Collateral Damage & Surprise Endings

Introduction

When you take something to the dump, that means it is trash, right? Not for those who have an eye for what can be. Riding mower we used for several years was retrieved from the dump

My mom made dozens of quilts out of old fabric cut up and repurposed.

Building built out of beer cans and bottles…what an interesting way to re-purpose trash

Some can look at a rusty, broken down car or truck and see it for what it could be with some elbow grease and hard work.

Dustin’s truck — a great example of restoration…vision and determination to make something awesome out of what seemed to be a hopeless heap of metal.

I also stand in awe of people who have been damaged — you could call them collateral damage — yet their lives become a thing of beauty, showing the amazing grace of God.

Children of Alcoholic or drug addicted parents, women abused by their husbands or boyfriends, kids growing up with parents in and out of prison, war veterans who have witnessed unspeakable things.

Steve Walker

Toni D.

Buddy & Cheryl Musick

Dave Roever

Many of my SUM students were once hopelessly lost in addictions and destructive patterns that looked impossible to break through. I know of at least one student who was a victim of human trafficking.

Several are Teen Challenge directors — others are pastors, counsellors, and educators, as well as evangelists and missionaries.

Narrative:

The story of Naomi and Ruth is the story of one family, caught in the collateral damage of war/famine caused by their own people’s sinfulness.

It takes place around the same time that Gideon became Israel’s judge (last week)

Ruth is a story collateral damage and surprise endings — a huge contrast to the turbulent stories told in the book of Judges: a story of apostasy and oppression, intertribal jealousy and civil war

It reveals how God moved in the life of one family — the sorrows they experienced — and the way the Lord’s plan found its perfect fulfillment through a Moabitess woman (Ruth) who would become the ancestor of King David, and of Jesus the Messiah.

In reference to the book of Ruth, Alexander Schroder wrote that “no poet in the world has written a more beautiful short story.”

The story of one tough situation piled upon another and another, until one day, miracles begin to happen.

God will use the collateral damage of our lives to lead us to beautiful surprise endings that we could never imagine on our own.

Ruth 1:16-17 (ESV) 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.

Prayer

Here’s what we need to get into our hearts today:

When you determine to follow God no matter what, He transforms the collateral damage of your life into beautifully unexpected surprise endings

Dive into a real relationship with God, you won’t drown…you will find true peace and hope

Exposition

Naomi’s husband opted for the safe way out of a bad situation…seems wise, but doesn’t always work out like you expected

Ruth 1:1–2 ESV

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.

Naomi and her sons, in essence, became the collateral damage of Elimelech’s disobedience

He left his own people…the people of God, and moved in among a people who had embraced extreme forms of idolatry and occultism — even to the point of sacrificing children on the alters of their gods

His sons married foreign women, against the teaching of the Law

…Instead of keeping his eyes on God as his provider, this man decided to cut and run

Running away in fear doesn’t lead to peace

They went to live for a while — to sojourn — to turn aside from the road; to shrink away in fear and go to a strange place

This move was not something the family was excited about — It must have seemed the lesser of two evils.

Elimilech took his family to a foreign land full of evil and pagan practices…worse than where he just came from…but they had plenty of food.

Ruth 1:3–5 ESV

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.

Naomi now found herself with nobody to care for and protect her — husband and both sons died.

Naomi was not at peace…she needed to make her way back home

...Naomi realized she would perish if she didn’t get back to her own people…the people of God

God will transform the collateral damage of loneliness and isolation into hope

After her sons’ deaths, Naomi found out that the famine was over and God was now providing food for her homeland…so she prepared to go back home. She told her daughter’s in law to stay in Moab so they could marry and have families

They said, “No…we will go with you.” Naomi insisted — I can’t have anymore sons, and even if I could, are you going to wait until they grow up to marry them and have sons? You are young…go back home, remarry, and have families.

Orpah finally relented, kissed her mother-in-law and left, weeping. But Ruth wouldn’t have it

In that culture…if a woman became a widow before having children, her husband’s brother was expected to marry her to carry on the family line of his deceased brother.

Ruth 1:16–18 ESV

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.

This seemed like a bad situation for Ruth…but she insisted on staying with Naomi her mother-in-law

Ruth had a destiny…she didn’t know it yet. The collateral damage of her life would be transformed and she would become an ancestress of the Messiah!

Collateral Damage Will Turn out For Your Good…Stay Faithful Through the Process

Exposition

Naomi and Ruth made their way back to Bethlehem, just as barley harvest was beginning

They had no food — they were destitute

Ruth 2:1–2 ESV

Now Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.”

Gleaning — following the harvesters and picking up the grain left behind

Ruth 2:15–16 (ESV)

When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.”

When Ruth came home that day with enough grain to sustain them for about 5 days, Naomi asked, “Whose field did you glean from today?”

“This man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers”

…young Ruth gleaned with grace and faithfulness to her mother-in-law — God led her to stay in the right field

Stay in the right field and find redemption

What is a kinsman redeemer?

Boaz was described as a mighty man of wealth — or could be translated might man of valour.

When a married man died and his wife had not children, a brother was expected to marry his widow to keep his name going and to redeem his land.

If there were no brother, then the next closest relative could be the kinsman redeemer.

The Redeemer delights in transforming your collateral damage into hope and life

Ruth 4:9–10 NIV

Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!”

Ruth 4:13–14 ESV

So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel!

Ruth and Boaz’ son was named Obed

Obed was the father of Jesse

Jesse was the father of David…King David

Boaz’ father was Salmon (who is said to be the Israelite who married Rahab…the prostitute from Jericho)

Ruth the Moabite and Rahab the Prostitute from Jericho are ancestors of Mary the Mother of Jesus

Rahab commited to follow the God of Isreal

Ruth did the same

God redeemed the collateral damage of their lives into some amazing surprise endings!

Final thoughts

When you determine to follow God no matter what, He transforms the collateral damage of your life into beautifully unexpected surprise endings