Ruth Series: The braid of blessing (1 of 4 messages) Covenant Community Baptist Church Preached May

Transcription

1 Introduction Video: Mummy, help me find my soul : Learning to be a mum again, to help fix her child s broken mind (Corine Tiah, and Ruth Smalley, May 20, 2018, CNA, A mother-daughter love story). Mending what was broken Schizophrenia and a mother s love. This true story reveals who we really are when we face life s harshest moments. I am not sure if you have come across any crisis points in your life when you too have to decide what to do? The mother in this story, Cindy, had to make a firm and turn-around decision for the sake of her daughter, Valerie. Cindy had to choose between advancements in life through her successful career in China, or a daughter who was mentally sick, and needed her full attention. While we might not know if the mother and daughter are believers, but one thing we know, both had to make critical decisions at their points of intersection with life s harshest moments. Decision making and choices we make in life s harshest moments reveals who we really are deep inside us: As believers, those choices and decisions reveal who we are in relation to God. Those choices and decisions also reveal who we are in relation to those around us. Have you been put through a most difficult situation in life before, and you have to make a decision that would re-shape your life, turn your life around? a decision that would necessitate that you re-evaluate your relationship with God? a decision that would make it necessary to re-evaluate your relationships with those closest to you? This morning, I would like to share a story, perhaps familiar to some of you here, and perhaps maybe not to others, a story of two women, a mother-in-law, and a daughter-in-law; one, a woman from the tribe of Judah, who once lived in Bethlehem, and the other, a Moabitess, from the neighbouring land of Moab who came from the lineage of Lot (Abraham s nephew in Gen 13, 19). It is A tale of two widows and how they coped with adversities in life, and how they each viewed God in their life circumstances, and how each respond to God and to one another in the midst of life s harshest realities as widows, as women in a patriarchal society of the Ancient east culture. From this amazing story, I want to draw three theological truths for us to reflect upon. And from this story, and the theological truths, I want to draw at least two implications for our lives today. A brief overview of the book of Ruth (May S.G. Lim, (1997). Ruth The braid of blessing ). 1

2 Ruth 1:1-22 Retelling the story During a famine in the time of Judges a woman named Naomi went from Judah to Moab where she suffered the loss of her family: Emptiness unexpectedly experienced Naomi is bereft, losing her husband (Elimelech) and two sons (Mahlon, Chilion) (Ruth 1:1-5). Naomi moved to Moab from Bethlehem with her husband and two sons because there was a famine in the Promised Land (1:1-2). In the days when the judges ruled, [a] there was a famine in the land.so a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. 2 The man s name was Elimelek, his wife s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there. Naomi s husband died soon after they arrived in Moab (1:3). 3 Now Elimelek, Naomi s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons Naomi s two sons, who had married Moabite women, also died, leaving her all alone (1:4-5). 4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. When the famine in Canaan lifted, probably due to the Israelites return to God (Deut 28), Naomi decided to move back to Israel. Naomi returned to Judah accompanied by Ruth, her faithful (or loyal) daughter-in-law: Emptiness expressed to her two daughters-in-law (1:6-18). Naomi set out with her daughters-in-law to return to Judah when she heard that the Lord was again providing for his people (1:6-7). 6 When Naomi heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-lawprepared to return home from there. 7 With her two daughtersin-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah. Naomi advised them to return to Moab where they could find new husbands, but they expressed their willingness to return to the Promised Land with her (1:8-10). 2

3 8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, Go back, each of you, to your mother s home. May the LORD show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. 9 May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband. Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud 10 and said to her, We will go back with you to your people. Orpah returned to Moab at Naomi s urging, but Ruth persisted to accompany her (1:11-14). 11 But Naomi said, Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD s hand has turned against me! 14 At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. Ruth stood firmly to her decision despite Naomi s persistent attempts to dissuade her and expressed her solemn promise to stay with her till she died (1:15-18). 15 Look, said Naomi, your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her. 16 But Ruth replied, Don t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely,if even death separates you and me. 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. As soon as Naomi and Ruth arrived in Bethlehem, Naomi vented her frustration with God for having dealt so bitterly with her: Emptiness exclaimed by her to those who welcomed her back to the Promised Land, wanting to be called Mara ( bitter ), instead of Naomi ( pleasant or sweetness ) (1:19-22). Naomi s return to the promised land was greeted with excited surprise (1:19). Naomi expressed her bitterness against God for having dealt her a heavy hand she ought to be called bitterness not sweetness (1:20-21). 3

4 Concluding summary and transition: they arrived in Bethlehem just before barley harvest (1:22). 19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, Can this be Naomi? 20 Don t call me Naomi, [b] she told them. Call me Mara, [c] because the Almighty [d] has made my life very bitter. 21 I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted [e] me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me. 22 So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning. Summary of Ruth 1:1-22: Ruth s perspective to life s harshness (loss of husband) did not stop her from believing in the God of Israel through her mother-in-law s faith (a decade in Moab). She was determined to follow her and her God to return to the Promised Land, and by her faith God would reward (hesed love) her as the story unfolds in later chapters. Life s harshness also did not stop her from expressing sacrificial love to her bereft mother-in-law who lost all her family (husband and two sons), to serve her by following her back to the Promised Land. In contrast, Whereas for Naomi, she could not make sense of what had happened to her life the family moved away from the Promised Land to escape a great famine to Moab, lived there with her husband and two sons and their wives, but tragedies struck: She was left bereft with three funerals, and now deciding to return to the Promised Land, she dissuaded her two daughters-in-law to follow her, but only Ruth persisted. And upon arriving in Bethlehem, she wanted to be known as Mara (bitter), not Naomi (sweetness) because she figured that when they d left the Promised Land a decade ago, she left with fullness (family intact), but now, when she returned it is emptiness. Naomi felt bitterness more than sweetness. For a moment she appeared ungrateful to Ruth, who persisted, despite her dissuasion to follow her mother-in-law to serve her. 4

5 The Theology of Ruth: Who GOD is in the book of Ruth, and how does He relate to His chosen people, and those related to them. The book of Ruth reveals at least three things about God: The sovereign rule of God His mysterious providence; the boundless grace of God His Hesed love (loyal love), and His good purposes for those who are His (the characterization of Naomi and Ruth). The books of Joshua, Judges and Ruth record a period of Israel s history. In these books in the Old Testament, the basic principles of human relationships with God are worked out: In Joshua, the account is mainly positive. Victory and success accompany them when the people of God follow Him faithfully (cf. Deut 28:1-14). In Judges, the course of events is largely negative. When the people do what is right in their own eyes, as opposed to what is right in God s eyes, they experienced defeat and failure (cf. Deut 28:15-68). The book of Ruth demonstrates that, even in the midst of an apostate environment, when individuals choose to trust God to commit themselves to Him, He will bless them and mediate blessing through them to those around them. The books of Joshua, Judges and Ruth validate the revelation given in the Pentateuch, so they are the consequences (both good and bad) of what Pentateuch prescribed for the people of God. These books also set the stage for later revelation of 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and other historical books of the Old Testament. In this sense, the book of Ruth serves as an interlude, a transition, and background to God s anointed king, David. In Joshua and Judges, the focus of revelation is about the land God promised to the descendants of Abraham (the nation of Israel). In Ruth, the focus is on the seed God promised. The principal theological motif is that of a Sovereign God who works out His plan and His grace in His dealings with people. First, God s Sovereignty In the period of Judges, Naomi s generation encountered many difficulties, some of which were God s discipline of His people for their sins. In Deuteronomy, God promised that if His people turned away from Him, He would cause their land to be unproductive (Deut 28:24, 38-40, 42, 48). As the book of Ruth opens, a famine was in the land (Ruth 1:1). This situation led Naomi s husband, Elimelech, and his family to migrate to Moab. There Elimelech and his two sons died. When the famine in Canaan lifted, probably due to the Israelites return to God (Deut 28), Naomi decided to return back to Israel. She encouraged her daughters-in-law to remain in their homeland 5

6 because she could not provide them with husbands in keeping with the levirate custom because she was too old to bear any more children (Ruth 1;12; Deut 25:5-10). The levirate law provides for the marriage of a childless widow to a brother-in-law. If the daughtersin-law went with Naomi, as foreigners there would be little or no hope for them to remarriage and homes of their own. Ruth s determination to trust in and commit herself to Yahweh and to move to the Promised Land with her mother-in-law offered a glimpse of hope, and it is this determination that God blessed. Clearly Ruth was not simply moving from Moab to Israel. She was leaving the people and gods of Moab and transferring her allegiance to the people of God and to Yahweh himself (1:16-18). Ruth, a descendant of Lot (who chose to leave the Promised Land in the hope of greater blessing elsewhere, reversed her ancestor s decision (Lot) and moved into the Promised Land looking for blessing from Yahweh, and because of her decision, God blessed her abundantly as we shall learn as the story unfolds in Ruth chapters 2-4. [See Choong (2018), Self-protection, self-giving, Gen 12:10-13:18, in Journey of faith with Abraham: Obedience, pp ] Second, God s boundless grace the Old Testament Hesed (God s loyal love) to those whom He chose to bestows upon. One of the characteristics of God s dealings with people is His preference to work with and through individuals that other people often regard as unlikely material. Ruth was a woman, a poor widow, and a foreigner, a member of a nation that was an enemy of the Israelites. God had previously stated in the Mosaic law that no Moabite was to be admitted into the covenant community (Deut 23:3). Ruth was admitted because she placed her faith in Yahweh (Gen 17:9-14, 23). It was Israel s purpose in the world to bring nations into a saving knowledge and relationship with God (Gen 12:1-3; Ex 19:5-6). In harmony with His promise to Abraham, God received anyone who became a believer in Him regardless of race, gender, or national origin. This shows God s boundless grace. Characterization of the protagonists (central character), Ruth, and Naomi: The good purposes of God. Characterization of Ruth and Naomi as people of good character and spiritual commitment. Ruth was open to learning and following God s Word (divine revelation) made known to her by Naomi. 6

7 Ruth was blessed not because she was intelligent, aggressive, and strong, but because she committed herself to the Lord, who then began to work on her behalf. Ruth s entrance into Israel meant entrance into the Promised Land and its blessings. Entrance into the land emphasizes the idea of rest and security. 1:9 Naomi expressed her hope that her daughters-in-law would find rest in the home of another husband. Rest here refers to the security in the Ancient Near East culture that marriage gave a woman, not to freedom from work. Naomi s unselfish placing of her daughters-in-law welfare above her own shows her noble character (v. 11). 1:10 Both Orpah and Ruth refused to be separated from Naomi. By following her, they were abandoning their families, friends, homeland, deities, and prospects for remarriage. Their reluctance to part with Naomi also testified to her commendable character. 1:13 The true bitterness of Naomi s lot was that she believed the Lord was punishing her. Underlying the book of Ruth is the belief that nothing happens by chance. God is sovereign and does whatever He desires. Naomi offered no explanation as to why she thought God was her enemy. Perhaps like Job, she could not really understand the calamities that had struck her. 1:14 By returning to her land, Orpah returned to her gods (v. 15). She stood in marked contrast to Ruth s faith (v. 16). 1:16-17 Ruth s commitment to Naomi was a commitment to share her home and circumstances. Ruth s renunciation of her people and gods was total. Ruth invoked the covenant name of God as she swore a solemn curse on herself if she did not keep her promise. Naomi s character and life during her years in Moab must not be overlooked. Naomi s consistent living must have so impressed Ruth to cause her to abandon her homeland and her gods. 1:20 Naomi asked that her name be changed from Naomi (Pleasant) to Mara (Bitter). Her reason was that God had made her life very bitter. Naomi attributed her ill fortune to the sovereignty of God; she did not mean it as an accusation, but as an acknowledgement of his total control of things (see v. 21). 1:21 Naomi further contrasted her former and current states: I went away full (i.e., with husband and sons), but came back empty (i.e., widowed, childless, poor). 7

8 IMPLICATIONS FOR BELIEVERS TODAY: Two levels: God-ward and man-ward. God-ward: First, circumstances do not make or break a believer Faith does, and it reveals who we really are inside of us: Gratitude versus bitterness (despite life s harshest circumstances). Contrast between Ruth and Naomi A tale of two widows. Second, because adversity (or prosperity) reveal who we really are as believers, we need to grapple with our spiritual walk with God Do I really know who God is in my life? Am I stronger today than I was twelve months ago because I believe God is in control of my life s circumstances despite what seemed contrary to the human eye? Do I walk by faith, or by sight? 2 Cor 5:7 We live by faith, not by sight Where do I place my trust in God? Or who do I place my trust in? Myself, circumstances, people, possessions, power and authority, my plans,? Do I trust Him only for the good times, or do I also trust Him in bad times too? Do I believe in the unchanging character of God s trustworthiness in terms of His goodness, grace, and mercies, and Truths found in the Scripture, even though all seem contrary to what my eyes will and can see? Hebrews11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him Do you believe God exists and He rewards those who earnestly seek Him? On the human level, man-ward: In chapter 1, Ruth epitomizes the act of sacrificial love. In the midst of moral decay and spiritual doldrums of the covenant people of God through the Judges period, Ruth became for God and His people a sterling example of loyal love (Hesed love) to her mother-in-law. She could have gone back to the security of her own people in Moab like her other sister-in-law Orpah had done, giving in to Naomi s dissuasion to follow her back to Judah. But Ruth made the harder choice, the harder decision, and tied herself to a serious vow of commitment (vv ) to her mother-in-law, Naomi, who has viewed herself as an object of divine wrath (v. 20) and has little appreciation of what her daughter-in-law s devotion (v. 21) Ruth sacrificed herself to be with Naomi out of love. Ruth demonstrated a selfless sacrificial love for her mother-in-law who was wrestling with pain from feeling the fullness of family when they d left the Promised Land to Moab to escape a 8

9 famine; but now feeling emptiness for she d lost her husband and two sons; she decided to return back to the Promised Land. Naomi, the mother-in-law felt that her name should now be changed to Mara ( Bitter ), instead of being known as Naomi ( Sweetness or Pleasant ). The harder choice for us in the midst of another s suffering is to exercise selfless sacrificial love for the other, because In the introduction, we watched the video of a mother s love for her adult daughter, Valerie, who suffers from a mental illness known as schizophrenia. I want to share with you another story, but this time, about a daughter s love for her mother (Theresa Tan, Generation Grit: Love conquers all, The Straits Times, Wednesday, April 25, B8). This is a series of many stories of millennials (those aged 35 or below) who showed grit amid life s adversities. This is the story of Ms. Diana Goh, whose life was shattered when she accidentally found out that she was an adopted child, and the home she had grown up in for the past twenty years was not her biological family. She was born out of wedlock and was given away for adoption into the Goh family. Now, at twenty-eight years old, and a biology teacher, she has made peace with her parentage and wants to share the love she received from her adoptive parents with her students. Her life was on laid on the plank, so to speak, when at 12 years of age, she had to face a life-threatening disease known as Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, a rare condition in which an extra circuit in her heart caused her beat to reach 240 beats per min ( beats/min normal). Her heart condition, if not treated could potentially lead to heart failure or sudden cardiac arrest. Her adoptive family low financial situation (as fruit sellers in the market) was one reason she did not want to seek treatment, and the other was her fear of coming under the knife. It would take three operations before her heart condition became normal at age 13, 15, and then finally at age 19 the third and last heart operation to correct her rapid heart palpitation. In between these 3 operations, her adoptive father suffered a heart attack and could not work. Her mother took on odd jobs, cleaning toilets to make ends meet. Despite all these setbacks, Diana excelled in her studies both O and A levels and graduated with first-class honours in life sciences from NUS. She took on part time jobs and gave tuition to make ends meet at home. It was about this time at age 20 that she discovered she was adopted and had to painfully deal with her emotional pain to seek out her biological parents and resolved her adoptive family matters over a year. Her father passed away in 2012 after a second heart attack, leaving behind her mother of 74, and herself. 9

10 Upon hindsight, her adoptive parents kept her in the dark because they did not want to make her feel abandoned or unloved. Diana said that life has taught her there are many sides to any situation, and one chooses what to focus on. Despite, or because of her trials, her heart tends to go out to the less fortunate. While at school, she would volunteer once a week to tutor chronically ill children (life-threatening illnesses) at Club Rainbow. She also volunteered regularly to teach adults with intellectual disabilities, life skills, e.g., personal hygiene, at the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled in Singapore. I have learnt that a person s most useful asset is not a head full of knowledge, but a heart full of love, and an ear ready to listen and a hand always willing to help others. In chapter 1, Ruth epitomizes the act of sacrificial love. In the midst of moral decay and spiritual doldrums of the covenant people of God through the Judges period, Ruth became for God and His people a sterling example of loyal love (Hesed love) to her mother-in-law. She could have gone back to the security of her own people in Moab like her other sister-in-law Orpah had done, giving in to Naomi s dissuasion to follow her back to Judah. But Ruth made the harder choice, the harder decision, and tied herself to a serious vow of commitment (vv ) to her mother-in-law, Naomi, who has viewed herself as an object of divine wrath (v. 20) and has little appreciation of what her daughter-in-law s devotion (v. 21) Ruth sacrificed herself to be with Naomi out of love. Ruth demonstrated a selfless sacrificial love for her mother-in-law who is in pain from the losses of her husband and two sons, returning back to the Promised Land empty-handed. Perhaps, for mothers today, you may want to consider what selfless sacrificial love is for your child, for your children, for your husband, for those you care about Perhaps, for daughters or even sons today, you may want to consider what selfless sacrificial love may mean for your mother, for your father, for those you care about 10

11 Bibliography Bush, Frederic W. (1996). Ruth/Esther. Word Biblical Commentary. Vol. 9. Dallas, TX: Word. Campbell, Edward F. Jr. (1975). Ruth. The Anchor Bible. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc. pp , Chisolm, Robert B. Jr. (1998). From exegesis to exposition: A practical guide to using biblical Hebrew. Grand rapids, MI: Baker Books. Choong, Gary K.G. (2018). Journey of faith with Abraham: Obedience. Singapore. Constable, Thomas L. (1991). A theology of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth. In A biblical theology of the Old Testament (ed., Roy B. Zuck. Consulting ed., Eugene H. Merrill). Chicago: Moody Press. pp Hubbard, Robert L. Jr. (1989). The book of Ruth. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. Hubbard, Robert L. Jr. (1992). Ordinary faithful people. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books. MacArthur, John (1997). The Book of Ruth. In The MacArthur study bible (NKJV). Nashville, TN: Word Publishing. pp Ryken, Leland. (1987). Words of delight. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker. pp Unpublished Study Materials Choong, Gary K.G. (1997, 1998). Ruth. (Unpublished students course work and papers for Hebrew Exegesis 103, 104, Old Testament Department, Dallas Theological Seminary). Choong, Gary K.G. (1997, 1998). Preaching Narrative. (Unpublished students course work and papers for PM 604, PM 618 Pastoral Ministry Department, Dallas Theological Seminary). Lim, May S.G. (1997). Ruth. (Unpublished students course work and papers for 302 Old Testament History I, Bible Exposition Department, Dallas Theological Seminary). Lim, May S.G. (1997). The impact of impeccable faithfulness (Study on the book of Ruth). Other references Tan, Theresa. (2018). Generation Grit: Love conquers all, The Straits Times, Wednesday, April 25, B8. Tiah, Corine; and Smalley, Ruth. (2018). ChannelNewsAsia. A mother-daughter love story, (Video). May 20. Tiah, Corine; and Smalley, Ruth. (2018). Mummy, help me find my soul : Learning to be a mum again, to help fix her child s broken mind. CAN Insider. 11