Faith and Redemption: The Journey of Ruth and Naomi

 

Summary

In today's sermon, we explored the profound narrative of Ruth and Naomi, a story that beautifully illustrates God's ability to transform broken dreams into remarkable testimonies of faith and redemption. We began by setting the scene in the days when judges ruled, and a severe famine led Elimelech and his family, including his wife Naomi and their two sons, to move from Bethlehem to Moab. This decision, driven by a logical desire for survival, soon spiraled into a series of tragic events. Elimelech passed away, leaving Naomi with her sons who later married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. Tragically, both sons also died, leaving Naomi and her daughters-in-law in profound grief and loss.

Amidst this backdrop of despair, we witnessed the divergence of paths between Orpah and Ruth. Orpah, making a logical decision, returned to her people and the familiarity of Moab. Ruth, however, made a pivotal faith-based decision to stay with Naomi, declaring her loyalty not only to Naomi but also to God. This step of faith was the first of many that defined her journey.

Upon returning to Bethlehem, Ruth's commitment to her new faith and family led her to glean in the fields, a humbling act of obedience to God's laws that provided for the poor and the foreigner. It was in these fields that Ruth's life took a providential turn. She met Boaz, a relative of Elimelech, who was moved by her loyalty and faithfulness. Boaz's role as a kinsman redeemer became central to the unfolding story, offering a legal and loving resolution to the loss and emptiness experienced by Naomi and Ruth.

The narrative reached its climax as Boaz agreed to marry Ruth, redeeming Elimelech's land and taking Ruth as his wife. This union was blessed with a son, Obed, who carried on the family lineage to King David and ultimately to Jesus, illustrating the incredible scope of God's redemptive work through faithful obedience.

Throughout this journey, we learned that God's ways often defy human logic. His plans are crafted in the crucible of our faith and obedience, not in the clarity of our understanding. The story of Ruth and Naomi is a testament to the fact that God crafts beauty and purpose out of our brokenness, weaving our stories into His grand narrative of redemption.

Key Takeaways:

1. Faith Over Logic: Ruth's decision to follow Naomi instead of returning to Moab exemplifies the power of faith-driven choices over logical, comfort-based decisions. This act of faith set the stage for divine provision and blessing that logic could not foresee. [07:54]

2. Obedience in Humility: Ruth's choice to glean in the fields, a task seen as menial and degrading, highlights the significance of obedience to God's commands, even when they lead us to humble circumstances. Her obedience positioned her for Boaz's favor and ultimately for God's extraordinary provision. [11:54]

3. God's Provision Through Redemption: Boaz as the kinsman redeemer is a powerful picture of Christ's redemption. Just as Boaz redeemed Ruth and Naomi from their despair, Christ redeems us, offering hope and a future through His sacrificial love. [15:56]

4. Unexpected Outcomes from Faithful Steps: Ruth's story encourages us to take steps of faith without focusing on the immediate outcomes. Her story unfolded in ways she could not have imagined, reminding us that God often works beyond our expectations when we walk in obedience. [21:51]

5. God's Presence in Trials: The narrative of Naomi, who moved from bitterness to joy, teaches us that God is closest when we feel broken. His work in our trials is a demonstration of His presence, not His absence, shaping us for purposes we might not yet understand. [28:04]

Chapters:
- 0:00 - Welcome
- 00:59 - Introduction to Ruth's Story
- 04:38 - The Family's Move to Moab
- 07:11 - Ruth's Decision to Stay with Naomi
- 10:02 - Ruth's Obedience in Gleaning
- 14:32 - Boaz, the Kinsman Redeemer
- 18:06 - Ruth's Transformation: From Widow to Wife and Mother
- 21:05 - Lessons on Obedience and God's Proximity in Trials
- 24:56 - The Legacy of Obed and David
- 28:04 - Naomi's Full Circle of Faith and Restoration

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
- Ruth 1:1-5
- Ruth 1:15-18
- Leviticus 19:9-10

#### Observation Questions
1. What were the circumstances that led Elimelech and his family to move to Moab? ([04:38])
2. How did Ruth respond to Naomi's suggestion to return to her people and gods? ([07:11])
3. What was Ruth's first act of obedience upon returning to Bethlehem, and what Old Testament law did it follow? ([10:02])
4. Who was Boaz, and what role did he play in Ruth and Naomi's story? ([14:32])

#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why might Ruth's decision to stay with Naomi be considered a significant act of faith rather than a logical choice? ([07:54])
2. How does Ruth's obedience in gleaning the fields reflect her faith and humility? ([11:54])
3. In what ways does Boaz's role as a kinsman redeemer parallel Christ's role in our lives? ([15:56])
4. How does Naomi's journey from bitterness to joy illustrate God's presence in our trials? ([28:04])

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you had to make a decision based on faith rather than logic. How did that decision impact your life? ([07:54])
2. Ruth humbled herself by gleaning in the fields. Is there an area in your life where you need to practice humility and obedience to God's commands? ([11:54])
3. Boaz redeemed Ruth and Naomi, offering them hope and a future. How can you recognize and accept Christ's redemption in your own life? ([15:56])
4. Ruth's story shows that God often works beyond our expectations when we walk in obedience. Can you think of a situation where you need to trust God with the outcome rather than trying to control it yourself? ([21:51])
5. Naomi felt abandoned by God during her trials but later realized His presence and kindness. How can you remind yourself of God's presence during difficult times? ([28:04])
6. Ruth's loyalty to Naomi and her faith in God led to unexpected blessings. How can you demonstrate loyalty and faith in your relationships and daily life? ([07:54])
7. Naomi's friends witnessed her transformation from bitterness to joy. How can you support someone in your life who is going through a difficult time, helping them see God's work in their situation? ([28:04])

Devotional

Day 1: Choosing Faith Over Comfort
Ruth's decision to stay with Naomi rather than returning to her homeland of Moab is a profound example of choosing faith over comfort. This choice, though fraught with uncertainty and hardship, set the stage for God's provision in her life. Ruth's loyalty to Naomi and her newfound faith in God led her to a foreign land, where she was a stranger and had no promises of security. Yet, her faith-driven decision opened the door to blessings she could not have foreseen, including her eventual marriage to Boaz and her role in the lineage of King David and Jesus Christ. This act of choosing faith over logical, comfort-based decisions is a powerful reminder of how divine outcomes often defy human logic and comfort zones. [07:54]

James 2:17-18, "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith and I have works.' Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."

Reflection: What is one decision you are facing where you can choose faith over comfort? How can you act on your faith in this situation?

Day 2: Humility Opens Doors to God's Blessings
Ruth's choice to glean in the fields, a task typically reserved for the poorest of society, exemplifies humility and obedience to God's commands. Despite her status as a foreigner and a widow, Ruth embraced this menial task, aligning herself with God's laws that provided for the poor and the foreigner. Her humility and obedience not only provided her and Naomi with physical sustenance but also positioned her to receive favor from Boaz, which ultimately led to her redemption and restoration. This story teaches us that when we humble ourselves and obey God's commands, even in lowly circumstances, we open ourselves to His extraordinary provision and blessings. [11:54]

Leviticus 19:9-10, "When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God."

Reflection: In what ways can you demonstrate humility and obedience in your current circumstances, trusting that God will provide?

Day 3: Redemption Through Christ's Sacrifice
Boaz's role as the kinsman redeemer for Ruth and Naomi beautifully parallels Christ's redemptive work for humanity. Just as Boaz took on the legal and loving duty to redeem the land and marry Ruth, thereby restoring their family's name and security, Christ redeems us through His sacrifice, offering us a new life and hope. This act of redemption not only changed Ruth and Naomi's immediate circumstances but also had eternal implications through their lineage. It reminds us that Christ's sacrifice on the cross is both a personal and cosmic act of redemption, offering us a future filled with hope. [15:56]

Ruth 4:14-15, "Then the women said to Naomi, 'Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.'"

Reflection: How does understanding your identity as redeemed by Christ change the way you live out your daily life?

Day 4: Embracing the Unexpected in Faith
Ruth's journey from a widow in Moab to the wife of Boaz in Bethlehem is a testament to the unexpected and extraordinary ways God works through our steps of faith. Her story unfolded in ways she could not have imagined, highlighting that our faithfulness in small, seemingly insignificant decisions can lead to profound impacts on our lives and the lives of others. This encourages us to take steps of faith, even when the outcomes are not clear, trusting that God is weaving our stories into His larger narrative of redemption and purpose. [21:51]

Isaiah 55:8-9, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Reflection: What is one step of faith you can take today, trusting that God will lead you to unexpected outcomes?

Day 5: Finding God's Presence in Our Trials
The transformation of Naomi from bitterness to joy exemplifies how God's presence is most profound during our trials. Naomi's journey from calling herself "Mara," meaning bitter, to recognizing the blessings through Ruth and Boaz, shows that God is actively working in our hardships, not absent. This narrative encourages us to see our trials not as absent of God but as a canvas on which He is actively painting a larger story, one that we might not understand immediately but can trust is for our good and His glory. [28:04]

Job 23:10, "But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold."

Reflection: How can you shift your perspective on a current trial to see it as an opportunity for experiencing God's presence and transformation?

Quotes

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "God hits bullseyes with broken arrows. We don't need to be perfect for God to do something perfect in us and through us and with us." [00:59]( | | )

2. "God makes beauty out of broken dreams. And I know, I already know this, people, that there's one person who needs to hear this, and it's me. But if I'm one, I know there are a whole bunch of other people. Friends, you're in the middle of a broken dream. You've gone through broken dreams. They've been shattered. And you need to hear that this is not the end of your story." [03:59]( | | )

3. "Imagine that you went to an old country buffet or Golden Corral... That's gleaning, people. That's humbling. There's nothing dignifying about what Ruth went and did, but it was obedience." [11:54]( | | )

4. "God is never closer to us than when he's working on us. Think about it, God is never closer to us when he's working on us. Here's what Naomi said when Naomi came back to Bethlehem... 'The Almighty has made my life very bitter... but the Lord has brought me back empty.' Naomi did what we all do... Good situation, good God. Bad situation, bad God." [28:04]( | | )

5. "Let God focus on the outcome and I guarantee you his outcome through our obedience will be better than any outcome we can force ourselves. And remember, he's never closer to you than when he's working on you." [24:56]( | | )

### Quotes for Members

1. "God makes beauty out of broken dreams. What seemed crushed and shattered, never to be put back together, God reassembles the pieces, so he can do it again. He can create a beautiful mosaic that everyone values and appreciates. He does things with our brokenness that only he can do." [20:24]( | | )

2. "Focus on obedience, not outcome. Remember that bookmark. Here we are right now. There was a fork in the road for Orpah and for Ruth. And often like Orpah and Ruth, and even Naomi, we think about the outcome. What do I need to get? We often don't think initially of the obedience, but we think of the fast track to success." [21:05]( | | )

3. "I want to invite you. Turn your Bibles to Ruth Chapter 1... For the sake of time, and as I've got some big, big stuff to download toward the end, we are going to jump in the narrative head first. So fasten your seatbelt." [01:58]( | | )

4. "Ruth took a step of obedience to God. The Bible says I can pick up grain in a field. I'm gonna pick up grain in a field and I'm gonna do it with all that I have. Now it reminds me of a verse I learned as a little kid... Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." [12:35]( | | )

5. "Boaz was checking out Ruth. And he did some snooping on her. If you can believe it, without Facebook, without Instagram, without social media. And he figured out the scoop. That yes, I could be your kinsman redeemer." [15:56]( | | )

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?