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SERMON – (1) * INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF RUTH 1:1-2.
The book of Ruth is a story about a woman, but it begins with a story about a man.
It starts with a fierce famine and deep disappointment but ends with a fabulous wedding.
It starts with the tears of death but ends with a celebration of a birth of a child.
The book of Ruth is a true story, but what is interesting about the book of Ruth is that the book of Ruth is the only book of the Bible that is named after a woman who is a gentile.
And of course, that person is Ruth. Born and raised a Moabite.
Although Ruth was born and raised a Moabite, her name occurs in in the family line of Jesus in Matthew 1:5
Moab was a long-standing enemy of Israel. A country where children were placed in fiery sacrifices (2 Kings 3:26–27.)
Why does God so often use true life stories?
Ture life stories make it easier to learn the lessons of life.
True life stories enable us enter into other people’s lives and learn from their experiences.
That’s why you will enjoy and love the book of Ruth because it is a true life love story.
So if you enjoy a great love story, the book of Ruth is for you. There is section in the book of Ruth that, even today is quoted in marriage vows as a promise of love, devotion, and commitment in many weddings today.
The book opens rather abruptly with a husband, whose name is Abimelech. He decides to box up his stuff, pack up his wife and 2 kids, and abruptly move about fifty miles to the southeast to a country called Moab. He actually moves his family into a life threating situation.
With that, let’s get into the book of Ruth that is only 4 chapters long.
If you have ever been involved in a life threating situation, particularly that was not your fault, but you suffered greatly, you may have asked, “Where is God in all of this pain?”
Have you ever experienced disappointment with God?
In the course of life there will be things that just didn’t turn out the way you expected, and you may be convinced that God didn’t come through for you. If that is you, the book of Ruth is for you.
In the book of Ruth we will encounter the unseen hand of God, which theologians call The Providence God redirecting, rearranging behind the scenes of our life during a crises.
The book of Ruth will teach us that God is always at work behind the scenes in our painful life events.
Someone might be asking, “Can you explain a little more about the Providence of God? Let’s illustrate it.
ILLUSTRATION: There was only 1 survivor of a shipwreck. The one survivor managed to reach small uninhabited island. Every day on the small uninhabited island, he cried out to God to save him. And hour after hour, he would scan the horizon for a passing ship. But there was never a hint of a ship. God seemed so distant.
From the pieces of the ship that washed ashore he managed to build a rough hut. He lived on crab fish and coconuts. One day, after hunting for food, a storm came out of nowhere. Lighting and thunder roared. When he arrived at his hut, he found his little hut in flames from a lighting strike. The smoke billowed up high into the sky. That’s when he burst into tears. “He screamed at God, “God why did you take away what little I had? God I just don’t understand! Why would you take away everything that I own?
Early the next morning he woke up, and as he stood up, he looked out over the horizon. He saw a ship draw near to his island. Then he saw a small boat from the ship heading towards his island. Five men got out of the boat and started walking towards him. The only thing he could say was, "How did you know I was here?" They replied, "We saw your smoke signal.”
Though it may not seem like it right now, your present difficulty may be instrumental to your future.
If that is you, then the book of Ruth is for you.
If you are going through a very difficult trial of life, The book of Ruth is for you.
The book of Ruth beigns with the death of a husband, and the death of 2 sons. As you read Ruth chapter 1, you may will feel the pain and see the tears from the loss of a husband and 2 sons. But you will learn that in their great loss, God is also at work.
How can we systemize and comfort others who have facing or have gone through one of life’s tragedies?
Here is what I try to do. First I pray with them and for them and you can as well. However, when someone is sharing with you their deep pain, their tragic story, have compassion, listen to their story and while you are with them, before you leave, right then pray for them.
In the book of Ruth, Even in Ruth’s deepest, personal heartaches and deep disappointments, even though Ruth cannot perceive it, the unseen hand of God, the Providence of God is at work, involved in every detail of her life.
Even in our life pains and disappoints and deep hurts, the Providence of God is working behind the scenes, answering our prayers in amazing ways, bringing life where there should be death. Bringing hope where there is despair, providing supernaturally even in a life where there is no hope. The book of Ruth will teach us that there is hope even in a hopeless situation. (Ruth 1:8–9, 20–22; 2:11–12, 19–23; 3:10–11; 4:11–12, 14–15). That is the book of Ruth.
The book of Ruth is story that has tears. But it is also is a love story with a loving ending.
ILLUSTRATION: Years before I was born, even before my mother was born, I’ll call him My future grandfather Norman Elliott enlisted in the Canadian army and was shipped off to England for WW1. While in London, England he fell in love with a very beautiful lady, Agnes Irene. Within a short time, they had a very beautiful wedding in London. After WW1, they both agreed to make their home in his home town in the city of Victoria on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. They left London to make their long journey to Victoria, British Columbia, first by steamship from England, then by train, from Toronto to Vancouver. Then by ferry from Vancouver to the beautiful city of Victoria. At least that was the plan.
However at the same time they were on the train, there was another war still going. It is estimated that this war will kill a minimum 500 million, that would be one-third of the world's population from a virus called H1N1 influenza. About 675,000 died from the influenza in the United States. Meanwhile, my future grandfather and his beautiful bride Agnes Elliott thoughts were not on the influenza, but on each other and the beautiful scenery of Canada.
While Agnes was on the train to Vancouver, British Columbia, she came down with the deadly influenza and died on the train. I can only imagine the tears and sorrow my future grandfather experienced. I can suspect his life at that time was
filled with tears. He may have even wondered, “Where is God?”
However, what he did not know, is the unseen hand of God’s Providence was at work, and that God would restore his stolen love.
My grandfather later becomes a taxi driver in Victoria, B. C, and as he drops off a passenger he notices to his right a very beautiful young lady in her front yard. That beautiful young lady is my future grandmother, who would give birth to 2 girls (one being my mother.)
He would eventually move his family to Seattle, Washington where he becomes very wealthy and helps financially many who are hit hard with what was called “The Great Depression.” On at least 2 different occasions he told me, “I would not wish on my worst enemy what I went through. But in one sense I can say I’m glad I went through it, because through all that pain, I came to know Jesus, and I have a wonderful, and I was able to help a lot people through the depression.
That’s the Providence of God.
The book of Ruth will be reminding us of the unseen hand of God’s Providence in our own life. We will see the Providence of God in every chapter of the book of Ruth.
We will see and feel the heartaches, the deep disappointments, and the bad decisions of leaving God out of their life. The same mistakes or bad decisions that were we make are found in the book of Ruth. But we will also see the unseen Providence of God will also be at work.
May I remind you that, “When you are at the end of the rope, “Remember that God is at the other end.”
That’s the Providence of God.
From the book of Ruth, we will be able to say, just a Job said, “Though He slays me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15).
We will be able to say as Habakkuk did in
Habakkuk 3:17–18 (ESV)
17 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
From the book of Ruth, we will be reminded that the Lord does sometimes empty us, but only in order to fill us with His goodness.
That is certainly what the book of Ruth is all about. The book of Ruth will introduces us to three heart breaking crises, the death of Naomi’s husband and the death of her 2 sons.
In deep sadness Naomi and Ruth are unable to see the Providence of God. They cannot see that God constantly watching over every circumstance and personally arranging, and even at times rearranging the circumstances of life for their greatest good.
From the book of Ruth, we will learn that: The Providence of God is at work, directing and, even at times redirecting the very details of our life.
Later on today, would you look back over the years of your life, and recall a crises that you have experienced. For some of us, that is the last thing we will want to do. Because the painful past is just that, painful.
It may be possible that as you look back over your painful past, you may be able to see the very Providence of God that occurred in your life.
For example, looking back at the past, for some of us, if we had not lost that job, we would have never met our wife or husband. That was the unseen hand of God, the Providence of God. Or someone else would have never landed that great awesome job. Or because of what happened, you met Jesus as your personal Savior.
Can you recall a time when the Providence of God stepped into your life?
From the book of Ruth, We will learn that the Providence of God has already been at work behind the scenes of our life.
That true of your life and mine.
For Ruth and Naomi, both their husbands died. That had to be very difficult tying time. However, the Providence of God has already been
at work, even before their husband’s death. The Providence of God was engineering at least six positive results from Naomi's husband's failure to follow God’s plan for his life.
• The Providence of God will bring Naomi back to her home town of Bethlehem.
• The Providence of God will bring Naomi back to a relationship with God.
• The Providence of God provides widowed and childless Naomi a new family.
• The Providence of God will bring Ruth to trust God.
• The Providence of God brought Ruth to marry a wonderful man named Boaz.
• The Providence of God brought a godly legacy that Naomi, Ruth or Boaz could have never imagined. From their marriage will come the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
While you are in your crisis, you may not be able to see that God’s Providence is already at work. It may not look like it or feel like God is at work.
Because the Providence of God is a mystery to our small minds. In our crises, we may be thinking, “Where is God?
We will learn that God can not only brings good out of bad events, but He also does so with exquisite timing!
1. From the book of Ruth, we will Learn How To Trust God in the Hard Times of Life.
Let’s just take a peek into the book of Ruth looking at just the very first 2 verses of Ruth.
Ruth 1:1–2 (ESV)
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 from Ephrathites Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there.
During this time, according to Judges. 3:12–14), Moab had invaded Israel and ruled over the people of Bethlehem for eighteen years.
If the 18 year occupation of Israel by Moab, if it occurred in the life time of Abimelech, he may well be thinking, “Since Moab now occupies Bethlehem, and there is no famine in Moab, why not move to Moab?
Elimelech is the first main character in the book of Ruth.
He is married, to Naomi and has 2 sons.
Elimelech is a Hebrew living in the small village of Bethlehem, just about five miles south of Jerusalem.
When a famine hit Bethlehem Elimelech decided to box up his stuff, pack up his wife and 2 kids, and move about fifty miles to the southeast to a country called Moab. Living there he hoped to escape the famine.
When Elimelech loaded up his family to move to Moab, his heart had already moved away from God.
Do you know what Elimelech's name means?
Elimelech's name means “God is my King.” That was his name, but God sure was not the king of his life.
Elimelech is a man who is the king of his own life.
When someone sees themselves as king, they leave God totally out of their life.
When someone lives their life like they are king, that’s when all the agony, and misery, and nightmares of life breaks loose for his family.
In that process, Elimelech family will get crushed, and broken by Elimelech's decision to leave God out of his life.
Elimelech path of a self-willed, self-directed life, just like many others in the book of Judges will result in crash.
The downward spiral of the nation of Israel through repeated cycles of people doing life in their way, resulting in apostasy and defeat.
Elimelech lived with that mindset of leaving God out of his life.
How did Elimelech life become separated from God? How did that happen?
The Bible tells us how it happened. Turn to Romans 1:21
Romans 1:21–23 (ESV)
21 For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools.
That’s Elimelech. He is the king of his own life. Elimelech's Financial Success Plan is: RUN from God!
No big deal, right?
It is a big deal.
To a Hebrew, Moab was like the forbidden, like Area 51 in California that’s off-limits.
Elimelech knew that Moab was, off-limits, but he went anyway.
Elimelech decided that he was smart enough to outrun the judgment of God. At least that’s how he viewed himself.
Why Was Moab Off-Limits?
First, Do you remember in the book of Genesis, Lot and his family were fleeing the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah? The story was found in Genesis 19.
Lot’s two daughters got their father drunk and had sexual intercourse with him. (Genesis 19:37). And is believed that was still happening as a way of life in Moab.
So incest was part of the life of those who lived in Moab.
But that’s not all.
Moab is a country where children were burned for a sacrifice to their God.
Listen to 2 Kings 3:26–27 (ESV) 26 When the king of Moab saw that the battle was going against him, he took with him 700 swordsmen to break through, opposite the king of Edom, but they could not. 27 Then he took his oldest son who was to reign in his place and offered him for a burnt offering on the wall…”
And Elimelech wanted to live with those folks!
Can you think of anyone you know who is doing what’s right in their own eyes?
They are going to crash.
If we could ask Abimelech, “How long will you will be staying in forbidden Moab?” I’m sure he would say as in verse 1, “We're just going to “sojourn” down there.”
But what really happened? The bottom of verse 2 says,
Ruth 1:2 (ESV)
They went into the country of Moab and remained there.
I wish I could interview Elimelech. Abimelech while he was in Moab. Abimelech, how long have been living here in Moab? Nine years. Nine years, I thought you were just going to “sojourn.” How is that you are still here 9 years later? He answered, “Well, you know a man got to do what a man’s got to do. And my boys are now married.
Going back to Ruth 1:1
Notice in Ruth 1:1 that Elimelech told everyone he was just going to what? “Sojourn in Moab.” Sojourn is a short-term stay.
Did you know his body is still in Moab even today?
And Elimelech certainly did not have his life together. I’m sure he never foresaw that he and his two boys would die in Moab.
That sojourn in Moab—his short-term plan to get around the economic difficulties would wind up with himself and his 2 sons losing their life in Moab.
The life of Elimelech is full of lessons for us today. Ask yourself 3 questions.
One: Have you ever gotten ahead of the Lord?
Second: Have you ever looked back on the past decisions you made, and now you can’t believe how foolish they were?
Third: Have you ever charted a course that proved to be a complete and total failure?
Then join the club, because if not all of us have, at least most of us have done exactly that. We have left God out of our lives.
When it came to a famine and suffering, Elimelech looked for the nearest exit, having it his way.
The move from Bethlehem to Moab was flat-out disobedience.
Elimelech certainly never intended to be buried in Moab. That was not part of his plan.
However, Elimelech's brief sojourn turned into ten years resulting in his death and his two son’s.
In Jeremiah 9:23–24 Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.
I want to ask you a question.
Which road will you take today?
Not which road did you choose yesterday or even ten years ago.
What road are you going to choose today?
Elimelech thought he was a cut above the other men who were staying put in Bethlehem. He had a plan to make a short-term move to Moab and ride out the hard times and then head back home. I’m sure he was patting himself on the back for “thinking ahead.”
But it was all sand.
And that’s why it fell apart.
He led his family in a horrific problem. The problem with smart guys or dumb guys or in-between guys is that none of us have any control whatsoever over our futures.
Elimelech reminds me of a man named Demas, whom Paul mentions in
2 Timothy 4:10: “For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.”
Ecclesiastes 7:13–14 Consider the word of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked?
Are you thinking that you made an incredible mess of things?
You may even imagine that things in your life have now veered absolutely out of control.
The truth is they may be out of your control, but they are not out of God’s control.
Principle 1: In hard times, stay at your post and learn the lessons God has for you.
Principle 2: In hard times, don’t run to the enemy’s camp for relief.
You do know what you have to do in a famine? Be thankful for what you do have. And trust the Providence of God.
It’s too late now for Elimelech, his bones are still in Moab.
But it’s not too late for you. Regardless of the path you are on, today is the day of salvation. Turn from your old way of life and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the great Savior, and He is there for you the moment you call upon Him:
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes and is justified, and with the mouth, one confesses and is saved. (Rom. 10:9–10)