Act 1: Returning Home

Introduction

Most of you know the NBA star Kevin Durant...

FCF: Why do we run from God when hardships come? Why do we seek satisfaction and blessing outside of God’s presence and provision?

MIT/Sermon Idea: When we leave home or wander from God we must:

Remember God’s lovingkindness towards us in Christ.

Return Home to Him

The result of these actions will result in

Reward/Blessing

Remembering + Returning = Reward

Ruth 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. 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.

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.” 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.

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.

Leaving Home (vs 1-5)

In Elimelech, we see the wrong response to difficult circumstances....which can be described as “leaving home.”

But why did Elimelech leave his home, his God, his covenant community???

Famine…which was equated with the judgement of God due to Israel’s idolatry.

Sin leads to judgement-the cause of the famine-covenant curses (Deuteronomy 28:23-24).

Elimelech’s evil response...forsaking God’s covenant people and promised land for “greener pastures.”

Moab was the land of Israel’s enemies.

Decisions have consequences...Elimelech died, his sons wives were cursed with barrenness, and they died prematurely as well.

The author does not directly says this, but the act of God’s judgement can be implied as it was based on the covenant curses by forsaking God’s promise land, which would be synonymous with forsaking God.

The grass is not always greener on the other side.

Pastor Alan Mosely says of the results of Elimelech’s actions, “They left God’s promise land to escape death, yet death still came to them, this reminds us that our life is not ultimately in our hands but God’s.”

The result: Naomi is left with NOTHING.

Application: We can identify with Elimelech in the way we respond to trials and hardships...whether they come from judgement/consequences or due to our sin or living in a fallen world....as we are often tempted to seek satisfaction and relief outside of God’s presence and His people.

When famine comes in our lives, how do we respond?

What are you “leaving home for?” What is causing you to wander from God?

Transition: Elimelech should have turned back to the Lord, yet he forgot the Lord’s covenant kindness...however, we see examples of remembering God’s covenant kindness and returning home to him from Ruth and Naomi in the next scene.

Returning Home (vs 6-21)

Look at verse 6…Naomi, who has nothing and has been living in the land of Moab for over ten years, now decides to return home to Bethlehem.

What caused her to make this decision?

Verse 7 says she heard that Yahweh had visited his people and given them food.

Word: “visited” means to come to the aid of, God was faithful and remembered his people and his covenant.

This was a clear example of God’s free grace that he gave to his people that they did not deserve.

Despite Naomi’s emptiness, she remember’s the Lord’s lovingkindness towards his people and begins to return home to Bethlehem.

However, Naomi’s hope was not strong...she thought her situation was undesirable for anyone else to experience.

She had nothing to offer Ruth and Orpah...no sons, no children, no inheritance, no livelihood, and even the hand of her God was against her.

However...Ruth displayed covenant kindness in clinging to Naomi.

Cling: To hold fast to...to be joined together.

Same word used to describe marriage for a husband and wife in Genesis 2:24.

Ruth expresses covenant kindness dipped in covenant language.

By invoking the name of God in the curse, she declared Yahweh to be her God.

In the midst of not having anything offered to her...she faithfully commits her life to Naomi and to her God...forsaking her family, her country, and her gods...leaving all this behind to follow Yahweh, Naomi’s God.

Naomi’s interpretation of her plight: God treating her bitterly

Naomi changes her name: Naomi (Pleasant) to Mara (bitter).

Naomi acknowledges God’s sovereignty over suffering and evil.

The word “calamity” describes the hardships God sends on his people for breaking the covenant curses.

She does not blame God for moral evil but for her disasters and misfortune.

If God is good, why would he bring calamity upon his people?

First: most of this calamity is from the righteous judgement of God against the Israel’s sin in breaking the covenant.

Second: God uses the evil actions of men to bring about his plans and purposes for his people.

How God used the famine.

How God used the death of Naomi’s family

The theme of compatibility with God’s providence and human agency.

Greater Good Theodicy

Application: Whenever we leave home and begin to wander, we must remember God’s lovingkindness towards us in Christ and return home to him.

Just as God in his grace visited his people in providing bread during the midst of the famine...he came to our aid and provided us with the bread of life, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Returning Home: Turning from our sin and turning back to him in faith.

Transition: If we remember God’s lovingkindness towards us in Christ and turn from our sin and return home to him in faith, the result will be receiving his blessing and reward...look at how the author provides a glimmer of hope in verse 22.

Returned Home (vs 22)

The Barley Harvest is the season of plenty...she left when there was a famine...but returns when there would be a feast.

Clearly from the previous verses, Naomi’s faith and theology were far from perfect...still seeing the Lord against her...but it was not the strength of her faith that led to God’s blessing, but the object of her faith in a faithful and gracious God who would show lovingkindness to her when she least deserved a blessing.

Theologian Mary Hannah Wilson says further, “She does not try to curry God’s favor by presenting some kind of penance. She comes home just as she is, in all her weakness and despair. Despite her deep-seated, publicly avowed skepticism about the Lord’s posture toward her, he welcomes his embittered child with blessing, as this scene’s final words suggest and scenes 2–4 substantiate.”

Application: Just as God was gracious to Naomi to bless her with His acceptance and presence when she returned to Him, He will be gracious to bless us with his forgiveness when we turn back to him in faith.

So where are you at on this journey in life?

Have you left home, are you wandering away from God…or maybe being tempted to head towards the grass that appears to be greener than your current circumstance?

Remember God’s lovingkindness, turn away from your sin, turn back to the Lord, and return home!

Maybe you have realized you have wondered from God and want to come back to Him but the road back seems to long and difficult and you do not think you will have the strength to make the journey...

Remember God’s lovingkindness, he will give you the strength to return, His grace is sufficient!

Maybe you are at home or just came back to God but still struggling with bitterness, feeling like God’s hand is against you, and there does not seem to be much hope for the future...

Remember God’s lovingkindness…Continue to turn to Christ in faith knowing the barley harvest IS coming…continue to trust God knowing that he is using even your suffering and what looks like a hopeless situation for your good and his glory…rest in Christ who is your home, your Bethlehem, your house of bread, your house of peace.

Like the old hymn, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” says, our hearts are prone to wander…especially when we experience seasons of famine in our lives…yet in those times where we are tempted to wander…may we remember God’s lovingkindness, return back home to him, and receive his gracious reward of his presence and forgiveness in Christ.