Elimelech was Naomi's husband. Dagon first appears as an important and widely, Rachel 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. He was right, but, was there, perhaps, a personal element in his reaction? Web(5) And they died. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. WebElimelech was a member of the tribe of Judah, a native of Bethlehem Judah, a man of wealth and probably head of a family or clan ( Ruth 1:2,3; 2:1,3 ). Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. <> WebThe Tragedy of Elimelech Ruth Introduction The book of Ruth is a fascinating little book in the Old Testament. in 1971. (February 22, 2023). Other translations have another another husband. 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. He is slow to anger, and He does forgive sin. And the woman was left of her two children and of her husband. 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. (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. The term she used to refer to Him Shaddai was a term that emphasized Gods great power. The oldest daughter (who will become the mother of Moab) saw their situation as impossible. Put another way, the title of this book is Ruth, not Orpah. Is the volume of resulting sugar mixture equal more than or less than the sum (20 ml sugar 50 ml water ) of the volumes of the unmixed sugar and water? Clearly as quite young men. Though a widow, Naomi still had her two sons to provide for and protect her. The contrast between Ruth and Naomi. The story of Ruth and Boaz (yes, and even Naomi) should encourage us to live godly lives in dark days, days of unbelief, disobedience, and disregard for the Word of God. WebWhen a severe famine struck Israel, Elimelech took his wife Naomi and their two sons across the Jordan and south to the land of Moab, in the hope of finding a living there. This story can be found in the book of Ruth. Judaism. 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. 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. This is the edited manuscript of Lesson 1 in the series, Ruth: A Story of Redemption, prepared by Robert L. Deffinbaugh on January 10, 2010. ." What a difference it makes to believe in a God who is in absolute control and who is also merciful and gracious, causing all things to work together for our good and for His glory, if we believe in Him. Thankfully, she later confessed and returned to Israel. Naomis first attempt is described in verses 8-10. Not only is Naomi unable to provide these women with husbands (and thus with children), God is also dealing harshly with her. His name was Nate Mirza. If Naomi had other sons, she could give them to these women in Levirate marriage, but she has no other sons. Surely it fell short of what Ruths experience will be. It was a bad start, and sadly things didnt get any better over time. She had given up all hope. 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. 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. She had to leave her family, her homeland, and her gods and go to the place of Gods blessing. Just being Jewish and knowing the Law of Moses isnt enough; one must also live by the law. The inference is clear: to remain with Naomi has no promise of blessing and every reason to expect that they will share in her divinely-imposed affliction. Naomi not only disregards the Abrahamic Covenant, she also urges Ruth (and Orpah) to do likewise. We should first note that Naomis words here are prompted by Orpahs decision to return home. When a famine came to the area When they entered Bethlehem, the whole village was excited about their arrival. The family lived in Bethlehem, a small city near Jerusalem. Best Answer. But We find Ruth contrasted with Orpah, and then with Naomi. Lot and his two daughters are now living in a cave. ." Follow your sister-in-law back home! 16 But Ruth replied. And Gideon said to them: I shall not rule over you and my son shall not rule over you, Hashem shall rule over you (Judges 8, 22). 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. It would also seem that Naomis barrenness was divinely imposed.18, (5) Moab was not the place of Gods promised blessings; Israel was.19. 15 The translations differ here. Psalm 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. 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). She was not a Jew, and she had not been raised by parents who taught her the law. and lifts up the needy from the garbage pile, 9 He makes the barren woman of the family. Both the Benjamites sin and their judgment are similar to what happened in Genesis 19. What was Moses like? Second, Naomis words are even more forceful here,14 issuing Ruth a command to leave her. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. 36 In this way both of Lots daughters became pregnant by their father. WebElimelech and his sons all died in Moab, leaving Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah widowed. Naomis people (Israel) would be her people, and Naomis God would be her God. It provides us with a look at the life of the common person in Israel Why did the population expert feel like he was going crazy punchline answer key? She gave them very pragmatic counsel, based upon what could be seen, rather than on Gods Word and the principle of faith. A famine plagued Israel in the days of the judges. And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. 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). We shall see more about this in chapter 3. A few years later, king Saul will offer the sacrifices, even though he was instructed to wait for Samuel, all because Saul felt this was a crisis that justified setting aside obedience in faith to Gods Word.27. And thus there is no evidence of repentance on her part at this point in time. Lot and his family were spared, but his wife died (turned to salt) because she looked back. For I am too old to get married again. Perhaps he was not even fully aware of this failing but God was. Fearing they would be overrun by the Israelites, Balak (king of Moab)4 hired Balaam to curse Israel. 2 0 obj How wrong Naomi was. How wrong she was! At this point in time, one would not think that Naomi would be at the top of the list in the hall of faith: 13 These all died in faith without receiving the things promised, but they saw them in the distance and welcomed them and acknowledged that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth. She seems to have little or no conviction regarding her sins, the sins of her husband, or of the sins of the nation. Good News Translation Ruths spiritual journey is similar to that of Abraham. She does not acknowledge sin on her part (and Elimelechs), and she does not seek to repent. But she concluded that God was using His power against her, rather than for her. The Midrash explains: What does a fox watch out for in the ruins? This, of course, is Naomis meaning. 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. 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. 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). When I realized this, I blurted out, What a witch!, much to the surprise of the rest of the class. 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. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. No wonder Naomi finally ceased trying to convince her to turn back (verse 18). The name (Phoen. 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. 33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! They entered the region of Moab and settled there. One has to ponder the outcome of her decision. Now it is true that Machlon, Kilyon, and Elimelech pass quickly from the scene and Orpah follows them soon thereafter. Died. They did not seem to live by it, so why would they consider it important to teach it to a Moabite? This is a text that has always puzzled me. 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). They arrived, in fact, just in time for the barley harvest. endobj From these events, we can easily see that the Moabites were no friend to Israel. % Born. Many years later, the Israelites were camped on the plains of Moab, across the Jordan River from Jericho, poised to enter the Promised Land. I would be very reluctant to conclude that Ruths husband or his parents taught her the law. To him be glory forever! Webelimelech Due to the famine in Israel during the time of the Judges, Elimelech crossed over to Moab, where he and his two sons died. The younger daughter then did likewise and bore a son named Ammon. and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband; deprived both of her husband and her sons, which was a great affliction, aggravated by her being in a strange country; many are the afflictions of the righteous. Encyclopaedia Judaica. She has been convinced and turns back to her own country. 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. She has chosen to permanently leave her homeland and family and to embrace Israel, the Israelites, and Israels God as her own, forever. Dedicate an Article But he was not aware that she had sexual relations with him and then got up. "Elimelech The more Naomi moans on about how bad things are for her, and how hopeless it would be for Orpah or Ruth to stay with her, the more we see the mighty hand of God working all things for the good of His people, as well as for His glory. To that of Abraham their father Naomi, Ruth, not Orpah what seems right in our own.... Children and of her two sons to provide for and protect her was a that... And sadly things didnt get any better over time this story can be found in the days of the lived... Find Ruth contrasted with Orpah, and her two sons the righteous: but the delivereth. 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