BOTTOM LINE: When life feels ruthlessly painful, hold on to God’s relentless promises.

INTRO

Ruth puns….

  • Shouldn’t fun-sized Baby Ruth bars be called Preemie-Ruths?
  • Why doesn’t Ruth like Joshua? Because Joshua Judges Ruth.
  • Johnny and Ruth are biking down a hill. Ruth hits a tree. Johnny continues on. Ruthlessly.

TENSION

These puns are painful to listen to, but real pain ain’t no joke.

Once you hit middle school, you start to become more aware of emotional pain…

  • Lose someone you love.
  • Family fighting/breaking up
  • Economics
  • Unfair situations
  • Incredibly unkind people

Where’s God in this pain? Does he see it? Does he allow it? Does he cause it?

When life feels ruthlessly painful, hold on to God’s relentless promises.

TRUTH

Scripture: Ruth 1:1-22

  • Context: The time of the judges; to be read in tandem
  • Background: 1 of 2 books named after a woman; themes: redemption, character, and goodness

Read & Comment

  • The sojourn: v.1-2
  • The crises: v.3-5 (Left, left without; explain crisis of no patriarch)
  • The return: v.6-18 (emotions)
  • The emotions: v.19-21
  • The harvest: v.22
  1. God is always working, even when life is painful.

Why the famine? God’s promises to Israel…

  • First promise: Genesis 12:1-3
  • Conditional promises: Deuteronomy 28 (read)
    • “If you obey…the LORD will…”
    • They turned back to God, and he was true to his promise (1:6)

How does God work?

  • Through events that appear natural (famine, death).
  • Through unfair cultural and legal situations (patriarchy, redeemer laws, abuse toward women).
  • Through people with godly character (Ruth, Boaz).
  • Through chance events/divine intervention (barley harvest).
  • In all of these events, God’s kindness can be seen (hesed) (Cf. 1:8, 2:20, 3:10)

God’s promises to us…

  • Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28
  • But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9
  • Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7
  • Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. – James 1:2-3
  • If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. – James 1:5
  • Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. – James 4:7
  • Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. – James 4:8
  • And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28
  • For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38-39
  • “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” – John 14:3
  • “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:20
  • If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9
  • “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16
  • “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” – John 8:36
  1. There’s always a place for you in the family of God.

It was more than a geographic decision (v.15)

  • “BUT Ruth…” (v.15,16)
  • Used Elohim, as reference to God in verse 16, but used God’s covenant name, Yaweh, in verse 17.
  • Ruth is mentioned in Matthew 1:17 as a matriarch in the family of Jesus.

Ruth came from a horrific culture, but was not beyond the saving power of God.

  • Genesis 12:3 – In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
  • Ephesians 2:13 – Those who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

You may not come from a spiritual or religious family, but there is room for you and all your baggage in the family of God.

  1. You can always come home.

The Pattern: Sojourn, remain, ingrain (took wives)

  • Sojourn: Left God’s promises & blessings
    • Left Bethlehem, the House of Bread
    • Living by feeling, not by promises
    • Naomi was likely a tagalong.
    • Elimelech designed his own solution (sojourn) instead of God’s (repent).
  • Remain: Stayed longer than planned (Sinfulness of Moab)
    • Numbers 25 – Drug Israelites into immorality and Baal worship.
    • Deuteronomy 23 – Forbidden from entering Israel’s assembly.
    • 1 Kings 11:7 – Led Israelites & Solomon into worship of Chemosh.
    • 2 Kings 3:27 – Child sacrifice (King Mesha)
    • Where’s your Moab?
  • Ingrain: Took Moabite wives; so tied-up there’s no way out
    • Loss of trust in God often leads to theological compromise.

The Return: 5x

  • Naomi came to her senses in 1:6. Similarities to the Prodigal Son

The Regret: Pain and emptiness

  • Naomi left with an empty belly, and returned with an empty life (1:21).
  • Regret looks for someone to blame (God) (1:13, 20-21).

The Redemption: Next week!

  • Jesus: the Bread of Life (John 6), born in the House of Bread (Bethlehem)
  • God isn’t done with Naomi!
  • God isn’t done with you! You can always come home!

When life feels ruthlessly painful, hold on to God’s relentless promises.

APPLICATION

#1 – Rely: Rely on God’s promises, even in the pain.

#2 – Redeemer: Receive Jesus as your Savior tonight and join the family of God.

#3 – Return. You can always come home.