The New Birth / El Nuevo Nacimiento

Introduction

What does it mean to be born again?

We are so accustomed to certain phrases and Christian lingo that loose sight of their meaning.

It is as if Christians had their own vocabulary which non-believers do not understand.

We say we are “saved”.

We say we are “living a spirit-filled life”.

We say we pray for “God to open the windows of heaven”.

And yes…we say “we are born again Christians”.

But what does it mean to be born again?

It is important that we understand the meaning of this word because of what the Bible teaches about being born again.

John 3:3 NIV

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

John 3:3 NVI

—De veras te aseguro que quien no nazca de nuevo no puede ver el reino de Dios—dijo Jesús.

In other words, if we are not born again we will not experience salvation but rather an eternity of condemnation.

The new birth is the entry into a relationship with God.

The book of Ruth marvelously demonstrates the work of God in a person who is born again, namely Ruth the Moabite. Today we will consider:

Naomi’s plan to return to the land of Israel.

Naomi resists her daughter in law’s company.

Orpah and Ruth make life changing decisions.

I. Naomi’s plan to return to the land of Israel

I. El plan de Noemi de regresar a la tierra de Israel.

The Lord has heard his people’s cries for mercy.

Ruth 1:6 NIV

When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there.

Ruth 1:6 NVI

Noemí decidió regresar de la tierra de Moab con sus dos nueras, porque allí se enteró de que el Señor había acudido en ayuda de su pueblo al proveerle de alimento.

The Bible says that the Lord had come to aid his people.

He has removed his curse of famine from upon his people.

Bethlehem (the house of bread) will once more be filled with God’s blessing of bread and plenty for his people.

This is the Lord’s doing. Surely he has heard his people’s cries and come to their aid.

Naomi is now determined to return to her people and is making preparations.

Ruth 1:7 NIV

With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.

Ruth 1:7 NVI

Salió, pues, con sus dos nueras del lugar donde había vivido, y juntas emprendieron el camino que las llevaría hasta la tierra de Judá.

We are told that her daughters-in-law start the journey with her.

We are not told why they set off on this journey with her.

We are not told whether Naomi had asked her daughters-in-law to follow her.

We are simply told that all four start the journey to the land of Judah.

II. Naomi resists her daughters-in-law’s company

II. Noemi resiste la compania de sus nueras.

Something happens in the mind of Naomi that she immediately resists her daughters-in-law from following her.

Ruth 1:8–9 NIV

Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud

Ruth 1:8–9 NVI

Entonces Noemí les dijo a sus dos nueras: —¡Miren, vuelva cada una a la casa de su madre! Que el Señor las trate a ustedes con el mismo amor y lealtad que ustedes han mostrado con los que murieron y conmigo. Que el Señor les conceda hallar seguridad en un nuevo hogar, al lado de un nuevo esposo. Luego las besó. Pero ellas, deshechas en llanto,

Ruth 1:8-

Ruth 1:8 NIV

Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me.

Ruth looks to her daughters-in-law and asks that they go back to their mother’s home.

Ruth 1:

Although she asks them to go back she acknowledges their faithfulness to her and their deceased husbands.

They were faithful to their husbands even though they were unable to provide for them.

They were faithful to their mother-in-law for they could have easily remarried a Moabite.

Nevertheless, Naomi asks that they go back to their mother’s home in order to:

Establish a new home for themselves.

Find a new husband.

In other words, Naomi felt that there was no hope staying at her side.

These words break the daughters-in-law’s hearts as they weep out loud.

They had been with Naomi for several years and had shared many painful experiences. Their pain was understandable.

Both daughters-in-law are determined to follow her.

Ruth 1:10 NIV

and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.”

Ruth 1:10 NVI

y exclamaron: —¡No! Nosotras volveremos contigo a tu pueblo.

Ruth 1:

Notice how they are determined to return with Naomi.

Notice how they express this desire: We will go back with you and to your people.

They know Naomi and her family are Israelites.

They know that they are part of God’s chosen people.

They know that Naomi and her family are strangers/foreigners in Moab and that she is returning to her people.

At this point both women identify themselves with the people of Moab.

Naomi resists her daughters-in-law a second time.

Ruth 1:11–13 NIV

But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons—would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!”

Ruth 1:11

Ruth 1:11–13 NVI

—¡Vuelvan a su casa, hijas mías!—insistió Noemí—. ¿Para qué se van a ir conmigo? ¿Acaso voy a tener más hijos que pudieran casarse con ustedes? ¡Vuelvan a su casa, hijas mías! ¡Váyanse! Yo soy demasiado vieja para volver a casarme. Aun si abrigara esa esperanza, y esta misma noche me casara y llegara a tener hijos, ¿los esperarían ustedes hasta que crecieran? ¿Y por ellos se quedarían sin casarse? ¡No, hijas mías! Mi amargura es mayor que la de ustedes; ¡la mano del Señor se ha levantado contra mí!

Naomi has several reasons for asking her daughters-in-law to return to their home.

Naomi is childless. Their husbands are dead and they have no obligation to her or to their dead husbands.

Naomi is old. Even though she were to remarry and conceive, the daughters-in-law would have to wait many years to marry her sons in order to establish a family.

Their daughters-in-law have the opportunity to remarry in Moab. They are probably still young and could find a suitable husband

Their daughters-in-law would have difficulty finding husbands in Moab since most Israelite men would seek to marry Israelite women.

Naomi does her best to convince her daughters-in-law to forsake her.

She knows that it is the Lord’s hand that has come against her.

Ruth 1:13 NIV

would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!”

Ruth 1:13 NVI

¿los esperarían ustedes hasta que crecieran? ¿Y por ellos se quedarían sin casarse? ¡No, hijas mías! Mi amargura es mayor que la de ustedes; ¡la mano del Señor se ha levantado contra mí!

She thinks that her daughters-in-law would continue to experience pain and suffering should they stay at her side.

She thinks that her daughters-in-law would continue to experience pain and suffering should they stay at her side.

Orpah and Ruth have a decision to make! …a decision that will forever change their lives!

III. Orpah and Ruth make life changing decisions.

III. Orfa y Rut toman decisiones que cambiaran sus vidas.

Orpah and Ruth have followed Naomi up to a certain point.

Both have resisted her initial words discouraging them from following her.

Both have expressed sorrow at Naomi’s intent to discourage them from following her.

…and yet…both must make a decision because Naomi seems determined to go alone to the land of Israel.

Orpah makes her decision.

Ruth 1:14 NIV

At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.

Ruth 1:

Ruth 1:14 NVI

Una vez más alzaron la voz, deshechas en llanto. Luego Orfa se despidió de su suegra con un beso, pero Rut se aferró a ella.

Orpah submits to her mother-in-laws wishes and kisses her goodbye.

Surely, she will abide my Naomi’s counsel to return to her mother’s home and remarry a Moabite man.

We never hear again about Orpah. This is the last time we hear about her.

Ruth on the other hand clings to her mother-in-law. She will not be discouraged.

Naomi continues to discourage Ruth.

Ruth 1:15 NIV

“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”

Ruth 1:15 NVI

—Mira—dijo Noemí—, tu cuñada se vuelve a su pueblo y a sus dioses. Vuélvete con ella.

Naomi sees Orpah leave her side and she uses that as an opportunity to further discourage Ruth from following her.

Orpah has returned to her people and to her gods. She is now able to rebuild her life in the land of Moab.

Not only is she able to rebuild her life in Moab but she can now return to the religion of her fathers.

It is very possible that during the time Orpah and Ruth were married to their Jewish husbands that they were unable to practice the religion of their youth. However, they could now be free to continue their pagan religion.

What will Ruth do? How will Ruth respond to her mother-in-law’s non stop discouragement?

Ruth has a decision to make.

Ruth can go back to the “security” of Moab and to her gods.

Ruth can return to her people and rebuild her life.

Ruth can go back to what she knows, what she is comfortable with, and make an attempt to find happiness.

Ruth has no need to return with Naomi and face poverty, uncertainty, shame for being a Moabite, discrimination, etc.

Ruth has before her two paths. One will be a path of easy whereas the other path is full of uncertainty and suffering.

Ruth is born again!

Ruth 1:16–17 NIV

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”

Ruth 1:16–17 NVI

Pero Rut respondió: —¡No insistas en que te abandone o en que me separe de ti! »Porque iré adonde tú vayas, y viviré donde tú vivas. Tu pueblo será mi pueblo, y tu Dios será mi Dios. Moriré donde tú mueras, y allí seré sepultada. ¡Que me castigue el Señor con toda severidad si me separa de ti algo que no sea la muerte!

Ruth’s heart has been transformed by God.

Look at this wonderful poetic expression.

She will go wherever Naomi goes.

Naomi’s people will be Ruth’s people.

Naomi’s God will be her God.

Wherever Naomi dies, she too will be buried.

Not only that, but she calls upon the name of the Lord as her witness.

Ruth has embraced the people of God.

In verse 9 Ruth and Orpah spoke of the people of Israel as Ruth’s people.

However, in this poetic expression God’s people are now Ruth’s people.

Orpah returned to her people and her gods but now Ruth has embraced the God of Israel. The God of Israel is now her God!

God has done a wonderful work of regeneration in the life of Ruth. God has transformed her from worshipping false gods to worshipping the one and true God of Israel.

Ruth is an illustration of being born again.

Those who are born again are now part of a new people.

We are not of this world.

We become foreigners in this world.

The world no longer accepts us because we no longer think or act like the world.

We are loyal ultimately to God.

We become part of a new family - the universal church of God. We identify ourselves with the church and gather regularly with the people of God.

Those who are born again are faithful to their God.

Ruth would no longer offer child sacrifices to Quemosh.

She willingly submits herself to the God of Israel and his law.

Ruth is not ashamed to call upon the name of God.

Ruth forsakes her people and false gods to embrace a new identify as part of the people of God.

Those who are born again receive a new identity in Jesus Christ.

Ruth demonstrates her new identity not by simply speaking about it but by acting upon her new profession.

It is one thing to say - I believe in the God of Israel…it is another thing to actually follow him.

It is one thing to say - I am a child of God…it is another thing to obey his every word.

Ruth forsakes the certainty and comfort of Moab to embrace the uncertainty and trials of living in Israel.

We do not follow God because we know it is a life free from suffering.

We do not follow God because by doing so we are guaranteed material blessings.

We follow God because we know he has promised ever lasting life and reconciliation to him because we know this is a blessing far above anything we could imagine.

God showed his mercy to a Moabite woman and changed her heart demonstrating that God’s plan from all eternity was to save people from every nation, tribe, and tongue.

Conclusion

In all this, God showed Naomi a special mercy. She no longer has just a daughter-in-law. She has now gained a true daughter and sister in the faith.

Naomi will no longer have to walk this road of uncertainty and pain by herself. She will now be strengthened by the presence of Ruth in her life.

Have you decided to follow and embrace the Messiah Jesus Christ? Let us pray that many would be born again by the power of the Holy Spirit.