2022.03.23 - Ruth 1:02 - The Picture of Almost

01.02 - The Picture Of Almost 

Ruth 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. KJV

Thursday, March 10, 2022

9:19 AM

 

Will you press in or go where the grass looks greener???

 

Ephrathites - 

o   OT:673 'Ephrathiy (ef-rawth-ee'); patrial form OT:672; an Ephrathite or an Ephraimite: 

KJV - Ephraimite, Ephrathite. 

·       OT:672'Ephraath (ef-rawth'); or 'Ephrathah (ef-raw'-thaw); from OT:6509; fruitfulness; Ephrath, another name for Bethlehem; once (Psalms 132:6) perhaps for Ephraim; also of an Israelitish woman: KJV - Ephrath, Ephratah. 

§ OT:6509 parah (paw-raw'); a primitive root; to bear fruit (literally or figuratively): KJV - bear, bring forth (fruit), (be, cause to be, make) fruitful, grow, increase. 

o   This is like saying Robert is an Oklahoman from Oklahoma, God wanted us to know for sure where they were from, so it means something important. 

o   It is likely that God waned us to be VERY aware that these people were from a place of Bread, the House of Bread and that they were "to bear and bring forth fruit, to be fruitful and to increase" which is exactly what they DID NOT do in Moab 

o   Ruth was married to her husband for around 10 years and did not have a son - upon going to Bethlehem Judah and marrying Boaz became pregnant and bore a son  who was in the lineage of Christ 

 

 

Country of Moab . . .

o   Moab was the last place the children of Israel camped before entering into Canaan - The Promised Land

o   It is a picture of "almost

·       You can see the Promised Land from Moab

·       It is where Moses died - almost making it into the Promised Land

·       Orpah almost went with Ruth and Naomi

·       Naomi almost gave up hope

o   Moab was essentially a plateau - speaking to being able to only go so far

·       Moses

·       Elimelech & his family 

 

 

 

 

They Continuted There . . .

 

o   The famine in the land of Bethlehem Judah only last 7 years, yet Naomi was in Moab for at least ten years

o   OT:1961 hayah (haw-yaw); a primitive root [compare OT:1933]; to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary): KJV - beacon, altogether, be (-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, follow, happen, have, last, pertain, quit (oneself-), require, use.

o   They became like those who they lived around instead of the opposite 

o   They took wives and made lives for themselves, they almost had it all . . .almost 

o   Sometimes it seems that "the world" is being blessed while you are left to struggle serving God- but it just seems that way

·       Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death KJV

·       Our path was never promised to be easy - just worth it 

o   If we are not careful the place of death in our journey can become our destination

·       How often do we die someplace between Egypt and Canaan because the giants are too big in our eyes

o   Naomi was almost in the lineage of Christ

o   Elimelech was almost in the lineage of Christ