Sermon Tone Analysis
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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.
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.
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.
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-
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:
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
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.
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:
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.
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.
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