Ruth 1:1-7 THE ROMANCE OF REDEMPTION
Ch 1: Weeping, Ch 2: Working, Ruth gleaning in the harvest field
Ch 3: Waiting, 3:18 Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall:
Ch 4 Wedding. So we go from
Ch 1 Sorrow to Ch 2 Service, to Ch 3 Submission to Ch 4, Satisfaction.
1. THE PERIOD 1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
(a) A TIME OF APATHY: - The 12 tribes of Israel had failed to possess the land, and to claim it for their inheritance. - Settled with their enemies in the Land
(b) A TIME OF APOSTASY:
They had departed from the worship of the true God and served Baal.
Judges 2:11-13 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: 12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger. 13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
The Hebrew text is far more strongly worded “ The children of Israel did the evil.”
They threw themselves into the supreme sin, the sin of all sin. - Idolatry
(c) A TIME OF ANARCHY: Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
A Day of Darkness, and Disobedience, and Disgrace.
2. THE PROBLEM 1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land.
Bethlehem means “ house of bread,” There was,
(a) A NATIONAL Departure from God: - Leviticus Ch 26
1. What is Commanded by God: They were to,
* Refrain from Idolatry: 1 Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.
* Regard the Sabbath: 2 Ye shall keep my sabbaths,
* Revere His Sanctuary: 2 and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.
* Respect God’s Law: 3 If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;
14 But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments;
15 And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant:
16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
(b) A PERSONAL Departure from God: 2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
Boaz remained in the famine. But Elimelech departed.
Moab represents,
1. In its Origin, Moral Impurity: Do you recall how the Moabites came into being ? Gen 19:35-38 Lots daughters drunkeness Moab & Ammon Born.
2. In its History, Spiritual Enmity:
When Israel travelled to Canaan, Moab refused to let Israel through their land.
They then hired the prophet Balaam to curse Israel then some Moabite women seduced the Israelite men not only to corrupt their morals but to corrupt their worship. The result, 24,000 dead Israelites because of the judgment of God.
3. In its Creed, Shameful Idolatry: 2 they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
Ten years out of the will of God, and what a price to pay !
3. THE PATH And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
When trouble comes we can Endure it, Escape it, or Enlist it.
Enduring trials, make trials our master, and we have a tendency to become hard and bitter.
Escaping trials, mean we miss the purposes God in our lives.
Enlisting trials, make trials our servants instead of our masters and work for us.
(a) Elimelech Was Living for SELF not GOD:
Elimelech means “ my God is King.” but when difficulties came -
He left the place where God was known for a land of idolatry and immorality.
1:1 suggests “ he went to sojourn,” live for a while, but in :2 we read he “ continued there.”
(b) Elimelech Was Living by SIGHT not FAITH:
Sight not faith guided this family. How is it that we find so easy to trust the Lord with regard to our eternal interest, but so hard with regard to our temporal interest ?
(c) Elimelech Was Living in SIN not OBEDIENCE:
“ Collapse in the Christian life is rarely a blow out its usually a slow leak.”
4. THE PENALTY There was:
(a) DEATH 3 And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.
5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them;
man proposes God disposes. - The house of the emigrants became the home of mourning.
(b) DISOBEDIENCE 4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab;
(c) DISCIPLINE FROM THE LORD:13 Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.
21 I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?
5. THE PLAN 6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.
7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.
The Famine was over! The land was Flourishing! The fields were Fruitful.
Luke 15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
