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Mystries in Ruth

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Beloved:
I have been studying Ruth and it is such a fascinating book that is a parable with so many levels of revelations. 

It ties in to many of the topics that I have been reading on the forum board.
For instance there are always questions on the board about the Fathers's will. We in the earthy flesh are often confused and frustrated when things happen...we often do not want to accept the fact that He is in the One charge of All things.

On the surface this Book seems like a pretty straight forward "Cinderella like " story...but is it?

(Rth 1:1)  Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
(Rth 1:2)  And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
(Rth 1:3) And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.
(Rth 1:4)  And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.

To start Ruth follows the Book Judges, Samuel probably wrote thus story, it is the introduction of the Davidic line.  In Judges it demonstrates the ever increasing failure of man, in spite of all of the intervention and help of God. It ends with them almost wiping out the benjamites after a rather gory incident with a concubine  The Book of Ruth is a contrast and it presents the activities of the grace of God, in spite of the failure of a family and ends with a scene of joy and blessing and hope.


The first question unanswered is why did Elimech and Naomi take their two sons , and leave their parcel of land and go to Moab? 

What was the "monster job board" back then that beckoned them.  They were leaving their home and safety , culture etc and going elsewhere to seek their "fortune".     Does this sound like anyone you know?

Then their sons marry into the Moabs, the very people the Law says

Deu 23:3  An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD forever:

No wonder He calls Israel ....stiff necked.... like us when we left our first love and Israel when they sought after other gods...

But can you see that God has everything planned and he shows this over and over in His Word.

This life thread goes back to Lot

(Gen 19:15)  And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
(Gen 19:16)  And while he loitered, the men took hold of his hand, and his wife's hand, and the hands of his two daughters, יהוה having compassion on him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.

After being rescued what was left of the family thought all were gone and decided to reenact the Garden ruke and go forth and multiply.... and they did and occupied the land.

Gen 19:37  And the firstborn bore a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day

430 years later when Moses comes back into the promised land :
 
(Deu 2:9)  And the LORD said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give thee of their land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession.

Num 21:29  Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites.  He is not going to let them go on much longer, their god Chemosh will be a thorn for Israel

You see ......God was providing for .......the birth of Ruth.

On one level in the story Naomi represent backslidden Israel, on another level she represents the MANY.    Ruth represents the FEW.


So here are some questions on the above  (there are so many other questions also)

Can we wee the Elimeleck and Naomi in us?
In how many ways were we "a stranger" to the Father?
Do the Names play any role?
   
With this in mind what other parables do you see in this story. I hope you will read this short book and can make comments here

This is one of my favorite verses and summarizes the above.

(Jer 29:11) ‘For I know the plans I am planning for you, declares  יהוה , ‘plans of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and an expectancy.

Beloved

aqrinc:

Oh Beloved,

I was just getting ready to take a deep breath, now that is gone. I have read The Book of Ruth
several times, and seen much of what you write about here. Noami and Elimelech as representing
Israel, Gentiles and Salvation for All is running throughout this Book.

Later today i will go back and find my notes, this is a great topic for this weekend i think.

Rth 2: 11-15 (GNB)
11  Boaz answered, "I have heard about everything that you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband died. I know how you left your father and mother and your own country and how you came to live among a people you had never known before.

12  May the LORD reward you for what you have done. May you have a full reward from the LORD God of Israel, to whom you have come for protection!"

13  Ruth answered, "You are very kind to me, sir. You have made me feel better by speaking gently to me, even though I am not the equal of one of your servants."

14  At mealtime Boaz said to Ruth, "Come and have a piece of bread, and dip it in the sauce." So she sat with the workers, and Boaz passed some roasted grain to her. She ate until she was satisfied, and she still had some food left over.

15  After she had left to go and gather grain, Boaz ordered the workers, "Let her gather grain even where the bundles are lying, and don't say anything to stop her. Besides that, pull out some heads of grain from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up."

george. :)

mharrell08:
Ruth Chapter 1

v11  And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? [Naomi returning to Judah after death of her husband, Elimelech]

v12-13  ...Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband...if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons; Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? [Naomi's daughters in law, Orpah & Ruth, wanting to go with Naomi back to Judah...but as Naomi notes, she has no husband and no sons for them to marry so there would be no purpose for them to go with her]

v14-15  And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. [Orpah has chosen to kiss her mother in law goodbye and return to Moab in all it's idolatry...but Ruth 'cleaves' to Naomi; Naomi notes that Orpah returned to Moab so Ruth should do the same]

v16-19  And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and THY GOD MY GOD: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. When she [Naomi] saw that she [Ruth] was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. So they two went until they came to Bethlehem.


Matt 10:38-39  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it [Orpah]: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. [Ruth]

Matt 19:29-30  And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life [like Ruth but unlike Orpah]. But many that are first shall be last [Orpah]; and the last shall be first. [Ruth]

Mark 8:35  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it [Orpah]; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. [Ruth]

Luke 17:33-36  Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it [Orpah]; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it [Ruth]. I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken [Ruth], and the other shall be left [Orpah]. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken [Ruth], and the other left [Orpah]. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken [Ruth], and the other left. [Orpah]


Like George said, a great topic.  :)


Marques

Kicking against the Goads:
Maybe I am oversimplifying this, but they left for Moab because there was a famine in the land.  I'm not sure of your premise that they were leaving safety in search of fortune.  It sounds like they were looking for food.  We don't know how old the sons were, but having hungry children would be horrible.  And of course God was behind the famine so I'm not sure we can say they were disobedient in leaving.  

The marrying part is more complicated...but I look forward to hearing more of those answers.  I also love learning how the scriptures are all one and I enjoyed your analysis of the many and the few.

Beloved:
Kicking the Goads, yes you have it...my point exactly.  You caught the safety thing.

They owned land and they must have had possessions , did they sell them all so they could buy seeds and not starved. Did they finally run out of things? They had land and two sons to work it, others obviously made it through the famine. 

You are exactly right it was God who caused the famine and it was He who caused them to decide to leave...unlike Abram who was well fed and secure.  t Abram was directly told by God to leave and Abram obeyed.  Did you catch those  words.....a certain man in the opening verses....sound like he was hand picked by God for this sojourn.

Lets look at the all of the names
H458 אלימלך  'ĕlîymelek From H410 and H4428; God of (the) king; Elimelek,
Hitchcock   Elimelech  my God is king
H5281  נעמי no‛ŏmîy no-om-ee'  From H5278; pleasant; Naomi
Hitcock Naomi  beautiful; agreeable

Mahlon  infirmity; a harp; pardon  Ruth married the first born   Rth 4:10
Chilion  finished; complete; perfect  since Orpah is mentioned first she probable married the pretty one  ;D.
 
They both came with dowries, perhaps that is why they married these women .

They lived there 10 years so it does not sound like they had land or a business etc or much of anything even then since Naomi was willing to leave it all and send the women back to their mothers houses.

Ruth    drunk; satisfied Other source oint out that it is a contraction for re'uth perhaps signifying "comrade," "companion"

Orpah   the neck or skull    Her name is supposed to be derived from the Hebrew word for "neck" (`oreph), and so to mean "stiff-necked" because of her turning-back from following her mother-in-law; others take it to mean "gazelle."

Do not know if this is tue or urban legend but this was the name picked out by Oprah Winfreys mother and it got misspelled on the birth certificate.

Yes Marques your reference  show us that it was the piety and fidelity seen in Ruth in this narrative, she refused to abandon her mother-in-law, although three times she was exhorted to do so by Naomi herself. 

Naomi  was getting on in years and there were probably better prospects for Ruth in her own country. Orpah yielded to persuasion, and went back to Moab; but Ruth followed Naomi.  I will address more on your verses later

We are all Elimelecks and say God is my King but then we try to do things to make things go the way we want them not understanding that everything in our lives is making us make our decisions, the things we are taught and learn from parents and others all color our ideas, the thing that happen to us color our emotions and these all play a role in our behavior.

We all are Naomi, beautiful and agreeable until things turn sour then we are also quick to change our names to bitter and miserable.

Paul instructs  us   
(Php 4:12)  I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
(Php 4:13)  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Proverbs also tells us this
(Pro 30:7)  Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:
(Pro 30:8 )  Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
(Pro 30:9)  Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

I was just recently struck when I realized that the early believers only had the TENACH or Old testament to go by. The New testament or Brit Chesad can therefore be seen as the spiritual commentary to the TENACH.

Thanks for all of the comments so far this story is so full of milk and meat when you look at it closer.

I have to get my taxes done right now so I can render to Caesar what is Caesars  :P :P :P.

Beloved

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