The best thing for her to do was to return to Bethlehem and live out the rest of her days, dying empty (i.e., childless). 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. Naomi, so to speak, put all of her eggs into one basket marriage and bearing children. Copy. The same is true for Naomi. 21 I left here full, but the Lord has caused me to return empty-handed. And thus there is no evidence of repentance on her part at this point in time. Even professing Christians can fall victim to the tyranny of the urgent. stream Thus, we cannot say with certainty that the story of Ruth occurs late in the period of the judges, though this seems likely. The word redeem means to set free by paying a price. In the case of Ruth and Naomi, Elimelechs property had Not even death would separate them. Naomi was married to Elimelech and had two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. Encyclopaedia Judaica. A Christian wife is having difficulties in her relationship with her husband, and she shares this with a Christian friend. 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. 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. 2 (Now the mans name was Elimelech, his wife was Naomi, and his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. Encyclopaedia Judaica. 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 suffering of His people, whether for sins they have committed or for living righteously, is but the prelude to His glorious salvation. 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. 20 Yet the children born during your time of bereavement will say within your hearing. Text Copyright 2005 by Rabbi Dr. Meir Levin and Torah.org. Elimelech died in Moab. And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband. 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. It seems that they are pointing out a certain disconnect between the name and the behavior. 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. 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. It was completed by more than twenty biblical scholars who worked directly from the best currently available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Now that Orpah has decided to turn back, Naomi appears to have more leverage. The ancestors, since they knew their genealogies, would derive names from events. There is really no evidence of faith (on Naomis part), either. 4 0 obj 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. Perhaps he was not even fully aware of this failing but God was. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023, Ruth: A Story of Redemption -- A Study of the Book of Ruth. 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. God has chosen to save Gentiles as well as Jews. ." The only hope Naomi sees for Orpah and Ruth is the hope of finding a Moabite husband and bearing children. The oldest daughter (who will become the mother of Moab) saw their situation as impossible. Mahlon married Ruth in Moab while Kilion married Ruth's sister Orpah. Ruth and Orpah did not bear Jewish children, too. Judaism. To him be glory forever! 33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! She had to leave her family, her homeland, and her gods and go to the place of Gods blessing. 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. Both had married Israelite husbands, had borne no children, and were now widows. In addition, why would a private individual carry a name that signifies royalty. In this emergency, she was proposing an unconventional solution to their problem. 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. Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-judah Bethlehem was otherwise called Ephratha. Many, including me, are troubled by the times in which we live, but this is no excuse for ungodly behavior. No, my daughters, you must not return with me. Who would want Naomi for a mother-in-law? ." And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. They rejected him as they rejected others. What could have led them to this interpretation? A lion approached and he fought off the lion. I remember responding to Nate, Neither do the rest of us. Well, if this is true of us, it is certainly true of the Moabites. ELIMELECH (Heb. (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. , ), Phoenician port, N. of Tyre in Lebanon. <> 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 is never dealt with as a second-class believer. When Naomi returns to Bethlehem, she finds most of the residents of the city still living there, and judging by what we are told about Boaz, they appear to have done fairly well. Instead, it was God who demonstrated His sovereignty by bringing about the chain of events that culminated in the establishment of monarchy in Israel. 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. Died. 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. Elimelech was one of the great men and authorities in Israel. This was a violation of the Mosaic law (De 7:3; 23:3; Ezr 9:2; Ne 13:23); and Jewish writers say that the early deaths of both the young men were divine judgments inflicted on them for those unlawful connections. 5 Then Naomis two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, also died. 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. She would have been very much at home in our Postmodern world. 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. Mahlon chose a young woman named Ruth, but he also died shortly thereafter. I was bereaved and barren, dismissed and divorced. But she concluded that God was using His power against her, rather than for her. 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. ." 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. (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. To her, Gods blessings should appear now, in the form of bread, an eligible bachelor (marriage), and babies. The usual pattern is the reverse; first, we are told a mans name and familial antecedents and only then are his actions described. How could any faithful Israelite encourage someone to return to their (false) god(s)? Even if she were able to bear children, it would be unreasonable for these two widows to wait 20 years for replacement husbands. No, in Naomis mind there was no good reason to remain with her as she returned to her homeland. The two women, now forever bound together by Ruths covenant, continued on their way until they reached Bethlehem. He is the ancestor of the Moabites of today. He is slow to anger, and He does forgive sin. And the woman was left of her two children and of her husband. Be careful not to jump to conclusions. As I was studying our text for this message, it occurred to me that the text which describes the origin of the Moabites in Genesis 19 is a key to understanding the story of Ruth, and especially Naomis role in this account. We will not focus overmuch on the details as much as on the concepts. Both were related to Naomi in the same way. She believes in a God who is all powerful, but who is not merciful and compassionate. WebBoaz is a preeminent example of selflessness, willing to risk the loss of his own name so that he could make sure that the name and line of his relative Elimele WebElimelech died, leaving Naomi with only her two sons. 1 During the time of the judges there was a famine in the land of Judah. Ruth would not only do this until death separated them, she would do so in death. How did Elimelech know that strict justice was (loose) in the world? Naomi did not doubt the existence of God nor did she doubt His power. It is available on the Internet at: www.netbible.org. Naomi and her two daughters-in-law had already set out for Israel11 when Naomi began to have second thoughts not about her return, but about having two Moabite daughters-in-law in tow when she arrived at her home town of Bethlehem. 2 These women invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods; then the people ate and bowed down to their gods. We read of the origin of the Moabites in Genesis 19,3 just after the account of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. 34 So in the morning the older daughter said to the younger, Since I had sexual relations with my father last night, lets make him drunk again tonight. May the Lord punish me severely if I do not keep my promise! In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. But when Ruth refused to return to her people and accompanied her to Bethlehem, Boaz entered the picture, a close relative, a possible redeemer. 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to dissuade her. Elimelech was Naomi's husband. Not only is Naomi unable to provide these women with husbands (and thus with children), God is also dealing harshly with her. Ruth focused on Naomi and her need and on Naomis people and their God. In Job and in Ruth, this term seems to underscore Gods power, but in the context of suffering and adversity. Humans cannot see beyond these two alternatives but God has another choice. The son of the oldest daughter was named Moab; the son of the younger daughter was named Ammon. The men in the family die, leaving Naomi alone with her two daughters-in- law, Ruth and Orpah. I pray that you, like Ruth, have forsaken all confidence in yourself and have cast yourself upon the one true God for salvation. He stood and surrounded it with rebuilt walls from three directions. When a famine came to the area around Bethlehem, Elimelech and Naomi moved to Moab (Moab was the name of Lot's elder Take note of the fact that Ruths covenant is not a short-term commitment; it is a lifetime commitment. As they entered Bethlehem, they became the talk of the town. Some years ago I had the pleasure of meeting a lovely Christian in a hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia. He deals out Justice, rejecting the bad and rewarding the good. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. And when both her sons died without bearing children, her situation seemed impossible. Sixth, Elimelechs family left God. 32 Come, lets make our father drunk with wine so we can have sexual relations with him and preserve our family line through our father. 33 So that night they made their father drunk with wine, and the older daughter came and had sexual relations with her father. 3 0 obj From these events, we can easily see that the Moabites were no friend to Israel. It must have been on Naomis watch that these two sons married their Moabite wives Orpah and Ruth. This news prompted her to return to her people and to her land. 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. and lifts up the needy from the garbage pile, 9 He makes the barren woman of the family. 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. 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. 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. 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. And so they did. This time it is Orpah who kisses Naomi goodbye. The Midrash explains: What does a fox watch out for in the ruins? They were both Moabite women, close to the same age. She then kissed both of them, a very clear signal of dismissal. Her God is all powerful, but not merciful and gracious. . She was full when she had a husband and two sons; now she was empty, for all she had was Ruth. Can this be Naomi? they asked (verse 19). The story in the book tells that Naomi plans to 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). For the children of the desolate one are more numerous. 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. And they continued to live there about ten years. After about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion died. Dagn ), the Syrian and Canaanite god of seed, vegetation, and crops. How could Naomi encourage Ruth (and, by inference, Orpah) to return to their god(s), when doing so would condemn them eternally? 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. Jethro had seven daughters who served as his shepherdesses. The more Naomi protests her miserable state, the more we are being prepared for a great work of God. 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 Ugaritic documents of the 13th century the name is written Imlk and pronounced either Ili-Milku or Ili-Malku. Thankfully, she later confessed and returned to Israel. 22 Feb. 2023 . 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). 2 0 obj There they made a new home and seemed to do well (the Bible does not give us many details) until Elimelech died. WebRuth 1:2. 25 Translations differ here, but I think that this daughters choice of words is very important to consider. Encyclopaedia Judaica. Other translations have another another husband. She would be buried where Naomi was buried. God loves to show mercy and compassion. It must be, the Sages reasoned, that Elimelech misread his destiny. I am no longer capable of giving birth to sons who might become your husbands! What a marvelous woman of faith Ruth was. 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. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. For my intense suffering is too much for you to bear. It was my friend Dave Austin who reminded me of the danger of pragmatism from this text. Hebrews 12:6,10,11 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth, Elimelech -- 'God is king', the husband of Naomi, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular, Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular, Elimelech, driven by famine into Moab, dies there, Mahlon and Chilion, having married wives of Moab, die also, dissuades her two daughters-in-law from going with her, Orpah leaves her, but Ruth with great constancy accompanies her, The two come to Bethlehem, where they are gladly received, OT History: Ruth 1:3 Elimelech Naomi's husband died (Ru Rut. Moab is where Elimelech died. As the story of Esther unfolds, it looks as though every Jew is doomed to annihilation, but for the providence of God, whereby Gods enemies are destroyed and His people are spared. But Ruth refuses to abandon Naomi and clings to her tightly. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. When it sees people coming, it immediately runs away. The tale begins not in Israel or Judah but in Moab, where the Israelite Naomi and her husband, Elimelech, and her two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, went during a famine in Judah. The oldest daughter went first, bearing a son whom she named Moab. 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. These are the times of darkness when godliness should shine forth as a brilliant light. The contrast between Ruth and Naomi. Apr. After only ten years in Moab, Elimelechs sons also died. Follow your sister-in-law back home! 16 But Ruth replied. If Naomi had other sons, she could give them to these women in Levirate marriage, but she has no other sons. A space remained that he did not manage to rebuild. No wonder God forbade Moabites from entering the assembly to the tenth generation.7. Call me Mara because the Sovereign One has treated me very harshly. And his little boys died too. (One was named Orpah and the other Ruth.) 36 In this way both of Lots daughters became pregnant by their father. 15 So Naomi said, Look, your sister-in-law is returning to her people and to her god. endobj And she was honored to be a part of the messianic line.34. "Elimelech Moabs hostility and opposition to Israel continued on into the period of the Judges. To do it any other way was to disobey God. A wolf approached and he fought the wolf. He arose and fled from them (Ruth Rabbah 1, 4). Apparently he was willing to help only if he wears the mantly of authority. I would be very reluctant to conclude that Ruths husband or his parents taught her the law. While they were in Moab, Elimelech died, leaving Naomi and her two sons. 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