Ruth 1

[00:00:00] You're listening to the Through the Bible Studio series with Pastor Nate Holdridge. Join us as we continue our study through the Old Testament book of Ruth. Here's Nate.

[00:00:30] And of course, one of the mysteries of the Christian life is how God is able to take all things, even distasteful individual ingredients and mix them together to bake something wonderful and beautiful in our lives. He is able to take all things and work them together for good.

[00:00:52] This is found in living color in the book of Ruth. Ruth, of course, is written at a time in Israel's history before the kings but after the entrance into the promised land.

[00:01:08] They are no longer wandering in the wilderness but they do not yet have the leadership of the Davidic line.

[00:01:18] They are in that in-between period the time of the judges when individual leaders and heroes would be raised up to give victory to the people of God during times of crisis.

[00:01:31] And what happens in the book of Ruth is that an Israelite family because of famine in Bethlehem flees to the country of Moab, which would immediately be seen by the leaders of the book of Ruth as a negative thing, something that is not good.

[00:01:52] Two sons of the married couple who flee to Moab eventually marry Moabite women, which would also be seen as not good.

[00:02:03] They would eventually die before they had children and especially in that culture it was not good and their mother Naomi would be left alone when her husband, Alimalek, would die there in Moab.

[00:02:19] But Naomi will return to Bethlehem not with both of her daughters-in-law but with only one of them, a young woman named Ruth.

[00:02:27] And Naomi will return calling herself a bitter woman, someone who God had turned against at the hand of the Lord was on in a negative sense.

[00:02:38] Yet in the midst of all of this God was working. God was working all of these things together for good, not only in Naomi's life but in the life of the nation of Israel.

[00:02:51] The book begins with the horrible backdrop to the beautiful story. It's found in verse 1 through 5 so let's read it together and notice God's work during disastrous times.

[00:03:04] It says in the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land. An amount of Bethlehem and Judah went to Sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.

[00:03:17] The name of the man was Alimalek and the name of his wife Naomi and the names of his two sons were Melaun and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem and Judah.

[00:03:28] They went into the country of Moab and remained there but Alimalek, the husband of Naomi died. And she was left with her two sons.

[00:03:36] These took Moabite wives, the name of the one was Orba, and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years in both Melaun and Chilion died so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

[00:03:52] Everything in this opening paragraph is disastrous. First of all there's a famine in the land, a famine in Israel, a famine in Bethlehem which actually means house of bread. So in the house of bread there was no bread.

[00:04:10] Now for Israel a famine was different than a famine might be in our modern times because for Israel they were the people of God and a famine indicated that they had strayed from a loving dependent relationship upon the Lord.

[00:04:26] In that rebellion against God, God would discipline his people with drought and with famine in order to drive them back to him in repentance.

[00:04:38] So here when we read of a famine in the land, we immediately understand that this was caused by some disobedience in the nation of Israel.

[00:05:08] In the year 25, the moment when on the way to the promised land, the land of Canaan and the Moabites wouldn't allow them to pass without attempting to corrupt the people of Israel.

[00:05:18] King Balak attempted to hire Balam to pronounce a curse upon the people of Israel and of course it was through Balam's counsel that the people of Israel entered into the worship of Balam and the sexual immorality attached to it and God himself struck the people of Israel.

[00:05:35] Despite people the Moabite women specifically had corrupted the nation historically but that's where they went.

[00:05:43] Now a limolek, it tells us in verse 3 he died so that again another negative development in the story. The men, the young men, the sons, they took Moabite wives which was also a negative and then they eventually died.

[00:06:00] So all that this woman Naomi had left were her two daughters-in-law. She was left, it says at the end of verse 5 without her two sons and her husband.

[00:06:11] Now all of this is set on a very particular backdrop mentioned to us in verse 1 in the days when the judges ruled.

[00:06:22] All of this bad flowed from the national scene which was the time of the judges. Actually the last verse of the book of judges which is conveniently the verse right before the first verse of the book of Ruth in the way that we organize our Bibles says in those days there was no king in Israel.

[00:06:44] Everyone did what was right in his own eyes and even the casual reader of the book of judges comes to the determination that this was a negative development in the eyes of the Lord.

[00:06:57] Not necessarily that there was no king in Israel, that was fine they were to be a theocracy but doing what was right in their own eyes they had just sort of casted off all restraint and even the final pages of the book of judges demonstrate for us.

[00:07:13] The darkness, the depravity that was found there in Israel, sins which are hard to even mention as you read the last few chapters of the book of judges.

[00:07:23] And the whole of judges is a cycle of sin over and over and over again where the people of God come to the nations around them and through compromise begin to intermarry with the nations around them and eventually become enslaved to the nations around them.

[00:07:40] The people of God losing the power of God because of their own national sin and this was the moment that the book of Ruth flowed from.

[00:07:50] We don't know what time during the 400 plus years of the book of judges but at some moment during that horrible cycle, the story of Ruth developed.

[00:08:02] Now, the question that we would ask is why was this book written? You know some have said that this book was written to provide hope to the Gentile world because Ruth is a moabitis as a Gentile.

[00:08:17] Some have said that this book is a call to returning exiles who would read it and gain a heart for devotional integrity unto the Lord, remarrying the Lord so to speak.

[00:08:31] Some believe that it's merely here to develop David's ancestry because he is going to be born as a result of Ruth marrying a man named Boaz in this story.

[00:08:44] And some have thought that it's meant to demonstrate God's restorative ability that he's able to restore that which is broken and some have thought that it's meant to elaborate on the concept of redemption because Ruth is going to be redeemed.

[00:08:58] But we might want to just simply say that it's a beautiful story worth telling especially at that particular time.

[00:09:08] I mean the people there in Israel and the days of the judges were living in great darkness and to see that there was a faithful remnant and that God was still working in the midst of that faithful remnant would be all important.

[00:09:22] The first thing I think that we can learn here from Ruth chapter one is that God works during disastrous times.

[00:09:30] God works during disastrous times.

[00:09:33] In fact, it's fairly easy to contrast the beginning of the book which is all death and aloneness with the end of the book where there is a baby that's born and Naomi is surrounded with her friends.

[00:09:46] It's birth and community, death and aloneness to begin but birth and community to end this book.

[00:09:55] And this is the way that God often works working in disastrous times.

[00:10:00] You might remember there in first Kings chapter 19 when Elijah felt that he was the only one who was not willing to bow his knee to bail.

[00:10:10] God announced to him privately he said, I'll leave 7000 in Israel all the knees that have not bowed to bail.

[00:10:18] In other words, God saw a remnant during Elijah's day that was stronger larger than Elijah had imagined. He thought he was alone yet God was working.

[00:10:29] And again, God often works through and in during disastrous times when Christ came.

[00:10:38] Israel's spiritual condition was so broken they rejected their Messiah but during that disastrous time the church was born.

[00:10:48] When Jesus came, the religious leaders were prominent yet Christ was able to work in the tax collectors and the sinners.

[00:10:55] And of course we remember the gospel itself which is set upon the backdrop of mankind being sold under sin.

[00:11:05] And in the midst of that disaster, God is on the move.

[00:11:10] You know the question is can we believe that in our modern time?

[00:11:15] Are we able to believe that God works during times of disaster?

[00:11:20] Can we believe this?

[00:11:22] You know right now in our time I've been able to be in touch with various moves of God in the city of San Francisco.

[00:11:32] And clearly there are so many who don't yet know the Lord in that significant city.

[00:11:39] But there is a great move of grace there in that city as well over the last couple of decades.

[00:11:46] There's been a wonderful move of God in the northwest and in the region in and around the city of Seattle.

[00:11:56] And these are places that we might normally think of as far from God and there are many who are far from God.

[00:12:03] Yet God is working and moving during disastrous times even in our own community in Keshawah out far out from Monterey out in Carmel Valley way past you know where most people are willing to live and dwell a place of historical darkness.

[00:12:25] God is working a little church has formed and God's people are being built up.

[00:12:30] And in the darkest disastrous times God is able to work in that kind of place.

[00:12:38] And there in the time of the judges when everyone did what was right in their own eyes, there is this beautiful woman named Ruth who is devoted and becomes obedient to God.

[00:12:49] Now in that backdrop it moves on in diverse six.

[00:12:54] It says 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.

[00:13:05] So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law and they went on their way to return to the land of Judah.

[00:13:13] So out there in the Moabite fields Naomi heard something. She heard that God had begun blessing Israel once again and so she wanted to return back to her home nation.

[00:13:24] But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, go return each of you to her mother's house.

[00:13:31] May the Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me.

[00:13:36] May 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.

[00:13:46] So Naomi here is dismissing Ruth and Orpa. She's telling them that they can go back to Moab while she returns to Israel.

[00:13:58] She's encouraging them in verse 8 and 9 to go back and to find brand new husbands because her sons are now dead.

[00:14:06] And they said to her in verse 10, no we will return with you to your people but Naomi said, turn back my daughters why will you go with me?

[00:14:16] Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands?

[00:14:20] Now this is a reference to something that is pertinent to the story because what she's referring to is leverit marriage which basically indicates marriage to a husband's brother.

[00:14:37] And that was an ancient custom in that time and in that culture that had become part of God's law where if a woman was married to a man and the man died yet they had had no offspring, no children.

[00:14:53] Then the next available male family member could marry her and the first child that they had would be ascribed to the dead brother so that everything that belonged to him, all of his property and possession would remain in his family name.

[00:15:15] And Naomi in her old age is announcing to these women, look I don't have any more sons to give. Do I have sons in my womb to become your husbands?

[00:15:25] And so she says to them in verse 12, turn back my daughters go your way for I am too old to have a husband.

[00:15:32] If I should say I have hope even if I have a husband this night and should bear sons, would you therefore wait till they were grown?

[00:15:40] 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.

[00:15:52] I want you to notice the attitude that Naomi has about this entire situation. You know she refers to herself as too old.

[00:16:01] She says that she has no hope. She says that there's no way that they could wait long enough for husbands.

[00:16:11] She says that she's exceedingly bitter and the worst of all she announces the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.

[00:16:21] In other words God himself is against me. She's saying I'm too old, I have no hope, I have no time, I'm in a horrible situation.

[00:16:30] God is against me. Now why you to notice that in the midst of all of this without Naomi expressing great faith in God, God is working.

[00:16:42] This helps us number two to understand that not only does God work during disastrous times but God works despite despairing thoughts.

[00:16:53] You know her attitude would not here stop God's work and this is so often the way that God works.

[00:17:01] You might remember at the Red Sea when the Egyptian army was coming against the people of Israel. They began to cry out in fear.

[00:17:13] You know asking Moses have you brought us out here to die. It says in Psalm 106 that they rebelled at the Red Sea.

[00:17:22] This was rebellion in God's mind. These people had lost their faith in the Lord but in the midst of those despairing thoughts God would still work.

[00:17:32] In the midst of that you know woe is me. I'm at the end of my rope. There's nothing that can be done all hope is lost kind of attitude. God was working.

[00:17:44] This is similar to the New Testament story of Jesus telling his disciples that they would cross the Sea of Galilee and falling asleep in the stern of the boat and the storm came and was crushing against the boat.

[00:17:57] And they woke him up and said teacher do you not care that we are perishing. That same kind of panic was what had come upon Naomi and it come upon the Israelites at the Red Sea.

[00:18:11] Yet in the midst of those despairing thoughts God was working. You know can you believe this?

[00:18:18] You know so often we become overwhelmed with despair about our loneliness or about a relationship or about our children or about our failures.

[00:18:31] But we must allow the Lord through the despair to build up our lives.

[00:18:37] It says in Psalm 105 verse 19 about Joseph that the word of the Lord until what God had promised came to pass. The word of the Lord tested him.

[00:18:51] God is building up our faith. God is trying to strengthen us so that we have an after the battle attitude before the fight.

[00:19:02] But Naomi dispaired and God was working in the midst. Well it says in verse 14 that then they lifted up their voices and wept again and Orpa kissed her mother-in-law but roof clung to her.

[00:19:16] This tells us that Orpa departed. She took Naomi's counsel and went back to Moab but not Ruth. Ruth clung there was a devotion and that devotion was expressed in her words.

[00:19:28] She said to Ruth Naomi speaking in verse 15 see your sister-in-law has gone back to her people into her gods. Return after your sister-in-law.

[00:19:39] 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.

[00:19:50] Your people shall be my people and your God my God where you die I will die and there I will be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.

[00:20:04] And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her she said no more. I want you to see this extreme devotion from Ruth.

[00:20:15] Not only is she departing from Moab I mean that's what she's doing she's refusing to go back to the Moabite territory refusing to go back to the Moabite gods but she's also adopting Naomi and Naomi's whole life.

[00:20:31] She says I'm going to live where you live and your people will be my people and most importantly your God will be my God and where you die I'll die and I will be buried with you.

[00:20:43] To me this is a conversion in Ruth's life. This was for that era her born again experience. This was her Jordan River where there was no going back.

[00:20:56] She gave up everything in order to follow Naomi and it should be said that Ruth is really the key to this whole book because as she responds to God's beautiful grace great blessings are unlocked upon Boaz and Naomi and Bethlehem and the nation of Israel.

[00:21:18] And let it be noted that God works with this absolute departure in a orpa stayed in Moab and was never heard of again.

[00:21:29] But Ruth she took the step to depart completely from the old life and to follow after Naomi and when she did the blessing of God was unlocked and unleashed upon her life.

[00:21:44] Do you remember when Elijah called Elisha into the prophetic ministry? Elisha was with the oxen yoked up working the land and Elijah came in through his mantle upon him that signified that Elisha was now invited into the prophetic role.

[00:22:03] And Elisha took the oxen and slaughtered them and offered them as a sacrifice on a burning pile of wood that had come from the actual yoke.

[00:22:14] It was as if Elisha was saying there's no way that I can turn back. I can't go back to the old life. I've burned it up. It's completely gone.

[00:22:27] And so often our devotion is a half step towards the Lord. But the reality is if you really want to see God unleash his blessings upon your life, he loves to work with that absolute departure to leave the nets and to follow after him.

[00:22:47] Look, let the Holy Spirit search your heart. You know that there are certain things in your life that are incompatible with the Christian life.

[00:22:56] You can't keep them in your sphere. You can't keep them in your life. They're stumbling you and slowing you down.

[00:23:03] Ruth had an absolute devotion. She said, I'm leaving it all to follow after you Naomi. Now let's close out our story and this teaching in verse 19 and following.

[00:23:15] It says 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.

[00:23:23] And the women said, is this Naomi? Here we go back to Bethlehem, back to town. But when Naomi left she had a husband and two sons and now all she has is this Moabite girl with her.

[00:23:41] The women asked, is this Naomi? It's been over ten years since Naomi had been there. There were no photographs and she had aged and now they ask, is this Naomi?

[00:23:53] And she said to them in verse 20, note this, do not call me Naomi, call me Mara. For the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full and the Lord has brought me back empty.

[00:24:07] Why call me Naomi when the Lord is testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?

[00:24:14] Now Mara means bitter and Naomi means pleasant. So she's saying to them, look I left pleasant but I've come back bitter. The Lord, the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

[00:24:32] And her definition of her life at this point, her assessment is very simple. It's found in verse 21, I went away full and the Lord has brought me back empty.

[00:24:43] She's saying this, of course, as Ruth is standing there. And I went away with my sons. I went away with my husband and that was full. But now look what I have, I have nothing. The Lord has brought me back empty.

[00:24:58] But the reality is that as Ruth was standing there, Naomi had a great treasure. She was absolutely clueless to the work of God in her life.

[00:25:11] Her definition of what the full life is was incredibly weak. A husband in disobedience to God, a couple of sons who were willing to marry outside of God's covenant people. This was not the full life. But this is so often what we do.

[00:25:31] Now these things are not mutually exclusive. You can have a full retirement and a full life, but so often we will choose one or the other, a full retirement but an empty life, a full schedule, but a pointless existence, full of friends, but no real depth.

[00:25:52] You see, sometimes our problem isn't that we're looking for satisfaction, but that we too easily think we've found it. And Naomi here she says, I used to be full.

[00:26:03] Now the reality is she should have said, I went away empty, but though Lord has brought me back full. She was working in man's mathematics, but she needed God's.

[00:26:16] She went out empty, but she actually came back full. And it's the Lord who gives the life of actual fullness. Jesus said in Mark chapter 8 to the disciples, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me for whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake in the gospels will save it.

[00:26:43] This is actually the full life to deny yourself, to follow after the Lord. This is the actual full life and Jesus said when you lose it, you actually save it.

[00:26:54] So Naomi returned, verse 22, 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.

[00:27:07] Now this is a foreshadowing of what is going to come next session here in the book of Ruth when we discover Ruth out in the Barley Harvest meeting Moab.

[00:27:18] But remember God is working all things together for good, He's working during disastrous times, He's working during despairing thoughts, He's working with absolute departure and He's working to give actual fullness before Him.

[00:27:36] God bless you and Amen.