Ruth 1
Ruth • Sermon • Submitted
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· 19 viewsEvery believer should learn to trust God when things are good and when they’re bad.
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A Family in Hard Times
Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there.
Hard times had fallen on Israel.
There was a famine.
Here in the west, famine is pretty rare.
Imaging going to the store with nothing on the shelves.
Elimelech took his family from Israel to Moab to find a better life.
Do we take ourselves and our families from God to find a better/easier life?
It is a hard decision, does he stay with God’s people or go where there is food for his family?
When God calls us to stay where we are do we look for greener pastures?
Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband.
Elimelech dies.
Scripture doesn't say if it had anything to do with his leaving Israel.
In Israelite culture, a widow with male children, especially adult male children, was dependent on them
The boys get married.
But they marry Moabite women.
Why is it important who they marry?
(NKJV)
and you take of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the harlot with their gods and make your sons play the harlot with their gods.
(NKJV)
For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.
(NKJV)
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
All these verses talk about the troubles when Israelites marry others.
Today, it’s when Christians marry non-believers.
b. Then the boys die.
b.i. Again, Scripture doesn't say if it's related to their actions.
Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had visited His people by giving them bread. Therefore she went out from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.
Naomi hears that things are better in Israel.
There is food there.
It is because The Lord has visited them.
Naomi decides to return home.
But she has no husband, and therefore no land to return to.
Her husband and sons are dead, and therefore no inheritance.
This will not be a "walk in the park".
And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each to her mother’s house. The Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.”
So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.
Naomi releases Orpah and Ruth from their bond to her.
So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.
So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.
Why should they journey to a land they do not know?
Naomi followed her husband Elimelech, but Orpah and Ruth have no husbands to follow.
The Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.”
So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. And they said to her, “Surely we will return with you to your people.”
But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons, would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me!”
5. Naomi releases Orpah and Ruth from their bond to her.
5. Naomi releases Orpah and Ruth from their bond to her.
The girls want to return with Naomi.
a. Why should they journey to a land they do not know?
a. Why should they journey to a land they do not know?
Naomi has no other sons to give them for husbands.
a.i. Naomi followed her husband Elimelech, but Orpah and Ruth have no husbands to follow.
a.i. Naomi followed her husband Elimelech, but Orpah and Ruth have no husbands to follow.
Even is she married and got pregnant, it would be years before she had sons they could marry.
Would Orpah & Ruth wait for Naomi to have sons and for them to grow up?
Better for them to stay in their own country and find husbands among their people.
Naomi sees her condition as the hand of The Lord against her.
Was it because she and her husband left Israel?
Was she, like Job, seeing God’s hand in what were the consequences of her and her husband’s actions?
Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”
Orpah stays, but Ruth clings to Naomi.
Naomi tries to convince Ruth that staying behind is the best for her.
From a human point of view, this is correct.
In Moab she can find a husband, have children and live a normal life.
In Israel, she will be tied to a widow with no means of providing for herself much less her daughter-in-law.
From a human point of view, the most natural and smart thing to do is for Ruth to stay in Moab.
Just like, from a human point of view going to Moab was the smart thing to do.
But Ruth said:
“Entreat me not to leave you,
Or to 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 will I be buried.
The Lord do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me.”
9. Ruth begs Naomi not to ask her to leave.
a. Ruth will go wherever Naomi goes.
b. Ruth will stay wherever Naomi stays.
c. Ruth will adopt Naomi's people & her God.
d. Ruth will die & be buried with Naomi.
When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.
Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, “Is this Naomi?”
But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”
So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.
Naomi and Ruth return to Bethlehem.
The town is glad to see Naomi, but she has become bitter.
She even changes her name to Mara, which literally mean bitter.
She feels The Lord has dealt bitterly with her.
She does not know what God has in store for her now that she is back in Israel.
It is the beginning of barley harvest.
This is an important part of the story.
Are we like Ruth or Elimelech?
Do we run to greener pastures or cling to the things of God?
Do we blame God for the consequences of our actions or recognize our own sin and faithlessness?
Will we make our decisions based on our human point of view or God’s?
Will we give up a “normal” life to cling to God and His people?