THE PATHWAY TO BLESSING
RUTH 1:10-22
Intro: Elimelech had taken his family from Bethlehem and traveled to the land of Moab. There he and his two sons died leaving Naomi a widow in a foreign land.
A. Naomi hears that God had restored the land and ended the famine
1. She makes plans to return to the place of bread and blessing
2. We have learned that Naomi is a type of Israel
a. God had promised blessing for following His laws in Lev. 26 and in Lev. 26:32-39 promised judgment for disobedience
b. In A.D.70 the promise, “I will scatter you among the heathen” took place
3. As Naomi returns, so we in our day after 2,000 years are witnessing the return of Jews world wide to their land beginning in 1948
a. Stop and think of the miracle we are witnessing
b. The Jewish people have been a people for 3,500 years
c. They represent less then 1% of the world population
i. Yet they occupy a lot of the United Nations time and are the center piece of much of the worlds attention
4. Let us keep our spiritual ears open as we study God’s Word so we are informed Christians
B. As we closed our last lesson Orpah and Ruth the daughter-in-laws face a life changing decision
1. The God of Israel or the god’s of Moab
a. They were in tears as we finished our study in verse 9
I. Naomi lays out a bleak future for staying with her (Vs. 10-13)
1. Their immediate emotional response is they go with her back to Israel
a. So many at first seem so willing to follow a right path in life
b. But a hard look at the cost, brings about some changes
1. The Mosaic law said that when a man died childless the nearest of kin or brother was to marry the widow and have children
a. We will look at this later in the story of Kinsman Redeemer
2. Naomi makes her case to the two girls that she is too old to have sons so they should just stay in Moab
3. Naomi is distressed that her daughter-in-laws should be caught in the judgment she felt was directed toward her (Vs 13b)
a. A word of caution here as to not bring against ourselves condemnation which we do not deserve
b. David had good grounds for humbling himself before God at the death of his son
c. Job had no reason to think that God had taken away his children because of his sin
II. Orpah and Ruth make their choice (Vs. 14-18)
A. Orpah kisses Naomi because she loved her, but did not love the God of Naomi
1. Orpah pictures the one who gives up eternal riches for that which is temporal
a. Like the one who came to Jesus in Matt. 19:16-24 desiring eternal life, but had great possessions and went away sorrowful
2. Orpah made her choice and we never hear of her again
B. Ruth clung to Naomi (Vs. 14-15)
1. Ruth pictures those who choose things eternal
a. Ruth’s attachment was worth 10,000 kisses of Orpah
2. Naomi causes Ruth to think carefully about her decision (Vs. 15)
a. Example has a strong influence, but Ruth does not waver in her decision
b. John in his I Epistle contends also that those who truly believe in God will follow Him ( I John 2:19)
C. Ruth’s decision brought separation and union (Vs. 16:18)
1. Ruth shows her desire and willingness to break all ties with Moab (Vs. 16)
a. Look at what happened to the Jews who looked back at the entrance to the promised land at Jordan
b. The same looking back turned Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt
2. Ruth’s decision shows union with Naomi ( Vs. 17)
a. Where Naomi went, lodged, died, Ruth would be there
b. Ruth’s SEVENFOLD decision indicates a real decision for God
3. Naomi left off speaking (Vs.18)
a. Since this was Ruth’s decision, Naomi knew she could be counted on to endure the path ahead
III. Naomi returned to Bethlehem at the time of harvest (Vs. 19-22)
1. Many had thought her to be dead for little had been heard in 10 years
a. Her appearance without her husband and two sons caused a stir
2. Is this Naomi? - seemed a question of wonderment
1. Call me not Naomi, but “Mara” which means “bitter”
a. Jer. 2:19 state, “It is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God”
b. Moab changed the sweet and pleasant into “bitter”
i. Sin always changes the sweet into bitter over time
ii. Sin deeply etches its marks into the faces of those who turn their backs on God
2. Naomi seems to blame the Lord for her condition
a. “The almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me”
b. How quickly we seem to look outside ourselves for someone to blame
3. Naomi confesses they were not forced to leave their land (Vs. 21)
a. “I went out full” or “amply supplied” as the Berkeley version states
1. Mara, gloomy gus, has returned and it will not be long and joy will return
a. The pathway home may not have been easy, but it lead to a happy beginning
1. The harvest in Moab would have done nothing for Naomi and Ruth
2. Back in the house of bread the way begins to open for complete and full restoration
1. Naomi a type of Israel is restored fully after the harvest and after the night on the threshing floor
a. For it was at night on this threshing floor that the wheat and chaff are separated
b. Boaz makes his promise to Ruth that night and then the land is restored to Naomi as will Palestine to all Israel one day