Ruth 1 - comfort in our grief
Notes
Transcript
Secular:
Personal:
Biblical:
Moabite relations were not good:
Moabite nation born out of unrighteous incest between Lot and his oldest daughter (Gen 19.30-37)
Moabites refuse passage to Israel from Egypt (Numbers 22-24)
Moabites hired Balaam to curse Israel (Numbers 22)
Moabite women seduce Israel into idolatry (Numbers 25.1-9)
Moabites excluded from assembly of the LORD (Deut 23.3-6)
Moabite King Eglon oppressed Israel for 18 years(Judges 3.15-30)
Now there is peace (80 years) Judges 3.30
Book following Judges and in the time frame of the Judges
generation arose who did not know the LORD or the work he had done for Israel - response = life of doing evil Judges 2:10-15
Progression of evil till subjectivism arose Judges 17.6; 21.25
Written after the time of David - to show the people of Israel, God’s faithfulness as their redeemer
How did Israel get from Judges to David - the bridge book of Ruth
But to get to God we often have to start from pain and grief
Subject:
How can we be comforted in our grief?
Textual:
1 In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. 3 But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, 5 and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband. 6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food. 7 So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The Lord grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10 And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, 13 would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.” 14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 15 And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” 18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more. 19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?” 22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.
Subject: How can we be comforted in our grief?
(vv. 1-10) company
Naomi lost it all (3 verses summing up the pain of 10 years):
famine caused journey from Bethlehem (friends)
famine brought from sin of Israel?
response of repentance - not running away
Husband - Elimelech
Sons (children) - Mahlon ; Chilion
judgment for their sin?
Moabite daughter-in-laws
Orpah and Ruth
both leave to return with Naomi - “she heard in the fields of Moab that the LORD had visited his people and given them food”
Naomi suggests that they go back and leave her in her misery
They both respond with care and comforting compassion
Our dog - don’t ever leave me again
(vv. 11-18) commitment
Naomi paints the picture clearly:
enter a life of widowhood
leave all you know
ethnicity - culture, relationships
land - Moab to Judah
king - government, laws
language - education, speech, songs
theology - Chemosh (Numbers 21.29) to Jehovah
From Naomi’s perspective, to join her is to accept a cursed life
Orpah accepts the opportunity to leave
BUT Ruth remains committed to her mother-in-law
by her side always
for what will be
punishable by Naomi’s God
response of silence
Marriage changed by tragedy - but commitment remains - VIDEO??
(vv. 19-22) capacity
They enter Bethlehem together and the town congregates
“stirred” - in an uproar
Naomi has returned - with a Moabite woman - no husband - no children
Name change - Is this pleasant? Call me bitter
went away full - now the Lord brought me back empty
God has brought calamity upon me
empty? after the commitment Ruth made to give up everything to be with her
new washer tub
As much as Ruth demonstrates a comfort in the midst of grief - she points to a greater comfort.
God is the source of all comfort 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
companion - Never leave you or forsake you Deut 31.6
commitment - Hebrews 8.10
capacity - Cast all your anxieties upon him, he cares for you 1 Peter 5.7; Isaiah 53:4