The Line That Leads to…Jesus: Ruth 1

“Advent” – from the Latin adventus, meaning “coming” or “arrival.” In Christianity, we love to celebrate Advent after Thanksgiving into Christmas because it encompasses both a celebration of Christ’s first coming (His incarnation) and an anticipation of His 2nd coming.

While in a Nazi prison cell in 1943 weeks before Advent, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote that “A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes, does various unessential things, and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent.”

Shortly after penning those words, the Nazis executed Bonhoeffer. But he was right: the door of freedom for him and for us today is still opened from the outside by the coming and second coming of Jesus Christ. Source: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison, (Touchstone/1997), p.416

Discipleship Lessons from Ruth

 

 

1. Tough times come

Background: The family’s decision to leave Bethlehem (ironically meaning “house of bread”) during a famine could be seen as a lack of trust in God’s ability to provide. While famine is a severe trial, the move to Moab—a place historically hostile to Israel-suggests they sought human solutions rather than depending on God in their covenant land.

Moab was known for its idolatry and opposition to Israel (e.g., Numbers 22-25), which is why Mosaic law discouraged Israel from associating with them. By moving there, Naomi’s family may have risked assimilation into a culture at odds with the God of Israel. Discipleship involves living counter-culturally, but their presence in Moab and marrying pagan women might suggest they were willing to spiritually drift for the sake of survival or just plain old convenience.

While the family’s move to Moab might have seemed practical, it could also reflect a disregard for the law’s guidance and blatant defiance of the will of God.

Back to “tough times”…

We are not exempt (especially, but not only, if we are in a place/circumstance that God has warned against.

  • Death (of three husbands)
  • Desperation
  • Lack of resources
  • Bitterness
  • Barrenness
  • Too old

2. Good things come to those with unusual commitment (1:14-18)

  • The magnitude of this decision (4:22)
  • Of what things are we unusually committed to?
    • Spouses/kids are wonderful commitments, obviously, but even this can get us in spiritual trouble (parents of kids who are LGBTQ tend to swerve in that direction with their spiritual commitments because – they love their family more than God.

3. There’s something about…Naomi

  • Why does Ruth cling to her? “Clung” = “cleave” in Genesis
    • She was headed in a sure direction.
    • She had her eye out for the abundant life (There is the promise of harvest here – they run to it (1:6,22))
    • Naomi is clear about her bitterness toward her situation but still acknowledged the sovereignty of God (Ruth 1:20-21). People who finally concede that “God’s got this” attract.
    • Naomi strongly encouraged her two daughters-in-law, Ruth and.Orpah, to return to Moab where they might find new husbands and a new start (Ruth 1:8-9). Selflessness is worth following.
    • Could Ruth have just wearied of the idolatry and emptiness of Moabite culture and wanted out?
    • Almost assuredly something about her winsome character.
    • Could it be that she had never lost touch with the God of Israel and of love and of providence… and Ruth found it captivating?
    • Could it simply have been – there is “hope” in her eyes back in the Promised Land, and I want that hope for myself?
  • Who/what are you clinging to?

4. The promise of harvest

  • There is the promise of harvest here – they run to it (1:6,22)
  • For us – there is the promise of abundant life…at all costs, run to it!
    • Pay any price to get to the place where God is worshipped, God is central, His values are promoted and in Jesus all of this is exported.