Ruth 1 | Loyal Love [P.O]
Notes
Transcript
Ruth 1:1-22
Ruth 1:1-22
CAPTURE
CAPTURE
Engagement story
Loyal, faithful love grips our hearts and refuse to let go
Divine romance - God’s faithful love for mankind is on display
CREATION
CREATION
In the beginning - garden
Unhindered. Uncorrupted.
CHAOS
CHAOS
Turn away from His love and Presence - sin - consequences
Creation museum room - cacophony -catastrophic
Setting of Ruth - time of judges
Judges 19 - ugly
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Ruth 1:1-2 CSB
Famine - A sign of the times- Bethlehem - the house of bread has no bread
Famine brings out true character: Abraham (Gen 12), Isaac (Gen 26), Joseph’s brothers (Gen 43)
Pragmatic. (?) No, disobedient
Abandons the Promised Land and his kindred for Moab. Idolatry, counterfeit god
From “staying for a while” to “settling”
Not merely just a change in location and lifestyle. Nationality, outsiders. Worship practices were different… sacrifices to Chemosh, people of Chemosh
Ruth 1:3-5 CSB
A decade of nightmares in three short sentences.
1) Elimelech dies. 2) Moabite women as wives (Solomon) 3) Mahlon and Chilion die
Naomi without a husband or sons. Widow without any male family members & support
Ruth 1:6-7 CSB
Famine ending in Bethlehem - Naomi resolves to return - before, after
Backdrop of poor choices, bad experiences, and deep disappointment
Dreams decimated. Hopes lie dead in the dirt.
Headed home. Returning. Returning and turning back is a key theme in the passage.
Ruth 1:8-10 CSB
First dialogue
Interstate going to the airport - turn back to the familiar, stay
Insistence - despite difference, relationship (adversity)
Ruth 1:11-13 CSB
Count the cost
“For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This man started to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
“Or what king, going to war against another king, will not first sit down and decide if he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If not, while the other is still far off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.
Jesus teaching crowds - becoming His disciple
In our text, count the cost of following her as she returns to Israel and follows YHWH
Naomi has nothing to offer
Brutal to be foreign woman in Israelite culture - easier to return (find husband)
Staying with Naomi was irrational & beyond reason.
Necessity of choice: everything minus YHWH in Moab or nothing plus YHWH in Bethlehem.
Will pragmatism win out once more over obedient faith and and steadfast love?
Ruth 1:14-18 CSB
Same feelings yet different decision
Orpah goes, Ruth clings
Natural course vs. upstream
Some argue Naomi was simply on her way to Bethlehem to die - options: glean fields, prostitution, pray death come quick
Naomi - obstacle to Ruth coming to faith at this point
She didn’t know to get out of the way, so God could get in the way, so that Ruth would know He is the Way.
Nothing is going to stop God
Coffee mug verse - wedding Scripture - but understand context
Conversion. Allegiance. Forsaking Chemosh to worship YHWH.
“I can’t go back. I’m no longer who I once was”
By not turning back, Ruth is turning. Repentance. She has turned away from false gods to the Living God.
Alistair Begg: Girl from Asia
Not Naomi who shined - Rather, young Moabitess woman Ruth
God doesn’t discriminate. He welcomes all who come to Him in surrendered faith.
When the world watches you suffer, do they see the supernatural? - visible in Ruth
Ruth 1:19-21 CSB
Excited: stirred, disturbed
Dad’s HS reunion: Where you’ve been? Who is this with you? Has God made you prosperous and successful?
Naomi - failing test. No husband, no sons, no shot at grandsons (value in culture)
Naomi - changes her name
Bitter. “The LORD’s hand is against her. He has afflicted her.”
Mood - despair and death. Loss and lament.
CHRIST
CHRIST
Ruth 1:22 CSB
Scene closes with a mood of bitterness and despair
Fields blazon with golden harvest and the pasturelands springing to life with lush green grass and blooming flowers, but Naomi’s spirit cold and dead like the middle of a northern winter
Contrast. Irony. Harvest usually brings hope.
Where is the hope?
Scene leans forward in anticipation
Bread is coming back to Bethlehem
Loyal love remained resilient through the famine and the tragedies - Hope last note played - Harvest is coming
Turn our eyes beyond the story of Ruth
The LORD’s Providential Provision is postmarked and on the way.
Completion of intro story - hope of loyal love - Groom enters into the story (spreads his wings over her) - wedding, 60 years together
Ruth - points to One who would enter into the cosmic scene as loyal love - Jesus is Loyal Love who enters into story - The Bread of Life born in Bethlehem - Bread is coming back to Bethlehem
Bread that sustains - Groom who always remains - faithful, loyal love
Where you go, I will go - God who tabernacled with His people - Pursued them in love - came down and took on flesh
Your people will be my people - John 3:16
Where you die, I will die - what was killing us, Jesus took on willingly. He gave His life as a payment for sin. He took on the curse
Now alive forevermore- nothing can separate you from Him if you have received Him by faith
CALL
CALL
Where are you?
Suffering might surround, but God specializes in bringing good out of bad
Canvas of poor choices, bad experiences, and deep disappointment - Look to the One who turns canvases with dark shades of gray and grief into beautiful masterpieces.
God heals & redeems - not sum product of your wounds- not defined by your scars. In Christ, you are defined by His scars.
May be suffering - others are watching - are they seeing the supernatural through your suffering? Do they see the Savior?
Have you been chasing after everything but the Living God?
Place your trust in Jesus - Admit your breadlessness, your brokenness, your sin - Believe upon Jesus - Confess that He is LORD & surrender
He satisfies. He always comes right on time.
Loyal Love has a name, and He is beckoning you in. Harvest is here, and hope has come. Respond to Jesus this morning.
The altar is open. Come today.