We left our story in Ruth
yesterday with a very somber moment in the lives of Naomi and her two
sons. Her husband and the two sons father Elimelech died, and now she
was located in Moab which was a strange land to her. She had fled a
famine which took place in her home country, and now she was facing
widowhood and being a mother alone. However, the story only begins
with this part of the tragedy. We learn more today as we continue the
story in chapter one and verse four:
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.
The two sons, Mahlon and
Chilion or “sickly and pining”, “took them wives of the
women of Moab.” Elimelech or “My God is King” was gone from
this tiny family, and we see through the author's words that life
continued after he passed. Naomi's two boys were able to find wives
in this new country, and although sadness had entered into her life
for a while, perhaps seeing her sons married was a pleasure for
Naomi.
We are told, “the name
of the one was Orpah” which means “gazelle”, and “the
name of the other was Ruth” which means “friendship”. Let's
stop and think about this for a moment. Here are “Sickly and
Pining” who married Moabite women named “Gazelle and Friendship”.
It's quite the story when you ponder it for a while, and let's not
forget that “Naomi” or “Pleasantness” was the Matron within
this family. It seems at least for this moment that some sense of
order and normalcy has returned to Naomi's life even after her tragic
loss.
We are told, “and they
dwelled there about ten years.” We now have a time frame for
this portion of the story. For ten years Naomi, her sons and her two
new daughter in laws lived in the country of Moab. Although Hebrew
children were supposed to marry other Hebrews, these two sons found
women who were available where they were. Rather than follow the
normal path, Mahlon and Chilion adapted to the environment they were
in at the time.
For a few years it
seems that Naomi will be okay, however, there is more to this
wonderful story, and as we discover more of the scene, we will soon
realize how Jesus Christ is part of this story as well. We will have
to keep studying, and we shall take up more next time, so read ahead,
and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites,
www.amazon.com
; www.barnesandnobles.com
; download
to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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