The Book Of Ruth 3 Of 4

We always have to be careful about making decisions, BUT IT IS ESPECIALLY EASY TO MAKE A BAD DECISION DURING DIFFICULT TIMES.

Illus: Many people make bad decisions:

• In the midst of a MARITAL CRISIS. People get a divorce, but later they live to regret it

• In the midst of a CHURCH CRISIS. People decide they will join another church and later regret it

• In the MIDST OF A ROMANTIC CRISIS. Some people decide they want to end a relationship, only to regret it later

Life is filled with all kinds of DIFFICULT TIMES, and when we are in the midst of these difficult times, we should only make decisions after much prayer and counsel from those who we know live godly lives.

Why? Because any time we go through a crisis, our emotions are heightened and at that time we are not capable of making a good decision.

Illus: When I think about making bad decisions, I can’t help but think of the story of a young man who had been seeing a young woman for several years. One leisurely afternoon, the two of them are taking it easy.

• He is watching a football game and sitting on the edge of his seat, because he has become emotionally involved in the football game.

• He is cheering for his favorite team, the Broncos. He has become very emotionally involved in this game, and his team is losing. He is yelling, “Run! Run! Tackle him! Kick the ball you idiot!”

• She is reading the newspaper quietly, when all of a sudden she tells him she thinks she really loves him, but, she can no longer bear the uncertainty of not knowing where their relationship is going.

She asks him for a response. WHAT DOES HE SAY? Remember he is emotionally involved in a football game.

He could have said:

• That he sincerely believes the two of them have a future, but he does not want to rush it

• He has strong feelings for her, but he can’t honestly say that he is ready to make a lasting commitment any time soon

But remember, he is emotionally involved in watching his favorite team, the Broncos, and they are losing. So he says, “I can’t believe the Broncos called a draw play on third and seventeen.”

We have to be careful any time we make decisions, but especially:

• When we are emotionally involved in something, because at that time we are incapable of making a good decision

• When it is a major decision that will affect us for life

Naomi was going through a famine. This was a stressful time in her life, and she allowed her physical appetite for food to lead her instead of God. It was a bad decision and a very costly decision.

Today, we are going to shift the attention from Naomi, and place it on Ruth. In fact, this is not called the Book of Naomi, but the Book of Ruth.

Illus: Ruth makes us think of a movie actress that is in a movie with a famous star, and she is playing the supporting role. But as the Book of Ruth progresses, she steals the spot light from the star, Naomi.

WHO IS RUTH? To understand who she is and her significance, we have to understand something of the Jewish history.

• She is a Moabite

• When Naomi came to Moab, one of her sons, Mahlon, married Ruth, but later he died

• When an Israelite man dies leaving a wife behind with no children, then the brother of that man is to marry the widow, and raise up a son to take the dead brother's name

• In this way, the land not only could be kept by the wife, but could also be inherited by the son

• But his brother Chilion (Pronounce as Killion) had also died, so that left no one to take care of this responsibility

• When this is the situation, the responsibility is passed on to the nearest of kin

When Naomi and Ruth returned to the land of Judah, where Naomi had originally lived, Naomi sought the nearest of kin to carry out this plan of God.

Isn't it just like our Heavenly Father:

• TO PUT THE RIGHT PEOPLE

• IN THE RIGHT PLACE

• AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME

Boaz enters the picture. WHO IS BOAZ? He was a wealthy relative of Naomi's deceased husband, who was the nearest of kin.

This is one of the most beautiful love stories ever recorded. It is the story of a foreign girl, whose devotion won her a place in Israel's history, and in the lineage of David.

In chapters 2 and 3, we find Ruth seeking out a relative of her husband, whose name was Boaz.