Shownotes Transcript
SERMON NOTES (click arrow to the right to open)Main Idea: Trusting God, therefore trusting His peopleSermon Notes: - Ruth 1:1-5 - Elimelech moves his family to Moab; Elimelech dies in Moab, and his sons marry Moabite women, Kilion marries Orpah, and Mahlon marries Ruth- After Mahlon and Kilion die, Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem and she begs Ruth and Orpah to stay in Moab. Orpah reluctantly agrees to stay, but Ruth decides to go with Naomi- The extraordinary happened in an ordinary life; in the face of overwhelming loss and uncertainty, Ruth chooses to trust in God and love and return with Naomi- Ruth 1:8, 16-17 - Naomi prays a blessing over Ruth and Orpah as she begs them to return, but Ruth declares her intention to worship Naomi's God and live with her people- Why would Ruth choose to go with Naomi, where life seemed uncertain, and choose to follow a God who seemingly allowed Naomi's life come to ruin? God's love is limitless, acts crazy, is selfless, gives for another...- The kindness Ruth extends is called Hesed, which acts for the benefit of others without asking, "what's in it for me?"- Ruth didn't promise to Naomi that everything would be okay, but she did promise that she would be there with Naomi.-Ruth 2:2 - one of God's promises for the poor and widowed was gleaning privileges in the fields; to go into the fields after the workers had collected a harvest and to gather up what was left behind.- Ruth 2:8-13 - Ruth's faith in God came to fruition when she found favor while gleaning in the fields belonging to Boaz- Boaz is the son of Rahab, whose story is told in Joshua 2:12-14. - Random acts of kindness are wonderful, but Hesed is deeper; there is a commitment, a loyalty- Boaz extends hesed to Ruth and to Naomi, allowing them to glean only in his field and has ordered his workers to leave extra behind for them.- Ruth 2:20, 3:10-11, 4:9-10 - Ruth tells Naomi about Boaz, Boaz addresses an issue keeping him from marrying Ruth, and after Boaz declares to the people that they are witnesses that Ruth is his bride and Naomi's family line continues on through him.- Ruth 4:17 - Ruth and Boaz have a son, Obed, who is father of Jesse, who is father of David, future king of Israel- Perhaps the greatest stories aren't found in burning bushes and parting seas, but rather in the cross, in the simple trust of God who pours out hesed over us and trusts us with the capacity to do the same.Application Questions: 1. What will you do when it seems like life is falling down around you? Who will you turn to?2. At the crossroads of uncertainty, ill we be people who bear the image of our Father and offer hesed?3. Where have we withheld hesed from others?