Taking Wives From Moab

By John O’Malley

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“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” (Ruth 1:4).

There is a danger in thinking that our decisions to sin affect only ourselves. In the case of Elimelech, little did he realize that when he moved to Moab, he would leave his sons with the impression that since it was fine to move to Moab, it must be fine to marry Moabites.

How quickly personal standards will drop when we move from the place of God’s will to the place of our choosing!All Israelites knew that they were not to marry anyone outside of the children of Israel. Why did Mahlon and Chilion choose to marry apart from God’s law? 

Clearly, the opportunity to sin came because they were living outside of God’s will due to their father’s decision to move to Moab. Elimelech’s sin of compromise by sojourning in Moab bred two sins of compromise in his sons. They sinned in their marriages and in maintaining a life in Moab.

Friend, you may be continuing in a sin that you have held on to for years thinking it only affects you. You are wrong. It will affect those around you also! Have you moved to Moab? Pack your bags today and move back into God’s will. Did someone else bring you to Moab? Move back into God’s will today! Moab will take you further, keep you longer, and cost you more than you ever planned.

Think about it…

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