Ruth: There is Hope in Hopelessness
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6 She and her daughters-in-law set out to return from the territory of Moab, because she had heard in Moab that the Lord had paid attention to his people’s need by providing them food.
7 She left the place where she had been living, accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, and traveled along the road leading back to the land of Judah.
8 Naomi said to them, “Each of you go back to your mother’s home. May the Lord show kindness to you as you have shown to the dead and to me.
9 May the Lord grant each of you rest in the house of a new husband.” She kissed them, and they wept loudly.
10 They said to her, “We insist on returning with you to your people.”
11 But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Am I able to have any more sons who could become your husbands?
12 Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons,
13 would you be willing to wait for them to grow up? Would you restrain yourselves from remarrying? No, my daughters, my life is much too bitter for you to share, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me.”
14 Again they wept loudly, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
15 Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Follow your sister-in-law.”
16 But Ruth replied: Don’t plead with me to abandon you or to return and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me, and do so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.
18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped talking to her.
Introduction: Recap
NAOMI’S RETURN
6 She and her daughters-in-law set out to return from the territory of Moab, because she had heard in Moab that the Lord had paid attention to his people’s need by providing them food.
The famine in Bethlehem is over so Naomi looks to return there
also there is nothing for her in Moab (sons and husband have died and she can have food in her own country now)
She believed it was because of Yahweh’s provision that the famine in Bethlehem was finally over (she had been gone for at least 10 years). This shows that throughout the time that she was gone her faith in God had remained. (polytheism was cool, exclusivity wasn't)
GOSPEL MOMENT: Exclusivity of Christ (What is it? Why we stand on it?)
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Set out (qum) is singular (v. 6). Naomi was headed back by herself but the daughter in-laws followed her.
NAOMI EXPLAINS HER HOPELESS SITUATION
8 Naomi said to them, “Each of you go back to your mother’s home. May the Lord show kindness to you as you have shown to the dead and to me.
9 May the Lord grant each of you rest in the house of a new husband.” She kissed them, and they wept loudly.
10 They said to her, “We insist on returning with you to your people.”
11 But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Am I able to have any more sons who could become your husbands?
12 Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons,
13 would you be willing to wait for them to grow up? Would you restrain yourselves from remarrying? No, my daughters, my life is much too bitter for you to share, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me.”
14 Again they wept loudly, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
15 Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Follow your sister-in-law.”
Naomi tell them to “go back” (in other words, not to go with her) to their mother’s home (highlights women in a patriarchal society) v. 8
Naomi prays v.9:
the Lord’s (Yahweh) kindness on them
the Lord’s (Yahweh) blessing on them to find new husbands
They indicate that they still want to go with her (v. 10)
HERE IT IS:
Naomi can’t have anymore son for them to marry (too old)
She’s too old for another husband
Even if she could have another husband and sons, the time for them to be able to marry her daughter in-law would put them in a compromising situation.
She is prepared and adamant about facing her bitterness alone.
GOSPEL MOMENT: Hopelessness
Look at the dynamic here. They leave Bethlehem because of physical hopelessness. Naomi returns to Bethlehem without hope in any area except for the reason why they left (the famine is over)
Let us remember that she still calls on the name of Yahweh. She even believes that her current situation is the outworking of God’s sovereignty (control).
13 would you be willing to wait for them to grow up? Would you restrain yourselves from remarrying? No, my daughters, my life is much too bitter for you to share, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me.”
So even though things look as though they are without hope, she still has her faith, and they may not seem like much but more than enough. Too often people tend to look to other things in the midst of hopelessness but God is the God of the both the valley and the mountaintop.
Let us remember.....
1 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us,
2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up.
RUTH’S LOYALTY
14 Again they wept loudly, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
15 Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Follow your sister-in-law.”
16 But Ruth replied: Don’t plead with me to abandon you or to return and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me, and do so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.
18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped talking to her.
let’s not condemn Orpah (she was being obedient)
Ruth stays
during the time of being apart of Elimelech family she must of heard of Yahweh. Her faith was still developing but it was there (developing faith)
she was will to change it all for Naomi (this is bigger that this moment. God is doing something)
She declared to be locked in with Naomi for life (and calls on Yahweh v. 17)
Ruth’s loyality id great but God’s is greater
GOSPEL MOMENT: God’s loyality
Our sin situation is hopelessness. God’s promises bring hope.
6 Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For the Lord your God is the one who will go with you; he will not leave you or abandon you.”
5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or abandon you.
5 Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you.
7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9 If I live at the eastern horizon or settle at the western limits,
10 even there your hand will lead me; your right hand will hold on to me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light around me will be night”—
12 even the darkness is not dark to you. The night shines like the day; darkness and light are alike to you.
13 For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well.
15 My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.
17 God, how precious your thoughts are to me; how vast their sum is!
18 If I counted them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; when I wake up, I am still with you.
19 God, if only you would kill the wicked— you bloodthirsty men, stay away from me—
20 who invoke you deceitfully. Your enemies swear by you falsely.
21 Lord, don’t I hate those who hate you, and detest those who rebel against you?
22 I hate them with extreme hatred; I consider them my enemies.
23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.