Ruth 1: 1-18 THE SAD FATE OF OPRAH 6-9-12
Ruth 1: 1-18 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 Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
2And the name of the man was Elimelech, (my king is God) and the name of his wife Naomi, (pleasant) and the name of his two sons Mahlon (sickly)and Chilion, (perishing) Ephrathites (inhabitants of Bethlehem) of Bethlehemjudah.
* Bethlehem was another name for Ephrath.
Genesis 35:19And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.
* There were two Bethlehem's, one of Judah, and one of Zebulon:
Joshua 19: 15-16 And Kattath, and Nahallal, and Shimron, and Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages. 16This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages.
This is why we read so often of "Bethlehem of Judah", especially to do with the birth place of Jesus, so we can be assured of the specific town, remember there are two.
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And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
* I need to say some thing about "Moab".
"MOAB" was a mans name, also was the name of this territory with its inhabitants, but the man Moab; came from the incestuous relationship of Lot and his older daughter, he and his two daughters fled the destruction of Sodom as God was raining down fire, and brim stone on this homosexual society, and He has never had a change of mind about such as this, it's still an abomination in His sight regardless what today's so called brilliant minds might say about it.
----- God still says;
Jude 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
So these ungodly people may seem to be enjoying their sick lives today, but God is looking on and the record books are up to date, He is at this time withholding His wrath, but that will one day end.
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Both daughters caused Lot to become drunk and lay with him, they thought they were all that was left of all people, and each had a son, the Moabites came from the elder of the daughters, the Ammonites the other.
* Let's read this record, but keep in mind that our text is in Ruth 1:- but I'm laying the foundation for the message.
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Genesis 19: 24-36 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; 25And He overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. --All plant life--
26But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
--- She was leaving Sodom but her heart was still there.
27And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD: 28And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. 29And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.
30And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.
31And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:
32Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. 33And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
34And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
35And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. 36Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.
37And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. 38And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.
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Ruth 1:1-18
After we read this account of Orpah, who was a Moabite woman, a woman that knew not the True and Living God, such was Ruth also, but Orpah was willing to go with Naomi her mother-in-law back to the land of Bethlehem Judah and once there possible could have become a believer in the True God as Ruth her sister-in-law did, but instead she was told, even encouraged to go back to her own land, to the land of her gods, it is my opinion that Naomi I believe will have to answer for this grave mistake.
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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 Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. 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 Bethlehemjudah. 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, (a gazelle) and the name of the other Ruth: (friendship) and they dwelled there about ten years.
5And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband. -- Her husband and both sons now are dead. --
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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.
* Notice, they were on their way, all three back to the land of Judah.
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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. --
* There would never be rest from worshipping pagan gods, regardless whose house they were in.
Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept. -- Probably all three-
10And they said (both said) unto her, Surely*(certainly) we will return with thee unto thy people.
* Notice; Ruth and Orpah both were going back with Naomi to the land of Judah, that is what these verses tell us, it says nothing to the contrary.
I must say right here, I have read much commentary from several different known Bible scholars and I must say that I disagree with most of what they said concerning Orpah, they point out that Orpah heard much about the True and Living God and this might be so, remember the whole family of Elimelech were out of God's will in the first place by being in Moab.
What I have a problem with is, who can dogmatically say that Orpah would never have become a true believer in Jehovah God at some point after she arrived in Judah, it seems to me like many people have appointed them selves as Judge and Jury, we read often of hopeless pagans finally realizing the truth to do with the real God and being saved.
People don't necessarily have to be a believer in a false god to be lost, a lost sinner here in good old S.C. is just as lost as any lost person in the world.
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Ephesians 2:11-13 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision (Jews) in the flesh made by hands; 12That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Orpah was no LOST- ER than you or me, lost is lost. -- All gentiles at one time were without hope.
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God had a plan for Ruth, the great king David came from Ruth and Boaz, and I believe God would have taken care of Orpah as well.
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."
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It seems to me that Naomi did this ignorantly, perhaps not realizing what the end result would be if these two Moabite windows died in their sin and the chances of that was much greater if they go back to their old way of living, and that is certainly what was at stake as no one can be saved apart from the True God.
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14And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: -- probably all three-
and Orpah kissed her mother in law; --
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This is the last time we ever hear of Orpah, she is never mentioned again, found two times in the Bible, both in Ruth verses 4 &14. --Two, the number of division.
* Notice; the last memory that Naomi has of Orpah, she was weeping, and then kissed her goodbye. What a sad picture this presents, Orpah was willing to go with Naomi and Ruth but was literally talked out of it.
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--but Ruth clave unto her. -- Ruth loved Naomi and was determined to stay with her regardless, perhaps Ruth was stronger in her commitment than Orpah, but this world is full of people that have more determination than others, I don't see how this could be the determining factor of who God can save.
* Notice; Naomi is still even at this time trying to talk Ruth into going back to her pagan people with Orpah.
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15And she said, (Naomi) Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.
This tells us that at this time Orpah has left. -- is gone back--
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16And Ruth said, "Intreat me not (don't beg me) 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."
18When she (Naomi) saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.
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The Moabitess Ruth was woven into the family of God with the scarlet thread of redemption.
It is most probable that God would have blessed Orpah and taken care of her as well.
It's a sad commentary for Christians to close the door on an opportunity to win the lost to Christ, here in our text Elimelech's entire family was backslidden, but the WORD of God is not limited, it's not the person that's doing the witnessing that brings salvation but it's the Word that gets the job done.
Romans 10: 12-13 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: (Moabites) for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Verse 17 - So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
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I can not with a clear conscious declare that Orpah would never have become a believer in the True and Living God, it's not found any where in this account, but it seems that, that is exactly what many people have took it on them selves to say.
