2024.08.28 - Ruth - Verses17-22

Ruth 1:17 The Jews, The Church, Ruth And Peter 

Ruth 1:17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. KJV

1. I. Ruth/Church  Naomi/Israel
1. a. Why did she not marry Boaz instead of Ruth?? 
1. i. Because Ruth does not replace Naomi
2. ii. God has a plan for each of us, The Church does not replace Israel 
3. iii. It took both Ruth and Naomi, Israel and The Church, to bring Obed into being.
2. b. Gods ways are not our ways, but He does have a plan, even though sometimes in the present it does not make sense to us
1. i. Would we want to serve a God that we could completely understand?
1. 1. We would at some point think we did not need Him because we could work it all out on our own, we would see ourselves as equals and bypass His authority – we do this now even though we confess that He is Almighty
2. ii. Paul, who was religious, was called to be a messenger of God’s to the Gentiles, the lost and un-churched of the day
1. 1. Paul 
2. 2. Acts 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and  kings, and the children of Israel: 16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. KJV
3. iii. Peter
1. 1. Acts 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. KJV
4. iv. Every Creature 
1. 1. Both Peter and Paul preached to who would listen, to the cities that God sent them to and to both Jews and Gentiles
1. a. Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world , and preach the gospel to every creature. KJV
5. v. If God only used on nation to build His Kingdom they would come to feel superior, chosen, better than – but God used His chosen to bless all nations and all are looked upon the same.
1. 1. Genesis 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. KJV
2. 2. Genesis 18:18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? KJV
1. a. God was clear from the onset that ALL families and ALL nations would be blessed from His firstborn.  Israel will always be the first born, but we are all His kids who believe in Christ as Lord.
6. vi. Peter And Ruth 

Peter	Ruth
Hearing	Something worth seeing
No mother mentioned	No mother mentioned – other than that she could return to her mothers house
Loud, boisterous and outspoken	Quiet, courteous and solid
I shall never leave  you	Where you go I will go
When others left Peter stayed	When Orpah left Ruth stayed
Mother in law was sick/healed	Mother in law was the only one who was not sick – but was healed of her bitterness
Peters shadow fell on sick and they were healed	Boaz "shadow" fell on Ruth and she was "saved"
Peter followed the Bread of Life	Ruth went to the House of Bread to find life
Peter was  a harvester  of men	Ruth was a harvester of grain
Both came up fairly empty until The Lord granted favor
Peter was told to follow Jesus	Ruth was told not to leave the fields of Boaz
Peter was invited to come onto the water with Jesus	Ruth was invited to dine w/ Boaz at his table
Peter was prayed for by Jesus, Jesus interceded for him	Ruth was redeemed by Boaz in much the same manner
Peter received the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven	Ruth received the keys of the kingdom where Boaz ruled
Peter was a gentile*	Ruth was a moabitess*
*both sent to Israel	both sent to Israel

Ruth 1:18 When The Talking Stops

Ruth 1:18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. KJV

1. I. You cannot make others believe, you cannot force them to follow
2. II. In hindsight, every step Naomi took from the moment she left Bethlehem Judah until she returned was just a missionary trip to bring Ruth ‘Home”. 
1. a. She may not have been privileged to the plan, but she was a servant of the Sovereign.
2. b. Was she ever unfaithful?
3. III. Faith is a nasty messy business.  In Scripture we somehow interpret it s a all neat and clean, following is not easy, sometimes it is painful, and always brings change and loss.  Faith often means we cannot see around the next bend, beyond the next crisis, even the next hold in which we are to put our foot as it is lifted in the air, but we follow, believing in Him Who has the plan and Who saved our soul.

Ruth 1:19 The City Was Moved 

Ruth 1:19 So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi? KJV

1. I. . . . so they went until they came to Bethlehem . . . 
1. a. It was about between 50 -75  miles from where they were to Bethlehem
1. i. 75
1. 1. Abraham was 75 when he left Haran and began to wholly follow God Genesis 12:4. New beginning.
2. 2. There were 75 that went w/ Jacob down to Egypt Genesis 46:27, new beginning.
3. 3. Transition, new beginning
2. ii. 50
1. 1. Could represent Pentecost which occurs exactly fifty days after Passover
1. a. Naomi in her own way experienced  a “Personal Passover” in that she was the one who lived while her husband and sons did not
2. 2. Could represents in a sense the Holy Spirit
1. a. Could be a picture of revelation
1. i. What was meant to bring death to one brought death to another – Hamaan was hung on the gallows he had built for Esther, delivering the Jews from their oppressor and essentially saving the Jews.  
2. II. . . . that all the city was moved about them . . .
1. a. Luke 15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. KJV
2. b. Luke 15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. KJV
3. c. Revelation 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. KJV
3. III. . . .is this Naomi . . .
1. a. All those in the city that were witness to her return could see that this journey came at a great cost.
2. b. Naomi in the next verse confirms it

Ruth 1:20-21 Mara, Bitter Water, Sticks, The Cross, Transgressors And Tents 

Ruth 1:20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. KJV

Ruth 1:21 I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me? KJV

1. I. I Identify With . . . 
1. a. The first Adam
1. i. Death
2. ii. Sin
3. iii. Loss
4. iv. Brokenness
2. b. The second Adam
1. i. Life
2. ii. Holiness
3. iii. Restoration
4. iv. Healing
3. c. We identify with where we are at and what we can see.  
1. i. Where we are at and what we can see
1. 1. She did not have the Bible as we have, choose you this day who you will serve, self, sorrow of Savior.
2. ii. Or where He is at and what He has said
1. 1. Christ has made it clear that we are people of destiny and that there is a plan laid out for our lives
2. 2. That our steps are ordered by God
4. d. She had lost her way, those of her neighbors that loved her were faithful to help her find it again.  She made it back home and they tore the roof off for her. 
1. i. Be wise in who you are vulnerable with – remember the nearest kinsman.  Sometimes those that come to your spiritual aid are not the ones you think they will be
5. e. He may have “brought her home empty” but He BROUGHT HER HOME!
1. i. Sometimes we have to be emptied of less than, no matter how much we love it, so He can fill us with “more than” to show us how much HE LOVES US.
2. II. Marah 
1. a. The Cross
1. i. Exodus 15:22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. 23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? 25 And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, 26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. 

27 And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters. KJV

1. ii. The “tree” was a shadow of The Cross
2. iii. Marah was bitter until she returned home and was restored
1. 1. Ruth 4:13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son. 14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.

15 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. 16 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. 17 And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David. KJV

1. b. To Be Found In Him Is To Be Found Like Him
1. i. In a sense Marah experienced a shadow of what Christ experienced, she found herself numbered with those that had suffered great loss . . .and would be redeemed . . .
2. ii. Isaiah 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors ; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors . (WATCH WHAT HAPPENS TO “MARAH” IN THE NEXT VERSE)
3. iii. Isaiah 54:1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.  Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;  For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. 4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. 5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. 6 For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. 7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. KJV

1. I. Expectations
1. a. Ruth 1:21 I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me? KJV
2. b. Our expectations of life and the Church as opposed to the  reality of each 
3. c. Had she been afflicted?

Ruth 1:22 The Barley Harvest 

Ruth 1:22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest. KJV

1. I. Barley Harvest
1. a. She had nothing to do with the crop – but she would have blessing from its harvest
1. i. Psalms 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. KJV
2. ii. One season is closing and nothing ends without something else beginning.  Beginnings and endings, endings and beginnings go together
2. b. Barley was harvested in early springs 
1. i. New beginnings
2. ii. Fresh starts
3. iii. Notes from previous verse from Isaiah.
4. iv. Barley in a Biblical sense is a 
1. 1. Symbol of redemption 
2. 2. Symbol of transformation 

End Notes For Discussion 

•  Why did Elimelech stop in Moab?
•  Significance of crossing Jordan twice
• o She faced death on her departure and was baptized back into life upon her return 
•  Matthew 18:12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? KJV
• o The things in our life that we love and are lost to us cannot be replaced.  God knows that.  He does not “replace” those things that are lost in our walk that were lost because of our following Him, but He does restore, in a sense, more than we lost and in Him we find rest.
• o Naomi lost her husband and two sons – those people could not be replaced, but God did give her rest, a new home and a new family to love for the rest of her days.  She was nurse to Obed, and was directly influential in the lineage of Jesus. She was now taken care of better than she ever could have dreamed because of Ruth’s marriage to Boaz.  
•  What does the Dead Sea have to do with the story 
•  Neighbors names Obed – servant – get around people who will tear the roof off for you when you are bitter.