruth or Boaz; she is, in fact, a backdrop against which Ruth and Boaz are contrasted. Leaving Bethlehem for Moab (Ruth #1) - prca.org We may only intend to walk somewhere for a brief time. The only hope Naomi sees for Orpah and Ruth is the hope of finding a Moabite husband and bearing children. We answer this question with a reminder that Israel was under God's command to remain in the land as part of their call to be faithful. They were both Moabite women, close to the same age. One would have to begin by saying that these two women have a fair bit in common. 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. 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. Pay attention to do everything I have told you, and do not even mention the names of other gods do not let them be heard on your lips (Exodus 23:13). And one of these two Ruth is a Moabite, not an Israelite. And so they did. This email address is being protected from spambots. of the backslider driven by momentary trials from Gods ordinances down to Moab. You can almost feel the trembling in his voice as he pleads with his wife to pretend to be his sister. Is this merely a sad story of a family fleeing famine in Israel, only for most of them to end up in a graveyard in Moab? Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Quora - A place to share knowledge and better understand the world Likewise, the foolish person who decides to live like this soon discovers the deadly character of such a decision. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Surely it fell short of what Ruths experience will be. Her name was Orpah. It has been supplied by the translators. First, we have references to three deaths in one small family (3, 5). Required fields are marked This email address is being protected from spambots. var addya1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68 = 'billlangerak' + '@'; Naomi was Ruth's mother in law. Ruth 1 - Elimelech Moves His Family to Moab - Journaling God and G (2) There is no indication that other Israelites from Bethlehem (or elsewhere in Israel) accompanied Elimelech and his family to Moab. A famine plagued Israel in the days of the judges. In fact, my study for this sermon has caused me to think of Naomi in even less flattering terms. 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). The use of this word highlights for us the problem with trying to justify faithless living because it will only be for a short time. His counsel (even though it effectively called God a liar) was given as though it were in her best interest. Ruth was born in Moab about B.C. Naomi not only disregards the Abrahamic Covenant, she also urges Ruth (and Orpah) to do likewise. Though a widow, Naomistill had her two sons to provide for and protect her. 1100. WHY DID ELIMELECH GO TO MOAB? 15Look, Naomi said to her, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Therefore all those who separate themselves from the same, or do not join themselves to it, act contrary to the ordinance of God.Rev. He keeps loyal love; that is, He is a God who perseveres in His love, and thus He is a covenant-keeping God. Ruth is never dealt with as a second-class believer. Pat. 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.