Sermon Series: Ruth (From Ruin to Redemption)

Sermon Title: Come Out of the Ruins

The story of Ruth takes place during the times of the judges before Israel had a king.    The story also takes place before King David comes to power as he is mentioned in chapter 4 as being the great grandson of Boaz & Ruth.  So, to give us a time frame of when the story took place, Israel’s receives their first judge around the year 1375 B.C. and King David is born around 1040 B.C.  So the story of Ruth takes places sometime within that time frame.

Interestingly, the Jews place the book of Ruth right after the book of Solomon’s Song in their bible.  According to the Jewish Bible their order is Solomon’s Song, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and then Esther.

Ruth is a part of a collection of scrolls called “Megilloth” often referred to as “The Five Scrolls or The Five Megillot.” All five of these megillot ("scrolls") are traditionally read publicly in the synagogue over the course of the year in many Jewish communities.

The main characters are Naomi, her daughter in law Ruth, & Boaz. 

Naomi Widowed

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. 

Many of us can relate to being displaced due to circumstances beyond our control.  Hurricane Ida displaced many of you even if it was momentary.  While others have been displaced for a more permanent season of time.  The idea is that they were not home.  Home was the land of Canaan, the promised land that God had brought them to.  But because of the severity of the famine, Elimelech and his family must move to the land of Moab.  Anyone who had to move their family to an unfamiliar place can relate to Elimelech and his family. 

(Picture of Map of Moab)

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 Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. ³ But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 

Elimelech- his name means “God is king.” Elimelech was a Bethlehemite because he lived in Bethlehem; However, he was a head of the tribe of Judah. Judah was the fourth son of Jacob and Leah.  It is from the tribe of Judah through which the messiah would come. 

The reason we are reading this story today is because Elimelech was a direct descendant of Abraham.  As a descendant of Abraham, he is an heir to the promises of God.  If Elimelech had not been tied to the covenant, we would not be reading of the story of Ruth. 

But as we are reading about him today, we are discovering God’s divine wisdom in the way that He has established the lineage that would bring about His Son to the earth. Elimelech was tied to the promise, now he is dead.

Again, his name means “God is king.” God is King when everything was good back in Bethlehem.  But what about when your comforts and securities are taken away, is God still King then?  For Naomi, Elimelech was her provider, her comfort, her identity is wrapped up in the fact that she is Elimelech’s wife. 

Is God still king when all that you have known and all that has brought about your identity is suddenly taken away?

At this point in the story Naomi still has her children.  Let’s look back at the names of her two sons for a moment.  Back then names were significant in meaning. God even changed Abram’s name to a name that was more suited to the promise that He gave him.

Genesis 17:5

⁵ No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

Abram- Exalted Father

Abraham- Father of a multitude

Therefore, I find it interesting that in our story today the name of Elimelech and Naomi’s sons were:

            Mahlon- sick

Chilion-pining (failing gradually in health or vitality, especially from grief, regret, or longing)

So, if we put it together, up to this point Naomi has lost Elimelech (God is King) and all that she has remaining with her Mahlon (sick) & Chilion (failing in health or vitality)

Note they were given these names at birth many years before they ventured to the land of Moab.  These names were proclaimed over them their entire life.  Important side note to parents, watch what you declare over your children’s lives.

To make it relative, some people have lost the sense that God is king due to unforeseen circumstances and all that remains is sick or even failing faith.  Your faith is not well, you are not well.  For Naomi this was just the beginning of the downward spiral. 

⁴ These took Moabite wives;

The Israelites were warned through multiple scriptures not to intermarry with those who worshipped other gods.  

Deuteronomy 7:4 “for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods.”

To add injury to insult, Naomi is not only living a long distance from home, not only has she lost her husband, but her sons married women from Moab, a place known for idolatry. We see this at the end of our chapter. 

Perhaps some of you mothers could relate, because you know what it is to have your children hooked up to unbelievers. The Lord sees your brokenness as you patiently wait, trust God and await their redemption.  But sometimes it gets worse before it gets better such was the case for Naomi:

the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, ⁵ and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

Naomi is a broken woman.  She has lost her husband and now she has lost both of her sons who were the rightful heirs to the promise.  Her life is in ruins.

• How would her husband’s name continue now that both of her sons have died?
• How would their family legacy continue if she had no sons to carry it on?
• What would the other Israelite women think about her when they found out all the calamity that had happened to her?
• Was God against her? Was He set on destroying her life? 

She certainly felt that way

²⁰ She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. ²¹ I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”

Naomi- my delight

Mara- bitterness; a name Naomi called herself due to her calamities

Important to note her parents named her “Naomi” which means my delight, but she named herself “Mara.”  How easy it is to forget who you are and more importantly whose you are when surrounded by calamity and ruin.  

No one expected this to happen. I’m sure this is not what Elimelech had hoped for when he set out for Moab.  He had hopes of a better tomorrow, living in a more prosperous place, a place that was not ridden with famine and death.  Yet death is exactly what comes to him and his sons.

• What happens when the dream dies?
• What happens when things do not go as we planned them?
• Is God still King?
• Or do you allow calamity and/or misfortune to make you forget who you are as you become someone you are not?

Her name was not Mara, it was Naomi “My delight.”

But let’s not be too hard on Naomi, she is a broken person.  Thankfully, in our weakness He is made strong.  I am reminded of a scripture in the New Testament

            2 Corinthians 12:9-10

⁹ “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

The good news of the gospel is that we don’t have to have it all together to come to Christ.  He will take us at our lowest point, when our strength has failed, when we have no more power to go on, His grace is sufficient for you.  I love what happens in these next two verses.

⁶ 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. ⁷ So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 

Something remarkable happens in these two verses.  She arose, for she had heard, that the Lord had visited. So to put them in Chronological order

• The Lord visited (He is a compassionate God full of love and mercy) He visited the Israelites in their distress
• Someone witnessed it and told her about it and she heard
• She arose because her faith arose inside her
• She set out to pursue but ultimately it was the Lord who was in pursuit of her.

Faith comes through hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  It is very likely that she had sick faith, or even pining(failing) faith, she probably even had doubts, but she did have a little faith.

Matthew 17:20

For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

She had enough faith that she rose and went to be where the Lord had visited.  How comforting to know that the God of Israel still visited His people amid trying circumstances.  It served Naomi well to rise and head back to the land of Judah.  She headed back to be in community with God’s people.  She removed herself from the land of Moab where they worshipped false gods and she went into the land where they worshipped the one true living God. 

⁸ But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. ⁹ 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. ¹⁰ And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” ¹¹ But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? ¹² Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, ¹³ would you therefore wait till they were grown? 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.” ¹⁴ Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

Here Naomi has enough faith to arise and go, but still feeling like she has nothing to offer her daughter in-laws.  She had no more sons to give these two women, she felt too old to even get another husband, she truly felt worthlesswith nothing to offer.

But Ruth her daughter in-law obviously saw something different in Naomi, even if she didn’t see it herself.  It is often helpful to surround yourself with people who will encourage you as you become the woman or man that God has intended for you to be.  Yes, Ruth seen that Naomi has lost her husband and her two sons yet she still willing to follow Naomi all the way back to Judah, and she is willing to cling to the God of Naomi and abandon the false godsof Moab.   That’s how we know Naomi’s faith was genuine.  She simply found herself in a difficult season in her life.

Let this be an encouragement to you who are believing for your friends and family members.  Know for sure that they are watching your lives.  They see the testing of your faith, they see the trials and adversities, they also see the glimmer of hope that you cling to in the Lord even in the ruins. They may wonder why you have joy when calamity surrounds you, they may wonder why you have peace when all hell is breaking loose.  Obviously, Ruth sees something different in Naomi than she sees in the rest of the Moabite women as she is willing to forsake all.

When the time comes, you must believe that they will follow your example and cling to the cross of Jesus Christ and forsake all others.

¹⁵ And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” ¹⁶ 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. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. ¹⁷ Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”¹⁸ And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.

Naomi and Ruth Return

¹⁹ 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. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” ²⁰ She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.²¹ I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”

²² So Naomi returned, 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.

I’m here.  I’m broken, I don’t have much to offer but I’m here.  I’m here because I heard that the Lord is here.  Is it true? Because He is the only one who can fix my brokenness, otherwise I would have stayed amongst the pagans.

The good news this morning is that this story does not end in brokenness as we will find out in coming weeks.  But the story of Ruth is a story is about redemption.  This story is about our loving savior who comes to us in our time of distress and calls us out of the ruins and brings us to a place where we experience His goodness, His mercy, His favor and His loving kindness.  That is where Naomi is heading. 

Perhaps you are dealing with weak faith, or declining faith, perhaps you’re struggling with doubts.  You have dealt with circumstances that have caused you to question your faith, to question God, to question His sovereignty, or to question His goodness towards you.  You have lost or misplaced identity, you don’t know who you are anymore.

I’m here to tell you that Jesus is here, He can handle it and He wants to make you whole.  He is calling you out of your place of ruin and into His marvelous light.  

You don’t have to have it all together,

• it’s ok if you come to Him broken,
• It’s ok if you come to him with some doubts,
• it’s ok if you come to Him with nothing to offer.

Just come to Him.  He can handle it.

1 Peter 5:6-7

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, ⁷ casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Come Out of the Ruins