Hope in the Future

Series Review

How many of you would consider yourselves an optimist? How many of you would consider yourselves a realist? I heard a preacher say that optimist is the person who invented the airplane and the realist is the person who invented the parachute. The optimist says “Life is a bowl of cherries,” and the realist says, “there are pits in those cherries.”

There is a fine line between realism and cynicism. Realism means looking at things as they are, not just as they want them to be. That’s good. Cynicism means looking at things as they are and believing that they won’t get any better. It’s Superbowl time, so I thought I would use a football analogy for cynicism.

I heard a preacher say that optimist is the person who invented the airplane and the realist is the person who invented the parachute. The optimist says “Life is a bowl of cherries,” and the realist says, “there are pits in those cherries.”

Hope makes a difference in the way we live. If you have no hope of example of Hope, why we lack, why we need, the difference it makes...

example of Hope, why we lack, why we need, the difference it makes...

Hope in suffering, providence and petition

It’s Superbowl time, so I thought I would start off with a football analogy. There are usually 2 fanbases that are really excited about next Sunday’s game. The rest find the game mildly entertaining, but love the commercials and the half time show. But you have those fans that have lost hope in their home team. If you follow football, I’m talking about the Cleveland Browns. Aside from the unfortunate name, they have been unfortunate enough to lose every game this year. They are perennial losers. And their fan base is cynical: they have no hope that their team will ever make the playoffs, much less the Superbowl. They lack motivation to buy tickets, cheer for the team. Players dread being drafted by the team or traded to them. It’s called a graveyard for player’s careers. Hope makes such a huge difference.

There are usually 2 fanbases that are really excited about next Sunday’s game. The rest find the game mildly entertaining, but love the commercials and the half time show. But you have those fans that have lost hope in their home team. If you follow football, I’m talking about the Cleveland Browns, who lost every game this year. They are perennial losers. And their fan base is cynical: they have no hope that their team will ever make the playoffs, much less the Superbowl. They lack motivation to buy tickets, they local media openly mocks the organization. Players dread being drafted by the team or traded to them. It’s called a graveyard for player’s careers. They have no hope things will improve, so they have settled for cynicism. Hope makes a huge difference.

Sermon Introduction

We’ve talked about the hope we can have during our suffering. We’ve talked about the hope we have in watching God provide for our needs. Last week we talked about the hope we can have while we are asking, and how we can have hope even before the prayer request is answered. Today is about long term hope: future hope.

I

and by long term I mean long term on a cosmic, historical scale.

In his book Man’s Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl argued that the “loss of hope and courage can have a deadly effect on man.” As a result of his experiences in a Nazi concentration camp, Frankl contended that when a man no longer possesses a motive for living, no future to look toward, he curls up in a corner and dies. “Any attempt to restore a man’s inner strength in camp,” he wrote, “had first to succeed in showing him some future goal.”

the difference between getting the light bill paid and getting your finances in order and setting financial goals

There is a difference between catching up on the bills and getting your finances in order and setting financial goals. There is a difference between resolving a specific conflict with your spouse and learning to communicate effectively and plan a life together. It’s easier to have hope for short term victories than it is to have

Some years ago a hydroelectric dam was to be built across a valley in New England. The people in a small town in the valley were to be relocated because the town itself would be submerged when the dam was finished. During the time between the decision to build the dam and its completion, the buildings in the town, which previously were kept up nicely, fell into disrepair. Instead of being a pretty little town, it became an eyesore.

In his book Man’s Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl, successor of Sigmund Freud at Vienna, argued that the “loss of hope and courage can have a deadly effect on man.” As a result of his experiences in a Nazi concentration camp, Frankl contended that when a man no longer possesses a motive for living, no future to look toward, he curls up in a corner and dies. “Any attempt to restore a man’s inner strength in camp,” he wrote, “had first to succeed in showing him some future goal.”679

There is a difference between resolving a specific conflict with your spouse and learning to communicate effectively and plan a life together

Why did this happen? The answer is simple. As one resident said, “Where there is no faith in the future, there is no work in the present.” Righteous living is really hard if we have no hope in our future.

God offers us a future hope. It’s what can drive us when nothing else does. This has been a favorite of mine since high school:

even more, there is hope on a cosmic scale:

Michael P. Green. (2000). 1500 illustrations for biblical preaching (p. 194). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

not only am I securing my future and my family’s future, but how will that affect other families? other people?

(ex. of one’s influence going beyond what they ever imagined?)

God offers us a future hope. This has been a favorite of mine since high school:

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

God spoke these words through the mouth of the prophet Jeremiah to Israel, God’s chosen people. They had sinned, brought ruin upon themselves, and yet God reminds them of who they are: You are my people. I love you. I chose you. Which means I have a prosperous future in store for you. When God spoke those words, he wasn’t just talking about my hope or your hope. He was talking about something much bigger. He was talking about something long term.

Your cities have been destroyed. You have been relocated to a foreign land. My temple has been leveled to the ground. I seem so far away. And yet I still have plans. He doesn’t just say that things are going to be okay, he states the impossible to a people in ruin: you will prosper. You will have hope and a future. That’s what God does.

In the final chapter of Ruth, this amazing story ends with the sensation that even though things are great, the best is yet to come. There is hope in the future.

I’m not just talking about God’s long term plan for our lives, but I’m talking about we are a part of God’s master plan for the world.

Future hope comes from righteous living.

Ruth 4:4 NIV

I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.” “I will redeem it,” he said.

not just sitting back and waiting for god to act; waiting for hope; there is righteous living; living righteously while seeking for hope

Some years ago a hydroelectric dam was to be built across a valley in New England. The people in a small town in the valley were to be relocated because the town itself would be submerged when the dam was finished. During the time between the decision to build the dam and its completion, the buildings in the town, which previously were kept up nicely, fell into disrepair. Instead of being a pretty little town, it became an eyesore.

Why did this happen? The answer is simple. As one resident said, “Where there is no faith in the future, there is no work in the present.” Righteous living is really hard if we have no hope in our future.

It seems to be the opposite for Boaz. There is no indication that Boaz lives righteously because he knows that God is going to prosper him as a result of his good deeds. He does it because he loves God and he is faithful to God.

What is so righteous about what Boaz is doing here?

This passage can be confusing: there are 2 laws at play here. 1) Land that has been lost can be redeemed, or purchased. Naomi’s husband lost his land, and now he is dead. A relative can buy it back for her. We’ve talked about that a few times.

2) There is a marriage custom that will seem bizarre to us, but when a man died and left behind a widow, a brother would be required to marry her to a)take care of the widow

b) preserve the dead brother’s lineage. The first born would get whatever wealth belonged to the widow. It’s not like you could get rich the really old fashioned way and marry into it.

This marriage custom was undesirable for many men - and not just for reasons we might be thinking. I’m sure it would be really awkward to marry your dead brother’s sister. But it also brought no benefits. In fact, we see a couple of times where men tried to avoid this. This story is one of those examples. This “unknown” man is eager to get the land, until he learns that a marriage is involved, then he quickly backs down.

The requirement

for a “relative” to marry a widow in the family clan originated from Deuteronomy

25 and is called “Levirate” marriage. This, however, was only supposed to refer to

brothers, and Boaz expands this custom in .

But Boaz isn’t required to do this. He is not an immediate relative of Ruth’s dead husband. He does this not out of obligation, but out of love and compassion.

not just sitting back and waiting for god to act; waiting for hope; there is righteous living; living righteously while seeking for hope

Matthew 5:6 NIV

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Future hope comes from generous giving.

Ruth 4:9–10 NIV

Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!”

How is Boaz being generous? The first purpose of this strange marriage law is to protect the widow, but you could do that without marrying her, right? The other purpose was to preserve the dead brother’s lineage. The first born would get whatever wealth belonged to the widow. It’s not like you could get rich the really old fashioned way and marry into it.

Ruth 4:

This marriage custom was undesirable for many men - and not just for reasons we might be thinking. I’m sure it would be really awkward to marry your dead brother’s sister. But it also brought no benefits. In fact, we see a couple of times where men tried to avoid this. This story is one of those examples. This “unknown” man is eager to get the land, until he learns that a marriage is involved, then he quickly backs downNot only is Boaz living righteously, but he is living generously. He is not benefiting at all from this. In fact, this act is costing him money.

how this cost him money; costly

how this cost him money; costly

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Giving, Selfishness In

Martin Marty, in his Context newsletter, quoted Yale professor-preacher Halford Luccock: “You remember that among the Franks, whole armies were sometimes given baptism at one stroke, and many warriors went into the water with their right hands held high, so that they did not get wet. Then they could say, ‘This hand has never been baptized,’ and they could swing their battle axes just as freely as ever. The modern counterpart of that partial baptism is seen in many people who have been baptized, all except their pocketbooks. They held these high out of the water.”565

Future hope comes with uncertainty.

…the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.

10 years without a child in her previous marriage - it’s stated briefly and matter of factly, but this is important; no guarantee she could have children, in fact 10 years without a child is a discouraging sign; not just children to raise, but children meant divine blessing, children cared for parents, children would own the land; we can have confidence that God has a plan for the future, but not certainty in what God will do or how God will do it .

Future hope is bigger than your future.

Ruth 4:17 NIV

The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

ruth

If this story of Ruth just ended in a little Judean village with an old grandmother hugging a new grandson, we have a “and they lived happily ever after” story. We have a beautiful ending to a sad story. But at this beautiful ending the author tacks on, rather anti climactic fashion, a genealogy.

If this story of Ruth just ended in a little Judean village with an old grandmother hugging a new grandson, stupendous would be too big a word. We are able to look past the road and the signs, and take a look at the entire map. This child Obed was the father of Jesse and Jesse was the father of David.

But this genealogy tacked onto the end is more than that. We are able to look past the road and the signs, and take a look at the entire map. This child Obed was the father of Jesse and Jesse was the father of David.

Luke 1:32–33 NIV

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

Ever do a family tree? Interesting? What did it tell you about your family. Mine shows a heritage of livestock farmers on my dad’s side and Quakers (Society of Friends) on my mom’s side. If Jesus were to write a family tree using Ancestry.com, he would trace his roots back to a dynasty of kings. But if he were to trace his roots back even further, he would find Ruth: a foreigner. An older widow who had to be redeemed.

To our 21st century Western Christian eyes, we see that Ruth is a fine candidate for God to use to preserve his genealogical line, but to Israelites of the day it would have been absolutely shocking.

To our 21st century Western Christian eyes, we see that Ruth is a fine candidate

for God to use to preserve his genealogical line, but to Israelites of the day it would

have been absolutely shocking.

Remember what I said about Ruth was a Moabite. The people of Israel would have generally excluded most foreigners from God’s favor because of their misunderstanding of what it meant to be God’s chosen people, but Moab was a particularly bad origin. (generations of war, land disputes, violence, accused of corrupting Israel).

Ruth was a Moabite. The people of Israel would have generally excluded most foreigners from

What does that mean for us? We can’t put God in a box. We can’t assume that our situations can’t possibly change.

God uses people who do not fit our religious criteria for divine blessing and redemption.

God’s favor because of their misunderstanding of what it meant to be God’s chosen people,

God uses people who do not fit our religious criteria

but Moab was a particularly bad origin.

for divine blessing and redemption.