The Gospel According To Ruth

-paraphrase story

-couple, Elimilech and Naomi move to Moab from Bethlehem.

-he dies, but leaves her with two sons, Mahlon and Kilion.

-they both get married, but then die ten years later.

-Naomi decides to go back to her people, both daughters say they will go, but Naomi points out the problems of age and money, so one goes back. The other, Ruth, goes anyway.

-Ruth in an effort to help their situation decides to glean fields for food.

-ends up in Boaz’s field, a relative.

-Boaz takes care of Ruth as she gleans and gets lots of food.

-Ruth makes a play for Boaz as he’s threshing and he agrees to marry her if he can.

-He is able to and marries Ruth, the feel good love story of the year.

-okay, there’s the story in a nutshell, but there’s a little more to it. There have been billions of people hall in love in the history of the world. Why did God include this one in the Scriptures?

-because it essentially is the entire New Testament gospel in a nice story, and as he know, God likes stories. Look at the parables.

-but how?

1. GOD WILL STICK WITH YOU NO MATTER WHAT

-we’ll go back to the beginning. All the men have died. There’s no one left but Ruth, sister-in-law Orpah, and Naomi.

-Naomi decides to head home. According to Eastern tradition, the girls would accompany their mother-in-law. They would stay together with their husband’s family. So them going is not an unusual thing.

-the unusual part is Naomi relieving them of this duty. Naomi realizes that they are fulfilling their custom duties. Back then, if your husband died, you would then marry his brother to preserve the family name. But Naomi knows when both sons are gone, that’s it.

**Ruth 1:11-13a -> 11But Naomi replied, “Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands? 12No, my daughters, return to your parents’ homes, for I am too old to marry again. And even if it were possible, and I were to get married tonight and bear sons, then what? 13Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters! (NLT)

-in reality, they didn’t have much of a chance if they went with Naomi. They would be homeless (their home was in Moab) and they would have little to no chance of finding a husband (they were older, they were married before and they were not Israelites, not good prospects in Bethlehem).

-Orpah realizes right away Naomi’s right and leaves, but Ruth stays. Ruth’s love for Naomi is so great she’s willing to give up her home, her people, he future, her chance at a new life, she even gives up her religion.

**Ruth 1:16 -> 16But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. (NLT)

-”Do not ask me to leave you!” That’s how God is towards us. He wants to be with us no matter what.

-the famous verse people know but don’t know where it is…

**Deut. 31:6 -> 6“Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because GOD, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; He won’t leave you.” (MSG)

-no matter what you think you’re up against, what odds are against you, God is willing to go with you through it.

**Is. 59:21 -> 21The Lord says, “This is my agreement with these people: My Spirit and My Words that I give you will never leave you or your children or your grandchildren, now and forever.” (NCV)

-God wants to stay with you and your family.

-to put it in the New Testament, God has left us with His Holy Spirit that will be with us.

**John 14:16-17a -> 16And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, Who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, Who leads into all truth. (NLT)

-even now, God’s Holy Spirit is with us, living in us if we so choose, wanting to be with us even when we have to leave the things we know and trust for other things He has planned.

-why can we trust that God will go with us?

2. HE’S OUR PROTECTOR

-God wants to help us. The story of Ruth starts with God helping His people, allowing Naomi to go home.

**Ruth 1:6 -> 6When she heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. (NIV)