Things You Need to Know... from Ruth

Let’s talk about hope...

Romans 4:18 ESV

In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”

Romans 5:1–5 ESV

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Romans 12:12 ESV

12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Romans 15:4 ESV

4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Romans 15:13 ESV

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

The Book of Ruth...

The spiritual decline of the Judges...

The great hope of David and then his fall...

The Book of Ruth reminds us:

(1) During times of depravity - there are godly people

1:1

2:4

2:11-12

The redeemer who doesn’t want to redeem

The redeemer who redeems and loves

(2) During times of despair - there is a God of hope

God does not leave himself without a remnant, a faithful few, a witness to His glory

the loss of husbands, there is no future for Ruth if she stays

1:16

2:20

3:13 - I will redeem you

(3) During times of discouragement - the Lord is listening

1:20 - Naomi becomes Mara, bitter

2:20

3:18 - the Lord who does not rest

(4) During times of darkness - the unexpected redeemer is our redeemer

1:11-12 There is no hope

2:20

- the line of David, the savior of the world

Christmas is the celebration of the one who came in humility, lived in obedience, died as a sacrifice and rose victoriously