King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 7 notes
1Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth-lehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
What did he go to do in the land of Moab, a people forbidden from mingling with?
They were to have been destroyed outrightly from the entering in of the promised land (this point I'm not sure, i.e. about they being among those to be exterminated).
But Israel had formed leagues and watered 💦 down the command and statutes of the Lord.
There was to be a way of life of the Jews, but it was overlooked and these people did their own thing.
These are Dake's notes or commentary on this verse. Very informative, I found it.
Time of the Events of Ruth (Ch. 1:1) One thing is clear--the events of Ruth took place in the early days of the judges, because Ruth 4:21-22 states that Boaz was the son of Salmon who married Rahab the harlot of Jericho (Mt. 1:5). If Salmon married Rahab soon after the conquest of Jericho, the event would have to occur at least during the first 50 to 75 years of the 520 years from Joshua to Saul (for the chronology of this period, see Dispensation of Law). If Boaz was born to Salmon late in life and Boaz himself married late in life, the events would still have to take place in the first 100 years of the 520 years--during the judgeship of Othniel perhaps (Judg. 3:9-11), the 18 years of servitude to Moab (Judg. 3:12-14), or at the latest, during the time of Ehud (Judg. 3:15-20). If this is true, we must acknowledge that not all the names of the men in the genealogy of Christ were given at this point, because we have only four names in the list from Salmon to the birth of David, and the lives of four men would not cover that long a period, with the usual span of life being what it was at that time. It would have required Salmon, Boaz, Obed, and Jesse to have their children in this genealogy at the average age of 125 which is very unlikely. Bible scholars agree that not all the names of royal genealogies were always given, nor were they necessary; so it seems wise to recognize that some names have been omitted (Ruth 4:20-22; Mt. 1:4-6; Lk. 3:31-32). See notes, Mt. 1:8,11.
2And 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 Beth-lehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
3And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.
4And 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.
Were they not supposed to intermarry in the first place, nor dwell amongst them? Well, they had already broken the law of not dwelling with them, so it was only a matter of time they married them. Though ironically, it was through this union that the great King David was born.
So they not intermarrying was not that the Moabites were inherently evil and unfit for good use by God, but because of their culture and idol worship, it was only a matter of time they would be influenced to drift away from God.
It was nothing personal.
5And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.
6Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.
7Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.
8And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother’s house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.
9The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.
10And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.
11And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
12Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;
13Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.
What a relationship between in-laws.
It was indeed an uncommon love among in-laws.
There could easily have been accusations and counter-accusations.
Maybe their mother-in-law was a witch 🧙♀️, that was why she killed her husband and her two sons.
Or at best she was cursed 🤬, and little wonder there was death ☠ all around her.
Or maybe Ruth and Orpah, being sisters, came into her life to rid her of her two sons, and were likely behind the death of her husband as well.
Maybe they were sent on an evil 😈 assignment.
This beautiful love story between these in-laws could have so easily gone south, and justifiably so.
Meanwhile, in this relationship and lineage was to be the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the great King David and many other great men.
It could so easily have been marred.
But God is faithful and cared for and kept 💅 Naomi.
Making her smile again in her old age.
It's also quite interesting that Naomi was not branded a witch 🧙♀️ when she returned. Unlike here in Africa 🌍.
Having left with her sons and husband and returning with none of them.
Interestingly, we see very little mention of the power of witchcraft and sorcery in impacting the lives of Israel and God's chosen people in the Bible.
If anything went wrong, it was because the Lord had allowed it, and they, rather than blame a witch or the power of darkness,
Searched out what they had done wrong that made them incur the displeasure of the Lord.
It was never about the power of darkness or witch 🧙♀️ craft... But the hand 🖐️ of the LORD in all things, good and evil 😈.
We as believers must also be like-minded. The devil 👿 is a liar 🤥 when he postulates that he is the source of any power or evil happening to us or our family 👪.
Indeed we are the cause, and our great God permitted it because we had gone out of alignment or never were in alignment in the first place.
We as believers must thus ask and enquire what went wrong and correct it accordingly.
As David said, and it stands true for us.
Psalm 27:1-2 KJV
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? [2] When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
We must work the word out in our lives.
14And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.
15And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.
16And 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:
17Where 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.
How did Ruth know the Lord and align with the God of Israel as her God?
Maybe, and in all likelihood, she had heard of the LORD God of Israel 🇮🇱 and longed for him.
And now she counted herself divinely blessed to have married an Israelite,
She had more faith than some who by blood were Israelites.
And now that she had found herself connected to the Lord God of Israel, she was not going to go away back to her people.
She had converted to the God of Israel and was not going back, even if it meant she having less of a life whiles following after Israel's God.
She was not going to leave Naomi, her last human connection to Israel.
She would rather die than let go, for she knew that
Psalm 84:10 KJV
For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
Oh, now I know and understand why the Lord so blessed Ruth.
She was indeed a true convert of God and showed more strength, courage, boldness and faith than most naturally born Israelites.
She represents the new covenant adoption as sons into God's fold 📂.
Even in the Old Testament there were people who had a foretaste of the new covenant life and ways.
Oh my. GOD, I FEEL so stirred writing 📝 these things.
Oh indeed, the Lord is good and his ways unsearchable.
Romans 11:33 KJV
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Why would she say that? I mean, why would she cleave so hard to her mother-in-law? What had she seen or heard which made her so much want to be a part of the people who crossed the Red Sea on dry ground, whose God was with them in physical form... the children of the man who wrestled with God and prevailed?
She had married one of them, only for him to die, but she was still going to stick around and stick it out to her death...
18When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.
19So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
20And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
Yep, they never saw misfortunes as the work of the devil 👿 solely, but the providence of God in allowing evil 😈 to befall his people.
We in Africa 🌍 solely attribute evil to the devil circumventing the plan of God, which gives the devil 👿 more power than is due him.
We indeed elevate Satan very highly, and the works of darkness highly.
21I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?
22So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Beth-lehem in the beginning of barley harvest.