Ruth 1:1-5

“Tragedy All Around”

By Pastor Rich Paradis

Ruth 1:1-5

In most stories of note, before the resolution and the morals of that story, there is usually a time of tension that sets up everything. As we take off in our study of the book of Ruth, there is a very similar tension that is set before us. Please do not read these introductory remarks as unimportant or as something to merely read as informational. There is tragedy and great emotion before us, and this type of tragedy must be dealt with before we can move forward. Let’s look together at the disastrous decisions and circumstances that will lead us forward in the story.

I.                 The Setting and Introductions    Ruth 1:1-2

a.      As the story opens in Verse 1, we are given an approximate timing for what is before us. The words “when the judges governed (judged or ruled)” give us some insight into both the time and the setting for our story.

b.     According to Judges 2:10-23, the Israelites were in very tumultuous times. They were in a particularly rebellious time that included the following and worship of other gods and the anger of God against them. But in the midst of this anger, God raised up judges who would deliver the people from their enemies. But the people did not listen to these judges for long and would soon be back about the things that they had needed deliverance from in the first place. This pattern will repeat itself often in the book of Judges.

c.      The times were chaotic and largely without morality, making this story and all of its beauty especially appealing. But make no mistake about it; these were difficult times that were full of difficult people and situations. This is the time between the original conquest of the land led by Joshua and the time of establishing monarchy under Saul.

d.     We are next told that the land of Judah was in a time of famine. Famines were not unprecedented in this time of history or in this land. They could occur as result of a number of possible things: there could have merely been a prolonged period without rain to sustain the crops and food sources, there could have been widespread damage done by attacking enemies that would affect the ability to both raise and provide food to the people, and sometimes there was even famine that was caused by the hand of God Himself in judgment of the people. We are not told the occasion of this famine, but we will be given some clues along the way that might give us insight that it might be the latter of these reasons in this case.

e.      The town of Bethlehem in Judah is noted next. Bethlehem is, of course, a very important town in the history of the Bible as it is the birthplace of both David and our Savior Jesus. It will also offer both the setting for this family’s departure and the ultimate return of the remaining family members after an extended time in Moab. There is some irony in the very name of this city and the setting that we currently find it. The name “Bethlehem” means “house of bread”. A famine is not exactly what you’d think of occurring in a town with this name!

f.      Because of this famine a man, his wife, and his two sons take off from the famine situation of Bethlehem to seek food and provision for a while in the country of Moab. You could nearly read right over this and miss some critical lessons from this story if you were not careful. Moab is a region that lies about 50 miles from Bethlehem on the other side of the Dead Sea. It is a region of sparse fertile land and a lot of desert-like terrain. It is also a place of troubling history as it applies to the people of Israel. Moab was neither a friend nor a place for an Israelite family to run to during difficult times. In fact, there were specific restrictions placed on the people of Israel regarding the Moabites, specifically regarding intermarriage which will become an issue in a few verses.

g.     First of all, we must note that the times that we are currently discussing were not times of mobility like those that we live in today. People just did not move away. To move away would be done in only the direst of situations because leaving home would be to separate oneself from family and all familiar things. The idea of this man was to take his family to Moab for a time (sojourn or a while) until things were more suitable for his family’s return home by instead we will find them there 10 years later and in some very difficult and tragic circumstances.

h.     The names of this family are given in Verse 2. In order the names given are:

                                                    i.     Elimelech – a personal name which means “my God is king.

                                                  ii.     Naomi – a personal name which means “pleasant”.

                                                iii.     Mahlon – a personal name which means “frail or sickly”

                                                iv.     Chilion – a personal name which means “weak”.

i.       Before moving on, let’s think together about a lesson for all of us. What do you do when difficult times fall upon you and your family? What would you be willing to do to insure physical “success” in times of trouble? Elimelech (which means “my God is King) will make some tragic wrong decisions that can offer lessons for us in our lives regarding decisions made during difficult times:

                                                    i.     Elimelech (and unbelief) will run from problems by:

1.     Walking by sight and not by faith. We see nothing of him going to prayer for this gigantic decision he is about to make.

2.     Majoring on the physical and not the spiritual. While “providing”, we must not move away from the provision of God.

3.     Honoring on the enemy and not the Lord. These descendants of Lot were the last place that he should have run to.

II.               Tragedy Occurs    Ruth 1:3-5

a.      As Verse 2 ends, we are given a clue to this family and their time in Moab. What began as a sojourn, or a short time in Moab until things improved at home, they “remained” there. This move from a temporary stay to a more prolonged stay (at least 10 years according to Verse 4) will prove disastrous and will set up the rest of the story. As Verse 3 opens, we are introduced to the beginning of the disastrous circumstances which will fall on this family. The patriarch of the family, Elimelech, dies. But he is not just the patriarch, he is Naomi’s husband. A tragic circumstance of this death is now a reality for Naomi; she is left with her two sons.

b.     As time goes on, a time period that is not measured for us, these two sons take Moabite women as their wives. Verse 4 reveals this information and we now have a situation where a violation of Jewish law is taking place. According to Deuteronomy 7:1, and 3 there is to be no intermarrying with those of other heritages and those that had previously been enemies of God’s people.

c.      The names of the two son’s wives are given as the verse continues. Chilion’s wife is named Orpah, which means “firmness of neck”. This name could be connected to both her beauty and stature which was depicted by her long, good-postured neck or as a result of her coming abandonment of Naomi. We do not know this for sure. Mahlon’s wife was named Ruth (See 4:10) and she will be a central person in the rest of the story. Whether the time of the family’s stay in Moab is 10 years or the time of these marriages is 10 years is not given for us, but remember that the time is noteworthy in that the family was only to be in Moab long enough for times to improve in their homeland. But now they have established life in Moab.

d.     If the disaster of the patriarch dying was not enough, we now have Verse 5 open with the death of both Mahlon and Chilion! The cause of their death is not stated in the text. Was it judgment by God? Was it something else? We do not know, but we do know that disaster has struck a ¾ of this family that had left their homeland to “avoid death” by starvation. What a strange turn of events that now leaves Naomi left behind by her family and now in a foreign land with her two Moabite daughters in law.

III.             An Application For All Of Us

a.      Some questions to ask yourself as the story opens:

                                                    i.     What are you willing to do to “provide”? Would you walk away from the provision and the advice of God?

                                                  ii.     Do you struggle in the areas that Elimelech struggled? Do you believe that consequences follow giving in to these struggles?

1.     Walking by sight (or circumstance) and not by faith.

2.     Majoring on the physical and not the spiritual.

3.     Honoring the enemy and not the Lord.