05-09-21 “The sun will come out ToMara”

Scripture                                                           RUTH
There are only two books of the Bible that bears a woman’s name – Esther and Ruth.
Ruth becomes the great grandmother of David. Eventually, Jesus is born in her genetic line.

Phil, Jeff, & Rick Cooper (Phil "Paw" & Donna "Maw" Kramb) & 'Rex"

Donna “Naomi” Kramb – (Maw)

          Describe “Maw”. Not a warm and fuzzy grandmother. Lived on 119^th St. in Point Place.
Book about Tadpoles
Timed run to get Newspaper
Double Solitaire
          Not physically affectionate
          Argued with Paw
          A Christian but scared of death
There are 2 things I am most thankful for:
1)     She raised my mother which would suggest she did something right.
2)    Her middle name is Naomi (Beautiful, Gentle, or Pleasant One) which always reminds me of one of God’s stories that shows us through a window who God is.
The biblical Naomi’s story is found, not in a book of the bible by her name, but by her daughter-in-law’s name – the book of Ruth.
 
ISREAL during the time of the Judges
ISRAEL: During this time – the time of the Judges, Israel was in a state of immorality and despair. They were at odds with the nations around them and on top of that a famine hit the land and the people were starving. There was a momentary peace between Israel and her enemies in Moab. (Moab was a son of lot conceived when his daughter tricked him – the other daughter gave birth to BenAmi. From those two come the Moabites and the Ammonites – bitter enemies of Israel)
 
Naomi’s Family
A man by the name of Elimelech packed up a few belongings and took his wife, Naomi, and their sons Malon and Killion and moved to Moab where they could find food.
          Naomi had two daughters’ in law who were both from Moab.
 
Moab
Moab was a horrible place spiritually that really should never have existed. Lot offered his daughters to the men of the village in place of the angels that the men of that town were seeking to have “relationships” with. When God destroyed Sodom and Gomora, only Lot, his wife, and two daughters escaped (even their fiancés did not believe they would be destroyed and stayed behind. Lot’s wife died for disobeying the word of the Lord and Lot and his daughters ended up in Zoar and lived in a cave.
          Lot’s daughters devised a wretched plan to continue their family line by becoming pregnant by Lot. They did so by getting him so drunk – twice – that he didn’t even know what happened. Genesis 19:36-38     So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father. The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today. The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today.
          God would certainly not use someone from Moab to further HIStory toward salvation for all people; would He?

SAMSON
Samson is one of the Jewish leaders who lived at that time. How spiritually strong was he? NOT – Exactly, so God would turn to those outside the chosen ones to a person who believes in Him and aids in the saving of those outside, as well as the Jews, and every one of us who would one day experience our own faith in Jesus. Ruth plays an essential part in Salvation HIStory.

 

RETURN TO BETHLEHEM
          Back in Bethlehem, Naomi’s friends were excited  to see her – she said “Don’t call me Naomi – call me MARA for I went out full and have come back empty – I am empty/BITTER. She told Ruth to go glean in the fields. (Ruth was a HESED for Naomi) It was law that you had to leave some of your harvest for the poor and widows to walk through your fields and pick up the leftovers. It was hard work but also provided for those in need (that sounds like a great welfare system-not a handout but a hand up)
          As Ruth is gleaning, she catches the eye of the land owner – BOAZ. He hears what she did for Naomi and (either because he wants to thank her for assisting his relative or because he finds her incredibly attractive) he tells his workers – “Do a bad job harvesting around the edges of the field so Ruth will be able to collect food more easily and abundantly”

          Boaz asked her to come eat with the harvesters and she had leftovers. She went and worked till evening and took a lot of grain back to Naomi along with her lunch leftovers.
          Naomi asked what fields she gleaned in where she found such favor and abundance. She said a man named Boaz. Naomi was beside herself saying he is one of kinsmen's redeemers (people who take care of relatives who can’t take care of themselves.)

          Naomi tells Ruth to go to him when he falls asleep and uncover his feet and lit there. Boaz wakes wondering who is there and though Boaz is older – they fall in love. Boaz can’t marry her because someone else is 1^st in line to redeem Elimelech’s property (which in this case also means Ruth) Boaz goes to him with witnesses and at first, the other man will redeem the property but not when he hears Ruth is a part of the deal because it can ruin his own estate holdings. Boaz becomes the redeemer of the property and marries Ruth.
          Ruth gave birth to a son named Obed who was given to Naomi to help raise in some sense like her own son. Obed became the father of Jesse who became the Father of David through whose line Jesus is born – where? In Bethlehem. This is why Mary and Joseph returned to Bethlehem 1000 years after David, because of Boaz and Ruth – an unlikely Godly couple whom God quietly used in the midst of a terrible spiritual time in Israel to redeem His people.

CONCLUSION

The conclusion of the story balances the introduction. In Hebrew both have the same number of words, both compress much into a short space, both focus on Naomi and the introduction emphasizes Naomi’s emptiness, and the conclusion portrays her fullness. Therefore, the sun has come out for Mara.
How many miracles are found in the entire book of Ruth? NONE
How many people in this story are shining stars like David or Peter or Mary? NONE
The story of Ruth serves in stark contrast to what is taking place around them during this time of the Judges. It is a story of two people, from different sides of the track, who fell in love, who showed integrity, compassion for others, honesty, hard work, and loyalty to family.
          It is amazing that such a simple story with ordinary people made its way into scripture. It shows, once again, how God will raise up the right people at the right time to do the right thing even when it seems everyone else could care little for God or others.
          What did Jesus say? All the law and the prophets hang on only two laws:
                   Love the Lord you God & love your neighbor as yourself!
                   Put another way: If you believe in God, live a Hesed life.
          Their reward for living this way?
1)    The joy of a life well-lived
2)    They found each other.
3)    They became the great grandparents of King David.
4)    Their genetic downline brought Jesus Christ into the world.
 
Mothers more often get this quicker and better than men because they typically sacrifice more of themselves for the sake of their children. God calls us all to live this way for His children who are everywhere around us.