Ruth 1-4
Introduction
to the Reading: Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit. I reminded my wife just
yesterday of that one little phrase of Latin I still remembered from college.
We were driving in the car chuckling about the past. What was the event that brought
smiles to our faces just to think about? What brought laughter and was the
basis of our joking?
Well it
actually was a car accident that she had been in a few years back. She had
totaled the car. What made it worse was that it had taken place only a day or
two after she had gotten out of the hospital. It had been an absolutely
terrible week for her. It was a “rock bottom time” for her, like Pastor Ben had
been talking about last week. I’m sure you’ve had times like that, times when
you couldn’t imagine how things would work out or how you would make it. Do you
remember a moment like that in your life?
Yet
looking back, my wife Mel & I realized that as terrible as things were at
the time, we now were able to joke about them. The phrase I quoted to her was
one that I had said to her that devastating week. I had quoted Vergil's Aeneid,
"Perhaps someday it will be
pleasant to have remembered even these things."
Today we
will read about a woman whose life was "bitter." She had suffered in
many different ways: she had endured a famine, lived in a foreign land, lost
her husband, and even saw her only two sons die. Nonetheless, in the end, it is
a joyful, happy story. It is a love story - a story of love between a couple,
love between in-laws, and if you notice - love from the Lord.
Before You
Read - Background of the Book of Ruth: The story of Ruth stands in stark
contrast to the book of Judges, even though the events occur during the same
period. You may think of it as a diamond in the rough: a shining ray of hope
during a very dark period for the Israelites. We see love and faithfulness
between individuals. More than that, while the Israelites are turning away from
the Lord, we see an unbeliever coming to faith in the Lord.
Interesting
Tidbit: The book of Ruth is traditionally read by the Jews on Pentecost.
You may wonder why because we think of Pentecost as the festival of the Holy
Spirit. But do you remember why the disciples were gathered together in the
first place? Pentecost is a harvest festival. They were having what amounts to
the Jewish version of our Thanksgiving dinner. Ruth had something more than
just food to be thankful for at the harvest, and so we too are reminded that
the Lord has richly blessed us as well.
Time to
Slow it Down - Bottom of Pages 122 "Where you go, I will go..." Things
weren't going well, were they? Naomi had left home with her husband because of
a famine. Now, not only was he dead, but her two sons as well. As a woman,
Naomi (whose name actually means "pleasant.") had a problem: she had
no way to support herself. On top of it, as a foreigner in Moab she wouldn't
get much help from anyone, and the only two individuals who she was close to,
her daughters-in-law, had lost their husbands and were essentially in the same
boat.
On top of
the physical difficulties, we also notice a spiritual problem. Like many of the
Israelites during the period of the judges, Elimelek had apparently turned to
foreign, pagan nations for help rather than turning to the Lord. Then his sons
married the "wrong type of women" for a faithful Israelite - they
married Moabites. The Lord said his people were not to intermarry with the
pagan nations around them. In fact, do you remember how the Lord sent a plague
on the Israelites for having sex with the Moabite women? (p. 82-83; Numbers 25;
cf. also Nehemiah 13:23) In many ways, the story of Ruth starts out at a point
where "everything is going wrong."
But in the
words of Ruth, we see a glimmer of hope. While the book of Judges was a
downward cycle, a cycle that keeps repeating, in Ruth the cycle is broken. Ruth
takes another path - not away from the Lord but toward the Lord's people. At
this point, where is her faith at? I'm really not sure. Does she believe in the
Lord or is she just that dedicated to Naomi? Either way, let’s see how
following the Lord brought blessings to Ruth…and us.
When You're Done Reading - Thoughts to Ponder: Ruth
chose a difficult path, at least from a lower level perspective. As a widow
life was pretty difficult to begin with. I’m sure she was worried how she would
provide for herself, nevertheless the mother-in-law she had committed to help.
Now throw on top of that a move to a foreign, well actually enemy land. Can you
imagine what it would have been like for her to hang out by the harvesters and
what they would have thought? It would be like a woman in a burka hanging out
by the combines in rural Wisconsin. Do you think the rumors might have begun to
fly? And just to make things even more difficult, the Jewish customs and
beliefs were still probably a bit foreign to her. I’m sure her parents would
have taught her as a kid to worship the Moabite god Chemosh. Ruth was in a very
awkward, very stressful place in life.
Yet notice
how the Lord blesses her & Naomi. He provided someone to look after their
physical needs by giving them food and eventually buying back the family
property. He gave her a husband who was loving and respectful. He took care of
the family name and inheritance. From a lower level perspective, Ruth and Naomi
had much to be thankful for.
But
remember how we also need to pay attention to the upper story as well? The
other night my wife, while we were reading the book of Judges, asked why the Israelites
were commanded to fight the Moabites and other pagan nations. If you remember,
we discussed a couple of times over the last few weeks how the Lord used the Israelites
to bring judgment on the unbelief and wickedness of the Canaanite nations that
had occupied the land. But then she asked the question, “What if they became
believers?”
The book
of Ruth is a reminder that the love of God extends not only to those who are
down-and-out or those who can’t take care of themselves. We are reminded that
God’s love is for ALL people. In Deuteronomy, as Moses repeats God’s commands
to the Israelites before they enter the promised land, he reminds them, “[The
Lord] executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the
foreigner, giving him food and clothing” (10:18). How many of those categories
does Ruth fall into? All of them! God’s love is for all people – rich and poor,
male and female, foreigner and stranger.
God’s love
is for us! Did you notice it in our lesson how this story ties directly in to
the story of salvation – into your story?
Your Savior, Jesus, was a descendant of Ruth! Her son was the great-grandfather
of King David, who would become the king of Israel and great-great-great…grandfather
of Jesus – the one who paid the price of death to buy you back, to redeem you
from the punishment for sin. (cf. Matthew 4)
The story
of Ruth is the story of a faithful Moabite during a period of Israelite
unfaithfulness. From a lower story perspective it is the story of God’s
faithfulness to look after our needs. But more than either of those, from an
upper story perspective it’s the story of God looking after our greatest need:
a redeemer from sin.
Making it My Own – Questions to ask:
- Who do you know whose life is “bitter?”
- Who do you know that might feel like an outsider?
- Who do you know who may need physical
food or care?
- Who do you know who needs spiritual care?
- Who do you know needs to hear the story
of Ruth?
- Will you be like Boaz and show them love?
How?
Prayer (A Hymn of Thanksgiving):
(Luther
reminds us what we mean when we pray “Give us today our daily bread.” He writes
in his Small Catechism, “God surely gives daily bread without our asking, even
to all the wicked, but we pray in this petition that he would lead us to
realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving. What, then, is
meant by daily bread? Daily bread includes everything that we need for our
bodily welfare, such as food and drink, clothing and shoes, house and home,
land and cattle, money and goods, a godly spouse, godly children, godly
workers, godly and faithful leaders, good government, good weather, peace and
order, health, a good name, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.”)
We praise you, O God, our Redeemer, Creator,
In grateful devotion our tribute we bring;
We lay it before you, we kneel and adore you,
We bless your holy Name, glad praises we sing.
In grateful devotion our tribute we bring;
We lay it before you, we kneel and adore you,
We bless your holy Name, glad praises we sing.
We worship you, God of our fathers, we bless you;
Through life’s storm and tempest our guide you have been;
When perils overtake us, you will not forsake us,
And with your help, O Lord, our battles we win.
Through life’s storm and tempest our guide you have been;
When perils overtake us, you will not forsake us,
And with your help, O Lord, our battles we win.
With voices united our praises we offer,
To you, great Jehovah, glad anthems we raise.
Your strong arm will guide us, our God is beside us,
To you, our great Redeemer, forever be praise.
To you, great Jehovah, glad anthems we raise.
Your strong arm will guide us, our God is beside us,
To you, our great Redeemer, forever be praise.
For those
who like more:
- Forward in Christ article "Is
He 'The One'?" - Mom
gives advice on what to look for when searching for Mr. Right.
- A devotion on what a redeemer was in the
Old Testament, and how Christ serves as our Redeemer? http://www.wels.net/spiritual-help/daily-devotion/2010-09/ruth-217-20-september-2-2010
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