1. In Times of Famine

Posted on Posted in Sermon Notes, Prayer Meeting, Sermon Audio 2015, August 2015 Tagged with , , , ,


 

Hymns: 347 Under the Care of My God, The Almighty 348 Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah 349 Surely Goodness and Mercy

 1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. 2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there. 3 And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. 5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband. 6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread…18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.

Under His Wings

– In Time of Famine

OUTLINE

(1) A Turning Away (v1-5)

(2) A Turning Back (v6 cf. v18)

 

INTRODUCTION

The Book of Ruth is a heartwarming story of an ordinary, despised, gentile lady by the name of Ruth who turned from idols to serve the living God in a time when Israel turned from God to serve idols. It is the only other book named after a woman. The other woman was Esther who lived in the time of Israel’s Babylonian captivity. The book of Ruth in contrast was set in the time of the Judges of Israel, a time of spiritual declension in Israel lasting about 350 years. The year was about 1200 B.C.

In a time when Israel did that which was right in their own eyes – a time of spiritual declension, we see the kindling of a flame of faith and hope in the life of one who came under the wings of God. We see a contrast of spiritual light in the midst of spiritual darkness, devotion in the midst of disloyalty, love in the midst of lust, peace in the midst of war, hardship and poverty, faithfulness in the midst of faithlessness.

Ruth came to know the living and true God through her marriage to Mahlon, the son of the Jewish family of Elimelech and Naomi who came to settle in Moab as a result of a famine.

She did not look back from the day God opened her spiritual eyes. She abided under the protective care of Israel’s God who abundantly rewarded her faithfulness through many difficult trials.

This book is significant because it provided the historical link between the time of the judges and Israel’s monarchy. Ruth was a Moabitess. Moab was located near the eastern portion of the Dead Sea, a nation that came out of the incestuous relationship between Lot and his eldest daughter. The Moabites were Israel’s perennial enemy. And yet, through this Moabitess will become the progenitor of Israel’s kingly line that would finally bring forth Israel’s Messiah. We see Ruth featured Matthew 1:5-6, 14.

 Matthew 1:5-6 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; 6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;…17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

 God does not judge us by our skin colour or our race or our family background but by our faith in Him. He can use anyone for His own glory who would love Him and serve Him. This was the commendation given to Ruth in Ruth 2:11-12.

Ruth 2:11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. 12 The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

We learn of the providence of God caring and watching over her whom she acknowledged as her God, making the choice of faith to walk with God and how God rewarded her faith.

We see in her tenderness, love and sacrifice, blessed Christian virtues against the backdrop of lawlessness and violence that characterized the time of the Judges (Ruth 1:1). In the midst of national turning away from the faith in the nation of Israel, we see an individual’s turning to the faith giving us a testimony of how God’s graciously preserves a godly remnant.

It was a time of famine when the scene opens. Two thoughts – A Turning Away (v1-5) and A Turning Back (v6)

(1) A Turning Away (v1-5)

1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. 2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.

The story begins with the migration of a family of 4, husband and wife, and their two sons from their homeland in Bethlehemjudah to the country of Moab because of a famine. Below is a map showing the movement of this family. Bethlehem is located in the tribe of Judah. Bethlehem means “house of bread” – in land given to tribe of Judah. It is to be later called city of David and birthplace of Jesus, located 8 km south of Jerusalem.

The head of that family was Elimelech whose name means “My God is King” leading his family away from the land of God’s promise, what an irony! Ephrathites from Ephrata or Ephrathah meaning “fruitful”, named after Ephrath, the wife of Caleb (1Chron. 2:19).

When the famine struck, he saw how his resources began to deplete and seeing the lush watered land of Moab beyond the Dead Sea, he decided to uproot and resettle in Moab, Israel’s arch enemy, a most idolatrous people!

Who are the Moabites? They came from the incestuous relationship of Lot and his daughter (Gen. 19:30-38) who resisted Israel’s passage through their territory from Egypt to Canaan (Num. 22-24) by sending their women to seduce the Israelites (Num. 25:1-9) to sin against God. God had instructed Israel in His Word to be separated from this idolatrous people.

Deuteronomy 23:3-6 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever: 4 Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee. 5 Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee. 6 Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.

And Israel had been troubled by Eglon the king of Moab (Judges 3:15-30) oppressing them for 18 years. God sent Ehud to accomplish the mission of ending the oppression when Eglon.

Judge Oppression Ref. from Judges
1 Othniel Mesopotamians 3:7-11
2 Ehud Moabites 3:12-30
3 Shamgar Philistines 3:31
4 Deborah with Barak Canaanites 4-5
5 Gideon Midianites 6-8
6 Tola 10:1-2
7 Jair 10:3-5
8 Jephthah Ammonites 10:6-12:7
9 Izban 12:8-10
10 Eglon 12:11-12
11 Abdon 12:13-15
12 Samson Philistines 13-16

 A famine as in every test in life is an opportunity where we can learn to trust God. But Elimelech sought his own way rather than calling on God for mercy and repenting of the sins that plagued the nation during the dark days of the judges – a time when men did what was right in their own eyes. There was a spiritual blindness that plagued Israel.

Together with his wife Naomi (pleasant) and two sons, Mahlon (sick) and Chilion (pining – speaks of frailty, mortality; coming to an end) planned this temporary stay that end up with a 10-year stay.

3 And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.

There the two sons married Moabite wives. Orpah means “stubborn”. She turned her neck on her mother-in-law and Ruth which means “friendship, refreshment”.

They have cleaned forgotten God’s instruction of separation.

 Deuteronomy 7:3-4 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. 4 For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.

 5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.

It was a family a bad decision we see an exchange one famine for three funerals.

Job 9:4 He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?

Ruth has experienced grief when her husband died. Her mother-in-law decided to return to their homeland in Israel. Her mother-in-law Naomi advised her to forsake her faith and go back to her gods as her sister-in-law Orpah did. She did not.

(2) Turning Back (v6 cf. v18)

6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.

 The Bible says she, herself, was “steadfast minded” (v18) to follow her God. This phrase means “to be strong and courageous, a boldness, to show courage to proof herself strong”. She was strong to trust the faithfulness of her God.

She did not look at the outward circumstances to make her decision but she chose to cling on to her God whatever the price. This means that she will have to uproot herself from her homeland. She will become a stranger in a foreign land. She made a choice to live of faith.

Ruth lived in a time when faith was waning and wanting amongst God’s people. We see this shining light out of darkness that God will raise in a seemingly unknown corner to beam forth hope.

The return to Israel was not so much a spiritual awakening in Naomi but one of expediency because there was bread in Israel. Whereas for Ruth it was a decision for her faith in Israel’s God!

Bible Knowledge Commentary observes well:

“Return” is a key word in Ruth. Hebrew forms of this word are used several times in this first chapter. Here is an apt illustration of repentance. Naomi reversed the direction she and her husband had taken. She turned away from Moab and the errors of the past. She turned her back on the tragic graves of her loved ones and headed back to Judah, her homeland.”[1]

To where was Naomi returning or turning back to? It was to Israel, to her God and to her people. This was the beginning of salvation. Just like the prodigal son who came to himself.

 Luke 15:17-24 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 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.

CONCLUSION

A turning away (v1-5) and  turning back (v6 cf. v18) describes the journey of backsliding and back to faith again in God. Hallelujah!

 

[1] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. The Bible knowledge commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.