ORIGINALLY WRITTEN :
Tonight I wanted to talk to you about a story in God's Word that shares a PICTURE of REDEMPTION.
I want to teach you about the love of God through the story of Ruth.
Ruth was a woman who was from the land of Moab.
Her story is a beautiful one of redemption and love. Of risk and being grafted in. Let's see how God steps into their world and allows her to become one of the ancestors in the lineage of Jesus.
Naomi became her mother in law after her husband Elimelech and her 2 sons died. They had to leave the land they loved and dwell in unfamiliar surroundings for many years because their own land was under a drought.
That is where they meet Ruth and Ruth becomes a part of HIS-TORY.
LEAVING THE LAND OF FAMILIAR
Elimelech and Naomi went to live in Moab when the famine started in Judah.
Back then in the country they originated (Judah in Israel), if the man was not there to provide for them, the extended family did so.
They did this at times by someone marrying the widow so as to provide financial security and protection for the woman whose first husband died.
Moab back then was considered an enemy nation.
During their years there, the 2 sons of Naomi married 2 of the Moabite women. The name of the two sons were Mahlon and Chilion.
The daughter in laws were named Orpah and the other Ruth.
After some time had past, all the men had died which left Naomi, Orpah and Ruth as widows.
You can read the first part of the story here: http://www.biblegateway.com/pa...:1-4&version=ERV
*Naomi heard some great news from her land and it caused her to return home.
Naomi Goes Home
Ruth 1:6-10 (ERV):
6 While Naomi was in the country of Moab, she heard that the Lord had helped his people. He had given food to his people in Judah. So Naomi decided to leave the hill country of Moab and go back home. Her daughters-in-law also decided to go with her. 7 They left the place where they had been living and started walking back to the land of Judah.
8 Then Naomi told her daughters-in-law, “Each of you should go back home to your mother. You have been very kind to me and my sons who are now dead. So I pray that the Lord will be just as kind to you. 9 I pray that the Lord will help each of you find a husband and a good home.” Naomi kissed her daughters-in-law, and they all started crying.
10 Then the daughters said, “But we want to come with you and go to your family.”
Here is where the story gets interesting: there is a CHOICE placed before each daughter;
They could go to their own homes in Moab and get married again, or continue on with her.
NOTE: Usually Israelites don't marry Moabite people, so their HOPE to have a kinsman redeemer was considered to be none if they went with Naomi.
But look with me what Ruth chooses:
14 So again they cried very much. Then Orpah kissed Naomi goodbye, but Ruth hugged her and stayed.
15 Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her own people and her own gods. You should do the same.”
16 But Ruth said, “Don’t force me to leave you! Don’t force me to go back to my own people. Let me go with you. Wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you sleep, I will sleep. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, and that is where I will be buried. I ask the Lord to punish me if I don’t keep this promise: Only death will separate us.”[a]
- Ruth 1:17I ask … separate us Literally, “May the Lord do this to me, and even more, unless death separates us!”
Right then, in the midst of this crossroad, Ruth makes a decision:
A COVENANT
TO FOLLOW NAOMI AND BE WITH HER FOREVER.
She SEALED IT WITH AN OATH:17 Where you die, I will die, and that is where I will be buried. I ask the Lord to punish me if I don’t keep this promise: Only death will separate us.”
:Footnotes:Ruth 1:17 I ask … separate us Literally, “May the Lord do this to me, and even more, unless death separates us!&rdquo
It reminded me of our choice to follow Jesus.
The crossroads before us:
Our old life and new life cannot dwell together in the same place, just like the young women couldn't follow Naomi and dwell in their old land. They had a choice to make. One that would change their lives and destiny forever.
One , Orpah, went back to her family and her gods(idols), whereas Ruth chose to follow Naomi who followed GOD.
She SEALED it with: God, punish me if anything but death seperates us!
To Ruth, it didn't matter what lay ahead for her. She wasn't looking back. She wasn't going back.
Nothing was going to keep her from the love she had for Naomi and for the God she learned so much about .
INSERT-( I totally understand what that means now more than ever before personally)
In this story of Ruth, God is also doing a deep work in Naomi's heart.
Why you may ask? What is going on with Naoimi? She is from GOD'S land. What could possibly be going on with her?
Naomi was working through PAIN.
Naomi was walking Through:
unforgiveness
loss
regret
sadness
disappointment
and bitterness.
Yet, Naomi was trying to find GOD in all of the mess she found herself in. It didn't seem to make sense.
Naomi had not only went through a famine. Famine affects the finances and livelihood of a person. With no rain, there were no crops, and in those days no crops meant starvation.
Not only did Naomi lose living in the land she loved due to drought, she lost 2 sons and her husband and her heart had become embittered towards God.
FACT: This story of redemption not only redeems a people but He isn't going to waste anything in the days ahead when He restores Naomi as well as redeems the family in days to come . But she doesn't know any of that yet. Right now you can tell by her speech she is still hurting from her losses as we will read about next...
The Homecoming
18 Naomi saw that Ruth wanted very much to go with her. So Naomi stopped arguing with her. 19 Naomi and Ruth traveled until they came to the town of Bethlehem. When the two women entered Bethlehem, all the people were very excited. They said, “Is this Naomi?”
20 But Naomi told the people, “Don’t call me Naomi[b]; call me Marah.[c] Use this name because God All-Powerful has made my life very sad. 21 I had everything I wanted when I left, but now, the Lord brings me home with nothing. The Lord has made me sad, so why should you call me ‘Happy’[d]? God All-Powerful has given much trouble to me.”
22 So Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth, the Moabite, came back from the hill country of Moab. These two women came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
(DID YOU NOTICE THE ARRIVAL TIMING? ITS HARVEST TIME!!!)
In this part of the story they are working in the fields.
When harvest time comes, the people help one another to bring in the harvest.
Right now you see Ruth in the fields working to gather food for herself and Naomi.
Ruth Meets Boaz
2 There was a rich man named Boaz living in Bethlehem. Boaz was one of Naomi’s close relatives[e] from Elimelech’s family.
2 One day Ruth, the Moabite, said to Naomi, “I think I will go to the fields. Maybe I can find someone who will be kind to me and let me gather the grain they leave in their field.”
Naomi said, “Fine, daughter, go ahead.”
3 So Ruth went to the fields. She followed the workers who were cutting the grain and gathered the grain that was left.[f]It happened that part of the field belonged to Boaz, the man from Elimelech’s family.
4 Later, Boaz came to the field from Bethlehem and greeted his workers. He said, “The Lord be with you!”
And the workers answered, “And may the Lord bless you!”
5 Then Boaz spoke to his servant who was in charge of the workers. He asked, “Whose girl is that?”
6 The servant answered, “She is the Moabite woman who came with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7 She came early this morning and asked me if she could follow the workers and gather the grain that was left on the ground. She rested only a short time in that shelter.”[g]
8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, child. Stay here in my field to gather grain for yourself. There is no need for you to go to any other field. Continue following behind my women workers. 9 Watch to see which fields they go into to cut the grain and follow them. I have warned the young men not to bother you. When you are thirsty, go and drink from the same water jug my men drink from.”
10 Then Ruth bowed very low to the ground. She said to Boaz, “I am a foreigner, so I am surprised you even noticed me.”
11 Boaz answered her, “I know about all the help you have given to your mother-in-law Naomi. I know you helped her even after your husband died. And I know that you left your father and mother and your own country and came here to this country. You did not know anyone from this country, but you came here with Naomi. 12 The Lord will reward you for all the good things you have done. The Lord, the God of Israel, will pay you in full. You have come to him for safety,[h] and he will protect you.”
Ruth had left everything she knew and understood at the time to follow Naomi and her God.
She could see the pain that Naomi had experienced and heard the words that Naomi spoke. But something in the stories came ALIVE to her!
They drew her. She wanted what Naomi had.
Even if there was famine. Even if there was loss as she had seen by watching Naomi's life. There is something about this God that she wanted to know.It was enough for her to leave everything else behind and never look back.
and GOD rewarded her faithful actions too!
Boaz decided to buy back everything that Naomi had lost and marry Ruth.
Read the rest of this heart touching story here! God definately knows how to write a true love story!
http://www.biblegateway.com/pa...1-16&version=ERV
Did you click the link and read the rest of the story?
Smiles!! 
Did you see the way that they made a contract back then? It's called: The SHOE COVENANT. 7 Then he gave Boaz something to show that he was serious. During that time in Israel, when people bought property, one person took off a sandal and gave it to the other person. This was like signing an agreement. 8 So when the close relative said to Boaz, “You buy the land,” he took off his sandal and gave it to Boaz.[a]
By Ruth marrying Boaz, they have a son and Ruth gets to be a part of the lineage of JESUS.
And Naomi gets to take care of and help raise Ruth's child as her own, which gives Naomi an heir.
Ruth's story:
because she was willing to leave the unfamiliar to follow a GOD she had heard about, she became an ancestor in the lineage of Jesus.
Naomi's:
God loves to make beauty from ashes, and restoration for all who will make the choice to follow Him wholeheartedly.
There is more to learn about redemption.
More He desires to teach You about Salvation.
Have a great day in His presence!!
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