Go where God is working

The narrator of the book of Ruth doesn’t give us a lot of help regarding the emotional state of these women. Maybe the narrator is just assuming we would enter in for a moment. For some of us, entering into their pain is not difficult, because you’ve been there in one way or another.

They are clearly in a time of crisis. Grieving, alone, heading toward destitution. “Death and tragedy” had marked Naomi’s journey to Moab. She was devastated.

If you were Naomi, how would you respond in this time of crisis?

I’m not sure how I would respond if in a short period of time I was alone - grieving the loss of Danielle and the kids. How painful that would be! Getting up would be difficult. Moving forward would be a heavy lift.

Today, we are going to look at Ruth 1:6-18. As we read earlier, in this passage we get to see Naomi getting up, and moving forward.

If we were to summarize the theme of this passage, it might be…

Theme: In a time of crisis, go where God is working with those whom God is sending.

This theme seems to rise to the surface as we observe how Naomi responds to God, rejects distractions, and receives aid from God. Her actions provide helpful instruction to us in our times of crisis - whatever they may be.

First of all, like Naomi, we should…

Respond to God (6-7)

Ruth 1:6–7 ESV

Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.

Naomi was in the fields of Moab - likely gleaning the left over harvest - trying to survive. It was in this act of survival that she heard news from Judah that God had visited the people of Judah and had provided food for them. After many years, the famine was over. There was a glimmer hope.

So often it’s common for us to feel like God has forgotten us in times of crisis. How can God be loving when there is so much pain? This may have been something that Naomi was feeling.

But notice, those feelings did not push her away from God. Elsewhere, she acknowledge that God had dealt bitterly with her and had allowed calamity (1:21) - and yet it was to God that she was responding. She chose to go. She could have remained bitter and simply refused to return - essentially holding a grudge against God.

Sometimes we have to recognize that...

The hard things in life that God allows us to encounter may be the very things He is using to draw us to himself. (repeat)

I know there are some people who have experienced severe pain

abuse - even at the hands of relatives or fellow church members - don’t let that push you from God.

financial turmoil

job loss

death

a health crisis of a loved one

No matter what the pain - keep pressing toward God. Respond to where he is working.

But that also begs a couple of questions..

How do we know where God is working?

Naomi had heard that God had blessed her people. Even though she was a foreigner in a foreign land, a widow, and a grieving mom - she heard. Maybe this was a letter or a visit from a friend or relative. Maybe this hearing was rumors among the other women as they harvested the fields. Maybe her hearing was the still small voice of the Lord.

But how can we know where God is working? I think some of it has to do with staying connected to God’s people and God’s Word. Let people know your pain and share your burden, let them speak into your life. Naomi didn’t isolate herself. She returned to the fields. But also - stay connected to God’s Word. We talked a few months ago about the discipline of taking in Scripture. Reading it slowly, meditating on it.

I believe it’s in those points of continued connection that we get to hear where and how God is working in order to know where to respond to him - which brings up another question:

How can we determine where to respond?

For Naomi - her response was to return. It’s unclear if her family’s initial move to Moab was an act of rebellion or simply a means of survival. Whatever the case, she returned.

For some of us, it may be that our response is to return to God as well - maybe even in the form of repentance. Is there some sin that has taken hold in our lives? Is there some form a disobedience that needs to be changed?

Recently, the Elders started reading the book Five Lies of our Anti-Christian Age by Rosaria Butterfield. In the introduction, she shares 6 ingredients of true repentance from the Puritan Thomas Watson:

Recognition of sin (Luke 15:17; Acts 26:18) - this thought, action, speech, intention is sinful

Sorrow for sin (Ps. 38:18; 51:17; Zech. 12:10; Luke 19:8) - feeling bad about that sin, inwardly sorry.

Confession of Sin (Neh. 9:2; 2 Sam. 24:17; Dan. 9:6; 1 Cor. 11:31) - to the Lord, I have sinned.

Shame for sin (Ezek. 43:10; Luke 15:21) - heartfelt regret for that sin. Feeling dirty and corrupted.

Hatred for sin (Ps. 119:104; Ezek. 36:31; Rom. 7:15, 23) - despising the sin

Turning from sin (Isa. 55:7; Eph. 5:8) - turning away, true repentance, adjusting actions in order to avoid falling into that sin again.

Just as her move from Moab required desperate measures, so too our move away from sin will require a serious look at where we are and where we should be.

But maybe it’s not a sin that we’re stuck in. Maybe it’s something else - reconciling with a fellow brother or sister in Christ, stepping up in an area of spiritual discipline in which we’ve become lax, fulfilling a promise we made to God. Maybe our responding to God is in an active area of ministry -

inviting a non-believing friend to read scripture with you, or inviting them to church.

sharing a meal with that new family,

going on a short term mission trip - there is a team coming through for training - headed to the Middle East to camp and climb - in early July. or

serving at camp - Mfuge, Frederick Rescue Mission camp, Cedarbrook camp.

I think a lot of that will be meted out as we remain in God’s Word and connected to God’s people.

Several years ago, my father-in-law was in a sort of season of famine. He continued to spend time with God in prayer and Bible study. As he was conversing with God, he asked God why he was in this sort of famine and how he should respond. The Holy Spirit reminded him that he had made a promise to God - a vow - and had not yet fulfilled that promise. He responded to God by fulfilling his promise and found the famine retreating over the next several days, weeks, and months. In that crisis her continued to turn to God and responded in the area where God was promoting him to make changes.

So like Naomi, in times of crisis (and frankly in normal times), we should respond to God. Secondly we can learn from Naomi that we should…

Reject distractions (8-14)

We’ve already read this long section. Essentially as they begin returning to Judah, Naomi urges the girls to go back to their families. The girls push back and insist on remaining with her, but she again urges them to leave her. Orpah leaves her and returns to her own families - but Ruth remains with Naomi, which we’ll get to in a moment.

I do think there are a few things we can consider in this. In her culture - the burden may have fallen to her to provide for her daughters-in-law. For the Jewish people, there were some Levirate laws or traditions that meant a near relative would have to provide a child for the widowed. There were no men close by that would fit that requirement. Additionally, Naomi felt like she was too old to get married and have children. Even if she could have sons, the girls would likely be nearing the end of their childbearing years by the time the boys would be of age. Given the current circumstances, they were left with few options. Going back to their families was the next logical step in their survival.

I think in asking the girls to leave, she isn’t so much rejecting them as she is rejecting the distraction that they might be. She could barely provide for her needs. It seems she felt the girls would be better off without her and she would not have to provide for them. She may have felt they would be more of a burden than a blessing.

I do wonder in our own lives if there are places where we are responding to God that we need to reject or lay aside distractions - maybe it’s

People who will pull us away from God’s plan - we all have those people in our lives that may or may not be the best influence. Responding to God might mean changing how we relate to others.

Habits that need to be submitted to God’s ways.

Media - whether games, podcasts, news sources, books, TV shows or movies - there are so many things that can impact out minds and become a distraction. I listen to a lot of podcasts. Some are political, some biblical, some pastoral. The other day as I was driving to the hospital to visit someone, I found my attitude being negatively impacted by what I was listening to - and so I put aside that distraction and began listening to a book from a puritan that urged me to reflect on Paul’s words to know nothing except Christ and Him crucified.

Theology - if you’re not yet a follower of Christ, maybe what you need to reject is your old way of thinking - your natural theology or our culture’s theology. In reality, everyone who comes to Christ does that. We lay aside relying on our own holiness (because we have none) and respond to God’s call.

Do you find that you’re trying to earn God’s favor with how you live?

Are you trying to prove to God that you’re worthy of His love?

Are you defining God’s holiness human terms or in biblical terms?

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

You can earn a degree. You can work hard to earn your spot on a team. You can check all of the boxes to get a promotion at work. You can do all the work needed to earn a diploma. But you can’t do anything to earn eternal life. You can’t do anything to be saved, except to reject or repent of your sin and receive God’s aid by responding to His call through Jesus Christ.

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Romans 10:13 ESV

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Friend, if you’re not yet a follower of Christ, consider those ingredients to repentance, reject your sin and receive Christ today.

So Naomi responded to God’s call and rejected distractions. Finally, we can learn from her how we should…

Receive God’s aid (15-18)

Remember at the beginning of the sermon we summarized the theme of this passage as “In a time of crisis, go where God is working with those whom God is sending.” When we receive God’s aid, we often will get to receive God’s aid from the people that God is sending. In the case of Naomi, this aid came from Ruth.

Ruth 1:15–18 ESV

And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.

Both girls initially pushed back against Naomi’s insistence that they leave, but ultimately Orpah left and Ruth remained. Not only was Ruth wanting to help her mother-in-law, she was all in.

For Ruth - her life would be alongside Naomi - for the rest of her life.

Purpose: where you go - Naomi knew she had to go back. Ruth was going to go with her. She stepped into the unknown - into a foreign land.

Place: where you stay, I’ll stay - essentially she was making her home with Naomi - not as a dependent, but as a partner or companion, as a helper. And as we’ll see over the next several weeks, she did this well.

People: your people will be my people - Israelites and Moabites were distant relatives - at times they were also enemies. Ruth was willing to bury whatever hatchets may be there in order to be all in with Naomi.

Providence: your God will be my God - She was willing to follow the ways of Yahweh and be identified as one of Yahweh’s people.

When Naomi realized that Ruth would not be deterred, she relented and received God’s aid through Ruth.

There are times in our own lives when we think that being around people is the last thing we want. COVID seemed to exacerbate our introverted tendencies. We need to be willing to accept the help that God is offering through his people. At the same time we need to be willing to reach out in our times of need.

For some of us, the Holy Spirit may be prompting us to action - prompting us to offer aid. When the Spirit prompts, speak up and offer.

I think this is one of the strong components of being part of a covenant community - a church family. We can see each other, pray for each other, walk alongside each other, call, text, visit, etc. This is where community groups can be of assistance. I’m so grateful for how the Rockville/Gaithersburg community group came along side the Brills - offering rides to the hospital at early morning hours, providing meals during recovery, calling and checking in.

I think in our times of crisis - we all need that. We need help from God - and his help often comes through his people.

Have you received God’s aid through his people? Will you receive it? We need each other - even/especially in our pain, reach out, don’t go it alone. Keep trusting in God through the challenges.

Are you coming along side those who need you? pay attention to others

Have you received God’s aid through His Son? Like Ruth - Jesus and his people identify with your pain. He is willing to walk with you through it. Jesus gave up his comforts, his home, his life for you - will you trust him - will you let him walk with you, will you respond to his insistence?

Let’s pray.

Benediction

Jude 24–25 ESV

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Moment of silence - pray and ask the Holy Spirit what you should do in light of what you’ve heard. Ask how you should respond to God? Who should you reach out to - either for help or in order to come alongside?

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

Read: Ruth 1:6-18.

What stood out to you in this passage or in the sermon?

How did Naomi respond to God?

In your own life, how has God revealed himself, prompting a response in times of crisis?

Why do you think Naomi tried to send Orpah and Ruth away?

Are there things in our lives that we might need to reject or put away in order to more effectively embrace what God is doing?

Why did it take so much for Naomi to receive Ruth’s aid? Are there cultural factors that may be a work?

Why is Ruth’s commitment to Naomi so significant? How is that similar to Jesus’ commitment to us?

Sources:

Atkinson, David. The Message of Ruth. The Bible Speaks Today Commentary. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1983.

Barry, John D., David Bomar, Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstein, Douglas Mangum, Carrie Sinclair Wolcott, Lazarus Wentz, Elliot Ritzema, and Wendy Widder, eds. The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016.

Block, Daniel Isaac. Judges, Ruth. Vol. 6. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999.

Butterfield, Rosaria. Five Lies of our Anti-Christian Age. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2023.

Reed, John W. “Ruth.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.

Wiersbe, Warren W. Be Committed. “Be” Commentary Series. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1993.