Ruth 1 "Redemption Needed"

Ruth Chapter One (Ruth 1)

Redemption Needed

  The book of Ruth is a beautiful story of love & redemption. It pictures the wonderful story of our redemption as Christians & Jesus' love for us. Like any story of redemption it begins with tragedy. It begins with sin & the need for redemption. If Adam & Eve had never sinned we would not have needed the redemption & love that came through Jesus Christ. So it is that this story of the redemption of Ruth & Naomi begins with the tragedy of sin.

1. The Departure from home (Ruth 1:1-5)

  In St. Louis there is a railroad switchyard. One particular switch begins with just the thinnest piece of steel to direct a train away from one main track to another. If you were to follow those two tracks, however, you would find that one ends in San Francisco, the other in New York.

  Sin is like that. Just a small deviation from God's standards can place us far a field from our intended destination.

This was case for Naomi & her family. They were part of God's chosen people & should have experienced His many blessings and care but ended up facing death & need for redemption all because they deviated from God's standards all be it just a little bit to begin with.

1 Now it came about in the days when the judges governed, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons. 

The book of Ruth is set in the days of Judges.

?        These were hard & wicked times in the history of the nation of Israel. The book of Judges tells us, "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes." (Judges 21:25)

?        The people continually turned way from God & from following His ways. As a result they were over run by the evil nations around them in the promise land.

?        It was during these hard times that this famine hit the area of Bethlehem. It should be no surprise that this happened during a time of spiritually rebellion against God.

?        God said this kind of thing would happen,``But it shall come about, if you do not obey, the LORD your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:... 18 ``Cursed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock. (Deut 28:15; 18)

So a certain man & wife went to sojourn in the land of Moab.

?        Elimelech & Naomi wanted to find relieve from the famine so decided to move to Moab.

?        Why chose Moab to go to? (Look at Map)

?        Moab was an evil nation that worshiped the false god Chemosh, a god to whom human sacrifice was apparently made. Plus they were excluded from the congregation of the Lord. (Deut. 23:3-6) They were a people born out of incest between Lot & his daughter.

?        For an Israelite this was not the place to go. It was a wick land with people that Israel was to have nothing to do which. In short Elimelech & Naomi his wife chose to leave the people & place of God for the evil people & place around them.

This move showed a lack of faith in God. In His love, care, & ability to meet their needs

?        This was them walking away from the place of God's blessing. It shows they did not have faith that God would provide for them.

?        Whereas Canaanite religion sought to control the processes of nature with their fertility rites, the people of Yahweh were taught to trust Him for the blessing in prosperity on the land.

?        Elimelech & Naomi turned away from trust in the Lord to faith in other gods. 

?        They believed that the world around them would be better than Bethlehem, God's "place of bread". Let's not make this same mistake.

When Elimelech & Naomi chose to leave Bethlehem it was only going to be for a short period of time.

?        Notice they went to sojourn in Moab not to stay or live there.

?        They thought it looked better than where they were at but never thought they would stay there long term.

?        For the believer this is how back sliding begins. First we are tempted by the world around us but we never consider walking away from the Lord, His people, & His place of blessing for good.

2 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, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now they entered the land of Moab and remained there.

We see that they went they thinking it would not last long & than they would return to Bethlehem there home & the place where God's people & blessing was.

?        But they ended up remaining in this which place of Moab.

?        This is how sin works in the Christians life. First it tempts. Than it grabs hold of the person.

?        A just once sin turns into a second time will not the first did not harm me. Than it grows into habit or live style of sin.

3 Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left with her two sons.

Once sin has hold of a person it can only lead to one outcome, tragedy.

?        Elimelech ends up dying in Moab a land that was evil & among a people that were excluded from the congregation of the Lord.

?        Sin & turning away from God & His people will always lead to tragedy & death. "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23)

?        That may mean the death of a relationship. The death of peace with God. The death of the joy of the Lord. The death of communion with God.

?        If we remain in sin nothing good will come of it. Far better to confess it and let the Lord cleanse us & forgive us.

We not only see the consequences of Elimelech's sin but also it's effects on others.

?        It effected Naomi

?        It effected his sons

4 They took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. And they lived there about ten years.

And now his sons decide (with mom) to marry Moabite women.

?        This was a clear act of becoming one with the people of Moab.

?        Intermarriage was forbidden by God with the Canaanite people. (Deut. 7:1-4)

This is Elimelech's sons following in his foot steps of rejecting God & His ways.

?        They go from remaining there which speaks to fact they belong some place else to living there.

?        Which can only mean they are now at home in the land of Moab among these evil people.

?        This is the course of sin. Sojourn, remain, live!!! The results we only be the same for them as for their father, death.

So too our sin will harm & hurt the people we care about.

?        Think of how many parents suffer because of the sin of their children. Or how many children suffer because sins of their parents. Or how many marriages break up because of the sin of a spouse.

?        When we chose to walk away from God into the evil world around us, even for a short sojourn, we need to think of consequences of our actions. 1) Death 2) harm & hurt to those we love.

5 Then both, Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was bereft of her two children and her husband.

What else needs to be said? The result of sin in this family are devastating. Naomi is now poor & along. She has lost control of her land in Bethlehem. Plus she now has no heir to carry on the family name. In short she needs someone to save her & redeem the family name & land.

• \\ The Decision for home (Ruth 1:6-18) *

6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the land of Moab, for she had heard in the land of Moab that the LORD had visited His people in giving them food.

Naomi now gets up & leaves Moab for Bethlehem with Ruth & Orpah. This is a good move going back to God's people & the place of His blessing. But why does she now make this move when she did not before now?

• It was because she heard while in Moab that the Lord was blessing His people in Bethlehem with food. God was taking care of His people has He had promised to.
• Naomi's actions were good & right but her heart was still not there. She was going back for the food not to worship the Lord or be with His people.
• Yet God would bless her & take care her. He would use this to bring redemption to her house hold.
• God often bless us when our hearts may not be completely pure. There is the salvation of those that come to church looking for what they can get from it & not to seek the Lord.
• I myself start going to Calvary Chapel because there was a girl a like going there. But in the end the Lord used it to bless my life.
• \\ 7 So she departed 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. *

So Naomi & her two faithful daughters-in-law left Moab & returned back to the land of Judah. They have not yet got all the way back to Naomi's home town of Bethlehem.

• \\ 8 And 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.
  9 ``May the LORD grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.'' Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. *

Naomi tells her daughters-in-law to go back to Moab. Why would she do such a thing as this?

• Moab was still a place where people worshiped false gods & the people were excluded for the congregation of the Lord.
• 1) was she ashamed of the fact that they were Gentiles & had married into her family?
• 2) Did she believe they had no hope if they stay with her? (Moab vs. Bethlehem) Both places had no husband for them. Perhaps Naomi thought they had a better chance at remarriage in Moab.
• I think more the latter than the first because we see the love they had for each other.
• But this does show us something about Naomi. She still lacks faith in God. This is to be expected seeing Naomi has not walked with God for some time therefore does not know the Lord or His goodness to His people.
• \\ 10 And they said to her, ``No, but we will surely return with you to your people.''

 And they said to her, ``No, but we will surely return with you to your people.''  *

We see clearly that Naomi's daughters-in-law want to stay with her & start a new life with the people of God. Perhaps they knew they would be better off starting life anew with God & His people.

• \\ 11 But Naomi said, ``Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
  12 ``Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I should even have a husband tonight and also bear sons,
  13 would you therefore wait until, they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying,? No, my daughters; for it is harder, for me than for you, for the hand of the LORD has gone forth against me.'' *

Notice hear it is all "I" with Naomi. She tells Orpah & Ruth to god back to Moab because there is no way that she Naomi could help them.

• She could not provide the needed husband for them so they would be better off going back to Moab where they might find that needed husband.
• Naomi's focus was on herself & her own ability not the Lord & His ability.
• It was true she could do nothing to help them find that needed husband but God could if she would just get her eyes off herself & her circumstances.
• How often are we like Naomi when are in need. It what can "I" do to help myself. When it should be Lord I needed your help.

14 And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 15 Then she said, ``Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.''

Naomi than tells Ruth to go back to her people & her gods like Orpah has done.

• This has to be the worse bit of advice Naomi could have possibility given to Ruth. Go back to Moab an evil nation & go back to your form gods.
• Naomi still had no trust in the Lord.
• Her time in Moab away from God & His people has messed up her thinking.
• And now her witness to Ruth is you are better off with other gods & not with the Lord & His people.
• Being in the world & out of fellowship with God & God's people will effect your thinking & your witness.
• \\ 16 But Ruth said, ``Do not urge me to leave you or turn back 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.
  17 ``Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse,, if anything but death parts you and me.'' 18 When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her. *

Ruth here shows her undying commitment to Naomi but in so doing she also shows her commitment & faith in the God of Naomi, Yahweh.

• She in loyal to Naomi to the end & seeks to do what is right by her.
• But at the same time she makes the choice to give up the gods of land of Moab & believe in the God of Israel, Yahweh.
• For making this choice to follow Yahweh she will be taken care of by His hand providence & love.
• Orpah chose Moab & it's false gods and we do not hear of her again. But Ruth choose God & become part of God's plan of redemption for mankind.
•  Those that chose God over all else will experience God's care, love & plan for their lives.

The Return to home (Ruth 1:19-22)

• \\ 19 So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. And when they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was stirred because of them, and the women said, ``Is this Naomi?'' *

When the two of them got back to Bethlehem the whole city was in sock to see Naomi. It had been ten years since they had last saw & I'm sure she was looking a little diffent have all that time in Moab

• \\ 20 She said to them, ``Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. *

Naomi tells the women of Bethlehem to no longer call her Naomi but to call her Mara.

• Naomi means pleasant with after ten years in Moab & enduring the consequences of living outside of fellowship with God she was not.
• Mara on the other hand means bitter & living in the world makes people bitter. Bitter against God blaming Him for all the bad things that have happened in their lives.
• This fit Naomi much better at this time but that would change as she would see God's gracious hand of care.
• But for now she was bitter against God & blamed Him for all that had happened to her. Not taking into account it was her that chose to leave His fellowship & place of blessing.
• \\ 21 ``I went out full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?'' *

What a testimony Naomi gives here, "I went out full but the Lord has brought me back empty." A few things come out from this testimony of Naomi's

1)      It was her that went out. She chose to leave the Lord, His place of blessing, & His people. She chose to live in Moab a wick nation.

2)      It was the Lord that brought her back. It was when she saw the goodness of God to His people from afar that she came back. It was the goodness of God that brought back to the place of blessing.

3)  She went out full & came back empty. This will always be true. When we are living in fellowship with God our lives will be full. But whenever we are our of fellowship with God our lives will be empty

• \\ 22 So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the land of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.

 So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the land of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.  

* Let us note the time of these two women in need of redemption coming back. It was harvest time. This picture of the harvest & the harvest field will play an important role in the rest of the book, as it does in all the Bible.

Closing: God's hand of Grace on Naomi's & Ruth's life.

God drew Naomi home by His goodness to His people. (Time of Judges) Plus He gave her Ruth.

Ruth as a Moabite was excluded by the Law to join the congregation of the Lord, but God in His grace was going to bless her & put her in both the royal & messianic lines.