MOMENTOUS DECISIONS

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RUTH 1:11-22

Lesson #03

MOMENTOUS DECISIONS

• Memory verse: Ruth 1:16
• Read Ruth 1:11-22
  • To understand the book of Ruth we must understand some of the legal customs of that time period.
    • The Mosaic Law of Levirate marriage (Deu 25:5-10):
    • The term, “Levirate marriage” means = “brother-in-law marriage”
      • If a man died without having a child, such as the situation with Ruth and Orpah, the “goel”, or kinsman-redeemer had the obligation of marrying the widow.
      • Children born from this marriage were considered to be the children of the dead husband and would inherit from the dead man.
  • Naomi tells her daughters-in-law that she cannot have more children for them to marry. Even if she could, they would have years to wait for them to grow old enough to marry. She, therefore, encourages them to return home to their own families. (11-13).
  • The importance of the decision:
    • A very important decision was made that day. Some decisions are life-changing decisions.
    • =1= Orpah decided to return to her home in Moab.
      • With that decision, she walked off the pages of Biblical history.
      • We do not know what happened to her after that.
    • =2= Ruth decided to remain with Naomi. Her decision set the course of history that made Bethlehem the birthplace of Jesus Christ.
      • Down through Jewish history, Jewish women wondered where would the Messiah be born and who would be the blessed mother of the Messiah.
      • Each Jewish mother hoped she would be one chosen to give birth to the Messiah.
      • Ruth, did not know any of this because she was a foreigner. However, we see the guidance of the Holy Spirit influencing Ruth to make this momentous decision.
  • You never know when you make a decision whether or not it will be such a momentous one as to determine history. However, as a believer in Jesus Christ, you can know that the Holy Spirit is guiding you to fulfill God’s plan for your life.
  • The seven aspects of Ruth’s decision (16-17)
    • =1= Where you go, I will go.
    • =2= Where you live, I will live. She identifies herself with Naomi and Naomi’s family.
    • =3= Your people will be my people. She identifies herself with the Jews forsaking the Moabites.
    • =4= Your God will be my God. She identifies herself with Jehovah forsaking idols.
    • =5= Where you die I will die. She identifies herself for a lifetime with Naomi’s destiny.
    • =6= There will I be buried. She identifies herself with the Promised Land.
      • Salvation came through the Jews and that was the only true eternal hope in a world of idolatry. That was the hope of resurrection.
      • The Old Testament saints all wanted to be buried in the Promised Land even if they died outside of it. (Gen 50:25) they believed in the resurrection. (Heb 11:10)
    • =7= May the Lord curse me if anything but death separate us. A life decision made for a lifetime.
  • This is a real heart decision for God.
    • Many times people make these kinds of decisions and they mean what they say at the time. However, they don’t follow through.
    • At the first hardship or problem or at the first temptation of something that appears more attractive, they change their minds.
    • What parallel does Ruth’s statement have in the Christian life?
      • The decision that a person makes when he or she receives Christ as Savior is like Ruth’s decision.
      • The same 7 statements of Ruth relate to your decision for Christ:
        • =1= The believer has a new guide…the Holy Spirit.
        • =2= The believer has changed his location…from the kingdom of Satan to the Kingdom of God.
        • =3= The believer has a new family in Christ.
        • =4= The believer has a different God to worship instead of self, idols, or worldliness.
        • =5= Death has no fear for the Christian because he goes to be with the Lord.
        • =6= The believer will be resurrected to a new heavenly location in eternity.
        • =7= Nothing will ever separate the believer from Christ.
    • What parallel do we see today that corresponds to Orpah’s decision?
      • Like Jesus’ parable of the seed that was sowed on poor ground.
      • Some people hear the word and understand it but turn away from Christ. They do not repent of their sins.
      • What is true repentance? (2Cor 7:10)
        • Tears are not the ingredient of real repentance.
        • Many people come to the place in their lives where they feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit concerning sin in their lives. They may even shed tears and feel ashamed. They make grand promises to God. However, real repentance is a change of direction. Unless there is a change of direction, it is not real repentance.
        • Repentance is not salvation. Repentance leads to salvation.
      • False repentance leads to eternal death.
  • Arrival in Bethlehem (19-22)
    • Did Naomi know her family was out of God’s perfect will in going to Moab in the first place? How do you know?
      • Because the Jews stressed throughout their history the importance of the Promised Land, we can assume that Naomi and her husband knew they were out of God’s perfect will in leaving the land.
      • Because the Jews were very good at repeating their history to the next generation, we can assume Naomi and her sons knew the importance of the Promised Land.
      • Because we see Ruth making a decision for Jehovah and the Promised Land, we can assume that Naomi, her husband, and her sons taught Ruth this truth.
      • Because Naomi is ashamed when she faces her own people in Bethlehem, we can assume she knew they were out of God’s will.
  • Why does Naomi tell her neighbors in Bethlehem to call her “Mara” (bitter) instead of “Naomi” (pleasant)? (20) And what is the significance?
    • Naomi says she went out full and returned empty. That is what happens when a believer removes himself from the close fellowship of God and God’s people. Like many of us, she had to learn the hard way.
    • However, notice the reception she receives from her neighbors who remained in the land.
      • It is like that of the prodigal son. She is welcomed with open arms.
      • Notice that her name is not changed to Mara in verse 22.
      • God would bless her for her decision to return to the land.
  • What is the proper attitude when you discover that you have been out of God’s perfect will?
    • Sometimes we drift away from God’s perfect will because we are not watchful.
    • Sometimes we purposefully take ourselves out of His perfect will.
    • In either case, make the process easier by having the correct attitude:
      • =1= Have a true repentant heart.
      • =2= Consider the experience a learning experience so you won’t repeat the same mistakes.
      • =3= Work diligently on learning the lessons you should have learned before.
      • =4= Forgive yourself for failures because God forgives you.
      • =5= Make a new start and a new determination to remain in God’s perfect will.
      • =6= Stay close to God.
  • The barley harvest = around the time of the Passover in the Spring:
    • It is significant that Ruth makes her decision for God, the people of God, and the Promised Land at a very significant time in the Hebrew calendar.
    • The Passover was when the Jews celebrated the shedding of the blood of the Passover lamb that was applied to the door posts enabling them to leave the slavery of Egypt for the Promised Land.
    • Ruth left the spiritual slavery of idolatry in Moab to go to the town where the Passover lambs were raised at the time when those lambs were being sacrificed.
    • Jesus Christ’s crucifixion as the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world occurred at the time of the Jewish Passover.
• Application:
  • So many of the events in this chapter parallel a person coming to Salvation in Jesus Christ.
  • So much of the timing and location of these events reminds us of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice that we might be able to repent and have eternal life in Christ.
  • So many decisions in life are momentous decisions that God would have us seek His will before we make these decisions.

Homework

Ruth 2:1-3

• Application of Ruth 1:11-22
  • Consider the history of your commitment to the Lord. With which character in the book of Ruth do you best identify yourself? Why?
    • Elimelec = weak in faith and easily strays from the perfect will of God.
    • Mahlon and Chilion = weak in faith and willing to compromise with the world’s standards when it best suits you.
    • Naomi = led out of God’s perfect will by a family member but eventually returns.
    • Orpah = interested in following the Lord but never made a commitment and falls away when the future doesn’t look too promising.
    • Ruth = interested in following the Lord and makes a firm decision to follow the Lord no matter what happens.
    • Naomi’s Bethlehem neighbors = remained true to the Lord through the good and the bad.
• Preparation for Ruth 2:1-3
  • Read Ruth chapter 2
    • What do you learn about Boaz?
    • In what ways did Boaz’s kindness exceed the demands of the Law?
• Memory verse: Job 13:15