Untitled Sermon (13)

An Example of Commitment

Ruth 1:16-17

And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. 

The story of Ruth takes place in the time of the Judges (Ruth 1:1). The book tells a simple, beautiful story, that is even more compelling because of the spiritual darkness of the times. The last chapters of Judges describe the tragic moral and spiritual state of the Jewish people during this era. They had lost track of the Law, perverted the worship of God, and slipped into moral depravity. The Book of Ruth reminds us that even in evil times a godly life is possible. There will always be believers who love and honor God even in sin-saturated societies. 

The nation drifted away—away from trust in God and away from commitment to righteous paths. 

The society as a whole became ungodly. But in this society saturated by sin emerges a woman name Ruth.

Ruth is important genealogically, you recall she was the great-grandmother of King David and Ruth is also an important reminder that, even though through the Old Testament era the Hebrews were God’s chosen people, Gentiles like Ruth of Moab could find a personal relationship with the God of Israel.

The book of Ruth is a quick read—only four chapters, but it is packed with the Redemption story. Ruth picks up with a famine in the land—It was so severe that Elimelech leaves Bethlehem Judah to go dwell in the land of Moab. He took along his wife Naomi, and their two sons Mahlon and Chilion.

Some time after being in Moab Elimelech died and her two sons took Moabite wives and for about ten years things were wonderful—they were good, but then Mahlon and Chilion also died—leaving Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth to fend for themselves.

I love this story—not only cause it is a story of redemption, but also cause you can see the truth of Paul’s words from Romans 8:28 vividly in the book of Ruth. It is a story birthed out of famine, tragedy and loss. In the first five verses of chapter 1—we read there was famine. Elimelech takes his family to Moab and suddenly Elimelech died—leaving Naomi with her two sons.

Her sons took Moabite wives, but they also died. Five verses it already looks like the story is over—and let me say this cause every time we get to a bad chapter in life we tend to think it’s over—I just told us about five verses in the first chapter of Ruth, but the book doesn’t end after five verses and if you keep reading you will discover God is at work and you can hear Paul’s words echoing—God causes all things to work together for good…Umm, God can use our pain for good and it was necessary to get back to Bethlehem Judah.

Did you get that? They left home cause it was bad, but Naomi would have to return home where God was at work.

And you know the story—read it when you get home, but Naomi tried to get Ruth to return home 3 times. In verse  11, Naomi said turn back why would you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

In verse 12 she said turn back I’m too old to have a husband…and in verse 15 she said to Ruth—cause Orpah had turned back toward Moab. So, Naomi says to Ruth your sister-in-law has gone back to her people—Umm, go on now!

But Ruth replied: Entreat me not to leave you or turn back from following after you. For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be bored. Lord do to me, and more also, if anything but death separates you and me.

Umm, Ruth is a picture of total commitment and conversion. Her decision is one of the most memorable and it is a powerful confession of commitment and devotion.

And let me slide this in—cause not only does it paint a picture of Ruth’s commitment—when Ruth says to Naomi your God will be my God that is a powerful witness, example and testimony that Ruth could tell from being around Naomi that the God she served was different from hers because her God made a difference in the way Naomi lived and Ruth desired the God that makes a difference. Ruth desired to make a commitment to the same God that has made a difference in Naomi.

Let me ask—does the way you live cause people to want to follow God? Can people see the difference God is making in your life—Ruth was so impressed with the way Naomi lived that she said to her—your God will be my God.

I said this already, but Naomi tried to convince Ruth to turn back three times, but Ruth responds with her own declarations.

Ruth responds with her own declarations. In verses 16&17 Ruth makes around 7 declarations. In her first two she declares I will do something. I will declarations are statements of faith people make about themselves based on their belief in God’s 

Promises and nature and the Bible is full with individuals making declarations in troubling circumstance.

Umm, David over in Psalm 27 declared In the time of trouble He will hide me in His pavilion—In the secret of His tabernacle He will hide me. David lived with assurance that when trouble comes in his life the Lord God is his hiding place.

One of my favorites is David declaring in Psalm 34–I will bless the Lord at all times His praise shall ever be in my mouth.

It’s a declaration of commitment to praising the Lord in all circumstance. 

Over in Psalm 42 the psalmist is thirsting for God and with trouble everywhere—the storm is raging—crying sometimes—cast down and yet the psalmist declares I will yet praise Him.

That is an in spite of praise. Everything may not be good in my life—I got some pain in my body—I got some broken places in me—there may be sickness, but the Lord has been so good—He is so good so the psalmist declares in spite of what I’m going through I will yet praise Him.

Psalm 121 David declares I will lift up mine eyes to the hills where does my help come from—and David answers his own question declaring my help comes from the Lord.

It’s a declaration to not focus on problems in my finances—problems in health—stop looking at problems in the home—he declares I’m not gon’ focus on my problems—I will look to my Help.

Umm, you recall there was a Chicago businessman named Horatio Spafford. He lost his son to scarlet fever—shortly thereafter he lost most of his real estate business in the Chicago fire—later he sent his wife and daughters on a cruise to Europe to hear D.L. Moody, but his daughters drowned—when his wife was able to send a telegram it contained just two words—saved alone.

One day on the same body of water—whereabout where his daughters died he wrote: When peace like a river attends my way when sorrow like sea billows roll whatever my lot You have taught me to say It is well with my soul.

Yeah, Ruth makes her own declarations—and the Bible doesn’t just contain declarations from individuals, but also God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ make declarations.

Isaiah 43 the Lord declares—when you go through the waters I will be with you.

Jeremiah 29:11 the Lord says I know the plans I have for you—plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. It’s a future message for a present reality—it’s a message of hope—it’s a declaration that it won’t end like this. It’s a message that while you are dealing with all of what you’re going through—God declares I still have a plan for your life.

Errrr now and then—the best thing we can do in the midst of trouble is hold to His unchanging hand—God has a message that help is on the way.

Over in the New Testament I hear Jesus saying come unto Me all you who are weary and I will give you rest—Verse 29 Jesus declares you will find rest for your souls which is future tense—your right now may be jacked up—you may be going through it—life may have knocked the life out of you, but the Lord declares Come unto Him if you weary and He will give rest.

Umm, let me get to what I came to preach this morning: I told us Ruth is a powerful example of commitment—she committed herself to Naomi and it’s a sacrificial commitment.

It is sacrificial love—she chose to stay with Naomi giving up her own future prospects for marriage and family in Moab in order to care for her widowed mother in law. She chose uncertainty over the familiar. Ruth cast her lot with Naomi, her alien kinfolk, and her God who she only knew through Naomi’s imperfect faith.

Ruth shows unwavering loyalty: Ruth made a courageous statement of commitment—abandoning her culture and people to identify herself with Naomi and the God Naomi served.

Notice Ruth says where you go I will go. She does not know how rough the journey may be—she does not know if the going will be smooth—all she knows is committed to going with Naomi.

There are those who’s commitment is up to a point—usually to the point of discomfort and inconvenience. Some will change their minds when the going gets tough, but not Ruth. She models commitment—she models the commitment to God that requires steadfastness regardless the difficulty of the path.

And if we are honest the road gets hard at times—hills get hard to climb, but if we commit our way to the Lord and trust in Him He will act.

Ruth’s commitment is Rooted in Relationship. Her words show a deep bond and an inseparable commitment to Naomi. In fact, when you read the text notice she uses a word to describe clinging that is also used for a husband clinging to his wife. She bound herself to Naomi—unwavering loyalty rooted in relationship.

She made a strong commitment to God and God’s people—when Ruth said to Naomi your people will be my people and your God my God she was renouncing her Moabite roots, the world of unbelievers and false worship. She tore up her citizenship card in Moab to be an immigrant in a foreign land.

Her commitment is rooted in relationship because she was determined to be identified with the people of God.

Let me say one more thing about Ruth’s commitment—She Embraces a new identity. Did you get that? You can’t embrace new identity in Christ until you let go of the you were. You can’t embrace new identity in Christ until you let go of who you want to be. You can’t embrace identity in Christ until you get over yourself.

Ruth tenaciously commits to Naomi with an oath of loyalty—declaring her commitment to become as an Israelite daughter to her and to worship Israel’s God. She abandoned her Moabite identity in order to embrace her new identity. She joins a new community and a new way of life.

See how I slipped that in there cause I just believe we gotta do better as Christians—I just believe people ought to see more of our new identity than the old nature. In order for that to take place we have to embrace our Identity in Christ—live for Him, live and love like Him and when we commit our way to His there will be more and more people leaving the world to embrace new Identity in Christ.