Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

How are you?

How are things?

This is a common expression that we use when greeting people.

Most of the time it seems we really do not care to listen to the person’s answer.

We are so used to this expression that for us it is a mere formality.

How many of us answer this question with sincerity?

Most of the time we simply say “fine” or “I am doing well…and you?”.

The truth is that all of us find ourselves in different kinds of situations.

There are those in the congregation who are experiencing times of great blessing, prosperity, joy, and abundance.

There are those who are facing serious problems, difficulties, trials, and great pain and agony.

Others are about to come out of their pain and troubles and experience a time of rest and peace.

Others are about to have their world rocked by a serious problem in their lives.

Both suffering and blessing are part of the human experience.

As long as we live on this side of eternity we will be subject to both blessing and pain/suffering.

We turn our attention to the book of Ruth.

It is a book found in the Old Testament.

It is only four chapters long.

Many people know about the book of Ruth because of its beautiful story about a young woman (Ruth) who was rescued by, as it where, her knight in shining armor (Boaz).

We should not shortchange the book of Ruth.

It is not simply a love story.

It is not simply a story about two people falling in love and living happily ever after.

This book is the word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, with a profound message for the contemporary church.

We do not know who wrote it for its author is not revealed in its four chapters.

Nevertheless, we can have confidence that its words are inspired by God’s Holy Spirit.

We will consider the first five verses under the theme of what happens when everything goes wrong.

We will consider the following:

The famine

The journey away from home

Death strikes

I.

The famine

I. La hambruna

Verse 1 sets up the scene for our story:

We are told that this story takes place when “judges” ruled the land.

These men were not court judges but rather heroes, valiant warriors, sent by God to deliver the people of Israel from their enemies.

Unfortunately, it was during this time that Israel had fallen time and time again into rebellion against God.

Israel had disobeyed God through the course of many years falling into immorality, idolatry, and many other sinful acts against their covenant God.

There was no king in Israel.

There was no real leader in Israel capable of brining the people close to God.

Everyone did as they pleased.

This does not mean that no one worshipped God but it does mean that in general the population manifested corporate disobedience against God.

One could say that the days of the judges are very much like our own time where the majority of the population in the United States does what is pleasing in their own eyes without regard to God’s will.

It is in this spiritual darkness that we find the family we are about to encounter.

Ruth 1:2

This family consists of:

The head of household: Elimelek

The wife: Naomi

Two sons: Mahlon and Kilion

It is very interesting that each of their names has a specific meaning in Hebrew.

Elimelek means God is my king

Naomi means pleasant.

Mahlon means sickly.

Kilion means to annihilate or to come to an end.

The son’s names in particular seem to indicate they may have been very sick children from infancy.

We have a family of four Jews who are about to have their world turned upside down.

II.

The journey away from home

II.

The journey away from home

II.

El viaje fuera del hogar

This family is confronted with a great trial.

It is because of this famine that the family needs to leave Bethlehem in search of food.

It is very ironic that they leave Bethlehem because of a lack of food when Bethlehem means “house of bread”.

So we find the family in the midst of spiritual darkness and facing the risk of starvation.

It is interesting that famine was one of the judgements that God would sent against his people, should they rebel against him.

In the midst of this difficulty the people of Israel had the option to turn to God in repentance and the Lord would rescue them.

This family could have been the spark that would set off the national revival.

However, instead of turning towards God they turn towards “the country of Moab.”

Elimelek journey’s with his family towards the country of Moab.

This is very striking because the people of Moab were a people rejected by God because of their origin.

The people of Moab were the result of an incestuous relationship between Lot and one of his daughters.

They were an idolatrous people that offered human sacrifices to their God Quemosh.

When we read the last half of verse two we are supposed to be amazed at the unfortunate circumstance that the people of God find themselves: they were from Bethlehem of Judah and are now on their way to a land of total darkness and rebellion against God.

Upon arrival to Moab this family finds themselves away from the house of the Lord, the law of God, the community of the household of Israel.

Things could not get worse…or can they?

III.

Death strikes

III.

Llega la muerte

Elimelek dies!

The head of household had died outside of the land of Israel.

This must have been an extremely hard blow to Naomi because she is now left with her two sickly children.

Loosing the head of household was devastating especially when there was no one who could assume the responsibility of providing for the home.

Although Naomi was left with her two sons, let us not forget how sickly and weak these children were.

The two boys marry Moabite women.

Ruth 1:

These two boys married Moabite idolatrous women.

This must have been another blow to Naomi who would have wished for her sons to marry Israelite women and form a Jewish household.

They have now married women from a people who had declared their rebellion against God and his people.

The only positive thing for Naomi is that she had the hope of grandchildren who would be able to carry her and her family out of poverty.

The boys die!

Things get much worse!

Naomi is a widow, she has Moabite daughters in law, and now she has to bury her two sons.

The sons have died.

We know the boys lived in Moab for 10 years.

We do not know how long they were married before they died.

They are now dead.

Naomi has lost all chance of surviving as a widow in the ancient world.