Ruth: chap 1

Good morning everyone…Welcome to another wonderful day together where we all get to worship as a family. I want to welcome our kids as they go back to their amazing teachers, and thank our teachers at the same time. How blessed are we that we have such a great group of people that are commited to making an impact on the lives of our children. I love that so much. Welcome those of you that are joining us online. I want to thank you for being a part of our extended spiritual family this morning. If you are in Ogle county and don’t have a spiritual family that you can gather with in person, please consider joining us. God is blessing us as a church and we would love to have you join us as God blesses this local spiritual family.

Have you ever been bitter? I mean, have you ever really just gotten upset because you were done wrong and you got so mad about it that you were just bitter? Bitterness is defined as,

Bitterness: Anger and disappointment at being treated unfairly; resentment.

Does that sound like the perspective you have had before? Think about it, becuase if you just answered that question by saying, No, Ive never been bitter. I am pretty much going to say you are either lying to yourself, or you are easily forgetful. I say that becuase I believe we have all experienced bitterness. Sometimes over situations that were out of our control, and sometimes over situations that we actually caused. Let me illustrate what I mean by that.

When I was in high school I attended a public school in Dallas, Tx. While at that school my perspective on many things changed. I used to be fairly able to study and get decent grades. Then when I began attending this particular school I was ahead of my classmates and so I found myself very board and decided to stop attending classes. I knew how to skip and how to get away with things and what i needed to do to get by. However, when I was a jr. I remember meeting with my guidance counselor and planning out my classes for my senior year. I had good grades, and had all the classes I would need. So, we scheduled for an easy sr. year. We had been meeting every year since i started to attend this school. My jr year was a bit easy as well since I only needed a few credits. So, imagine what happened when I met with my counselor my senior year only to find out that I would not be able to graduate with my peers since I didn’t have enough credits. My counselor had messed up my paperwork and the only way i was going to graduate was if I took night classes to make up for the credits that I was missing. You can imagine I was not very happy about that situation. I was also not at all interested in taking night classes or summer school. I was mad....I was so mad that I pretty much stopped attending school all together. Finally, when I turned 18, I went into the school office and I dropped out of school. I didn’t need that becuase I can handle whatever comes around the corner on my own. I did not have a very good attitude towards my counselor, the school, or frankly even my friends who were graduating when they were supposed to. It wasn’t fair, life wasn’t fair and I seemed to be getting the short end of the stick all the time…I was bitter and angry all of the time. I was just a bitter person all the way around.

You see, so many things that had been happening in my life seemed to be causing me to be angry and bitter. Some of those things were my own fault. For instance, when it comes to school, I stopped attending class and paying attention to what was going on. If I had taken an active role in my own education then I would have been able to catch this mistake that the counselor made. However, some of those things were not my fault, it was also the counselor that had messed up my paperwork causing me to not have enough credits. However, isn’t it easier to always blame the other person than to think about what you did wrong yourself. Of course…Im not going to walk around admitting to my own failure, Im going to point to this other person so that they take the blame, and the shame for those events…I do this becuase I am bitter at how things have turned out.

Today we are starting a brand new series on the book of Ruth. Over the course of the next few weeks I believe we are going to see something spectacular as we watch Ruth move from being a pleasant woman to changing her whole identity into bitterness. Listen that is what happens when we allow our own sinful pride to take over our lives and we make the choice to be bitter. I have seen it over and over again, and I don’t want to see you go through that transformation. Instead, I want to see you go through the transformation of a person that is moving back to pleasant and back into your identity from God. In other words, I want to see you redeemed…That is what we are going to experience from the book of Ruth over these next few weeks. We are going to see a person that has been through some real pain that is arguably not completely her fault…but that pain and bitterness is going to be redeemed and she will eventually realize that

“God will renew your life and sustain you in your old age.”

So, over the next few weeks we are going to be looking at

Ruth: a story of redemption...

Every story of redemption starts with a little background and that is what we really need to look at first this morning. We need to be able to understand where we are and how we got her, so that we can understand

The bitterness of Naomi

and how she came to that place of bitterness. You know there is always a story in your life as well. Think about your particular situation that may have caused you bitterness…How did you get to that point in your life where you felt bitter either for a moment or a longer period, or maybe even to a point where bitterness defines you? Listen, I want to be clear right now..I am talking to both Christians and non-Christians. I mean, everyone can find themselves having a bitter perspective from a bitter circumstance, right? So, lets look at the book of Ruth and see what is going on.

Ruth 1:1–5 (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. 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.

So right off the bat we see that this is happening in the time of the judges. That is really important information in order to understand the background here. You see, the Judges were a time that the Israelites were basically running from God. This was a time when the people of Israel repeatedly decided to ignore God and do things their own way. Actually we see that in

Judges 17:6 (ESV)

In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

as well as in

Judges 21:25 ESV

In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

You see, the days of the Judges was a time when Israel pretty much ignored God and the commands of God. The famine that they were experiencing was likely the judgement of God due to these actions. Then you have this man and his family who decided it would be good to leave and try to escape the famine by going to Moab. Now, Moab is not a Godly place, actually Moab is specifically a place that has many gods, and do what they have to in order to worship what they desire. This is the place the Elimelech ran to…a place that they can openly live life they way they would like to. Now, it is possible that Naomi did not in the beginning have a choice but to follow her husband. However, God took Elimelech and she remained. She was a remnant. Actually, this is kind of interesting. You see, the word used to say “left with her sons” actually is related to the word remnant which is used to describe those that survive God’s wrath. So, Naomi survives God’s wrath and then her sons took Moabite wives. Now, she could have at that time instructed her sons that they were going to go back after Elimelech died, but that is not what she does. She helps, or at least watches her sons marry Moabite women who they have been commanded not to do in.

Deuteronomy 7:3–4 (ESV)

You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly.

This is a very clear command that Naomi would have known…instead she has chosen to ignore this. You see, what may have started as a bitter situation that she was not in control of is quickly becoming a bitter situation that she is the author of. Naomi stays when she should have left and again she is left seemingly alone… Have you experienced a time like this when your own sin left you feeling alone and maybe even a little hopeless…I know I have definitely been in that place, probably more times than I even realize. You see that is a pretty common consequence. Our sin leads to hopelessness. You see, It must have seemed evident that the hand of the Lord was against Naomi in judgment.

The beautiful thing is that is not where you have to stay. You see, Naomi could have simply resigned herself to stay where she was is Moab, but she decided that it was time for her to leave that place and go back to a place that at least she wasn’t alone. The place she was from where maybe she would have some friends and family still. However, she has these daughters now that are connected to her. Let’s take a look at what happens next as we see

The deception of Naomi

Ok, so I know you are likely wondering what I am talking about here. What do I mean the deception of Naomi? Well, lets take a look at what is about to happen.Actually what we are going to see is three testimonies this morning. In order to see the deception of Naomi we need to look at the next few verses.

Ruth 1:6–15 (ESV)

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. And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”

First off, lets look at the

Testimony of Naomi

On the surface this might actually look like Naomi is trying to be good to her daughters in law. However, let’s take a look at Naomi’s motive before we look at her actions. You see, Naomi heard that God had blessed the land of Judah again, so she wanted to go back. Now remember that Naomi and her husband Elimelech have sinned by going to Moab and she further sinned by giving her sons to marriage to Moabite women. So, Naomi has been a recipient of God’s wrath already. Now, she has head that things are better and so now she should return to God. Do you know what is sad about Naomi’s current situation? She keeps missing the blessings of God. Naomi only hears about God’s blessing, but never experiences it, because she are not in the place where God can bless her. Is that true of you as well? Has God ever blessed others and not you becuase you were more focused on yourself than on God? Here is the deal…Naomi rightly saw that God was blessing the people of Israel…However, she cannot experience that blessing unless she is repentant. You see, sin requires repentance. We see that throughout the Old Testament. Whenever the people of Israel repented and returned to God, then God would forgive and redeems them. However, where there is no repentance, there is no redemption.. Naomi was returning to her land, but not to her Lord.

Look at how she treated her daughters also. Naomi actively tries to convince them to return to their home and worship false gods. Why would a person who is repentant to God encourage the worship of false gods? You see, Naomi did not want her daughters to come with her. But why? Orpah and Ruth were living proof that she and her husband failed to follow in the command of the Lord. By attempting to stop these women from coming with Naomi, she was trying to cover up her sin. When we try to cover our sins, it’s proof that we really haven’t faced them honestly and judged them according to God’s Word. True repentance involves honest confession and brokenness before the Lord. Instead of brokenness, Naomi had bitterness… Think about the picture that Naomi painted of God. She did not say that God is a loving God that has given his faithful love over and over again. No, Naomi tells her daughters that God is vengeful and that God is at fault for all of the sorrow these women have experienced. Then she goes on to say that it will be worse if they stay with her saying that, “the Lords hand is against me”…Well, thats not exactly true is it? Had Naomi been repentant and decided to walk with the Lord she would have lovingly brought her new daughters with her into the presence of God…instead, she pushes them away in deceitfully.

What about the

Testimony of Orpah

Orpah is one of Naomi’s new daughters that she is trying to convince to leave. Orpah is close to returning with Naomi, but something happens. Let’s take a look at Orpah here. Naomi urges Orpah to leave and even prays that God will bless them in their new life. Now, think about that for a moment. Here we have a woman who knows the one true Lord and she is praying that God will bless these women as they worship false gods…Does that seem like a person that is being genuine? Well, Orpah was the weaker of the daughters and pleaded at first, but then gave way and left to continue a life away absent the Lord. Orpah made the wrong decision and left the things that she had learned about the Lord while with Naomi. However, it was her decision none the less…You see, everyone makes a decision, just as Joshua reminds us that we must,

“...choose you this day whom you will serve...”—Joshua 24.15

That leaves us with one more testimony that we should look at. Let’s look at the

Testimony of Ruth

Ruth made the decision to stay with Naomi. Did you see what happened when Orpah kissed her mother in law? Ruth clung to her mother in law. This is really amazing because Naomi was trying to cover up, Orpah had just given up, but despite all of this, Ruth is going to stand up. There is something truly remarkable about what is going on with Ruth. You see, Ruth has had many of the same experiences as Orpah had, however, Ruth is responding differently…why is that? Well, becuase she had come to trust in the God of Israel. We are going to see that more and more as this book unfolds over the next few weeks. Look, Ruth was married and her father in law dies…then her husband and her brother in law die leaving her with nothing. Her bitter circumstances were against her and should have caused her to be bitter towards God herself. However, something is different with Ruth. Ruth made the right decision that is different than Orpah. Look at what she says,

“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.” --Ruth

Ruth made a decision not only to cling to Naomi, but too cling to God. So, lets read about

The return of Naomi (and Ruth)

This is where we really can see Naomi’s bitterness become more than just an attitude, but become an identity. Read with me

Ruth 1:18–22 (ESV)

And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more. 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.

As these women walk into town what happened? Exactly what Naomi was hoping wouldn’t happen…People look at her and talk to her making her a bit of a spectacle. Naomi tells them, ‘Do not call me Naomi (which means pleasant); call me Mara (which means bitter). Naomi immediately turns the blame of her bitterness to the Lord. It is the Lord fault that she is the way she is. If the Lord had saved her husband things would not be this way. If the Lord would have spared her sons, things would not be this way, and now…The Lord has taken everything from me. Did you catch where Naomi says, “I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty.”? Naomi has still refused to see her own sin, or at least refused to admit her own sin…

Do you ever do that? Do you ever blame God for the situation that you are in even though you are causing it yourself? Your sin has consequences. Do you ever say something like, “God is just testing me”, or “Im experiencing a storm right now”, when in fact you are dealing with the consequence of your own sin? Naomi is dealing with the consequence of her own sin and blaming God for it…that is why she has literally changed her identity to bitterness. Naomi is not just bitter at the circumstance that she is experiencing, she has changed her identity as a pleasant woman to a bitter woman, her name has even changed.

I want you to see a big difference between these women here. Naomi experienced a bitter circumstance and turned bitter towards God. At the same time, Orpah experienced bitter circumstances and turned from God and Ruth experienced a bitter circumstance and turned faithfully towards God.

So who are you....You see, this is the same decision that you and I get to make every single time we experience bitter circumstances. Bitter circumstances are not fun, but they are another opportunity for us to live a life that is pleasing to God. Today, in whatever situation you are experiencing, are you living a life and making decisions that are pleasing to God or are you living a life and making decisions that is sinfully hopeless…and that lead to bitterness? The choice is yours this morning. What type of decisions are you making?

This morning we are going to close and I want to ask you to think about the time in your life when you were bitter towards a situation or potentially towards people or even God. I want you to meditate on that time frame and I invite you to recognize if this was a bitter situation that lead to bitterness in your, or if this was a bitter situation that lead towards faithfulness in you. If this situation led towards bitterness, I am encouraging you to thoughtfully take this time to confess and repent of your own sinfulness in that situation remembering that if there is no repentance, then there is no redemption. If you are having trouble with the idea of repentance then I want to ask you to reach out to me so that we can have a conversation together. If you are here this morning or online this morning and you cannot remember a time where you have ever actually confessed and repented, then I want to encourage you to reach out to me so that we can talk about what repentance looks like in your life and in your situation. As a matter of fact, I am going to ask you to take your phone out right now and send me an email to [e-mail] or a facebook message to the church and let’s get together, again send a message today. For now, lets take a moment in prayer.

Prayer

Communion:

This morning I am going to ask our Elders to come up and prepare to serve our family that is here together. Remember that when we experience communion we are reminding ourselves of the work on the cross. We are also showing our friends and family what it means to repent of our own sinfulness and rely on the God’s redemption. The story of Ruth is a story of redemption, but God’s work on the cross is the ultimate redemption. This morning let’s take some time to think about pray about the person that you are praying for this year. If you remember a few weeks ago I asked you to think of one person in your life that is not a Christian and spend this whole year praying for them. This is your reminder and this morning as we remember the work of the Cross lets pray that God would use us in some way to impact those around us, especially this person that you are praying for.

Let’s also remember why we go through this time of communion so often.. You see, Jesus said in

Luke 22:19 ESV

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Elder pray

Luke 22:20 ESV

And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Elder pray