Background: Lament for Moab

The move to Moab by Elimelech and his family must be interpreted in light of the general Israelite disposition toward the Moabites. That disposition seems to have been colored by several factors in their history:

• The Moabites' contemptible origins in the incestuous relationship of Lot and his daughter (Gen 19:30-38).

• The Moabites' resistance to Israelite passage through their territory when they came from Egypt (Numbers 22-24).

• The Moabite women's seduction of the Israelites and the latter's subsequent punishment (Num 25:1-9).

• Israel's constitutional exclusion of Moab from the assembly of the LORD (Deut 23:3-6).

• The recent oppression of the Israelites by Eglon the king of Moab (Judg 3:15-30).

“Moab” in hieroglyphs

Coming to Moab = Sodom• As we’ve seen, in the minds of Israel Moab was strongly associated

with Sodom• Sodom carries multiple connotations of a culture of inhospitality

and moral indifference that degenerates into social oppression• Is Elimelech betraying his own moral indifference and

acquiescence to sin by going there?

• What difficulties would Elimelech and his family face as they come to take up residence in Moab?Difficulties of language barriersCultural gaffsBouts with homesickness and depression Immigrants aren't always welcomeThe sense that you're never really "one of them." After migrating from

Judah, Elimelech, Naomi, Mahlon and Chilion lived as outsiders among the Moabites.

Ruth 1:1-5“In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine

in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there.

But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

Ruth 1:1-5“In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine

in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there.

But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

In general terms, how much time do you think Elimelechmay have planned to spend in Moab?

Living in Moab: A Short Stay?• To “sojourn” (gur) means to stay somewhere

temporarily• First uses in Scripture of the word “sojourn”– Genesis 12:10 – Abraham's disobedient “sojourn” in

Egypt during famine – Genesis 19:9 – Lot’s stay as an alien in Sodom– Genesis 47:4 – Israel's sanctioned stay in Egypt but only

after reluctant Jacob received divine permission to leave the Promised Land

To “sojourn” in Moab was not an act of faith but a practical questioning of God's goodness.

How did the short stay become a long-term lease?

Ruth 1:1-5“In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine

in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there.

But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

What happened to Elimelech in Moab? Why?- The term “left” is often used for a “remnant” who survive the judgment of God; even in Naomi’s widowhood she wasleft as a remnant revealing the grace of God

How is Naomi’s situation described?

Ruth 1:3-5

Ruth 1:3-5But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was

left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

Although tragic is the loss of her husband,Naomi’s aloneness is mitigated by the factthat her two sons were alive … they were the family’s future and their mother’s glory

What kinds of discussions can you imagine Naomihaving with Mahlon and Chilion during this critical

time in their lives?

What decision did Naomi have to make?

What cultural problems would Naomi face ingetting her sons married in Moab?

Finding a Moabite Wife• In ancient culture, fathers typically negotiated arranged

marriages, usually with an eye toward forging advantageous relationships with other families

• Naomi’s drawbacks:– Immigrant Israelite status– Absence of a father– No land, wealth, or other assets that might attract a

Moabite family's interest• Fathers in Moab's high society would not be inclined to

marry off their daughters to the likes of Mahlon and Chilion• The brides Naomi's sons took for themselves were probably

not the cream of the crop of young Moabite women

What drawbacks would Naomi and her sons have to a Moabite father?

Ruth 1:3-5But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was

left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

How is this marriage to Moabites to be evaluated?

“These took (nasa’) Moabite wives (‘issa)”

• nasa’ issa is a phrase loaded with negative connotations

• In Judges 21:23 it speaks of marriage by abduction: with the consent of the rest of the Israelites, the Benjamites forcibly seized the dancers at Shiloh and took them as wives

• Since most marriages by abduction would be outside the clan, this idiom came to be used mainly of illegitimate marriages, especially with non-Israelites, whether by kings (2 Chron 11:21; 13:21; 24:3) or laymen (Ezra 9:2, 12; 10:44; Neh 13:25)

The present usage here in Ruth 1:4 fits the latter class

“Left Hand” of Fellowship with Moabites (Deut 23:3-6)

“No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the LORD. Even to the tenth generation, none of them may enter the assembly of the LORD forever, because they did not meet you with bread and with water on the way, when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. But the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam; instead the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loved you. You shall not seek their peace or their prosperity all your days forever.”

Wouldn’t be a church wedding!

Marriage Prohibition

Deut 7:1-4 “When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you,… and when the LORD your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them. You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods.”2 Cor 6:14-15 “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?”

Why is it dangerous to marry a non-believer?

Ruth 1:3-5But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was

left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

How long were Mahlon and Chilion married?What did not happen during the first ten years of marriage?

What is the significance of ten years of barrenness?

Ruth 1:3-5But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was

left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

What does happen after 10 years of double infertility in Moab?

What crisis now faces Naomi?

Naomi’s Emptiness• She lost her home … living as stranger in a foreign land• She lost her wealth during the famine in Israel• She lost her husband … lacks provision/protection• She lost her children … family faces annihilation• She is widow without options:– Can’t return to the house of her father; her parents

are most likely already dead– No real possibility of remarriage, even a levirate

marriage since she is beyond child-bearing years– Can’t support herself through some kind of craft or

trade since she probably has none

Ruth 1:1-6“In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the

land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there.

But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the LORD had visited his people and given them food.”

What did it take for Naomi to come to her senses?What had happened back home in Bethlehemwhile she was gone? Why?

Why couldn’t Naomi blame her husband for all her troubles?What hope does this offer us?

Ruth 1:6

Could Naomi have remained in Moab?Describe a time or situation in your life when you

were the only believer.Was it difficult? Were you able to stay strong in the Lord?

What or who helped you?

The Road HomeHow are we like Elimelech and Naomi?

• Like them, we often find the grass seems greener in the fields on the Moabite side of the fence– The food the unpromised land offers seems very real,

very tangible, and easily available … in contrast to the promises of God that constantly test our faith and our trust

• Often we exhibit a lack of trust in God's goodness– Perhaps we complain about the job God has given us,

or the spouse that we married, the family (or lack of family) that God in his providence has allotted to us

– Perhaps we have to confess that we have even turned our back on the Lord's way and have journeyed to the fields of Moab that seemed to offer better bread

The Road HomeWhat is our hope?• God's grace … no matter what we have done and how long

we have done it, there are forgiveness and hope for us– Indeed, the very fact that we have come, whether willingly or

unwillingly, to see the emptiness of the fields of Moab is itself a hopeful sign of the Lord's work in our hearts

• God's faithfulness to his people … He is committed to save for himself a people of his own– He reaches down to rebellious sinners and transforms them

from the inside out– This is usually a slow work, as it was in Naomi's case, but God is

not in a hurry; it also often involves painful paths, as God strips away the things in which we have placed our trust instead of Him

– All along the hard road to heaven, though, the love of God draws us and drives us to himself and will not let us go

• Elimelech left the place of famine to seek a false blessing in Moab … Jesus Christ left the glories of heaven to bring us a true blessing on earth

• Elimelech and Naomi sent themselves into exile from the land of promise, trying to build their own kingdom rather than waiting for God to do it … Jesus went into exile from his Father's presence so that he might rescue us from our own kingdom-building and grant us a true and living future in his kingdom

• The God who empties us and strips away those precious things in which we trust … knows what it is to be stripped of all of his possessions, left alone and abandoned by his friends, and hung empty on a cross

• Every tear of loss that God inflicts on us is a tear whose cost he himself understands

How this Points Us to Christ

Choosing A Different Path

“… Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less travelled by,And that has made all the difference.”

-- Robert Frost (1916)

Ruth 1:7-10So she set out from the place where she was with her

two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The LORD grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!”

Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” I can understand why Naomi decided to return to her homeland when she found out the famine had passed, but why do you think Ruth and Orpah decided to go with her? Remember, Naomi’s family moved to a foreign country out of need, but what might Ruth’s and Orpah’s reasons have been?

The NIV says that when Naomi heard that God had come to help her people in Bethlehem, she and her daughters-in-law “prepared” to return home. What preparations do you think they made?

How do you think Ruth and Orpah felt about leaving Moab and moving to Bethlehem?

What emotions do you think they expressed or felt internally?

Even though I’ve read this story many times, for some reason I always thought Naomi urged Ruth and Orpah to stay in Moab before they set out on their trip. Where did Naomi’s discussion with her daughters-in-law actually take place (v. 7)?

Ruth 1:7-10So she set out from the place where she was with her

two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The LORD grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!”

Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” What do you think transpired between vv 7 and 8, where the three women were starting on the journey to Bethlehem together and then Naomi seemingly changes her mind and tells them to go back to their mother’s home?

Why did Naomi urge her daughters-in-law to remain in Moab? How did they respond? Put yourself in Naomi’s shoes and try to imagine what she was feeling. How would you describe her desire to see Ruth and Orpah return home?

Why do you think Naomi told the girls to go back home? Should Naomi have encouraged her daughters-in-law to return with her so they could be with believers?

Ruth 1:8“But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, ‘Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the LORD deal kindly (hesed) with you, as you have dealt (hesed) with the dead and with me.’”

Remembering our discussion about the concept of hesed, answer the following question about hesed as it is used in Ruth 1:8.

How had Orpah and Ruth demonstrated hesed to Naomi?

Remembering our discussion about the concept of hesed, answer the following question about hesed as it is used in Ruth 1:8.

What do Orpah’s and Ruth’s acts of hesed tell us about their faith?

Remembering our discussion about the concept of hesed, answer the following question about hesed as it is used in Ruth 1:8.

Does Naomi’s prayer for the LORD to grant hesed to Orpah and Ruth mean that God’s blessings are rewards for good works? Explain your answer.