You might be saying, “So what!”
People move from one city to another all the time because of HARD TIMES!
That is correct, but anytime we find something in the Word of God, it is there for a reason.
WHAT IS THE REASON GOD PUT THIS FAMILY IN THE SCRIPTURES FOR MOVING?
Because it was a mistake for them to move, it was a very costly MISTAKE!!!
God placed them in the Holy Scriptures that we might learn from her mistake.
Let me show you two things…
(1)WHAT WAS HER MISTAKE?
They were a family with a problem that looked in the wrong places for the solution to their problem.
Illus: This family makes us think of the psalmist in Psalm 121. In this Psalm, he tells us about the heathens of that day.
They also looked in the wrong places to solve their problems.
They would erect their idols on the top of the mountains. When they had problems, they would head to the mountains too pray to these idols for the help.
In Psalm 121, the psalmist makes a sarcastic reference to their going there to pray to their idols.
Look at verse 1, we read, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.”
David was ACTUALLY saying, “When I have a problem shall I also lift up my eyes unto the hills for the solution to my problems?”
Of course, the answer to that question is absolutely not!
Instead, he said in verse 2, he says, “My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”
He is saying two things:
(1) In other words, “No, I will not turn to the idols of this world for the help I need,”
(2) He says that his help, “…Cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.”
Notice, after saying His help, “…cometh from the Lord…” he also said of the Lord, “…which made heaven and earth.”
In other words, David was saying that he did not make the God he served. He said my God made me and everything in the heavens and earth.
Then, in the remaining verses, he tells us WHY HE TURNED TO THE LIVING GOD FOR HIS HELP.
Look at Psalm 121:3-8, he says, “He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”
David did not make the mistake that many are making today, nor did he make the mistake this family made in the Old Testament.
THIS FAMILY WENT TO THE WRONG PLACE TO HAVE THEIR PROBLEMS SOLVED!
WHAT CAUSED THEM TO GO TO THE WRONG PLACE?
Verse 1 might shed some light on why they made the foolish decision to move to Moab.
Notice in verse 1, the Bible makes a point of telling us that the bad decision they made took place during the days when the JUDGES RULED over Israel.
Why does God’s word tell us that it was during THE DAYS OF THE JUDGES when they made this decision?
• Because during the DAYS OF THE JUDGES, it was a time of SIN and DEBAUCHERY in the land.
• It was a time when every man did what was right in his own eyes, not GOD’S EYES!
It is a dangerous thing to live in an evil society.
WHY?
BECAUSE IT CAN AFFECT US IN OUR DECISION MAKING!
Today, America is known worldwide for many things.
Let me illustrate…
Regrettably, one of the things that America is known for is the SIN and the DEBAUCHERY IN THE LAND.
And make no mistake about it, when people live in a country that is surrounded by evil, it will affect the people who live there in their decisions.
For example…
• We see adults doing things in America that shocks us. Why? Because they are affected by the evils of this land.
• We see young people doing things that shock us. Why? Because they are affected by the evils of this land.
• We see children going to grammar school with guns, shooting their classmates.
Why?
Because they are affected by the evils of this land, where they see killings on the television every day of their lives. They live in a nation that is filled with violence and sin and SIN NO LONGER SHOCK THEM!!! It has become the NORM!
Illus: According to the Federal Communications CommissionThe average American child will witness 12,000 violent acts on Television each year, amounting to about 200,000 violent acts by the time he turns 18 years old.
And we wonder why there is so much shooting, raping and
Stealing is going on. Violence has become the NORM!
I want to say again, it is a dangerous thing to live in an evil society like Moab, or America. Both the young and the old are affected by the evil that surrounds them.
It was a DANGEROUS THING WHEN NAOMI AND HER FAMILY MOVED TO THIS EVIL PLACE CALL MOAB.
EVERY UNGODLY EVIL THAT SATAN HAS, HE HAS RELEASED ON OUR COUNTRY AND THESE EVILS HAS BECOME ACCEPTABLE!
Who would ever think we would be living in an age:
• Abortion has become acceptable by some
• Transgenderism has become acceptable by some
• Homosexuality has become acceptable by some
• Same sex marriages have become acceptable by Some today!!!
• Gambling has become acceptable by some.
• Drinking alcoholic beverages has become acceptable by some.
• Marijuana has become acceptable by some.
• Cursing has become acceptable by some.
• Lying has become acceptable by some.
I could go on and on how sin has become acceptable by some as the norm in this evil age which we live!!!
One of the concerns we all should have been about the evils of our land.
But that is something that is very seldom even addressed!
• It certainly is not being addressed by the average citizen. All they seem to want to talk about is sports and entertainment.
• We do not hear many of the politicians addressing this problem. All they are concerned about is getting re-elected.
• We do not even hear preachers address this problem from the pulpits across America. All they seem to care about is drawing a crowd, whatever it takes!
People are concerned about a lot of other things.
Let me illustrate…
Illus: For example, we have people in our society that are classified as environmentalists.
They are constantly making the news because of their protest for CLEAN WATER, and CLEAN AIR TO BREATHE.
But there are very few today that are concerned about the sin pollution in which we live.
It is a dangerous thing to live in a society that is sinful. If we do not live close to the Lord, we are going to get contaminated with the filth of this world.
This is why in the Old Testament God warned the people not to associate with the ungodly countries.
Look at Deut. 7:3-4, we read, Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following me that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.
Look at the New Testament at II Cor.6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?
We live in a very evil world, and we have to be careful who we associate with.
Illus: This is why you teenagers should not date an unbeliever. They can talk you into doing something one night and you will pay for that wrong decision the rest of your life.
Naomi lived during the evil days of the judges in Israel, and no doubt the evil in the land in which she lived affected her decision to leave Bethlehem and go and live in wicked Moab.
Let’s get a better look at this family.
• The Dad was Elimelech; his name meant “My God is my king.”
• The Wife was Naomi, her name meant “Pleasantness”
What wonderful names for a couple.
But notice the name of the two children:
• Mahlon’s name meant “Unhealthy”.
• Chilion’s name meant “Puny”
What we have here is a couple with beautiful names, who had two children. One is SICKLY and the other one is PUNY!
When there was a famine, this family moved from the land of God, to live in the land of the wicked Moabites.
WHO WERE THE MOABITES?
Remember Lot who dwelt in Sodom and Gomorrah? The Moabites were his descendants.
WHY DID THEY MAKE THIS MOVE?
Rather than trust the Lord to take care of them during this famine, they decided it would be better if they turned to the wicked Moabites to solve their problem.
THIS IS WHAT PEOPLE DO WHEN THEY START TO BACKSLIDE; THEY TURN TO THE WRONG PLACES FOR THE SOLUTIONS TO THEIR PROBLEMS.
Such as:
• When a person backslides, they begin to turn to the world for COMPANIONSHIP.
• When a person backslides, they begin to turn to the world for the CONTENTMENT they seek.
• When a person backslides, they begin to turn to the world for the HAPPINESS they seek.
This family was facing a famine in the land of Bethlehemjudah, and rather than trust God, they put their trust in the wicked Moabites.
As we look at this family today, notice the attention that is placed on two women.
• NAOMI - she is the perfect picture of a backslider
• RUTH - she is the perfect picture of a new convert
But in chapter 1, Naomi is the star attraction that we will be talking about today.
Let’s look at-
I. NAOMI’S NEW HOME
Look at Ruth 1:2 “...And they came into the country of Moab and continued there."
We see so many of the people of God today, living among the modern-day Moabites.
When the people of God drift from God, we find them in places we should not find them.
• You will find some in front of their television sets, watching the same things that the heathen watch
• You will find some in the movie theaters, watching the same things that the heathen watch
• You will find some reading the sleazy tabloids that the lost world reads
• You will find some in the bookstores, buying the same things the heathen read
• You will find some in the shopping malls, shopping on the Lord’s Day. To them God’s Day is not a holy day, it is just another day for them to do as they please!
Naomi and her family had moved to the wrong place to find the solution to their problems.
But notice, they did not just move there and realize they made a mistake and move back. T
The Bible says they moved there and CONTINUED THERE for TEN YEARS!!!
But notice something we discover about them being there -
A. THEY CONTINUED THERE BECAUSE THEY WERE COMFORTABLE IN THAT PLACE
Most likely, when they first arrived, they could tell it was different from the land of Israel.
But notice, the Bible says this about them; once they arrived, they, “…continued there."
It is dangerous to go to such a place as Moab, but it is far worse to go and remain there.
Illus: Years ago, Dr. Odell Belger and his family were in New Orleans Louisiana; they were near Bourbon Street and he and his wife and two young boys decided they might stop and visit this HISTORIC PLACE.
They found a place to park their car, and they grabbed the hands of their two boys and started walking down Bourbon Street.
They walked several blocks and Dr. Belger stopped and told his wife this is no place for us to be. They got in their car and left and never looked back in fear they might be turned into a pillar of salt like Lot’s wife.
Illus: Some Christians can go to Myrtle Beach and when they arrived, they will see people who have not got enough clothes to cover my little Chihuahua dog.
Many go there and never put their foot in the water, but they will strut around 97% naked.
Some say, Preacher, do you ever go to the beaches? No, I do not feel comfortable with that crowd of naked people.
We Christians cannot feel comfortable in Moab?
Why?
Because we can be contaminated by the evil that we allow to surround our life.
Illus: For example, you can walk into a dark room, and you can see at all hardly due to the darkness.
But did you know that if you continue to stay there, your eyes will get acclimated to the darkness, and soon your eyes will adjust to the darkness so you can see.
I am sure that when they first arrived, they were shocked with the contrast of the Moabites lifestyles.
• Some who have moved to live with the modern-day Moabites can remember how strange it felt when they first started missing church on Sunday services, but as they continued to do this it no longer bothered them
• Some who have moved to live with the modern-day Moabites can remember how strange it felt when they first started missing Sunday school, but as they continued to do this it no longer bothered them
• Some can remember how strange it felt when they first took God’s tithes and began to spend them on something they wanted to buy for themselves, but as they continued to do this it no longer bothered them
• Some can remember how strange it felt when they quit reading their Bible and praying each day and started spending their time doing other things. And now they can do this, and it does not bother them in the slightest!
MANY CHRISTIANS HAVE GOTTEN ACCLAMATTED TO THE DARKNESS OF SIN IN THEIR LIFE AND NOW YOU CANNOT TELL ANY DIFFERENCE IN THEM AND THE LOST WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE.
Why did they stay there for 10 years?
They felt COMFORTABLE with the Moabites!!!
(2) THE MOABITES FELT COMFORABLE WITH THEM.
• Listen, if you as a Christian feel COMFORTABLE with the world as a Christian, SOMETHING IS WRONG!
• But also, if the lost world feels COMFORTABLE with you as a Christian, SOMETHING IS WRONG!
Their GOING THERE and their STAYING THERE for ten years tells us something about this family.
Why did the Moabites feel COMFORTABLE WITH THEM!
Some people to feel COMFORTABLE THEY BELIEVE TO GET ALONG YOU MUST GO ALONG!!!
THAT IS COMPOMISING THE WORD OF GOD.
Listen, when we serve the Lord, MOST OF THE TIME the lost world will find fault with us, NOT ACCEPT US!!!
Why?
The Bible says we are written epistle
• We do not live as they live
• We do not talk like they do
• We do not dress like they do
• We do not read what they read
• We do not watch what they watch
• We do not have the same value system they have.
Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 3:2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
Paul is telling us the ungodly do not read their Bible, but we are written epistle known and read of all men.
As Christians we live a godly life before the LOST the godly life is a slap in their face, spiritually speaking.
Let me illustrate…
Illus: Take for example the problems that some people are facing in the workplace concerning family pictures on their desks. What is so wrong with having a picture of your family on your desk? NOT A THING!
In fact, it is healthy for a man to have a picture of his family out in the open. It constantly says to him and all that are around him I'M MARRIED! A picture of the family helps to keep a good perspective on things.
But, the homosexuals and the Sodomites find it offensive. They are fighting against people having pictures of their families on their desks in public buildings.
WHY DO THEY FIND THIS OFFENSIVE?
Because that picture is saying to them that Bible-believing Christians recognize that the family setting consists of a man and a woman. And a picture of a man and woman on a work desk offends them
You see when we live right; we become a spiritual slap in the face to the wicked.
They will tell Bible-believers:
• You should not be trying to cram your values down our throat, yet they are trying to cram their lack of values down ours.
• You should be more tolerant, but yet they are the least tolerant.
Illus: Suppose a man or woman comes to church as the Lord has commanded them to do. But their marriage partner (husband or wife) who is not saved will not come with them.
But when they get home from the church, their spouse does not say, “Honey, was the church service a blessing to you?”
No, they do not say that, but instead they are as mad as a wet hen.
Why?
Because when that Christian husband or wife attended church, it was a spiritual slap in the face to the lost spouse. It was saying to them, “You ought to be doing the same thing.”
As Christians, we should not feel:
• COMFORTABLE AROUND THE LOST WORLD,
• And the lost world should not feel COMFORTABLE AROUND US!
They continued there because they felt comfortable, and they were so backslidden on God, that the Moabites felt comfortable around them and they felt comfortable with Moabites.
But notice something else-
C. THEY CONTINUED THERE BECAUSE THE MOABITES HAD SOMETHING TO OFFER THEM
Remember, they left the land of Israel because of a famine.
They came to the land of Moab because they felt that Moab had something to offer them that the land of Israel did not.
Listen, the world could never offer more than God can. As Christians we go through some TIGHT SPOTS, but the devil never has anything better to offer us.
We must not forget that the Bible tells us that Satan is a deceiver.
That is, he is the biggest deceiver that ever walked on this earth, and he has always made people think he had more to offer than God.
Illus: Remember, he is such a deceiver that he was able to deceive one-third of the angels in heaven, and they followed him in that rebellion against God, before they all got kicked out.
The devil has been very successful in convincing people that he has more to offer them than God their Creator-
Another reason they stayed 10 years in Moab…
D. THEY continued there TO LOOK TO THE WORLD FOR PROSPERITY
But according to the Word of God, it is God who gives wealth.
Look at Deut. 18:8, we read, “But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth…”
• It is true that some have obtained wealth through illegal gain, but I am talking about the fact that God can give wealth to a godly man or woman.
• He can open doors for them; He can give insight in how to be successful.
Yet the devil has convinced many that if they want to be wealthy, they had better follow him, but that is not true.
We do not need to look to the devil for wealth.
Look at Psalm 1:3, we read, “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
Satan has convinced people that –
E. THEY CONTINUED TO LIVE THERE FOR 10 YEARS BECAUSE THEY LOOKED TO MOAB FOR PROTECTION.
Many have moved in among the modern-day Moabites because they feel PROTECTION around these heathens.
That is, they certainly outnumber Christians, and we always feel there is “SAFETY IN NUMBERS!”
However, that is not what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that the majority today are traveling on that “Broad way” that leads to hell.
If you are going to follow the crowd, do not find any comfort following that large crowd because they will lead you to hell.
It is God who gives us the PROTECTION we need. Remember what Satan said about God, concerning Job?
He said to God in Job 1:10 “Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.”
In other words, he is saying, “God you are the one who has PROSPERED HIM, you are the one who has PROTECTED HIM.”
F. THEY CONTINUED to live in Moab for PROVISION
But it is God who provides for us.
There are so many scriptures in the Bible that teach this.
But let’s look at a few.
• Look at Matt. 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
• Look at Psalm 37:3-5, “Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land and verily THOU SHALT BE FED. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and HE SHALL GIVE THEE THE DESIRES OF THINE HEART. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.”
I'm not one of those prosperity preachers that you can hear on television, where all you have to do is, “Name it and Claim it.” But the Bible does teach us:
• GOD CAN PROSPER US
• GOD CAN PROTECT US
• GOD CAN PROVIDE FOR US
HOW CAN YOU TELL WHEN YOU ARE BACKSLIDDEN?
The life of Naomi shows us how we can know.
• When we continue to live among the modern-day Moabites
• When we feel comfortable living among the modern-day Moabites
• When the modern-day Moabites feel comfortable with us as a Believer
• When we feel that the modern-day Moabites have something to offer us
Then, we have become backslidden and need to return to God.
We have looked at NAOMI LEAVING ISRAEL TO LIVE AMONG THE WICKED MOABITES, BUT NOW LET US LOOK AT NAOMI RETURNING TO ISRAEL.
II. NAOMI’S HOMECOMING
Look at verse 1 again, we read, “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.”
Look at the words “Bethlehemjudah” and “Moab.”
• Bethlehem means “House of bread”.
• Judah means “Praise the Lord.”
• The word “Moab” means “Washbasin”.
So, this family LEFT the land of BREAD and PRAISE, to live in a “WASHBASIN”.
What is difficult to understand is that as you look at the lost person and the backslider the conditions in which they are living they would come to their senses!
Illus: The prodigal son the Bible tells us that he did not come to his senses until he ended up in the HOG PEN!
Let us look at Naomi leaving Moab after twelve years.
Look at Ruth 1:21, she said, "I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty:"
In other words, she was saying, “When I left Israel, I thought things were bad, but now I know what bad times really are!”
In Moab:
• Her husband died.
• Her two sons had died.
A lot of times when we think things are bad, we make bad decisions, but no matter how bad things might be, THEY CAN BECOME A LOT WORST!!!
Illus: We see all kinds of problems in families today, and we say, “That family is certainly having a lot of bad luck!”
Listen, what is happening to them has nothing to do with bad luck; it has to do with the price of sin.
The WORD OF GOD tells us the WAY OF THE TRANSGRESSOR IS HARD!
This is why the lost world turn to DRUGS and ALCOHOL they are trying to drown their MISERY!
Living in sin is not only COSTLY when it comes to money, but also SPIRITUALLY.
Illus: Years ago, a family was attending a Bible-preaching church with his wife and son.
Husband got gloriously saved and was on fire for the Lord.
His wife was also saved but she did not have what her husband had.
She would often miss church. Instead of coming to church she would go out of state and visit her family frequently.
After going to see them frequently her family talked her into moving where they were.
She told her husband she wanted to move, and he told her he felt they were in the will of God and enjoying what God was doing through his life.
She finally told him she was going to MOVE WITH HIM OR WITHOUT HIM!
She was ADAMANT!!! She did not care what anyone said she was going to move WITH HIM OR WITHOUT HIM!!!
He came to his pastor and poured his heart out that he was going to have to move or lose his family.
They moved what he believed was out of the will of God and in a couple of weeks their young son was in a bicycle accident and became paralyze FROM THE WAIST DOWN for the rest of his life.
That Mother now the rest of her life has to live with that decision that many believe was the consequences of her STUBBORNESS!!!
Now I am not God, I cannot say this happened because of the decision she made.
• But I can say this…
• She did not respect her husband as the head of the house
• If she did move out of the will of God her son would not have had that accident in that new location SHE WAS DETERMINE TO LIVE.
She was determining to have it her way even if God or husband did not like it.
• A lot of folks call things bad luck, but it has nothing to do with bad luck!
• Naomi lost a husband and two sons, and it had nothing to do with BAD LUCK!
Naomi IS BACK IN BETHLEHEM, BUT WHAT BROUGHT HER BACK?
There were two things:
A. THE CHASTISEMENT OF GOD
Look at verses 3-5, we read, “And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.”
When a person chooses to sin, they can depend on a cost that is coming afterwards.
Illus: In this age of computer scanning codes on merchandise, you can pick something up to purchase it, and you have no idea how much it is going to cost you. But when you get to the cash register, and the cashier takes the piece of merchandise you want to purchase, and runs it through the scanner, it will reveal what the cost is.
And life is like that.
We can choose to sin, but we don’t have the slightest idea of what it is going to cost us, but we can rest assured there will be a PAYDAY SOME DAY!
If Naomi knew that the price of going to Moab would be the lives of her husband and her two sons, she never would have gone.
It wasn’t until later that she found out what it would cost her.
Listen, when we sin as a SINNER or a SAINT, we pay the price of sin. Naomi lost HER HUSBAND, TWO SONS AND HER TESTIMONY.
What a price she paid!
WHAT BROUGHT HER BACK?
No doubt the price of sin had taken a toll on her. Remember she said, Ruth 1:21, "I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty:"
God’s chastisement had a lot to do with her coming back.
But also see-
B. THE PROVISION OF GOD
Look at verse 6, we read, “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.”
God had provided food for His people in Israel. The famine that she ran from is now history.
Notice, the Bible says that Ruth had HEARD how that the Lord had visited the people.
One of the things that were motivating her was food.
Illus: Today men don't ask their wives, "What's cooking?" They ask, "What's thawing?"
Illus: One woman told her neighbor, "I have a marvelous meat loaf recipe. All I do is mentioning it to my husband and he says, 'Let's eat out.'"
Naomi left because of the famine (Lack of food), but now God uses food to bring her back to the land of plenty.
Look what the Word of God said she heard as she dwelt in the land of Moab, we read, “…For she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread.”
Notice when she arrived, God provides two things:
(1) GOD PROVIDES PHYSICAL FOOD
Ruth 1:6 “...for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people IN GIVING THEM BREAD.”
She heard that in the land of Israel; God has blessed His people again and sent them food to enjoy and eat.
Her coming back for food is not the purest of motives for returning to Bethlehem, but sometimes God will take a wrong motive and turn it into something good.
Illus: Many young men have gone to church because a certain young lady was attending. As these young men sat listening to the preaching of God’s Word, God touched many of their hearts. God has a way of taking things that people might do with a wrong motive and bringing something good out of it.
And in this case, Naomi came back because of the food she heard about.
Illus: We older Christians can remember how things were when children did not have all the toys to play with, and sweets to eat that we have today.
Dr. Odell Belger stated, “When we were growing up and we had Vacation Bible School, they would give us a cup of Kool-aid and some cookies, and we would come every night to hear about the Lord. Now honesty compels many of us to admit that the reason we went was not to hear about the Lord, and how He died for our sins, but we went for that free Kool-aid and the few cookies that were given to us.”
Many have ridden a church bus because of a bus driver who said, “If you will ride my bus tomorrow, I will give you a Pepsi and a candy bar.
Some have a problem with this method of doing things. But listen, if it is done only for the purpose of increasing the numbers, we all should have a problem with this method. But sometimes the only way you can get people to do something is to entice them to come for the wrong motive.
But we are instructed in the Word of God to use whatever scriptural tools we have to use, to compel them to come to the house of God, where they can hear His Word taught and preached.
Look what the Lord said about this in Luke 14:23, we read, “And the lord said unto the servant, go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.”
Look at the word “compel”, this is the word anagkazo, (Pronounced an-ang-kad'-zo) which means TO CONSTRAIN.
Illus: Sometimes when we invite someone that is not saved to come to church and:
• They might say to us, “I can’t come to church with you because I do not have any clothes to wear.” Perhaps you ought to say, “Listen, I am so concerned about you, that I will personally buy you some clothes to wear to church.”
• They might say to us, “I can’t come to church because I do not have a way to get there.” Perhaps you ought to say, “Listen, I am so burdened for you that I will come by your house and bring you to church with me.”
We ought to compel men and women to come to Church by using every enticement we can use, as long as it is scriptural.
They might not come because they love the Lord, but if we can get them under the preaching of God’s Word, it might be that while they are here, God will get a hold of them, and save them, and make them new creatures in Christ Jesus.
Illus: There is a song we used to sing about people who came for the wrong reasons, but while they were there, the song said, “Something got a hold of me.”
Remember that on several occasions during His earthly ministry, Jesus provided food for those who followed Him.
• ON ONE OCCASION JESUS FED A MULTITUDE OF 4000 PEOPLE
• ON ANOTHER OCCASION HE FED OVER 5000
More than likely, some of those who followed Christ followed Him because of what He could do for them.
Naomi, the backslider, is coming back to Bethlehem. She is not coming for the right reasons, but at least she is heading in the right direction again.
GOD PROVIDES PHYSICAL FOOD, but also-
B. GOD PROVIDES SPIRITUAL FOOD
Remember, as Naomi returns home, her daughter-in-law goes back with her.
• NAOMI IS THE PERFECT PICTURE OF THE BACKSLIDER WHO HAS DRIFTED FROM THE LORD
• RUTH IS THE PERFECT PICTURE OF THE NEW CONVERT THAT IS LITERALLY STARVING FOR SPIRITUAL FOOD
Remember when Naomi tried to discourage her from following her back to Bethlehem, Ruth replied with determination.
Look at Ruth 1:16, “And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:”
When Ruth came back to Bethlehem with Naomi, she was in a place of spiritual food and strength. This was all new to Ruth.
The gods she had served in Moab were nothing like the God of Israel.
Look at 1 Peter 2:2, 3 “As newborn babes, DESIRE THE SINCERE MILK OF THE WORD that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.”
If you are a new convert, DESIRE THE SINCERE MILK OF THE WORD.
Why? Because the Bible says, “That ye may grow thereby.”
Illus: Many people today are stuffing themselves with the physical food of this world but are starving their souls in a world that rejects the Lord.
Conclusion:
I. NAOMI’S NEW HOME (Moab) (Sermon # 1)
II. NAOMI’S HOME-COMING (Israel) (Sermon # 2)
Our Directions Determines
Our Destination
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