Struggle, devotion, and redemption: A tale of extrodinary women.

Introduction

Today I am full. I sit as a man and a pastor who has been severely blessed and lifted up by God as he has given me a wealth of amazing women who have poured into my life and invested in me.

My mama is here today with me and as I think on what she has meant to me over the years I’ll just do my best not to cry. My mom had the worst kid in the history of kids and raising me was polar opposite of the two sisters I had. I was defiance incarnate and trouble was my middle name. I became what you hope your teenager doesn’t become and she did her best to not kill me through high school. I went away to college and in that time God did a work in my life to really grow me up and give me an appreciation for my mom that wasn’t always there. In the years since, I have called her up and offered the sound of reluctant lessons and earned experience; simply saying “Hey, I’m sorry again for how stupid I was.” I am in part here today because of that woman and how much he poured into me.

Amanda sits over there and I consider all the ways my life is livable because she brings it to life. She is crazy and I wish there was another word for it that might do that craziness more depth. I am an introvert and my batteries are starting to feel like a 5 year old iphone. In those times I need to retreat to my hole and plug back in lest I wither into nothingness. Amanda, the polar opposite. I’m dragging and barely moving and she invites 72 people to the house for chips and dips and board games, assuring me that she doesn’t need me for anything but later realizes she forgot Ice while reminding me how much she loves me. Our life, our home, and our ministry is filled to overflowing because she is in it and while I complain constantly, I wouldn’t change her.

I have two of the most beautiful young women ever who sass me to no end and role their eyes at me nonstop but it overwhelms me sometimes that God has given me and Amanda them as stewards. That we are called to raise them to know him and how much He loves them. They are growing up and I am so stinking proud of them and who they are becoming. Grace, Ava, I know more than you and its okay that you acknowledge that from time to time. I know we stress each other out all the time but I am rediculously proud of both of you.

In case you didn’t see, we also added a little Miss Bianca who is just a little more sassy than the other two. Its funny how much you forget that you forgot and 38 is not the new 28, I can tell you. I’m not so good at the no sleep thing this time around.

In short, I am a man who is surrounded by the women in my life who bring joy, sass, and perspective. I’m a product of their love and God has added so many others to my life who add in that joy. Today we celebrate the amazing women in our lives and the way they’ve invested in us and spurred us on towards greatness.

Tension

My guess is that you could name such women in your own life today. Ones whose impact is undeniable and unmistakable in your life and your faith. I want to take a brief break from our time in 1 Corinthians this morning to share a familiar story of a 4 chapter book in the Old Testament called Ruth. It tells the story of 2 women and a relationship that has implications for us still to this day. We will start this morning by reading Ruth 1:14-18. Would you read alone with me.

Truth

Ruth Chapter 1:14-18

14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

15 And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 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. 17 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.” 18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.

Pray

Exposition

The story of the Relationship between Ruth and Naomi is one that is summed up quickly; in only 4 chapters, found in the OT book of Ruth. However, those 4 chapters speak volumes.

Chapter 1 introduces us to a woman, her husband and her two sons. Naomi and her husband Elimelech traveled from Bethlehem in the region of Judah to the country of Moab, roughly 50 miles east of them, past the dead sea. It is largely speculated that this journey was undertaken by the family because of the famine that was taking over the land, perhaps thinking the famine wasn’t as big in Moab. Moabites were not well thought of by Israelites. For one, they were not allowed in the congregation of the Lord, we are told in Deut. 23:3-6, and also because they worshiped and served a god they called Chemosh, who very closely resembled Baal in the pantheons of the Mediterranean peoples.

However, during this trip Elimelech, Naomi’s husband dies. She and the her two sons, Mahlon and Kilion are left in Moab alone. In that time the two young men collect for themselves two Moabite women to be their wives. Orpah and Ruth. Despite some reservations that some might have about the wisdom of such a marriage, while the Bible prohibited marriages to Canaanites, it did not have the same consideration for Moabites. A short trip that was meant to hopefully side-skirt a famine, became a 10 year stay in the land of Moab that ended with more and greater tragedy for Naomi. Both Mahlon and Chilion died. She now sits as a woman with no husband, no sons, in a foreign land, with only the grieving young wives of her sons to keep her company.

It’s worth noting that most Israelite theology of the day would have impressed upon her that this tragedy that had befallen her was her own fault and God’s judgment for them leaving Bethlehem.

We pick up the story in chapter Ruth 1:6-17

Ruth 1:6–18 (ESV)

6 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.

7 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.

8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.

9 The Lord grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.

10 And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.”

11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands?

12 Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons,

13 would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.”

14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

15 And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”

In this heart-wrenching exchange, we see Naomi try and give her daughters, who have joined her in mourning and widowhood way too young a loving kindness of sorts. She has decided to learn from her apparent mistakes of the past and go back home to Judah, a place where, two young widows such as Orpah and Ruth, will have far lesser prospects than they would here in the male dominated society of Moab. She thereby means to release them from any responsibility they might feel for her. “Don’t worry about me girls. The Lord has gone out against me and there in no reason my misfortune should be yours as well” or so she reasoned. And Naomi shows us here, first-hand the meaning of sacrifice and selflessness. A trait that many of you and myself included have had revealed to us many times in our lives the women who raised us.

We often joked about how broke we were as kids because of Christmas being wrapped up in newspaper and the year mom wrapped up chores for Christmas. I got trash bags! But we never did without. Even when we were broke mom made sure we always had enough and what we needed was always there, even if it meant she didn’t have what she needed. Naomi, overwhelmed with the despair of her situation thought not of herself but these girls and their situation. I’ll come back to this later.

16 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.

17 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.”

18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.

Ruth doesn’t allow Naomi to ask this over her, the two women will be tied together because Ruth loves Naomi. This display of love and devotion sets this relationship apart as a truly beautiful one.

The two women then, return to Bethlehem and encounter a group of people who remember the Naomi of old only to be met with harsh rebuke by a woman who is now only a husk of who she was. “Naomi” the name means “sweetness” or “pleasantness” but she tells these people they are now to call her as Mara instead. A name that means “bitter”. In her mind, God had righteously brought this judgment on her and she doesn’t even blame him. He is, after all, the almighty. Her life used to be filled with such hope and life and fullness and now she is empty of all of it.

Perhaps, when we encounter those that are bitter and harsh in this life, we might do well to seek the answers to how they got that way. Some people have experienced great calamity and struggle in their lives. Some with little or no fault of their own to explain it yet they shouldered great weights that felt far too large for them to bear. The weight of the years and the trials have caused them to feel, like Naomi, empty and bitter. You know what dissolves bitterness? Love! Let’s continue on.

chapter 2 introduces us to Boaz, a kinsman of Naomi’s former husband, who is described as “ish gibbor hai-yeal” translated as “a man of standing, or a mighty man of valor.” We are also introduced to a piece of cultural significance that we must understand to get the rest of the story.

In the nation of Israel, there was a statute of sorts lined out in the book of Leviticus that said if you owned a field, you were to leave the edges of it as well as the corners unharvested. These sections of the fields served as a pseudo welfare because they were left specifically to be harvested by widows, travelers, and the poor. If the landowner was generous, they would sometimes leave up to a fourth of the field for the poor. You would then allow people to come and pick through the remaining crop and keep them from starving in this way.

Naomi sent Ruth into Boaz’s field, knowing his reputation and his kindness is illustrated when he greeted Ruth...

Ruth 2:4–9 (ESV)

4 And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered, “The Lord bless you.”

5 Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?”

6 And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab.

7 She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.’ So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest.”

8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women.

9 Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.”

A young woman like Ruth, all alone picking in the fields could easily be sought after by predators and Boaz took this upon himself, demanding that she would only go out and pick with the young ladies of his house, and thereby be protected. Don’t go anywhere else, stay here and I’ll protect you. While the edges of the fields were open to the poor, Boaz told Ruth that she could gather among the already gathered up bunches of grain called “sheaves”. Making her work load far easier. Such a mercy illustrates the uniqueness and loving kindness of Boaz and his men whose faith in the Lord influenced all they did and how they ran their business.

Ruth is blown away by such treatment.

Ruth 2:10–13 (ESV)

10 Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”

11 But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before.

12 The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”

13 Then she said, “I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.”

She was even invited in to eat with Boaz and his servants until she was ready to pop.

for her day’s work she went home with the leftover roasted barley from lunch, and around 30 lbs of barley to go home with. Enough to feed Naomi and her for days. All of this was due to graciousness of Boaz and his devotion to God to care for this woman in his name.

As the story continues the time of barley and wheat harvests was upon them. During this time, families would take time pouring their harvest upon the large flat threshing floor where the sheaves would be beaten until the kernels of wheat would fall out. They’d be tossed up in the air and the breeze of the day would separate the wheat from the chaff. Boaz would be up there doing his job and sleeping there that night in order to protect his crop from would be thieves.

Naomi, concerned not with herself at all but turning her eyes towards her young daughter who had put her life on hold to care for her instead, tells Ruth to head up the hill and approach Boaz at the height of his joy, as harvest time was a season of celebration for everyone. She was to present herself to Boaz and uncover his feet, a ceremonial act that was often done during the day, but for Ruth, she was told to go at night (most likely, so that if Boaz denied the request, she would not be embarrassed publically.)

The night proceeded as planned and Boaz, awakened by his mysterious guest asked for her to reveal herself. As Ruth removed her cloak she employed the Israelite custom of the kinsman-redeemer. In essence, Boaz could redeem her and her situation by accepting her as his bride, giving her the security of marriage, that is, if he would do her this great service and honor. Boaz responds...

Ruth 3:10–13 (ESV)

10 And he said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich.

11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman.

12 And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I.

Boaz marries Ruth she, who had been barren for 10 years in Moab, has a baby and look how this story ends.

Ruth 4:14-17(ESV)

14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel!

15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse.

17 And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Naomi, who hasn’t thought of herself at all in all this time, reserving herself worthy of the judgment of God, sees the plan of God finally laid out before her. God had never abandoned Naomi, and even when she had been enveloped with bitterness and struggle, God was bringing about a great thing for her good. Her kinsman had in fact redeemed her and not her alone. Her ever devoted daughter in law was brought out of her plight and given status, a home, and she now shares that blessing with Naomi, whom she makes the nursemaid of her new baby. The women of the area, considering the actions of young Ruth declare to Naomi the blessing she has found in her daughter. She is to be seen as greater than if you had 7 sons, seven sons symbolizing the supreme blessing that could be bestowed on a Hebrew family. There are some scholars that believe that this act of becoming nurse to Obed, was a formal act of adoption, giving Naomi a grandson and a descendant, carrying on her family line. Obed eventually would become the grandfather of a well known man called David, who eventually became king.

Landing

As we consider these two women and their love for one another, I can’t help but think of how they show us the character and care that God has for us.

1. When Naomi was down and ready to give up, Ruth wouldn’t leave her side.

Who among us would not have felt the same struggle and heartbreak as Naomi, yet in the midst of her greatest trials of faith, Ruth stepped in to her life to join her in the struggle. She refused to abandon her and walked with her through the valley, dedicating her life to Naomi at the expense of her own prosperity. Such love and sacrifice demonstrate the very love that Christ was speaking about when he said

John 15:13 (ESV)

13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Naomi, whose selflessness wanted both of her daughters to be freed from their burden to her, was loved and would not be abandoned by a daughter that shared her trait, not thinking of herself but her love for Naomi.

2. Where there seemed to be no way, God was still working.

Little would Naomi be able to see what would ultimately happen to bring about her redemption and hope again. God would use the very girl who wouldn’t give up on her to raise her up again. Stories like this help us re-remember over and again how much God can and does come through, often in situations where we have all but given up all hope. We see the storm and forget about the one who need but say the word and they will quiet. Things that seem impossibly big find their match in the God of the impossible.

3. A baby was born in Bethlehem, who would lead to a King, that would make way for The King.

A baby born to Ruth would grow to be the father of Jesse and Jesse the father of David, King over all Israel. Such a lineage would be great praise enough but King David is but a blip on the radar of the King of all Kings who would forever take over the name of Bethlehem.

Landing

My hope, this morning, is that you would be able to think on the inspiring and illuminating story of 2 women in the Old Testament and reflect on how their lives reflect God’s great love for you. In the midst of all of the great names of great acts by spiritual heroes of the faith, the Bible contains the tale of Ruth, Naomi, and their love and devotion for one another. When you feel that your concerns and struggles are too small to pray for and not really that important in the midst of so many larger ones, remember that God sees those that the world looks beyond. There is no heartache, no struggle, no hardship, that comes through your life that God does not know or see. And, as Naomi’s life teaches us, even when we feel ready to throw in the towel, God is always capable of turning pain to beauty.

Don’t give up, don’t stop praying, do not fear, because you’re never really alone.

Secondly, I hope that this story inspires you to look back upon the blessings strong and loving women have been in your life. Whether mothers or grandma’s, teachers, or friends, we have all been touched by the extraordinary impact of amazing women, many of whom gave us some of the greatest examples of faith and peace we’ve ever had. If you are able, call them this week. Let them know how much they’ve meant to you. For those who have gone before us to be with the Lord, instead take time this week to praise God and thank his for the impact they’ve made in your life.

Parent Baby dedication

Welcome

• Today we welcome Mom and Dad and Baby

Philip and Sarah and Miss Selah.

Colton and Danielle and Mr. West.

• We also want to welcome any grandparents or family who is visiting with us today for the occasion. Would you stand and be recognized.

• Today, we are witness to these parents as they celebrate and thank the Lord for their children.

We will be dedicating these little ones to the Lord, praying that they would come to know and serve him. We also dedicate these parents and their marriage to God, asking that he would give them wisdom, understanding, knowledge and ability to raise their children in the way of the Lord.

As a church we also are dedicate ourselves to setting a godly example for these kiddos so that they might one day come to trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

• Lord Jesus, this morning we Pray for Selah and West, and the blessing that they are to their families and the great blessing they are to our church family. We Pray for these parents. We thank you God for them and their willingness to love, care, and guide these children in the Lord. This is not an easy task Lord but one that you’ve given us as parents to commit ourselves to. So that we can raise children up to know you and know your love as they learn to walk in your truth.

Readings

The Lord, as you well know, has a great deal of responsibility for you as parents. Psalm 139 vs 13-17 tells us...

Psalm 139

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[a] Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

Here we see that the Lord knows your children because he made them. He loves them and entrusts their care and upbringing to your families that you might bless them by teaching them all about him. Take heart however, that you are not alone in this task. He has given you to each other, he has given you a church family, and he promised to be with you ever step of the way.

Questions & Responses To the parents:

• So, (Sarah, Philip) (Colton, Danielle), do you recognize that your children are a gift from God and both thank God and glorify God for the gift of your Children?

(We do)

• Do you accept the joys and the responsibilities of parenting, promising to give proper love and care to them throughout her life?

(We do)

• With the help God provides, do you commit to teach your children the fullness of God’s Word and demonstrate through your own example and witness what it means to love God with all your heart, soul and strength?

(We do)

To the congregation:

• Will you offer your ongoing love, support, prayers and encouragement to these parents as they fulfill their Biblical mandate as parents? (We will)

• Will you also be faithful in praying for these children, and, as much as you are able, help teach and set a godly example for them so that they might one day come to trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior? (We will)

Prayer of Dedication & Blessing

•Would you join me, church, in praying for this family.

•Baby Selah, Baby West, may the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace as you grow up in this family he has given to you until the day you call upon his name. Lord, bless and keep Sarah and Philip, Colton and Danielle. Guide them, give them rest and peace as they follow after you and teach their children to do the same. Keep their marriage strong and a beacon for the Gospel to all that they encounter, especially their kiddos. We thank you for them and give them to you know, in the name of Christ, Amen.

• On behalf of the church family, we’d like to present you with a certificate of dedication, as well as a gift to remember today’s dedication. As parents we wanted to ruin your day by giving you a reminder of today and the responsibility laid before you. Each of you will be receiving a jar of 936 marbles. This has two meanings, first, as parents you will constantly be loosing your marbles. 2-ndly 936 is the number of weeks you have from the time you bring your babies home from the hospital until they walk across the graduation stage and someone hands them a diploma. Our hope is that each week you take some time as a couple to take a jar out of the jar and give yourselves a reminder of the time you have left. The hope is this: by counting the days you have left, the more you’ll make those days count.