An Advent Journey

Introduction

Christian Calendar

Advent

Christmas

Epiphany

Lent

Easter

Pentecost

After Pentecost/Ordinary Time

Advent begins this year, though we often think of Christmas as the end of our year

Either way of looking at this would work

Beginning the year in the darkness of Advent, anticipating the coming of Christ

In our past redemption (first coming)

In our future glorification (second coming)

Beginning the year in the light of Christmas, Christ having already come into the world

The point remains the same: to remember Christ’s past, present, and future work.

Overview of Ruth

This year, Mark and I will be preaching an Advent-time series on the Book of Ruth.

The book doesn’t state who its author is, but Samuel seems likely to me.

It’s placed after Judges and before 1st and 2nd Samuel.

Having just completed Judges at Bowman, this is the ideal time to explore Ruth.

Judges ended with the words,

Judges 21:25 “25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

Now, if we were to skip over Ruth and jump into 1st and 2nd Samuel, what key event would occur there? The beginning of the era of kings in Israel, with Saul and then David.

Flip to the last verse of Ruth and see what it is.

Ruth 4:22 “22 Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.”

You see the connection here. The story of Ruth connects the ending of Judges to the birth of David.

If you’re familiar with these books, you’re thinking: “David wasn’t the first king—Saul was.”

That’s correct, so what’s the actually important connection here? If the ending of Judges tossed a ball up into the air, where is caught once again?

It’s not caught in the first, technical king of Israel, but in the first redemptive king of Israel. For Christ was a descendant of David, not Saul. The promises of God concerning the Messiah were made to David, not Saul.

We could say: “the coming glory of Christmas was disclosed to David, not Saul.”

This backstory to the story of Christmas is very important. Not only does it help a church in avoiding the same kind of Christmas sermons, year after year, but it also expands the wonder of it all.

It opens our eyes to the centuries of God’s providence that would culminate in the birth of Christ.

The first chapter of the Book of Ruth is where we will jump into that backstory, this morning.

The Text

Ruth 1 ESV

1 In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. 3 But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, 5 and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband. 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.” 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. 19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?” 22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.

Prayer

Father, we thank you this morning for the privilege it is to hear your living word. We thank you for speaking to us; not only in plain ways that we can understand, but through stories. We stand in awe at the fact that a story to you is often actual history to us. You are writing the great story of this world, and we ask that this morning you would teach us through the history of this family, and the great good that you worked out of terrible tragedy. We ask you would do this by your Spirit, and in your Son’s name, Amen.

The Story

As we’ve already seen, this story takes place in the “days when the judges ruled.” Not only this, but there is a famine in the land.

The family packs their things and moves to Moab.

To say that this was a controversial decision would be an understatement.

They were living in the promised land—the land God had led them to. There were no provisions such as, “If things go poorly, you may move out of the land until they get better.”

God said, “If you disobey me, things will go poorly.”

This is exactly what happened, and this is the cycle of Judges.

When they get to Moab, they did what God told them not to do, and that was marry idolatrous women.

The first chapter explains that all the men died in this family, and so only Naomi and her daughters-in-law remained (Orpah and Ruth).

Naomi knows how difficult this journey is going to be, and knows how difficult life is going to be when they arrive, and that’s why she tells them to stay. Her only possible company on a 60 mile trip through the wilderness.. she sends them away.

However, in the midst of this darkness, there is a light.

Ruth commits to stay with Naomi. And we should notice how intense this commitment is.

Ruth 1:16–17 “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.””

This Moabite woman is not only invoking the name of Yahweh, but she is swearing an oath before him.

There is nothing higher than God to swear an oath under. This was serious.

Naomi had nothing to say to this.. what could she say?

So these two ladies make the return journey to Bethlehem, the “City of Bread.”

When they arrive—I imagine it’s something like walking down Main St in Cottonwood. Everyone who lives along that road would see them coming through.

Verse 19 says, “the whole town was stirred because of them.” It also adds, “the women said, “Is this Naomi?””

She replies, “Don’t call me that.”

If you have Logos or some other bible app that lets you see the original languages, you would see that the name Naomi means “pleasant,” or “delightful.”

If your Bible has footnotes, it might add that the name, Mara, that she gives herself means “bitter.”

She comes into town being very clear about the circumstances behind it all. What has happened has devastated her enough to warrant almost a new identity.

Ruth 1:22 “22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.”

The Significance