by Pastor Meng Cham
They may not even be aware that their actions are part of God's larger plan
Big idea:
God uses his loyal believers to be a blessing to others
A. Be ready to take the risk to love
Ruth 3:1
One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home[a] for you, where you will be well provided for.
Naomi did not forget Ruth despite their situation
Ruth 3:2-5
Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. 3 Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”
5 “I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered.
Ruth did not say no but follow
Ruth 3:8-9
In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned—and there was a woman lying at his feet!
9 “Who are you?” he asked.
“I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer[a] of our family.”
1. A female addressing a male
2. Telling her wealthy master what to do
3. Telling him to marry her for the sake of Naomi, chose older man rather than younger man
4. She was a foreigner speaking to a native that he was a redeemer
- According to mosaic law, a man is not to leave his family
Leviticus 25:24-25
Throughout the land that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land.
25 “‘If one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of their property, their nearest relative is to come and redeem what they have sold.
Ruth 3:10
“The Lord bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.
Ruth 3:11-13
And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character. 12 Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family, there is another who is more closely related than I. 13 Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.”
Boaz was More than willing to comply, however, there was a first kin nearer to redemption.
Ruth 3:14
So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, “No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.”
Ruth 3:18
Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”
Application #1:
To be a blessing to others requires that we exercise faith, which involves risk-taking
Love is risky business, possibly facing rejection and betrayal. While God is sovereign but it takes risk to measure hesed kindness to others. Bear the cost and sacrifice if we desire to see others bless
B. Be faithful to follow through
Progress from intention to intentional to follow through
Ruth 4:1
Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer[a] he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.
Ruth 4:3-4
Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer[a] he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.
Ruth 4:5-6
Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the[a] dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”
6 At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”
Ruth 4:9-11
Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!”
11 Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.
Boaz wanted the sanction from his people so in the event of his death, there is no confusion to the inheritance and this protects Naomi and Ruth for their whole life
Ruth 4:13-17
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”
16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
The providence of God to use mortals who are willing to follow through God's plan
Alot of good is missed when we leave things undone, halfway given up
Naomi to commitment ... Israel wouldn't have the king they needed
Application #2:
To be a blessing to others requires us to have a faith that risks, as well as faithfulness to follow-through
Galatians 6:9-10
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Biblical truths from the book of Ruth:
1. God shows His covenant commitment to His people
- God will not let his people go
2. God is the ultimate kinsman-redeemer of humanity
- Jesus is the kinsman-redeemer of the entire world
3. God uses His loyal believers to achieve His purposes
Who and where are the loyal believers?
God wants to use you!
Engaging with people in a more thoughtful, significant way, through faith and faithfulness, though we don't know exactly what to do but willingness. Not just say it but loyal to follow through what we say we will do
God wants to rebuild the lives of the people around us, there is hope for them!!
Sunday, May 26, 2024
Saturday, May 25, 2024
Empowered by the Holy Spirit
by Pastor Joey Asher
Big Idea:
At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit empowered all believers to be effective witnesses for Christ
Acts 2:1-12
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,[b] 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
Acts 1:3-5
After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.”
Luke 24:49-53
I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” The Ascension of Jesus 50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
Acts 1:8-9
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
Jewish pilgrimage festival
The Holy Spirit empowers you not just to build you up, but to witness to others who have not yet known God.
1. The holy spirit empowers is to move from fear to faith
Acts 2:1-4
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 1:3-5
After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.”
What now?
Answer: First part of acts 1:8
What's next?
Answer: second part of Acts 1:8
It isn't about how loud, how hot the fire but that God was there , filled with spirit and believers speak in other languages
"They began to speak"
In other languages, purposes to be a witness. Filled with spirit meant they weren't alone but empowered
Fear probably didn't disappear but equips and give us boldness to share ...
When the holy spirit fills us, he moves us from dunno what to do to faith in God to do what's he's prompted us to do
2. The holy spirit empowers is to be effective witness for Christ
Acts 2:5-12
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,[a] 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
They heard galileans Jews spoke in their mother tongues
True conversion of God are found in transformation in the individual lives
Wasn't just to praise God or astound others but to reach out to others through our weaknesses
Big Idea:
At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit empowered all believers to be effective witnesses for Christ
Acts 2:1-12
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,[b] 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
Acts 1:3-5
After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.”
Luke 24:49-53
I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” The Ascension of Jesus 50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
Acts 1:8-9
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
Jewish pilgrimage festival
The Holy Spirit empowers you not just to build you up, but to witness to others who have not yet known God.
1. The holy spirit empowers is to move from fear to faith
Acts 2:1-4
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 1:3-5
After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.”
What now?
Answer: First part of acts 1:8
What's next?
Answer: second part of Acts 1:8
It isn't about how loud, how hot the fire but that God was there , filled with spirit and believers speak in other languages
"They began to speak"
In other languages, purposes to be a witness. Filled with spirit meant they weren't alone but empowered
Fear probably didn't disappear but equips and give us boldness to share ...
When the holy spirit fills us, he moves us from dunno what to do to faith in God to do what's he's prompted us to do
2. The holy spirit empowers is to be effective witness for Christ
Acts 2:5-12
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,[a] 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
They heard galileans Jews spoke in their mother tongues
True conversion of God are found in transformation in the individual lives
Wasn't just to praise God or astound others but to reach out to others through our weaknesses
Mother's Day - Mighty leader Joshua
by Pastor Debbie Yow
Judges 2:7-10
The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel. 8 Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. 9 And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres[a] in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.
Exodus 3:15
God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord,[a] the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ “This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.
Deuteronomy 4:9
Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
There was instruction on one hand but the other was a departure of faith in generation to come
Is there a departure of faith happening in our families, churches or nations?
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
To love in action, with loyalty and obedience
To teach by frequent repetitions
Joel 1:3
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Create a culture of God in your home
- tell stories (One interesting thing)
John 16:7
At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?”
Psalm 78:5-7
He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, 6 so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. 7 Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.
Don't just pass down valuables
Empower the children
- Let them encounter God
Judges 2:7-10
The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel. 8 Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. 9 And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres[a] in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.
Exodus 3:15
God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord,[a] the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ “This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.
Deuteronomy 4:9
Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
There was instruction on one hand but the other was a departure of faith in generation to come
Is there a departure of faith happening in our families, churches or nations?
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
To love in action, with loyalty and obedience
To teach by frequent repetitions
Joel 1:3
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Create a culture of God in your home
- tell stories (One interesting thing)
John 16:7
At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?”
Psalm 78:5-7
He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, 6 so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. 7 Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.
Don't just pass down valuables
Empower the children
- Let them encounter God
Sunday, May 5, 2024
Judges & Ruth - The Unlikely Choice
by Pastor Peter Lim
What good could come out of a family of widows?
Ruth
Big idea:
God blessed those who exhibit believing loyalty
Believing loyalty Is trusting in christ alone for salvation and corresponding obedience to Him
Ruth 1:1-5
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. 3 Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 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.
This famine could have been part of God's judgement as well that spilled over from previous judges
Israelites did what was evil and what was right in their own eyes
Ruth is a Moabite
Elimelech was a farmer
Moabite was an enemy of God's people
Moabite women seduced Israelites...
It seems that Elimelech plan to move to Moab seems right
Ruth stood out in stark contrast to the Israelites as a counterbalance
1. Went from judgement or shame to favour
2. Went from Emptiness to Fullness
Ruth 1:8
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.
"Hesed" (Ruth 1:8, Ruth 2:20) carries the collective idea of covenant faithfulness, kindness, goodness, mercy, love and compassion
Ruth 1:15-17
“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.”
Ruth choose to commit:
- Her loyalty to Naomi
- Choose to follow Yahweh, to be a part of His people, put herself in God's hands, forsaking her Moabite gods
Ruth 1:22
So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.
It was God's sovereign timing to meet the harvest time
Not coincident
Not stroke of luck
BUT Right place, Right people, Right time
Providential coincidences orchestrated by God
What seems to be chance happenings can be providential coincidences orchestrated by God
Boaz was a worthy man, of substance...
Ruth 2:8-10
So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. 9 Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.” 10 At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”
Ruth 2:13
“May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord,” she said. “You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servants.”
"Favour"
It was rare for people to obey God's law to show compassion as through Boaz kindly act
God's hesed was upon Naomi and Ruth
To those who demonstrate believing loyalty, God shows hesed - covenant faithfulness, loving kindness, generosity and favour
Application #1:
Put yourself in God hands to experience His grace and favour
John 1:14-16
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.
When in
- Desperation
- Brokenness
- Pain
Challenge yourself to put yourself in His hands
Abandon yourself into His hands by choosing biblical convictions and not convenience
Ruth's empiness:
Gentile
Woman
Barren
Widow
Poor
These above made Ruth the unlikely choice
Ruth 2:17
So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah.[a]
An ephah is about 15 to 17kg
Ruth 2:23
So Ruth stayed close to the women of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.
The barley and wheat harvests is about 2 months, thus Ruth only worked about 2 months but gleaned approximately 1 year worth of supplies enough to last her and Naomi
Ruth is the only book in the Old Testament named after a non Israelite, a Gentile widow
Ruth experience God's hesed and showed hesed to others through her words and actions
Application #2:
Demonstrate hesed even in the mundane activities of life to experience God's fullness
Value people more than task
Faithfulness in the mundane is noticed by God
Focus on doing the little things right
What good could come out of a family of widows?
Ruth
Big idea:
God blessed those who exhibit believing loyalty
Believing loyalty Is trusting in christ alone for salvation and corresponding obedience to Him
Ruth 1:1-5
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. 3 Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 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.
This famine could have been part of God's judgement as well that spilled over from previous judges
Israelites did what was evil and what was right in their own eyes
Ruth is a Moabite
Elimelech was a farmer
Moabite was an enemy of God's people
Moabite women seduced Israelites...
It seems that Elimelech plan to move to Moab seems right
Ruth stood out in stark contrast to the Israelites as a counterbalance
1. Went from judgement or shame to favour
2. Went from Emptiness to Fullness
Ruth 1:8
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.
"Hesed" (Ruth 1:8, Ruth 2:20) carries the collective idea of covenant faithfulness, kindness, goodness, mercy, love and compassion
Ruth 1:15-17
“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.”
Ruth choose to commit:
- Her loyalty to Naomi
- Choose to follow Yahweh, to be a part of His people, put herself in God's hands, forsaking her Moabite gods
Ruth 1:22
So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.
It was God's sovereign timing to meet the harvest time
Not coincident
Not stroke of luck
BUT Right place, Right people, Right time
Providential coincidences orchestrated by God
What seems to be chance happenings can be providential coincidences orchestrated by God
Boaz was a worthy man, of substance...
Ruth 2:8-10
So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. 9 Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.” 10 At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”
Ruth 2:13
“May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord,” she said. “You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servants.”
"Favour"
It was rare for people to obey God's law to show compassion as through Boaz kindly act
God's hesed was upon Naomi and Ruth
To those who demonstrate believing loyalty, God shows hesed - covenant faithfulness, loving kindness, generosity and favour
Application #1:
Put yourself in God hands to experience His grace and favour
John 1:14-16
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.
When in
- Desperation
- Brokenness
- Pain
Challenge yourself to put yourself in His hands
Abandon yourself into His hands by choosing biblical convictions and not convenience
Ruth's empiness:
Gentile
Woman
Barren
Widow
Poor
These above made Ruth the unlikely choice
Ruth 2:17
So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah.[a]
An ephah is about 15 to 17kg
Ruth 2:23
So Ruth stayed close to the women of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.
The barley and wheat harvests is about 2 months, thus Ruth only worked about 2 months but gleaned approximately 1 year worth of supplies enough to last her and Naomi
Ruth is the only book in the Old Testament named after a non Israelite, a Gentile widow
Ruth experience God's hesed and showed hesed to others through her words and actions
Application #2:
Demonstrate hesed even in the mundane activities of life to experience God's fullness
Value people more than task
Faithfulness in the mundane is noticed by God
Focus on doing the little things right
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