A Lineage of Love

Intro

I can’t STAND it when a story has an unsatisfying ending

Talk about watching Lost

The book of Ruth is nothing like that; it has a very satisfying ending

After all the loss, bitterness, uncertainty, poverty...

Come romance, redemption, a wedding and a child to carry on the family name.

The Story

This story has a happy ending!

Boaz redeems Ruth, they get married, and God blesses them with a son

“Son” was important = an heir for Elimelech and Mahlon’s line to continue

This child was the last piece of provision needed for complete redemption of the family

While Boaz and Ruth are the happy couple, the story’s final chapter focuses on Naomi (similar to the beginning)

Naomi’s friends celebrate with her at God’s blessing of a grandson

Read Ruth 4:14.

Redeemer = refers now to the child, who will carry on the family name

May his name be renowned = prayer for fame and an impeccable reputation (just like his father, Boaz in v. 11)

Restorer of life = we would say “a new lease on life”

Ask recent grandparents if this is indeed true

Nourisher of your old age = Recognize the fact that this child will grow to support Naomi in her elderly years

Ruth = the daughter-in-law who loves her, more valuable than seven sons

Quite the statement, knowing how much more male children were valued in that culture

7 = number of completion; this is a way of saying that the loyal love of Ruth is priceless

A worthy recognition! This baby is a blessing, but Ruth’s loyal love would have been enough

Naomi had a very personal connection to her grandson

She eagerly became his nurse, helping raise him

The relationship was so close that the women of the town said, “A son has been born to Naomi” (v. 17)

Not her son, but as close as could be possible

Does not undo what she has lost, but she has been blessed with something special

The climax of Ruth is… a geneaology?

The son of Ruth and Boaz was named Obed, who was the father of Jesse, and grandfather of King David

What?! All of the sudden the story becomes way bigger than the redemption of one family

David would become a man after God’s own heart, the best king in the history of Israel

But it gets bigger: David himself is part of a lineage that includes Jesus the Messiah

Cf. Matthew 1:1-6; 16.

When God was at work in redeeming Ruth and Naomi, He was also at work redeeming the entire human race

A fitting end to a story of redemption!

God Has a Plan For Your Suffering

When we are going through a difficult time, we can think on the story of Naomi (highlighted at the beginning and the end)

In the beginning, she was devasted by the loss of her husband and 2 sons

By the time she returned home to Bethlehem, she changed her name to Mara, which means “bitter”

Cf. Ruth 1:20-21.

But by the end, God proved His loving kindness to her

Her grandson Obed was a blessing from God; a way to remember Elimelech, Mahlon and Chilion

She was Naomi (pleasant; kindness) once again

More than just a blessing, God showed that He had a plan for Naomi’s suffering

It was not a mere accident or circumstance

The purpose of God was not thwarted when her loved ones died

God reached into her grief and brought about a union between Ruth and Boaz that could not have happened any other way

It was part of God’s purpose and plan, and it included the hardship Ruth and Naomi had to walk through

In the same way, God has a plan for your suffering

Even the most difficult and tragic things in your life are not outside of God’s sovereignty

Share about my experience after losing Selah; even Naomi cried out to God who had “dealt bitterly” with her

This means He remains in control, even when we do not understand and cannot comprehend

This can be uncomfortable; we have to trust that God’s plan is good, even when we can’t see it

Cf. Romans 8:28.

Naomi was able to see and experience God’s goodness when she held Obed in her arms

There will be times when we can look back and thank God for His purpose and blessing in our suffering, too

Illustration or story here?

Yet there are times when we are in the middle of our hardship, and these lessons seem like empty platitudes

Still in the “bitter” stage of things; be honest! Cry out! But hold on to your faith that God has a purpose in your suffering

And sometimes, we may never see the outcome of God’s purpose in our suffering; He is playing the long game

God’s Plan Can Extend for Generations

Why would such a compelling story have a geneaology as the climax? Because God’s plan can extend for generations

While they don’t make for interesting reading, these lists offer proof and perspective of how God is working out His purposes over a long period of time

The geneaology of Jesus is the perfect example of this

Starts with Abraham (God’s initial covenant with His people) -> Patriarchs -> includes 2 women (Rahab = prostitute, Ruth = Moabite) -> King David (from his line will come the prophecied Messiah) -> list of kings until the exile -> all the way to Joseph and Jesus

God made his covenant with Abraham and worked over thousands of years and many generations to fulfill all His promises completly in Jesus Christ

Abraham never lived to see the fulfilled promise; neither did Ruth, or king David, or even Joseph

But their lives were all instrumental in God’s long-term plan of redemption

When we are struggling to see God’s purpose, we can take solace in His perspective

Not only does God’s plan extend for generations; it extends for eternity

Many questions may go unanswered, but we can trust that God is always in control

Refer to wondering why God took my Mom early; I will likely never know

We Are Called to a Lineage of Love

However big God’s plans and purposes are, He still asks for our cooperation

He was working out His plan in the life of Naomi and Ruth, which included the loyal love of Ruth to Naomi (and back again)

Just as Obed would never have been born if not for the tragic loss of the men of the family, the same is equally true that he would never have been born if not for the loyalty of Ruth

And the kind generosity of Boaz; and the faith in tragedy of Naomi

God will work out His purposes no matter what, but He has asked us to participate

One way for the book of Ruth to be more than a story is to do our part to carry out a lineage of love: we are called to a lineage of love

hesed = lovingkindness = loyal love

All over the lineage of Jesus: Abraham (kindness to Lot), Boaz and Ruth (towards each other and Naomi), David (towards Saul and Jonathan)

In your family, and with those who look up to you, model for them a lineage of love

Extra challenge = you did NOT come from this background; start something new!

Do not think you need to be perfect

Patriarchs full of poor decisions; Rahab led a wayward life; David committed adultery and murder

God can (and will) work through our imperfections

But what can you do (today!) that will help foster a lineage of love?

Parents/grandparents/aunts and uncles:

Do family devotions (don’t just outsource this to church)

Apologize to your children

Discover your kids’ love language and express love in that way

Kids/grandkids/neices and nephews:

Watch what it looks like to grow in your faith

Listen to what authority figures have to say; even (especially!) when you may not like it

Discover your parents’ love language and express love that way

This will help God’s lineage of love thrive through generations in our families

Pray