Ruth: The Story of Ruin and Redemption (2)

Ruth 1:1–2 ESV

1 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. 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. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there.

I. Crisis

Bethlehem means house of bread.

There is no bread in the house of bread.

A famine is a spiritual issue.

It comes from the covenant curses.

Deuteronomy 28:23–24 ESV

23 And the heavens over your head shall be bronze, and the earth under you shall be iron. 24 The Lord will make the rain of your land powder. From heaven dust shall come down on you until you are destroyed.

Everything in life becomes a casualty of a broken relationship with God.

This crisis was a byproduct of a broken relationship with God.

Yet the thing that broke them would eventually bring them back.

This crisis was a call to repentance.

Please notice their response to this spiritual issue.

They run (go to Moab) instead of repenting they are running.

This is the danger in life that when God puts pressure on you to change in certain ways you change other things like your location.

Where is God applying pressure in your life and reminding you that something needs to change?

Let me ask another question...

What are you going to do about it?

Never run when God calls you to repent.

Running from God leads to a ruined life.

Ruth 1:3–5 ESV

3 But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, 5 and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

Please notice the progression.

Ruth 1:1 (ESV)

1 and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn...

It speaks of a temporary event - They took a trip!

Ruth 1:2 (ESV)

2 They went into the country of Moab and remained there.

Ruth 1:4 (ESV)

4 They lived there about ten years,

They go from “sojourn” in Moab, to “Remaining” and then Settled there”

John Bunyan Stated

“One leak will sink a ship and one sin will destroy a sinner.”

Some of you are sitting in this sanctuary but your hearts are far from God.

The chaos in this world mirrors the chaos in you soul!

You have been running from God and today you need to run to Him!

How am I going to make it?

How can I pay my bills?

How am I going to handle death?

From brokenness God brings a healer.

From ruin God brings a redeemer.

God tests your faith so that you might test His faithfulness.

You will not have a great testimony with out a great test.

FABEL is a short story that usually has a moral point. It high lights human folly or and moral failure with intent to teach and emphasis etherial and moral behaviors.

How do we get from the mess of the Judges to Messiah?

Ruth 4:22 (ESV)

22 Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.