Love's Redeeming Work

“Although the times of the judges were dark, when “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judg. 17:6), God still was calling to himself a believing remnant. Through Elimelech’s decision to take his family to Moab (whether right or wrong), God would work to fulfill his promise to Abraham, “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3). This story is an important piece of the overarching story of redemptive history. The last word in the book will make this abundantly clear.” — ESV Gospel Transformation Bible

This week we dove into the beginning of the story in Ruth 1:

1 In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man ofBethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and histwo sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and thenames of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehemin Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. 3 But Elimelech, thehusband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 These took Moabite wives;the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about tenyears, 5 and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her twosons and her husband.

6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for shehad 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 theywent on the way to return to the land of Judah. 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, asyou have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The LORD grant that you may find rest, each ofyou in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voicesand wept. 10 And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” 11 ButNaomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in mywomb that they may become your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for Iam too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husbandthis night and should bear sons, 13 would you therefore wait till they were grown? Wouldyou therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to mefor your sake that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.” 14 Then they lifted uptheir voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

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 returnfrom following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Yourpeople shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there willI be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me fromyou.” 18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.

19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came toBethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is thisNaomi?” 20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty hasdealt 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 broughtcalamity upon me?”

22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, whoreturned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning ofbarley harvest.

Despite Naomi’s indictment of the character of Yahweh (v. 13), Ruth still pledges her love (hesed — loving-kindness, loyalty, faithfulness) to both Naomi, and her God (Yahweh), and her people (Israel). Ruth is willingly abandoning her family, her familiar surroundings, and her religious traditions and embracing an uncertain future with a bitter widow in a land where she knows no one, would enjoy few legal rights, and—given the traditional Moabite-Israelite rivalry—faced possible ethnic prejudice.

This is Ruth’s character — This is what we are called to. Hers is a character that emulates Abraham and foreshadows Jesus. Her hesed love toward Naomi is the same hesed love God has for us and calls us to have towards him and his people.

Give the sermon text a read and a listen and we hope to see you this week at a Family Meal and/or a DNA group to dive even deeper.