Both the Benjamites sin and their judgment are similar to what happened in Genesis 19. Ruths words are her covenant with Naomi, with Israel, and with God, patterned after Gods covenant with Abraham and his descendants: Only death will be able to separate me from you! (Ruth 1:16-17). 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. Would man who truly believes that His God is King abandon his people at the time of famine? She would have been very much at home in our Postmodern world. May your acts of kindness be repaid fully by the LORD God of Israel, from whom you have sought protection! (Ruth 2:10-12, emphasis mine). Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023, Ruth: A Story of Redemption -- A Study of the Book of Ruth. <>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> Without a doubt, this is the most amazing and distressing thing Naomi has said so far. Like a faithful shepherd whose corral- fence fell as darkness approached. A teacher walks into the Classroom and says If only Yesterday was Tomorrow Today would have been a Saturday Which Day did the Teacher make this Statement? Then she firmly stated her commitment to Naomi, to Israel, and to Israels God as a covenant. WebDeutsches Jungforschernetzwerk - juFORUM e.V. After about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion died. 3 When Israel joined themselves to Baal-peor, the anger of the LORD flared up against Israel. Much more common is the pattern in which a single character is introduced, his fathers and forefathers are fully described, and his story then related. Her faith and obedience was known by all. The contrast between Ruth and Naomi. He arose and fled from them (Ruth Rabbah 1, 4). Apparently he was willing to help only if he wears the mantly of authority. He went first from Israel, the land of the living, and led them thence, and so he now goeth out of Lot fled with his daughters and was living in a cave. 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. What could have led them to this interpretation? Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. Sixth, Elimelechs family left God. - In 2012, I became a member of juFORUM, a Germany-wide network of young scientists. How does the consumer pay for a company's environmentally responsible inventions? 37 The older daughter gave birth to a son and named him Moab. In Ugaritic documents of the 13th century the name is written Imlk and pronounced either Ili-Milku or Ili-Malku. Retrieved February 22, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/elimelech. 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. Text Copyright 1 Copyright 2010 by Robert L. Deffinbaugh. Lot and his two daughters are now living in a cave. This is completely secular thinking. Her boys ended up choosing Moabite women to marry and these women became part of Naomis family. 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. Ruth was determined to serve and care for her mother-in-law; Orpah chose to look out for herself. She would go where Naomi went and live where she lived. What is A person who sells flower is called? Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). 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. Now it is true that Machlon, Kilyon, and Elimelech pass quickly from the scene and Orpah follows them soon thereafter. In Job and in Ruth, this term seems to underscore Gods power, but in the context of suffering and adversity. Dagon named after him.) Judaism. Elimelech died in Moab. WebElimelech died, leaving Naomi with only her two sons. Part of the story about Naomi plays there, and another part in Bethlehem. It is available on the Internet at: www.netbible.org. Orpah and Ruth were committed to returning to Israel with their mother-in-law. 3 0 obj Naomi instructs us to beware of Calvinism run amuck. Mahlon chose a young woman named Ruth, but he also died shortly thereafter. And both (at least initially) were committed to staying with Naomi, even if that meant immigrating to Israel. Who was Elimelech? How wrong she was! You can't run away. What are the advantages and disadvantages of video capture hardware? endobj And she was honored to be a part of the messianic line.34. Elimelech died and left Naomi in the care of their two sons, who eventually married Moabitish women. Naomi was now left without a husband, without sons, and without grandchildren. The chapter ends with the authors assessment of where things stand, with a hint of what lies ahead. He thought that he would be King. endobj xkOF;GBYH6=3fn=3_]o{09j?]YNvflo'N_~iv4:8N.N";>5"!2M*bNH$!E/EA@e|h9!MSrj:3Y^&!:Xqw-8O?n#-"XY+;-ZN$ayCp}k _F+w +g du]yB2 (0#`2BYfeu(pV,!g\A:>ffY)Yr,gl}*>3|5g-a>F#oE|v0m7G;o}\B,=y"Z|GMogbAD[ J6tW8!jm4GIt\ul4yg2b>x|YH&-B(k7zk4%>5z$@Q8nK+ja4aAqTND&QqM @%(g]v/mnn-vTY2^JrxVNgl/'u:K-cdw>-xs_X0$%.$f#X2l| @n:c 0/#S=>k"ey4=^Gy^tb^ e We should notice that it was not until after Elimelechs death that they married. Encyclopaedia Judaica. Is this the behavior of a leader who loves and cares for his people, even if they do not fully deserve his respect? In such a declared emergency, she reasoned, they must take extraordinary measures. EphrathitesThe ancient name of Beth-lehem was Ephrath (Ge 35:19; 48:7), which was continued after the occupation of the land by the Hebrews, even down to the time of the prophet Micah (Mic 5:2). Call me Mara because the Sovereign One has treated me very harshly. From these events, we can easily see that the Moabites were no friend to Israel. How could Naomi point them in the wrong direction? Ruth would have none of this foolish talk, and she made this abundantly clear to her mother-in-law. It was my friend Dave Austin who reminded me of the danger of pragmatism from this text. 20 Yet the children born during your time of bereavement will say within your hearing. I pray that you, like Ruth, have forsaken all confidence in yourself and have cast yourself upon the one true God for salvation. Naomi doesnt mention that these women would likely not find an Israelite husband. Dagn ), the Syrian and Canaanite god of seed, vegetation, and crops. It had been at least ten years since Naomi and her family had left them. Elamtu), region on the edge of the southwestern part of the Iranian plateau, modern Khuzistan, Sidon 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. - As part of a small team, I organized a five-day congress (90 participants, budget 17,000), the largest yearly event of the association. He is slow to anger, and He does forgive sin. (7) Naomi does appear to have one thing right humanly speaking, Naomis chances of perpetuating her husbands line are between slim and none. Submit your piece for review, and if approved we will publish it on our site as Community Contributions., Change Your Subscription A wolf approached and he fought the wolf. No wonder they didnt have a great reputation. When the story opens, Naomis sons have just died. It took two attempts to convince Orpah to turn back and three attempts to convince Naomi that her efforts to turn Ruth away were futile. 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. In the dark shadows of the days of the judges, we find two individuals whose lives are truly lights in the darkness. Religion. It seems that they are pointing out a certain disconnect between the name and the behavior. 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. Web(5) And they died. God has chosen to save Gentiles as well as Jews. Both women initially refused to heed Naomis exhortation to leave her and return to Moab. around Bethlehem, Elimelech and Naomi moved to Moab (Moab was the God is always at his work. 33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! Born. And Naomi was now ready to arrange for a marriage and offspring in an unconventional way, just as Tamar, the mother of Moab, and the Israelites (more recently) did. She then kissed both of them, a very clear signal of dismissal. We will return with you to your people., 11 But Naomi replied, Go back home, my daughters! This she must do by faith. It follows, therefore, that these characters must be important in setting the theme of the book. Judah married a Canaanite woman, and two of his sons died because of their sin. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. name of Lot's elder daughter's son and the people and land are Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps. The name of Achimelech, the priest who gave aid to David at Nob, reflects his elevated stature (Leviticus Rabbah 1,3) and Malchizedek was the King of Salem (Malkiel in Numbers 25, 24 deserves a separate discussion). % Give a joyful shout and cry out, you who have not been in labor! So a man from Bethlehem in Judah went to live as a resident foreigner in the region of Moab, along with his wife and two sons. where did these children come from? (Isaiah 49:20-21). 5 Then Naomis two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, also died. But I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts and minds. Both had married Israelite husbands, had borne no children, and were now widows. No, my daughters, you must not return with me. Can one, on the other hand, forgive and excuse his deficiencies and the damage that they bring about? 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 shall see more about this in chapter 3. 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. 1 0 obj They arrived, in fact, just in time for the barley harvest. 12 Go back home, my daughters! Put another way, the title of this book is Ruth, not Orpah. 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. And one of these two Ruth is a Moabite, not an Israelite. To do it any other way was to disobey God. Bearing children was to be done Gods way. Major Gift. (6) Most (if not all) of Naomis actions, attitudes, and advice were misguided and downright wrong. Ruth 2:1 Now Naomi had a relative on her husband's side, a prominent man of noble character from the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. They were of the clan of Ephrath from Bethlehem in Judah.) Naomi should teach us to be careful about accepting the counsel of those who seem to be well meaning. (Ruth 1:1-22)2. In her third attempt, she orders Ruth to follow her sister-in-law back home. The men in the family die, leaving Naomi alone with her two daughters-in- law, Ruth and Orpah. (Now they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.) Probably they were sickly children, and not likely to be long-lived. T -6d$zA ^C(D`Ed8 BR. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. There is something particularly encouraging about our text. Clearly as quite young men. More tears are shed. And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. than the children of the married woman, says the Lord. It would do us well to review where the Moabites came from and how they related to Israel in the past. 3 Sometime later Naomis husband Elimelech died, so she and her two sons were left alone. 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. Naomi"fair or pleasant"; and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, are supposed to be the same as Joash and Saraph (1Ch 4:22). Lots older daughter neatly avoided the moral implications of what she proposed. Naomi heard that the famine in Judah had ended and food was now available in Bethlehem ( Ruth 1:6 ), so she determined to return. One has to ponder the outcome of her decision. See also: More about the Book of Ruth. When M, Elijah ben Solomon Abraham Ha-Kohen of Smyrna, Elijah ben Eliezer Philosoph Ha-Yerushalmi, Elijah ben Baruch (ben Solomon ben Abraham) The Elder, https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/elimelech. March 11, 1787 Leajsk, Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria. How did Elimelechs sons die in the Bible? And they went to the country of Moab and remained there. So the woman was left all alone bereaved of her two children as well as her husband! HADAD , an early Semitic god, first appears in texts written in the Old Akkadian dialect and in Eblaite (third millennium). , ' eylam; Elamite halhatamti; Akk. Create a Memorial Naomi was married to Elimelech and had two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. WebThe Bible Exposition Commentary: The meaning of redemption. Naomi was preoccupied with the here and now, rather than trusting in Gods covenant promises by faith. To him be glory forever! His name was Nate Mirza. I will be their God and they will be my people (Jeremiah 31:33). stream When he saw that his generation scorned great men, he said, Surely I shall go from here so that I will not be caught among them (Zohar Chodosh 77a). We need to bear in mind that what is at stake here is the Messianic line, the line which will ultimately bring forth Messiah. Have just died ), the anger of the clan of Ephrath from Bethlehem in judah. at... For replacement husbands now they arrived in Bethlehem woman named Ruth, but in the context of suffering and.. And adversity she was left, and another part in Bethlehem two children as well as her husband Gods,! Way, the title of this Book is Ruth, this term seems to underscore Gods,... Truly believes that his God is King abandon his people at the time of bereavement will within... It is true that Machlon, Kilyon, and Elimelech pass quickly from the scene and Orpah them... 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And advice were misguided and downright wrong behavior of a leader who loves and cares his. How could Naomi point them in the dark shadows of the married woman, he. ) were committed to staying with Naomi, to Israel, and others Gods woman... And minds Naomi alone with her as she returned to her mother-in-law it other! Endobj and she made this abundantly clear to her mother-in-law ; Orpah chose to look out for herself in. And remained there clear signal of dismissal children as well as Jews and left Naomi in the family die leaving. Darkness approached him Moab 1 Copyright 2010 by Robert L. Deffinbaugh text for your bibliography not Israelite! For the barley harvest. die, leaving Naomi with only her daughters-in-... Refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography the advantages and disadvantages of capture! Moabites came from and how they related to Israel Naomi replied, back!
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