Ruth 1:1-18
November 4, 2012
Sermon preached by Rev. Donald Ng at the First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco.
Growing up in Boston, when someone might say, “Go West, young man, go West,” there was territory to go west. But when we live in San Francisco, there’s no place to go West unless you want to go to Hawaii! Because of this great church, I have gone West two times!
The American author, Horace Greeley in 1833 hated the high rents, bad food and deplorable morals of Washington, D.C., encouraged people to hit the road and make a life for themselves in the fertile farmland of the West. He wrote, “Go West, young man, go West. There is health in the country, and room away from the crowds of idlers and imbeciles.” That’s what he said, “idlers and imbeciles.”
For generations, people did this. But today, people are staying put—even in California.
According to an article in the New York Times (March 11, 2012), Americans, particularly young Americans have become risk-averse meaning that they want to stay put. People in their twenties moving to another state has dropped over 40% since the 1980s, and the proportion of young adults living at home almost doubled between 1980 and 2008. That’s why your grocery bills are so high!
The writers said we used to be a nation of movers and shakers but not as much now. They recall that the Pilgrims climbed into boats to cross the Atlantic, the generation of the 1940s shipped out to fight in Europe and the Pacific, and the children of the 60s joined the Peace Corp.
But today’s generation known as Generation Y has become a Generation Why Bother. Why bother to move out of the family home? Why bother to cross the country in search of work? Why bother to journey into an unknown future? Even if idlers and imbeciles are getting you down—why bother?
Family Moving East
In ancient Israel, back in the days when the judges rule, there was a famine in the land. And just like the scarcity of food and the dust bowl drought during the American Depression in the 30s caused a migration of people westward to California and elsewhere, likewise in Bethlehem, a family of four pulled up its stakes and travelled eastward to the country called Moab.
Husband Elimelech and wife Naomi decided to get up and go. Journeying with their two sons, they entered Moab and lived there. Unfortunately, Elimelech died, leaving Naomi as a widow. For a while she managed to survive because her sons took Moabite wives, two young women named Orpah and Ruth.
Orpah and Ruth. Not Oprah and Ruth!
They were a close-knit family, with the sons and daughter-in-laws taking good care of Naomi.
But then both of Naomi’s sons died. Instead of there being one widow, there were three. Talk about a Great Depression! Hope for a happy future receded quickly.
Naomi felt that she needed to return home to Bethlehem, and she had every expectation that her daughters-in-law would stay put, like young Americans are doing today. “Go back each of you to your mother’s house,” said Naomi to Orpah and Ruth. “May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me” (Ruth 1:8).
Naomi loved her daughters-in-law and wanted the best for them. “The Lord grant that you may find security,” she said, “each of you in the house of your husband.” She kissed them, and they cried when they thought about being separated from her (v. 9).
Ruth and Orpah wanted to stay with Naomi, and stated that they intended to return with her to Bethlehem, to live with Naomi’s extended family. But Naomi realized that this was completely impractical, and asked them, “Why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands?” (vv. 10-11). The prospect of a senior citizen such as Naomi having two more sons for these young women to take as husbands was completely absurd.
In a teasing tone, Naomi said, “Even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, would you then wait until they were grown? (vv. 12-13). Of course not! Ridiculous! And then, in a voice that had an edge to it, Naomi said, “No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the Lord has turned against me.” The young women continued to weep, and Ruth held on to Naomi (vv. 13-14).
Ruth and Orpah had every reason to say, “Why bother?” To get up and go made no sense, since Naomi could not replace their husbands. There was no promise of a good life for them in the fertile farmland of Bethlehem.
So Orpah went back to her people and to her gods in the land of Moab, and Naomi encouraged Ruth to do the same. But Ruth must have heard a voice saying, “Go West, young woman, go West” to the little town of Bethlehem. Ruth said to Naomi, “Do not press me to leave you or turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (vv. 15-16).
Naomi was surprised by this. It made no sense, since she had nothing to offer Ruth in terms of a new husband or a life of financial security. But Ruth pressed on. “Where you die, I will die—and there be buried. May the Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you! (v. 17).
This young woman is determined, thought Naomi. So she said no more to her, but simply motioned for her to follow (v. 18). Ruth got up and went, following both Naomi and the Lord God of Israel. Not only did she find a husband and a life of security in Bethlehem, but she became the great to the 29th-grandmother of the great King David. And if you read the genealogy in Matthew 1, Ruth is one of only five women mentioned in the context of Jesus’ birth. Not bad for a young woman from Moab.
Going to an Unknown Future
Ruth reminds us of the importance of taking risks and following the Lord into an unknown future. What does it mean for us to take risks and follow the Lord today?
If we were to “Go West,” what would be our first step? Our first step is to realize that God is sovereign. The book of Ruth opens with a famine in Bethlehem, one that causes Naomi and her husband to emigrate to Moab. The husband’s name is Elimelech, which means, “My God is king.”
Even though this poor man suffers an untimely death, and his wife Naomi has to return to Bethlehem after the deaths of her sons, the hidden truth of the story is that God is king. The Lord works through all of the characters in the story, including a foreigner named Ruth, to advance his loving and gracious will. The hand of God is seen in every situation, in times of grief as well as joy, working to set up the birth of David.
If we ever are in times of trouble and grief, we are able to find hope in the middle of sorrow when we discover the truth that God is king.
Our second step taken is when we venture into new territory. For Naomi and Elimelech to travel to Moab was a risky move. Israelites had contempt for the Moabites because they were inhospitable to the Israelites going to the Promised Land. The book of Deuteronomy bans Moabites from entering the assembly of the Lord down to the 10th generation (23:3).
In spite of this history, Naomi’s sons marry wonderful Moabite wives, and Ruth turns out to be a model of loyalty and kindness. Ruth who should have been banned from the assembly of the Lord—turns out to be an ancestor of an Israelite king.
Are we able to find our way forward when we enter new territory with open hearts and minds? Later on this afternoon, you will be asked to approve new Sunday morning hours that will enrich worship services, improve on our Sunday school times, and a plan that is sustainable over time and open to growing new ministries. Are you willing to “Go West” not knowing what might happen to believe that God is sovereign in our lives? I hope you are willing to trust God with our future just as Ruth trusted God in the future with Naomi.
Our third step comes from a willingness to deal kindly with one another. The Hebrew term is hesed, and the English word “kindly” is really a rather weak translation. Naomi says to her daughters-in-law in verse 8, “May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me,” and when she says this she is asking for the Lord to show them hesed because they have shown her hesed. To show hesed is to demonstrate loving-kindness and loyalty beyond what the commandments of God require. Hesed is part of the very nature of God, and it is attached to acts of unconditional love, grace and mercy.
We are able to reflect the nature of God when we show loving-kindness and loyalty. Some of us have expressed great concerns about the proposed Sunday morning hour schedule. There have been perhaps too many opinions and debates. But whatever happens this afternoon must not lead us to forget hesed. We need to reflect the nature of God when we show loving-kindness and loyalty to each other even when we may disagree.
Finally, we take a fourth step when we honor our commitments. Although Ruth usually gets praise for boldly saying to Naomi, “Where you go, I will go” (v. 16), she is really just honoring the commitment she has made to her husband, Naomi’s son. Since she considers herself part of Naomi’s family through marriage, why shouldn’t she follow her mother-in-law back to Bethlehem?
Ruth could have taken the easy way out, and stayed behind in Moab. But she considered herself part of Naomi’s family, and had already begun to worship Naomi’s God. She trusted that God would be good to her if she were good to Naomi, so she walked into an uncertain future with faith and with hope.
We too can move forward as a church family when we honor our commitments. We are committed to one another as the First Chinese Baptist Church. If the church decides to go forward, we pray that we would all honor our commitments to remain as one church family. We know that in any family, there will be differences of opinions. But when the church is striving to be faithful to God’s calling, we pray that we would put aside any personal reservations and to envision God’s overall big plans for us and affirm, “Where you go, God, I will go.”
The past has important lessons to teach us, whether we are young adults or senior citizens. Ruth’s steps should be everyone’s steps: Realize that God is king. Venture into new territory. Show loving-kindness and loyalty. Honor commitments. These are the actions that will enable us to move forward with God.
Let’s get up and go West!
Let us pray.
Gracious Lord, continue to bless this wonderful church known as First Chinese Baptist. Grant us the openness to venture into new territories to remain faithful in our ministries. Remind us that inasmuch as you have revealed loving kindness and patience with us made evident in Jesus Christ, lead us to be kind with one another and even in the face of differences, we are loyal and honor our commitments to be united as the Body of Christ. May we all give praise and honor to God our King. Amen.