Ira Baptist Church
January 17

      • Psalms 145.1-4NIV2011

      • Psalms 145.5-8NIV2011

      • Psalms 145.9-12NIV2011

      • Psalms 145.13NIV2011

  • All in All
  • He is Exalted
  • His Mercy Is More

      • Isaiah 40.9-10ESV

      • Isaiah 40.11ESV

      • Isaiah 40.28-30ESV

      • Isaiah 40.31ESV

  • Behold Our God
  • At first glance, the book of Ruth seems to be a disjointed story - plopped down in the middle of the books of the Old Testament, as if someone just thought it an interesting story.
    In fact, when you read it, you might not notice at all the importance until the very end of the book. So that’s where we’re going to start today.
    Ruth 4:18–21 ESV
    Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.
    Knowing this, the story takes on some color. Because though this little family in Bethlehem has been until this point in the story of God’s people completely unknown, what we find is that they were not unknown to God Himself.
    You see, who is more of an important character in all of the Old Testament than King David?
    In fact, that is most likely what sparked the writing down of this story. Some attribute the writing to Samuel, which is possible. We don’t know - it could have been later, perhaps during the life of King Solomon, David’s son. Regardless, what is interesting is that from a human perspective, none of these events or details become significant or broadly important until David becomes king. Then, all of a sudden it is important to know the account of David’s grandmother.
    And, we all know David’s importance in the rest of the Bible, don’t we? Or maybe you don’t!
    Matthew 1:1 ESV
    The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
    Matthew 1:4–6 ESV
    and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.
    Matthew 1:17 ESV
    So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.
    So this little story, of this little family in a little town in Israel called Bethlehem, is actually one of the critical links in the chain of redemption. How important is it? Well, in terms of God working through people, lets just say that if you are a Christian today, there is a direct and very important connection right from these events to your own salvation. As God used this family to bring about the birth of Israel’s first King, He also preserved the line through which the God-man, the King of Kings, would be born.
    Now, that is all amazing isn’t it? But...
    What we find in real time though, is a story of a family just trying to make it. We don’t find a story of a family trying to give birth to a future King. We don’t find a story of a family that has at the forefront of their mind the coming of the Messiah. We don’t find a story of a family who were dedicated to God in any explicit way.
    We find a story of a family of wanderers, a family of just-getting-byers, a story of much tragedy and sadness that leads to changing addresses, bearing some embarrassment and shame, wondering about the thoughts and glares of onlookers. Yes, humanly speaking, the story of Ruth is a story of normal people just trying to live their life.

    Sometimes in a crowd of wanderers, God shows mercy to one or two to display his hand of providential care.

    History

    Ruth 1:1 ESV
    In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.
    Time of Judges
    Judges 17:6 ESV
    In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
    This phrase, repeated in the book of Judges, gives the general lay of the land.
    The big picture, Israel was beginning to turn after false gods and idols. Because of that, as God had told them before, he would employ the nations around them to serve as goads and proads to show them their error.
    Yet, God in His mercy would not let them go entirely. From their own people, he raised up judges - not justices of law with black robes behind a desk, but deliverers.
    Some famous ones - Gideon, Samson, Samuel. They would be used by God to stay the oppression of the enemy and show mercy and truth to his people.
    One thing that the judges could not deliver Israel from, though, was famine.
    Famine - foretold by God as one of the possible ramifications of turning away from him. That Israel, the fertile and bountiful land - was under the kind of famine that drove people out, was a sign that things were not going well for God’s people.

    Geography

    Bethlehem
    The town of Bethlehem is much like the family in this story - we only know of it by name because of what comes later on. With it being the city of David, and of course, the town where Jesus was born.
    There is some irony in this story, because the name of Bethlehem has meaning - it means “the house of bread.” But there was no food at all, let alone bread, for this family in this town.
    The town then becomes a picture of the story itself. Something insignificant, something in trouble, something without hope - who God alone can bring hope to.
    Micah 5:2 ESV
    But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
    1 Peter 5:6 ESV
    Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
    Moab
    The move to Moab is an interesting one, and we have to boil it down to one final factor - there was food there, and there wasn’t in Israel.
    Would not have been an easy decision.
    Israel had bad history with moab that went all the way back to the story of Lot.
    Moab resisted Israel when they needed to pass through there in their journey from Egypt.
    Even within the years surrounding this story, we read in the book of Judges that Eglon, King of Moab, oppressed Israel for 18 years.
    The way the narrative comes to us, it seems that of all the families in Bethlehem, it was only this one that went to sojourn in Moab.
    Was it the right choice? Was it a choice of faith? Would it bring the desired outcome? Lets read on.

    Family

    Ruth 1:2–3 ESV
    The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons.
    Elimelech and Naomi
    Now, I want you to think of the parts and pieces of this story. And think about it in terms of a big picture zooming down on a small detail. Like a broad light focusing in to a small beam of light.
    We read history in big pictures. We think of a story like this - a tumultuous time with no leadership. A severe weather event, the chance of starvation.
    We think of that as a national event. And we should - all the people of the land were facing the same circumstances. They were all under the same general conditions.
    Yet, God hones in on this one family. Not as an example of what to do or not to do, not as a picture of all the people even. But as a picture of what his hand of mercy does.
    Now think of that in terms of our day. You could imagine us as a state, or us as a nation. We’re all under the same general circumstances. You listen or watch the news and regardless of who is reporting, the headlines are mostly negative, mostly divisive, mostly doom and gloom. And if you’re prone to being affected by those things, you might think “we’re all doomed!” or at least, “we’re all in for a rough road ahead.”
    Yet, as believers in the Lord, we are able to have a different viewpoint. Because we know that what happens in the world stage is secondary, really only incidental and pieces of the puzzle that God is putting together.
    And what we might focus on in these times, is not whether or not we will all make it - but what God might do in little stories, little details, little pictures.
    I encourage you, Dad, Mom, Grandma, Grandpa - don’t fill your home with a sense of dread about politics and world trouble, rather fill your home with a sense of faith and perseverance.
    Knowing that if you are a follower of Jesus, you have been bought and chosen by the one who works all things according to the counsel of his will.
    Am I saying not to give any thought to current events? Am I saying have no concern for the trajectory of world affairs? Well we can’t avoid that - we live in it! But what I am saying, what I think the story of Ruth shows us, is that at the end of the day God can work a miracle in on little family that outshines and outweighs the woes of a whole nation.
    And, we should remember Elimelech’s name! Why?
    Elimelech - God is my King.
    Ruth 1:4–5 ESV
    These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
    What’s interesting about Elimelech’s story, regardless of whether he did right or wrong in taking his family to Moab, was that Elimelech wasn’t able to save his family.
    Now, on one side of that equation, you could look at it this way
    Elimelech, you’re in a bind either way - there’s death on both sides of the door.
    But on the other side of the equation is this picture.
    Elimelech, it won’t be you that saves your family. Remember your name, Elimelech - God is king. And that will be proven in your story. You won’t be remembered because you made the move to Moab - you’ll be remembered because your God was faithful and you were a piece in that puzzle.
    John 9:2 ESV
    And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
    John 9:3 ESV
    Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.

      • Ruth 4:18–21ESV

      • Matthew 1:1ESV

      • Matthew 1:4–6ESV

      • Matthew 1:17ESV

      • Ruth 1:1ESV

      • Judges 17:6ESV

      • Micah 5:2ESV

      • 1 Peter 5:6ESV

      • Ruth 1:2–3ESV

      • Ruth 1:4–5ESV

      • John 9:2ESV

      • John 9:3ESV

  • I Will Sing The Wondrous
Ira Baptist Church
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