SnowBlast #2
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Necessary Endings
Necessary Endings
Hello hello!
Session #2
Let us
Intro
When we were discussing topics to do for snowblast as a leadership team.
The book of Ruth stuck out to us.
For a number of reasons.
One was because of the name Boaz.
Because lets be real that is a dope name!
There was a poem going around that we liked: maybe we will read it sometime because it is pretty good.
But anyway, we settled on Ruth pretty early on.
Ruth is a very interesting book in the Bible.
It is sandwiched between Judges and 1st Samuel
If you flip too quick you may miss it.
This book may seem of little importance but I can assure you it is not.
This book has lots to offer and as we begin, keep in mind that this book as a purpose and God uses all things for His Glory.
So let’s pray and then jump into the first chapter.
In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
This story takes place around the time of the judges, meaning it was for the most part the promise land has been settled and the nation of Isreal is going through this consistent cycle of Sin, suffering, supplication or repentance and then, Salvation.
There were stuck in this funk and they are not going to be getting out of it.
So a man who lived in the promise land, said nah, i don’t like this anymore, We are going somewhere else.
This dudes name was Elimelech.
He was married to a woman named Naomi.
They had two sons Mahlon which means sickness and Chilion which means failing or dying.
Rough names but to each their own.
The Jewish people were given the promise land to stay in the promise land, and this guys goes ahead and leaves with his family.
Keep this in mind as we read this story.
This family most likely would have had a support network back home, yet they now know nobody in the new place.
On arrival Elimelech dies!
In the process of getting settled down, Naomi’s sons fall for two Moabite women— they were said to have been very beautiful and immodest— which is probably one of the main reasons that of God’s people would fall after them.
Naomi’s sons are no exception.
One marries Ruth and the other marries Orpah.
They live together for ten years and life is alright.
Naomi is at least taken care of.
Then both the sons die.
In the time and place we are reading about the culture was male dominated, and the males were the life support of the family.
Naomi, Ruth and Orpah just lost everything.
If I may just say a little something here.
Tragedy brings people together.
When you end up crying side by side with someone a bond is formed.
A year out of High school I lost a buddy of mine to cancer, I know many of you know that story, but let me tell you something, the friends i was already close to after high school, that connection with them was a lot stronger, then people who i did not mourn with.
When you are mourning over something together and all you have is family around you get closer.
Remember, Naomi was on an island here.
Her daughter in laws is all she had left.
No grandchildren, no sons, and no husband, her own family wasn’t even present.
I think that this is an important reminder as we read this next section.
Somethings Endings are Necessary in order for God to move us in line with his vision and purpose.
Let me say that again.
Endings are Necessary:
Endings are Necessary:
Ruth 1:6-
Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May 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 of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.”
Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May 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 of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.” Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
Ruth 1:
Naomi has made up her mind, she is leaving and going back to Bethlehem.
However Naomi wants to make the journey alone, so is wants to release her daughter in laws.
:6-
This was not out of anger or bitterness.
She wants them to go and have families, for whatever reason they did not have children with her sons, so she is sending them away because of that reason and number 2 they will not be well received in Bethlehem.
Look through tragedy Naomi actually calls them her daughters.
It is safe to say that they have gone through a lot and now she wants to repay them by releasing back into their won country.
To remarry and have a family.
This was not an easy discussion nor an easy decision.
As they wept together again because they were close.
Orpah was the first one to come up and kiss Naomi and leave.
Ruth she clung on to Naomi.
There is a pretty big shake up.
In the Dr Henry Cloud’s book; Necessary Ending he says this:
“Without the ability to end things, people stay stuck, never becoming who they are meant to be, never accomplishing all that their talents and abilities should afford them.”
While Cloud is talking more from a business sense this still applies to this story.
Look the death of Naomi’s husband did not force Naomi to move back home, she probably should have but instead she stayed put and waited it out.
Her Son’s married making it harder to leave probably.
Then her son’s died.
She was widowed and sonless.
She was forced to change her plan.
All of the women were forced to change their plan.
Cloud has another quote which is pretty spot on here.
“Some endings are not a next level, natural step but are just necessary. We wish they weren’t, but they are. they come about not in pursuit of growth to the next level, but because something has gone wrong. It’s been said that some things die and some things need to be killed.”
The next step for these three ladies were all necessary steps.
Naomi was going to leave and head back to a land she should have never left.
Orpah was being released to start a family and move on from all this death and tragedy.
Ruth will also move on, she will leave her home land to stay with Naomi.
In life and in our relationships there will times where things will need to change.
Sometimes those changes are going to be necessary.
When you decide to follow Jesus, you are going to have to make necessary changes in your life.
Sometimes you are going to be moved to change in some way.
Maybe it will be to move on to something else, a different job, school, or sport, or a different class.
Maybe it is choosing different friends.
Maybe it is an addiction or a something that is going to cause some discomfort.
Maybe it is breaking up a relationship that is centered on physical and infatuation rather than building a relationship based on conversation, and growing in your faith.
Maybe that dating relationship has turned not just to making out and touching places that shouldn’t be touched but may it has turned sexual and that relationship must die.
We are all dealing with things that have necessary endings.
And sometimes we get to be in control of that and other times we do not and those choices are made for us.
TRUST GOD THROUGH IT
TRUST GOD THROUGH IT
And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where 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. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.
Ruth was not going to let go of Naomi.
Ruth 1:
Ruth couldn’t
She makes this promise with Naomi that is very much, I am with your always, i will go where you go, I will worship the God you worship, I will dwell with your people, just don’t send me away.
Ruth up to this point was most likely not a follower of God.
She was Moabite and she had her own gods she worshiped.
Ruth made this choice to follow God and where ever he may lead.
Ruth knew Naomi was going to Bethlehem and remember she was an outside.
She was going to face extreme racism, and they most likely were going to be poor and her only friend was a bitter old woman.
Yet she trust God and follow Him and to follow Naomi.
You have to know that in the culture of the Jewish people if you were to pledge yourself to someone then you took on all of them.
You accepted their people and their God.
Ruth had a moment here where she experienced salvation/ or conversion if you will.
Do you trust God fully?
Are you sold out for him?
Ruth could have stayed the same, but for whatever reason that was not what she wanted so clung on to Naomi.
She watched her sister-in-law go back to her normal life, a life she could have chosen yet she clung to Naomi and converted to the Jewish God, Yahweh.
When you give yourself over to trust in God— when you make that choice to follow him, you are all in— you either are or you are not.
You can’t play in the world and still want to follow after God.
If your relationship with God is not where you want it to be, it’s not because God has moved, it is because you have.
You have to decide what your relationship with God must look like.
John Piper says this;
If it looks anything like the world, you got it wrong.
If you are sufficeint for your
Last point as we wrap up the first chapter of Ruth
For Good to being— Bad must End
For Good to being— Bad must End
So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”
So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.
The bad in this story is that Israelites moved out of the promise land.
Naomi and Ruth arrive in Bethlehem, which is the city where Jesus would be born.
This whole town was stirred up, they welcomed Naomi back, but she wants to be called a different name Mara which means bitterness, because she was bitter, and she felt as though God had been unkind to her.
Look Naomi was not quite about her struggles, she felt as though God was bitter towards her, and her response was to be bitter with God.
She told everyone.
Naomi was dealing with some baggage here.
Like we talked about last night, Naomi was open about her struggle.
She was in this hard place of wanting to be all in, yet so much had happened that she couldn’t be happy right now.
She was open and honest.
When we get hit by tragedy we tend to only focus on what we can see in front of us.
Very rarely do we take a step back and see how God is connecting the pieces.
If you are dealing with bitterness towards God, stop sulking, about it and tell him, guess what he already knows.
He already knows what you are dealing with and it is better to communicate that to God rather then just keeping it bottled up inside of you.
Look in life, because of our broken world, we are going to be involved with some bad things, but for the good to being we must move on from the bad and towards the good.
Putting your faith in Christ is always a good place to start.
Grounding your relationship is also another area where you want to begin by putting Christ first.
Little-side bar:
Ladies if your man doesn’t want to pray with you or ask you about what you are reading, and questions you about what God is teaching you.... Find yourself another man, because he does not care about your spiritual soul.
Fellas if your boo doesn’t want to pray with you, and she is not curious about what you are reading and what God is teaching you…. she does not care about your spiritual soul.
I get it kissing is more fun than reading the Bible, I get it.
But if they do not care about what God is teaching you, then they won’t respect your boundaries, your convictions, and sometimes these type of relationships come to a necessary ending.
For the good to come out of this, the bad must go...
This is only chapter one and it seemed a little bleek and bitter, yet God is still in control and He has a plan.
Let’s pray.