Sunday, August 27, 2000   

Each one of these widows had an important decision to make.

1. Naomi, the prodigal, decided to return to Bethlehem, the house of bread.

2. Orpah decided to go back to her idolatrous gods and is never mentioned again.

3. Ruth made the right decision. She chose to accept the God of Naomi and was rewarded by becoming the bride of her kinsman redeemer, Boaz. Ruth chose the better part that can never be taken away from her. Ruth by her decision entered the line of the redeemer and His people.

I. VERSES 6-7, THE REASON FOR NAOMI'S RESOLUTION

      A. Verse 6, There is good news from Bethlehem; so good that Naomi hears about it down in Moab. What is that good news? The Lord has visited His people, and there is bread in Bethlehem-Judah, the house of bread and praise.

           1. The Bible says: "She had heard in the land of Moab..." This means that God had a faithful messenger who brought this good news to Naomi. Today God has His faithful messengers who bring the good news of the Gospel to a lost and dying world. Three widows needed the message, and God burdened His messenger to bring it.

            2. I want you to notice the phrase "in giving them bread..."

                 a. He did not sell them bread. You cannot buy salvation (Isaiah 55: 1).

                 b. This phrase "in giving them bread ... " reminds us that salvation is not of works. It is the free gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9).

                 c. We are also reminded of Jesus the true bread (John 6:48). Christ, the true bread of Heaven, was born in Bethlehem.

                 Thirty-three years later, the Bread of Heaven was broken on the cross. The Bread of Heaven was broken to bring:

                        1) Light to those in darkness,

                        2) Food to those who hunger,

                        3) Freedom to those in bondage.

                        4) Riches to those in poverty,

                        5) Peace to the fearful,

                        6) Life to the spiritually dead.

           3. Naomi wants to go home; she's tired of Moab.

                  a. The prodigal will come to a place where he will long for the Father's house. He cannot be happy in the pigpen; he isn't a pig. He doesn't have a pig's nature; he has the divine nature of the Father.

                  b. Eventually, the prodigal will say: "I will arise and go to my Father."

                  c. Now, we do need to understand that pigs do love the pigpen. There are those who come to the fathers house, but they do not get born again. And after a while their old nature, the only nature they have, takes over; and they return to the pigpen (II Peter 2:22).

      B. Verse 7, "Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was...

            1. Naomi is on the way home, on the way to the house of bread and praise.

      2. For ten years, wasted years, Naomi had lived in worldly Moab. N      ow she's going home. It is better to stay home than to have to come back.

                 a. On her journey to Moab, she had a family, health, happiness, youth and hope.

                 b. On her return, she had widowhood, a broken heart, want and woe.

II. VERSES 8-14, THE SPLIT DECISION

      A. Verse 8-10, Naomi lays the situation out clearly before Orpah and Ruth.

           1. Verse 8, Naomi encourages them to return to their mothers home. She does this because it will not be easy for them in Bethlehem.

                 a. The Israelites and Moabites didn't get along and had no dealings with each other.

                  b. Because these girls are Moabites, it would be costly for them to go up to Bethlehem.

            2. Verse 9, We have three widows standing in the crossroads.

                 a. Notice the kind words Naomi has for these girls in verse 8-9. These girls had been good wives.

                 b. Naomi encourages them to stay in Moab and remarry. Something that seemed impossible for them in Bethlehem.

           3. Verse 10, their first inclination, their first decision is to go with Naomi to Bethlehem-Judah.

      B. Verses 11-14, Naomi's second explanation of the situation is also a picture of Naomi's spiritual condition for she encourages these girls to return to their gods--false gods.

            1. Verse 11, The Mosaic law stated that when a man died the next of kin was to marry his wife. If there was a brother, he was the one to marry her.

                 a. Naomi shoots straight with these girls. As far as she sees it, if they come with her they will never marry again because they are outcasts.

                 b. I am glad that Jesus Christ, our kinsman redeemer, loved us when we were unlovely (Romans 5:8). Boaz is a picture of Christ in redemption.

           2. Verse 12-13a, Naomi makes the case plain. She has no husband; she is old. Even is she had a husband and bore sons would these girls wait for them to be grown. By the time the boys were grown Orpah and Ruth would be old and robbing the cradle if they married.

            3. Verse 13b, Naomi grieves over her situation for she says: " ... it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me."

                 a. God judged Naomi's family because they left the house of bread and praise.

                 b. Friend, if you are a child of God and backslide, God will judge you.

                 c. "Would you rather be in the hallow of His hand or have His hand against you?.... the hand of the Lord may be upon man, with man, or against man" (Boone 46).

                 d. Grave markers said that there was no one to carry on the seed line or redeem the lost estate.

            4. Verse 14, The widows who are at the crossroads now have a parting of the ways.

                  a. Important decisions were made there at the crossroads.

                  b. Orpah kisses Naomi and turns back to Moab, her first decision was not real.

                  c. Ruth clings to Naomi. Her decision is to go to Bethlehem.

                        1) This decision says that Jesus Christ will be born in Bethlehem.

                        2) This decision says the journey of the wise men will not be in vain.

III. VERSES 15-18, RUTHS TESTIMONY

      A. Verse 15, Orpah decides to go back to idolatry, back to false religion. "When she goes back, she walks off the pages of Scripture into silence and into oblivion" (McGee 20). She had no real love for God, the God of Naomi.

           1. Ruth also made a decision. Her decision was for God.

                  a. Ruth is mentioned in the very first book of the New Testament.

                  b. Ruth is in the genealogy that led to Christ.

            2. Naomi puts Ruth to the test; and as we shall see, she passes with flying colors.

           3. You too have a decision to make: an eternal decision.

      B. Verse 16, Ruth's decision was real, and her testimony is genuine. Her decision is a six-fold decision.

            1. First, she says: "Whither thou goest I will go." Ruth was saying to Naomi, "I am going with you." Her surrender was complete; she was willing to walk in the footsteps of another. This is a natural result of salvation, to walk with Jesus.

           2. Secondly, she says, "And where thou lodgest I will lodge." Ruth would identify herself with Naomi. We are to identify with Christ. Christians desire the presence, the fellowship of Jesus. One day heaven will be home.

            3. Thirdly, she goes on: "thy people shall be my people." Ruth was forsaking her idolatrous people and identifying herself with God's people. You can't really know God if you don't identify with His people. This is separation from the old ways and old friends (2:11).

           4. Fourth, we see: "Thy God my God." That's a great decision for an idolater as anyone else. The idols of Moab are left behind; she has turned to God (I Thessalonians 1:9).

      C. Verse 17, Ruth's testimony continues.

            1. Fifthly, Ruth said: "Where thou diest, will I die." She wanted to die in God's country among God's people. She had put her hand to the plow and would not look back (Luke 9:62).

           2. Sixthly, "And there will I be buried." She didn't want to be buried in a heathen land. She wanted to be buried in a land among a people who believed in the resurrection.

            3. Ruth had experienced true repentance because there was a change of mind. Her choice was not because of human ties but in faith that bread (Christ) was in Bethlehem.

      D. Verse 18, Naomi knew that there was not need to say anything else to Ruth. Her mind was made up, she accepts Naomi's God and people. Her repentance was real, and it would stick. In life and death, she would trust (I Thessalonians 5:1 0).

CONCLUSION: You may be asking: "What must I do to be saved?" The Scripture says: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." Trust Him! Some of you Christians need to turn from the world and service Christ.