why did elimelech and his family go to moab why did elimelech and his family go to moab

To him be glory forever! 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). He is faithful and always right on time! She had to leave her family, her homeland, and her gods and go to the place of Gods blessing. Thus, we know that in these kinds of redemptive narratives famines are not random. At first they hired Balaam to curse Israel. There the sacrifices were made, bespeaking the full and rich atonement made for our sins on the cross. Sadly, many professing Christians today will accept a job in another part of the country or world, before even asking themselves if there is a good Reformed church there and without doing the requisite research. var addy4e942a4423f495800f38cd74f5bbd140 = 'laning' + '@'; As they entered Bethlehem, they became the talk of the town. Learn how your comment data is processed. elimelech died, leaving naomi and her daughters-in-law alone. A pointer to the fact that, in moving from Bethlehem to Moab, Elimelech did not truly take God and His Word into account? May the Lord punish me severely if I do not keep my promise! 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. Ruth 1:1-5. 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. God loves to show mercy and compassion. WebWhy did Elimelech and his family go to Moab? This seems to be designed to provoke some questions in the mind of the reader. Judah married a Canaanite woman, and two of his sons died because of their sin. The only hope Naomi sees for Orpah and Ruth is the hope of finding a Moabite husband and bearing children. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Read More. People who want to stay in Moab. WebWhich was our brother Elimelechs He calls him their brother, because he was near of kin to them. God had given Israel the land as a place of rest and blessing. Even if we know it is best togo. Boaz informed her that there was another relative who, according to custom, had prerogative to redeem Elimelech's field and marry her. 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. God had just destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of their great sin. This is not surprising since these verses are found in the Bible, which is an unashamedly religious book on knowing and serving the one, true and living God, revealed in Jesus Christ. This news prompted her to return to her people and to her land. document.getElementById('cloak6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19').innerHTML = ''; Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. We find Ruth contrasted with Orpah, and then with Naomi. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Not only were they renowned for their immorality in general, but they had an infamous place in redemptive history. 1: Why did Elimelech go to live in Moab with his family? We can almost hear him telling himself and his family, "Look, I know that we shouldn't be doing this, but we will only stay until the famine has ceased!'. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung tightly to her. If you desire to join a community where you can meet others for hope and encouragement on your faith journey, I would love to have you as a fellow traveler. This was the land in which God had already killed the men of Israel for the very same action. 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.. Is God telling you to get out of Moab? Sin has a way of making progress in our lives even if we start in rather small ways. . during the time of the judges in Israel. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; But ten years later tragedy hit struck again as both of Naomis sons diednow leaving three women defenseless, alone, and with no way of supporting themselves. she was the wife of Elimelech and the mother of Mahlon and Chilion Im an Assyrian not a Syrian. 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. This email address is being protected from spambots. land of Israel, which included Bethlehem where Elimelech and Naomi All rights reserved. It is not Naomis belief in the sovereignty of God that troubles me as much as how she applies it. First, we have references to three deaths in one small family (3, 5). Ruth was the great grandmother of King David. Indeed, the structure of Judges begs us to ask about the future. Do Eric benet and Lisa bonet have a child together? Are you in a place you dont need to be? Ruth's story has exactly this kind of setting as it regards the covenant. It was completed by more than twenty biblical scholars who worked directly from the best currently available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. 19So the two of them continued on their journey. The more Naomi protests her miserable state, the more we are being prepared for a great work of God. law. How could Naomi point them in the wrong direction? In Numbers 25 we hear that the Israelites were beginning to fornicate with the Moabite women, and as a result God began to kill the men then with a plague. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; Naomi not only disregards the Abrahamic Covenant, she also urges Ruth (and Orpah) to do likewise. (If you're a human, don't change the following field), Ruth 1:1-6 - Famine in the House of Bread. Ruth does not cling to Naomi as a kindred spirit, but as a very needy person. This is leaving Almighty God out of a big issue, whether or not to stay in the church!Third, the very first verse of Ruth states, Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled Certainly, this is a temporal indicator, telling us when these events took place. James 1:15. Ruth 1:2b. More tears are shed. This also reminds us of the way of God's people in the book of Judges. 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). God had given the Israelite a way of understanding the world and life in the land. WebBible: Ruth Flashcards | Quizlet. Moab was a pagan land that worshipped many false gods and practiced human sacrifices. When Abraham responded in fear rather than in faith, his choices were so bad that even an Egyptian king rebuked him in Genesis 12:18 saying. One may rightly ask why we would criticize this poor fellow for trying to get his family some food. The man whose name means God is my King decided to reject the way of the King, leaving the land of life and blessing for a journey to a land of certain curses. addy6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19 = addy6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19 + 'prca' + '.' + 'org'; This email address is being protected from spambots. Is it really Naomi? the women asked. 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 may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. A.Stewart, Pastorates: Covenant Protestant Reformed Church of Ballymena, Northern Ireland - 2001. If Naomi had other sons, she could give them to these women in Levirate marriage, but she has no other sons. 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. Thus, we cannot say with certainty that the story of Ruth occurs late in the period of the judges, though this seems likely. My impression is that Naomi had changed not only in her appearance (she may not have aged well in Moab), but also in spirit. But she concluded that God was using His power against her, rather than for her. You can almost feel the trembling in his voice as he pleads with his wife to pretend to be his sister. No, of course not, my daughters! 17Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. 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. In the book of Ruth 1:1 we are told that there was famine in the There was no famine there Why did 15 So Naomi said, Look, your sister-in-law is returning to her people and to her god. 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. I am reminded of Satans strategy in the Garden of Eden. Their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. The book also presents a kinsman redeemer (Boaz) who buys back or redeems his deceased relatives wife (Ruth). If we are correct about the date of the book, then it fits perfectly with how the book of Judges ends and how Ruth's story begins. Bearing children was to be done Gods way. There is yet another irony in Elimelech's choice of Moab. What time does normal church end on Sunday? So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. of Orpah in the Book of Ruth. Why did Elimelech live with his family in Moab? 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 var addy79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c = 'jdengelsma' + '@'; But about ten years later, 5both Mahlon and Kilion died. We shall see more about this in chapter 3. When a famine came to the area around Bethlehem, Elimelech and Naomi moved to Moab (Moab was the name of Lot's elder To an ancient Israelite, the idea of famine in the land should have confronted them with a theological challenge. Some years ago I had the pleasure of meeting a lovely Christian in a hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia. This forces our first character, Elimelech into a very important choice. It would do us well to review where the Moabites came from and how they related to Israel in the past. Mahlon, son of Naomi and Elimelech. Even if we realize that there are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.. He sought wives for his sons from the worst place in the world that a faithful Israelite could imagine, from Moab. 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. We read of the origin of the Moabites in Genesis 19,3 just after the account of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. How much is a biblical shekel of silver worth in us dollars? Bethlehem forsaken for Moab. According to Jewish doctors, a noble and potent person. Chilion was the son of Elimelech and Naomi and the late husband In the past, Naomi was always portrayed in a somewhat flattering way. Is Brooke shields related to willow shields? This is the first Bible study on Ruth 1:1-6. This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband. Therefore 'Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. 15 In fact, if they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. i. The translation project originally started as an attempt to provide an electronic version of a modern translation for electronic distribution over the Internet and on CD (compact disk). 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. Then the progression of sin is complete. We should never have taken that one step in the direction of sin. PRC-Related: RFPA, Standard Bearer, Reformed Witness Hour, Etc. His counsel (even though it effectively called God a liar) was given as though it were in her best interest. 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. Elimelech exhibits an almost crazy decision when he left Bethlehem, the house of bread, and sought bread from Moab. This little family of four basically had two choices when they found themselvesat the crossroads: There they made a new home and seemedto do well (the Bible does not give us many details)until Elimelechdied. How wrong Naomi was. Let us reflect on these contrasts for a moment. This is entirely consistent with Old Testament history and with the warnings recorded in Leviticus 26:18-20 and Deuteronomy 28:23-24. God has chosen to save Gentiles as well as Jews. 10 From what we learn from the Book of Ruth, one does wonder what role Naomi played in this decision. Disagreement with his town leaders Famine in his home town Distant relatives invited him Earthquake in his home town Sara Rachel Mara Elizabeth 2: What were the names of Elimelech's two sons? That is precisely what Naomi did with Orpah and Ruth. 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. As God has said: 'I will dwell in them and walk among them. Other than weeping, Orpah remains silent;20 Ruths words and actions are what the author has chosen to report. 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. Where will he turn to find food for his family? 2 (Now the mans name was Elimelech, his wife was Naomi, and his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. There was a shortage of bread in Bethlehem, which towns name means house of bread. So what did Elimelech and his family do? 1 During the time of the judges there was a famine in the land of Judah. 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. It was a good number of years ago that I sat in on an excellent elective class taught by my friend, Tom Wright. Why was Moab the worst place to look for bread? TheMoabites had been horrible to the Israelites, refusing to give them water or feed them during their exodus from Egypt. Responding to the famine, Elimelech, his wife Naomi and their two sons moved to Moaba move of desperation given the long enmity between Israel and Moabwhere they thought the prospects for productive work were greater. She seems to have little or no conviction regarding her sins, the sins of her husband, or of the sins of the nation. The author has a covenantal perspective as he links us to Judges. Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, moved to Moab during a famine. If I have counted correctly, the term is used 48 times in the Old Testament; 9 times in the Pentateuch, 2 times in Ruth, 2 times in the Psalms, 1 time in Isaiah, 2 times in Ezekiel, 1 time in Joel, and 31 times in Job. The context of these texts explains further the wickedness of those times. Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Ruths words are beautiful, and thus it is no wonder that some have chosen to employ them for their marriage vows. where did these children come from? (Isaiah 49:20-21). What are the duties of a sanitary prefect in a school? In her third attempt, she orders Ruth to follow her sister-in-law back home. I was bereaved and barren, dismissed and divorced. The sons married Moabite women and later died, and Elimelech also died.Naomi decided to return to Israel, and her daughter-in-law, Ruth the Moabitess, accompanied her with the intention of converting to Judaism. Word had reached Naomi in Moab that God had visited His people by ending the famine and providing abundant crops back in Israel. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. var addy_texta1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68 = 'Classical Committee';document.getElementById('cloaka1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68').innerHTML += ''+addy_texta1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68+'<\/a>'; Keep Shining for Jesus Friend. In moving to Moab, Naomi left the Lord to some extent and for some years. Such people are in misery, and honestly, they make those around them miserable as well. Who would want Naomi for a mother-in-law? He lived in Bethlehem during the time of the judges. reghdfe predict out of sample; This is a text that has always puzzled me. In Numbers 25:1-3 we read. I am now inclined to believe that Ruth is an example of Romans 2:12-16. addya1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68 = addya1ecccfd0b401858a2877dcb45f7be68 + 'sbcglobal' + '.' + 'net'; 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. lived and so they went to Moab where conditions were better and get One can even imagine Elimelech explaining his apparently unfaithful choice to leave the land of God and spend time in Moab, but only until the famine is over. If you have time this week, my suggestion is to go to the book of Ruth and read it. 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. 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. Only death will be able to separate me from you!. 22So Naomi returned from Moab, accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth, the young Moabite woman. They were of the clan of Ephrath from Bethlehem in Judah.) Her boys ended up choosing Moabite women to marry and these women became part of Naomis family. When we met, I had no idea who he was, but he introduced himself something like this, Hi, Bob, Im Nate Mirza. 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). For the children of the desolate one are more numerous. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. His name was Nate Mirza. Who would carry on his line? It reminds me of a horror movie in which the setting lets everyone know that something terrible is inevitable. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Now they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.) 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. And what communion has light with darkness? 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. In Judges 19-21, we find a similar situation. 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. Instead of trusting God to preserve her husbands line (indeed, the Messianic line), she at least passively (if not actively) approves of their marriage to non-Israelites. Start your free trial today! In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. The genealogy provided in chapter 4 would incline us to believe that the events of Ruth took place later rather than sooner in the period of the judges, because Ruth is the great grandmother of David.17 But other than this, there do not appear to be any direct links to events or persons in the Book of Judges. These cookies do not store any personal information. 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. Not even death would separate them. Be honest with yourself and recognizethat staying there is not good for you. Why do we know this? She was married first to This would have been Many tears were shed, but in the end both women refused to leave Naomi and return to their mothers home. The something that occurred is immediately coupled together with the problem of a famine. Ruth has an uncanny grasp of Israels religion and has chosen to embrace it as her own. I will be their God and they will be my people (Jeremiah 31:33). 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. It is four short chapters and will only take you a few minutes. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (7) Naomi does appear to have one thing right humanly speaking, Naomis chances of perpetuating her husbands line are between slim and none. Hence, should a sensitive reader become surprised to read now that the result of Elimelech's decision is death to his sons? 2). var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; var addy79beab5da96ef5c7e556d8524343f19c = 'jdengelsma' + '@'; What a relief it is to leave Judges behind and come to the Book of Ruth! var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; Blessings to you and your ministry as well. Famine in the Old Testament is a call to repentance and to covenant renewal. (6) Most (if not all) of Naomis actions, attitudes, and advice were misguided and downright wrong. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! Of course, Moab is just such a place. You must not bow down to their gods; you must not serve them or do according to their practices. This is the modern understanding of weather. var addy_text6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19 = 'Stated Clerk';document.getElementById('cloak6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19').innerHTML += ''+addy_text6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19+'<\/a>'; Classis WestThis email address is being protected from spambots. For instance, Samuel opens the story without naming Elimelech. Elimelech responds with fear and flight. We should first note that Naomis words here are prompted by Orpahs decision to return home. var addy_text6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19 = 'Stated Clerk';document.getElementById('cloak6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19').innerHTML += ''+addy_text6abc068fa8d6d6e3ed55f5c6ed881e19+'<\/a>'; Classis WestThis email address is being protected from spambots. The chapter begins, In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a man from Bethlehem in Judah left the country because of a severe famine. And that this may be the more effectually observed, it is the duty of all believers, according to the Word of God, to separate themselves from all those who do not belong to the church, and to join themselves to this congregation wheresoever God hath established it, even though the magistrates and edicts of princes be against it, yea, though they should suffer death or any other corporal punishment. Moab. The barley harvest will play a significant role in moving this story forward in the next two chapters. WebMany resident aliens (especially Jews) may have been placed in this kind of agricultural occupation by the Moabite government. 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. But when she urged Ruth to return to her pagan god(s), that was the worst unkindness of all. 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. 21 I left here full, but the Lord has caused me to return empty-handed. For the Lord is afflicting me!. 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. WebYet when this famine arises, he leaves to go to Moab with his family. There is something particularly encouraging about our text. 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. That is to say, the setting has redemptive or covenantal significance. What a mighty, magnificent, merciful, awesome God we serve! Naomi doesnt mention that these women would likely not find an Israelite husband.