They would be (or so it may have seemed to Naomi) a liability to her when she returned. It is not Naomis belief in the sovereignty of God that troubles me as much as how she applies it. Having started off on a rather negative note, let me hasten to say that the Book of Ruth is a breath of fresh air for those of us who have just come from the Book of Judges. All this is described in the Bible book of Ruth. There they made a new home and seemed to do well (the Bible does not give us many details) until Elimelech died. Naomi doesnt mention that these women would likely not find an Israelite husband. Lot fled with his daughters and was living in a cave. Encyclopaedia Judaica. He lived during the period of the Judges, had a hereditary possession near Bethlehem, and is chiefly known as the husband of Naomi, the mother-in-law of Ru and ancestress of David the king. The suffering of His people, whether for sins they have committed or for living righteously, is but the prelude to His glorious salvation. name of Lot's elder daughter's son and the people and land are Naomi returned to her homeland accompanied by her Moabite daughter-in-law, Ruth. But 2 0 obj It purposefully draws our attention to it, for it first tells us that a man went out and then tells us that the name of the man was Elimelech. Can one, on the other hand, forgive and excuse his deficiencies and the damage that they bring about? Someone reminded me that the Book of Ruth is a lot like the Book of Esther. % For the children of the desolate one are more numerous. Now I should stop to say that I firmly believe in the sovereignty of God, that God is in absolute control of everything that takes place on this earth. 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. Ill attempt to support my conclusions as we proceed in our study of this book. , ), Phoenician port, N. of Tyre in Lebanon. 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. Best Answer. One would have to begin by saying that these two women have a fair bit in common. 35 Or who has first given to God, that God needs to repay him? We know of Abimelech, son of the leader Gideon and Abimelech, the King of Gerar. As we explained in the introduction, the restoration of Elimelechs seed by Boaz through Levirite marriage to Ruth, constitutes the first redemptive cycle of the book; in this lies the importance of early introduction of Ruths former husband, brother-in-law and their father. Perhaps one reason why the author does not make a major point out of the theme of divine judgment is because his purpose is to emphasize divine mercy, not only as God provided food for His people, but also in His providential provision of a family and a posterity for Naomi and Elimelech. Naomi instructs us to beware of Calvinism run amuck. Would man who truly believes that His God is King abandon his people at the time of famine? WebRuth 1:2. Naomi not only disregards the Abrahamic Covenant, she also urges Ruth (and Orpah) to do likewise. 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. No, it is realized as I desire and is fulfilled as I intend (Isaiah 55:8-11). 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. Elimelech of Lizhensk. Perhaps he was not even fully aware of this failing but God was. 12 Go back home, my daughters! Naomi, so to speak, put all of her eggs into one basket marriage and bearing children. Submit your piece for review, and if approved we will publish it on our site as Community Contributions., Change Your Subscription Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. Naomi adds one final argument in favor of Orpah and Ruth returning home to Moab. Copy. 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. We read of the origin of the Moabites in Genesis 19,3 just after the account of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The subject was the Book of Ruth. What are the advantages and disadvantages of video capture hardware? Religion. She would be buried where Naomi was buried. Ezekiel (10, 3) castigates the leaders of Israel as being foxes in the ruins. 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. Judah married a Canaanite woman, and two of his sons died because of their sin. And they continued to live there about ten years. Other than weeping, Orpah remains silent;20 Ruths words and actions are what the author has chosen to report. 20 It could well be that Orpah had much to say, but the author did not wish to focus on her as she is not the heroine of this story. Such people are in misery, and honestly, they make those around them miserable as well. She views God as harsh and uncaring, doling out affliction and trouble in a way that is completely unrelated to her attitudes and actions. . There do not appear to be many generations between Boaz and David, but biblical genealogies dont always include every genealogical link in such cases. A Jew who knows the law and doesnt live by it is not really a true Jew. What are the disadvantages of shielding a thermometer? Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts and minds. Following their deaths, his wife Naomi returned to Beth-Lehem together with her daughter-in-law *Ruth (Ruth 1:13; 2:1, 3; 4:3, 9). It seems that they are pointing out a certain disconnect between the name and the behavior. Then figure out what the total cost of the trip would be.? Judaism. 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. 16 The expression, the Sovereign One (rendered the Almighty by most translations) is the term Shaddai. 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. 3 Sometime later Naomis husband Elimelech died, so she and her two sons were left alone. She was willing to sacrifice family ties, marriage, and a family to do so. He is the ancestor of the Moabites of today. Then she firmly stated her commitment to Naomi, to Israel, and to Israels God as a covenant. We need to bear in mind that what is at stake here is the Messianic line, the line which will ultimately bring forth Messiah. ." It would also seem that Naomis barrenness was divinely imposed.18, (5) Moab was not the place of Gods promised blessings; Israel was.19. The mans name was Elimelech. In her mind, this was the normal, the customary, way to produce offspring. as Ili-Milku, a variant of the name Milk-ilu, ruler of Gezer. It is not only Ruth and Naomi who benefit from Gods work in the Book of Ruth, for everyone who has been saved by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ has been saved by the offspring of Ruth and Boaz. Cholim Prayers for Those in Need, Make a Donation Other translations have another another husband. WebThe Bible Exposition Commentary: The meaning of redemption. Web- And Elimelech Naomi's husband died. WebThe Bible Exposition Commentary: The meaning of redemption. ; "God [or my God] is king"), the husband of *Naomi and father of Mahlon and *Chilion, from Beth-Lehem in Judah. We, too, live in very pragmatic times, and those who live by principle especially the principles of Gods Word are few and far between. The younger daughter then did likewise and bore a son named Ammon. Elimelech died in Moab. Naomis second effort13 will be less subtle and more pointed and forceful. How did Elimelech know that strict justice was (loose) in the world? 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). Spouse. And they will do this because they believe they are doing their friend a favor. No wonder Naomi finally ceased trying to convince her to turn back (verse 18). Apparently soon after the settlement of the family. From Ruth 4:13, one might infer that God prevented both Orpah and Ruth from bearing children to their husbands. Follow your sister-in-law back home! 16 But Ruth replied. WebThen Naomi's husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons, Ruth 1:5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and without her husband. We should notice that it was not until after Elimelechs death that they married. endobj Apparently Elimelech abandoned his people because they scorned their leaders. 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. Many tears were shed, but in the end both women refused to leave Naomi and return to their mothers home. 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). Many years later, the Israelites were camped on the plains of Moab, across the Jordan River from Jericho, poised to enter the Promised Land. My impression is that Naomi had changed not only in her appearance (she may not have aged well in Moab), but also in spirit. 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to dissuade her. The focus is usually on one person and not on the group. 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. Both had married Israelite husbands, had borne no children, and were now widows. He was right, but, was there, perhaps, a personal element in his reaction? 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. 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. 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. In Esther, the people of God were supposed to return to the Promised Land, but they chose instead to dwell in the apparent peace and safety of Persia. Serving the god(s) of Moab (or any others) was an abomination to God: You shall have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3). And in good covenant form, she pronounced a curse upon herself if she did otherwise. Douay-Rheims Bible And Elimelech the husband of Noemi died: and she remained with her sons. This news prompted her to return to her people and to her land. 25 Translations differ here, but I think that this daughters choice of words is very important to consider. The NEW ENGLISH TRANSLATION, also known as THE NET BIBLE, is a completely new translation of the Bible, not a revision or an update of a previous English version. In Judges 19-21, we find a similar situation. May the Lord punish me severely if I do not keep my promise! Her commitment is not just to Naomi; it is a lifetime commitment to Israel and to her God. As the years have gone by, I may have mellowed in the terms I would use to portray Naomi, but my opinion of her has not really changed. 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. 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