Christian Commitment Series

Christian Commitment

Ruth 1:6-18

-Last week we started our study into the book of Ruth. Only two books named after women, Esther and Ruth. The message in the book of Ruth is the message of Gods redeeming mercy and Grace.

-Last week we looked at the providence of God in the first 5 verses of Ruth. How the plan of God was fulfilled through a famine, a family moving to a sinful idol worshiping nation and Naomi's Husband and sons dying. We saw the providence of God when we looked into the Gospel of Matthew and the genealogy of Jesus how it all fit with Ruth marrying Boaz and having a baby named Obed who grew up and had a son named Jesse who fathered David and how that fits leading up to the birth of Christ

events outside of Naomi and Ruth's control but not Gods. It was all part of Gods plan.

This passage today is probably one of the most famous or well known from the book of Ruth. It is often quoted at weddings and engraved into jewelry, because it shows us what true commitment is all about.

Commitment is most certainly a message that our society needs to hear today that was evident from a letter that a young man was writing to his girlfriend. The young man poured out his heart’s devotion on paper as he wrote to the girl of his dreams: “Darling: I would climb the highest mountain, swim the widest stream, cross the burning desert, and die at the stake for you. P.S. I will see you on Saturday it doesn’t rain.”

As funny as that is it describes the idea that a lot of people have about commitment. We live in society where people promise to stay married until death and leave at the first sign of trouble, Promise to serve God faithfully but jump ship at the first big wave, commit themselves to church membership but quickly leave the first time someone disagrees with their opinion.

I want you to know today that this message is not for the world or the people who aren't here this is a message that everyone of us need to hear today and apply to our hearts and life. Apply it to our marriages, to our relationship with our Lord and to our church.

Naomi, Ruth and Orpah are left alone in Moab. Naomi hears news that there is food again in the land of Israel vs 6, “The she arose with her daughters-in-law to return form the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food.”

-It is not a religious decision to go back to Israel, at this point it is a survival decision. There is food again in Israel so its time to go back home.

-Naomi tells her daughter-in laws to both go back home because she is too old to get re married and have more sons and in verse 13 she is starting to get a little bitter about her situation in life. She said, “For it is exceeding bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.”

-her one daughter-in law orpah kissed her and turned back, but not Ruth. Ruth Clung to her

and that's when we see Ruths commitment to her mother in law Naomi. She says where you go I will go, 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.

These are words of love. Love is best defined as commitment. And in Ruth's comments to Naomi we see the two most important parts of Christian love or commitment. Commitment to God and Commitment to one another

One time Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was and he broke it down into two very simple commands.

Mat 22:37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

Mat 22:38 This is the great and first commandment.

Mat 22:39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Mat 22:40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."

These are the two area of Christian love, Christian commitment that I want to talk about today and unpack from these words of Ruth to Naomi

Commitment to God

The first thing I want you to see about Ruths love in these verses is her commitment to God. The land of Moab served false gods. Ruth and Orpah would not have grown up serving the God of Abraham. Verse 15 says, “See, your sister in law has gone back to her people and to her gods;”