Slide 1
As we began planning for fall, one tool we used was reviewing where we had been. We look for gaps what remains lacking in a balanced biblical diet. So on screen, you see our last nine years of sermon coverage of Genesis through Kings. The colors represent the different years. We are best served by being sure we cover Ruth.
Admittedly, Ruth is not a book we think of often. For one, it is short - only 85 verses long. Second, unlike other Old Testament history, there are no spectacular events or miracles. There is simply less direct mention of God's activity compared to other Old Testament books. Finally, while every Old Testament book anticipates Jesus Christ, it's difficult to see Ruth pointing ahead to Jesus until later in the book.
But we would be mistaken to think Ruth is not part of God’s salvation narrative. God preserved it for our reading today. The earlier chapters reveal how God works through the daily circumstances of our lives. We call this activity God’s Providence. The Heidelberg Catechism, grounded in Scripture, answers two questions about Providence.
Slides 2 and 3
Slides 4 and 5
So, if your patience is wearing thin today because things seem against you... If God's activity seems distant in your life and the future looks bleak, the book of Ruth offers hope because God’s providence reveals his extensive Sovereignty today over all of life. With that, let’s read Ruth
Read Ruth 1:1-14
Slide 6
The unknown writer of Ruth reveals an important link. The timeline for the book of Ruth coincides with the timeline for the book of Judges. We expect the common theme of Judges to show up in Ruth. The theme of Judges repeats: "There was no king in Israel during the period of the Judges, and everyone did as they saw fit.”
It was a dark time in Israel’s history. The cycle of sin and relief repeats itself.
• Israel would fall into grave sin,
• God would deliver them into the hands of their enemies,
• Israel would cry out to God for relief
• And then God would send them a judge to offer relief.
• Instead of a Judge, Ruth 1 is an illustration of how God uses the consequences of sin for his greater salvation plan.
Yet, God’s activity is less obvious in Ruth 1. God is operating behind the scenes in Bethlehem. Slide 7
Today, we know Bethlehem as the City of David. Matthew and Luke record the extensive details of Jesus birthplace. But before David’s time, Bethlehem was known as Israel's breadbasket. Its rich grainfields and fertile soil supplied Israel and animals with food. But evident from God’s actions in earlier stories, a famine struck. Ultimately, there is little wheat left in the house of bread. God uses this moment to impact the lineage of King David and ultimately Jesus Christ.
So what are families doing to survive? Like America’s dustbowl, they abandoned their homes and moved elsewhere. Patterns like this aren't new. We see this already in the Bible's patriarchs like Abraham and Jacob and later his sons when they moved because of famine.
Slide 8
From here the details focus in on one family. Elimelech’s family is on the move. In a day and age when Israel has no king, Elimelech’s name means “GOD IS KING”. His wife is named Naomi. Her name means "Hesed" or "God's pleasantness". They leave the City of Bread for Moab. They take with them their two sons Mahlon and Killion. Note their figurative names. Mahlon means sickness. Killion means the end of the line. The meaning of names is not to be taken lightly. Polar opposite characters of their parents' names. We are left with no insight - aside from the possibility that it may have been a sign of the times.
In Elimilech's eyes, God’s Promised Land no longer held promise for his family - only death. But then, Naomi is left a single parent with two sons when Elimilech dies, leaving her a widow. Moab, which Elimelech looked upon for life, becomes for Naomi a place of death. But it grows worse.
Slide 9
Mahlon and Killion illustrate the pattern of Judges where everyone did what was right in their own eyes. They ignored God's laws and married outside the Jewish line. Two marriages God considered sinful unions. Their lives are cut short. It wasn't long before Mahlon and Killion both died.
But now our attention turns to the wives. Their Moabite wives are Orpah and Ruth. Orpah means “back of the neck” or “head turned backwards”. Whereas Ruth means “a devoted companion.” The meaning of their names reveals to the reader a stark character difference between them. Though it goes unmentioned, Naomi and her two daughters in law are grieving their losses.
But whether present or past, return to your own personal grief experience. A death for example or a great disappointment. When you and I look back over the lifespan of God’s grace map in our lives – the ups and downs – the peaks and the valleys – the celebrations and the crisis points… In those very moments, we profoundly feel emotions as we live out that experience. Right then it may be hard to see God at work in the picture.
Later – sometimes much later, we may still feel our emotions triggered. But it may be possible to reflect as how God repurposed such a difficult experience. A time where a low point led to character growth. A time where crisis led to new-found faith or greater trust in God’s Providence in our lives. Or as the Catechism says “We can be patient when things go against us, thankful when things go well, and for the future we can have good confidence in our faithful God and Father that EVEN IN THOSE LOW POINTS nothing will separate us from his love.”
Slide 10
Right now, Naomi’s not so sure of that. She can’t help but see Moab as a place of death and bitterness. She knows it’s time to return home. An inner calling that we can credit God with. It’s no accident the Hebrew word for "return" occurs twelve times in chapter one alone. When we quit running away from our problems, it’s in the act of returning, we often discover God at work.
The same thing happened to Abraham when he returned to the Promised Land. The same was true of Israel's return from slavery in Egypt. Or consider how God caused the exiles to return from Babylon. And Mary and Joseph and a young Jesus returned from Egypt having fled Herod. That leaves us little doubt God's activity sparks Naomi's return.
Bethlehem is also the House of Bread once again. God removed the famine. Now Bethlehem holds the potential for life. The friends she knew and Elimelech’s inheritance – his land that held promise for her survival.
Yet as Naomi and her two daughters-in-law begin their return, Naomi considers her daughter-in-law’s future. She quickly concludes they are better off staying in Moab.
Slide 11
Naomi blesses them with a godly blessing. Naomi sends God's kindness on Ruth and Orpah, just as they showed Naomi kindness. Naomi does not blame them. She wanted the best for them.
But now for the first time there is great weeping. A weeping that may have occurred at the three deaths – but is noteworthy because it is only mentioned here for the first time.
The thought of separation is a provokes these tears. Ruth and Orpah have both formed a bond with Naomi. There is evidence that God has turned this sin of intermarriage for his greater purposes. This too is not new.
In Genesis 50:20 – when Joseph is reunited with his brothers who sold him into slavery – their fortunes are reversed and they fear revenge. But Joseph tells them – “You meant to hurt me, but God turned your evil into good to save the lives of many people.” When we look ahead to Jesus - How could we forget that the cross meant for evil was God's means of salvation for us.
And yes, despite our own difficult life moments, God can still use them for good. Yet here the tears flow. Neither Ruch nor Orpah want to leave her.
Naomi appeals to them one more time:
Slide 12
Verses 12 and 13 Return home, my dauhgters; I am too old to have another husband. She considers her line to be dead. She has lost her husband. She has lost both of her sons. Killion was literally the last of the line. So she has no kinsman redeemer to marry and bear a son. “Even if I thought there was still hope for me – even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons – would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has gone out against me.
At this they weep again! The circumstances are overwhelming. Their future looks dire. And soon Orpah returns home.
But notice Naomi interprets all her suffering as God's rejection. Was this true? Had Naomi done something to cause her suffering? Are our experiences of suffering in life always due to Jesus turning his back on us?
Absolutely not!
Remember the catechism answer: If things go against us, we can be patient, and if things go well, we can be thankful. For the future, we can be confident that nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Does God sometimes allow us to suffer the consequences of our poor decisions? YES HE WILL. In this life, are all our negative experiences a manifestation of God's anger? NO. We will never be separated from his love. In spite of life's hardships, God's love is stronger than anything.
We can get stuck in these "bad cycles" for days, weeks, or months at a time - when more things go wrong than right. We may feel as if there is a spiritual famine – we may even silently wonder to ourselves why God has turned his hand against us when others around us seem blessed.
Our 1st reading of Ruth begins to changes how we view Providence. To be encouraged that God’s working activity and his love are present all the time. They aren’t restricted to just our moments of joy and celebration.
Neither does God's providing work come and go in little blips and moments where for a few minutes he turns his attention to us, then to others until he gets back to us. It’s continuous just as his love for us never falters regardless of whether we are experiencing feast or famine in our lives.
Next week, we'll pick this up again.
