WEBVTT

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 We are going to spend this Sunday and the next two Sundays working through the book of Ruth in a three-part series.

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 It's one book, and I'm hoping that it will be one sermon with three parts, and they all connect together.

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 I'm really excited about it because I love the stories of the Old Testament.

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 They are so interesting and attention-grabbing,

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 and then they just sneak up on you with these powerful images of who God is

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 and how he relates to his people and how his people are supposed to relate to him.

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 The book of Ruth is a really popular book.

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 It's fairly short. It's only four chapters long.

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 There are a limited number of characters and a fairly simple plot.

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 Interestingly, it's one of the few books of the Bible that is focused on women.

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 Another reason I think people like it, I don't want to spoil anything here,

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 but the people in this story are all good.

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 It's one of those books where everyone is a good guy.

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 It's very easy to relate to them and root for them.

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 In this book, we don't read about kings.

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 We don't read about, quote-unquote, important people.

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 These are just God's people in everyday life.

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 We're not hearing here about armies at war and great military campaigns

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 or prophets standing in the marketplace proclaiming the word of the Lord.

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 This is just a simple family in a simple rural village

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 in the middle of nowhere that nobody knows about.

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 And I think that's part of its power.

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 That's one of the reasons that we can relate to it

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 and that we appreciate it so much.

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 So there are four chapters in the book.

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 Today we're going to look at chapter one.

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 Next week we're going to look at chapter two.

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 And then the third week we're going to look at three and four together.

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 But it's one story, and every chapter builds in the plot toward the conclusion.

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 And so today we're just going to get part of the story,

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 and we're going to look at Ruth chapter one.

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 Would you turn there with me in your Bibles in Ruth chapter one?

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 One of my favorite works of fiction is J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

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 It was adapted into a film trilogy 17 years ago.

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 It's really hard to believe that it's been that long.

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 In the second film, in the two towers,

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 things are really starting to get dark.

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 The characters, Frodo and Sam,

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 are attempting to travel across country

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 to get to the fires of Mount Doom,

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 where they will attempt to destroy the Ring of Power.

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 And Frodo, who is carrying the ring,

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 Sam, who is with them,

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 and then there's this golem fellow

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 who's tricky and deceptive,

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 a thief who may or may not be their guide.

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 And along the way,

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 Frodo falls into a pool of water filled with corpses.

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 And when they arrive at the enemy gates,

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 they're almost captured and killed by these hideous orcs.

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 And they wander through enemy territory,

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 hungry and isolated and exhausted,

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 and their hope is dwindling.

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 And the ring is constantly pulling at Frodo.

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 It's constantly tempting him and wearing him down,

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 and there are these hideous, screaming beasts in the air

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 who attack them, and they keep hiding,

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 and barely escaping with their lives.

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 And finally, exhausted and broken and filthy,

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 Frodo turns to Sam,

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 and he says,

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 I just, I don't think I can do this.

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 And Sam says,

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 a speech,

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 probably one of my favorite speeches in the whole trilogy,

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 he says,

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 I know, it's all wrong.

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 By rights, we shouldn't even be here.

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 But we are.

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 It's like in the great stories,

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 Mr. Frodo,

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 the ones that really mattered.

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 Full of darkness and danger they were,

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 and sometimes you didn't want to know the end.

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 Because how could the end be happy?

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 How could the world go back to the way it was

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 when so much bad had happened?

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 But in the end,

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 a new day will come,

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 and when the sun shines,

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 it will shine out the clearer.

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 Folk in those stories kept going

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 because they were holding on to something.

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 And Frodo says,

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 what are we holding on to, Sam?

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 And Sam says,

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 that there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo,

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 and it's worth fighting for.

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 It's an inspiring speech,

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 but there's one thing that Sam didn't get to

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 in that speech.

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 There's one thing that we're left to sort of

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 fill in the blanks for ourselves,

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 and that is,

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 what is the good?

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 What kind of values

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 drive our decisions

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 and our life experiences?

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 When life is dark and difficult,

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 that's when our true value and characters come out.

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 What is there as a compass for us?

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 What is the basis of the decisions that we make?

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 Especially when things become hard and difficult.

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 We all want there to be good in the world

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 and in our lives.

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 We want to be good.

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 We want to experience the good.

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 But where does that come from?

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 Let's look at Ruth 1 together.

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 We'll read it.

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 We'll read it together,

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 then we'll talk through it,

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 and then we'll draw some conclusions.

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 It says this,

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 And the days when the judges ruled,

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 there was a famine in the land,

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 and a man from Bethlehem in Judah

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 went to sojourn in the country of Moab,

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 he and his wife and his two sons.

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 The name of the man was Elimelech,

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 and the name of his wife Naomi,

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 and the name of his two sons

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 were Machlon and Kilion.

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 They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah.

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 They went into the country of Moab

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 and remained there,

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 but Elimelech, the husband of Naomi,

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 died, and she was left with her two sons.

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 These took Moabite wives.

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 The name of the one was Orpah,

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 and the name of the other Ruth.

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 And they lived there about ten years,

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 and both Machlon and Kilion died,

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 so that the woman was left

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 without her two sons and her husband.

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 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law

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 to return from the country of Moab,

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 for she had heard in the field of Moab

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 that the Lord had visited his people

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 and given them food.

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 So she set out from the place where she was

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 with her two daughters-in-law,

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 and they went on the way

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 to return to the land of Judah.

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 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law,

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 Go, return, each of you,

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 to her mother's house.

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 May the Lord deal kindly with you

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 as you have dealt with the dead and with me.

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 The Lord grant that you may find rest,

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 each of you, in the house of her husband.

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 Then she kissed them,

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 and they lifted up their voices,

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 and wept.

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 And they said to her,

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 No, we will return with you to your people.

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 But Naomi said,

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 Turn back, my daughters.

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 Why will you go with me?

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 Have I yet sons in my womb

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 that they may become your husbands?

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 Turn back, my daughters.

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 Go your way,

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 for I am too old to have a husband.

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 If I should say I have hope,

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 even if I should have a husband this night

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 and should bear sons,

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 would you therefore wait until they are grown?

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 Would you therefore refrain from marrying?

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 No, my daughters,

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 for it is exceedingly bitter to me

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 for your sake

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 that the hand of the Lord

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 has gone out against me.

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 Then they lifted up their voices

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 and wept again.

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 And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law,

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 but Ruth clung to her.

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 And she said,

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 Look, your sister-in-law

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 has gone back to her people

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 and to her gods.

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 Return after your sister-in-law.

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 But Ruth said,

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 Do not urge me to leave you

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 or to return from following you.

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 For where you go

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 and where you lodge,

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 I will lodge.

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 Your people will be my people

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 and your God my God.

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 Where you die,

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 I will die

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 and there I will be buried.

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 May the Lord do so to me

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 and more also

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 if anything but death

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 separates me from you.

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 And when Naomi saw

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 that she was determined to go with her,

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 she said no more.

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 So the two of them went on

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 until they came to Bethlehem.

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 And when they came to Bethlehem,

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 the whole town was stirred up

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 because of them.

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 And the women said,

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 Is this Naomi?

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 And she said to them,

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 Do not call me Naomi,

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 call me Mara,

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 for the Almighty

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 has dealt very bitterly with me.

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 I went away full

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 and the Lord has brought me back empty.

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 Why call me Naomi

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 when the Lord has testified against me

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 and the Almighty

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 has brought calamity on me?

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 So Naomi returned

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 and Ruth the Moabite,

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 her daughter-in-law with her,

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 who returned from the country of Moab

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 and they came to Bethlehem

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 at the beginning of the barley harvest.

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 This is the beginning of a great story.

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 And it's also history.

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 But it's not just history.

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 It is theological history

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 because it's a story

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 that has been presented in such a way

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 and given to us

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 to teach us about God.

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 It begins in verse 1 by saying,

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 In the days when the judges ruled.

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 The author begins by telling us

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 the names and the time

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 and the place of the story.

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 And there are some details here

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 that would really catch the attention

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 of an ancient Israelite reader.

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 First of all,

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 he says,

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 It was when the judges ruled.

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 God had brought Israel out of Egypt,

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 out of the house of slavery.

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 He had brought them into the land,

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 through the wilderness,

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 into the land that he had promised

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 way back in the Pentateuch to Abraham.

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 And over time,

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 Israel forgot what God had done

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 and they turned away from him.

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 In the period of the judges,

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 they turned away from him so severely

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 that this became one of the lowest points

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 in Israel's history.

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 It was a time of declining faith

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 and declining morality.

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 And the decline of the nation

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 is personified

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 in the various judges

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 that we read about in the book of Judges.

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 When the Canaanites invaded,

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 Barak was supposed to go and fight them,

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 but he was a coward

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 and he insisted that Deborah go with him.

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 When the Midianites invaded,

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 Gideon did not believe God.

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 Remember the story with the golden fleece?

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 He tested God

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 and then when the people

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 tried to make him king after his victory,

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 he says,

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 Oh no, no, no.

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 I won't be your king.

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 Only God is king.

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 And then he named his son Abimelech,

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 which means my father is king.

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 When the Ammonites invaded,

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 Jephthah made a very foolish vow

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 that whatever came out of his house,

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 he would kill as a sacrifice to the Lord.

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 And then when he got home from battle,

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 his daughter came out.

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 And so he killed her.

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 And when the Philistines had control,

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 God raised up Samson,

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 kind of the Old Testament version

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 of the superhero.

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 This guy should have been

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 the most powerful and potent

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 of all God's soldiers,

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 but instead,

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 he wastes his time

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 partying,

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 visiting prostitutes,

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 and in the end,

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 his death is a tragic waste

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 of all that potential

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 squandered on his own selfishness.

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 And as we go through the book of Judges,

00:11:28.699 --> 00:11:29.879
 the stories get longer

00:11:29.879 --> 00:11:31.099
 and they get more complex

00:11:31.099 --> 00:11:33.259
 and each judge is more compromised

00:11:33.259 --> 00:11:34.299
 than the one before

00:11:34.299 --> 00:11:35.859
 and the story just gets darker

00:11:35.859 --> 00:11:36.959
 and more dreary

00:11:36.959 --> 00:11:38.319
 and it's like everything's just sort of

00:11:38.319 --> 00:11:39.259
 going down the drain.

00:11:40.559 --> 00:11:42.179
 And one really interesting thing

00:11:42.179 --> 00:11:42.939
 in the book of Judges

00:11:42.939 --> 00:11:44.319
 is that as you go through the book,

00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:46.220
 there is increasing danger for women.

00:11:47.580 --> 00:11:48.180
 And that's because

00:11:48.180 --> 00:11:50.340
 when society is out of whack,

00:11:50.420 --> 00:11:51.940
 when society is going crazy

00:11:51.940 --> 00:11:53.200
 and has lost their foundations,

00:11:53.500 --> 00:11:55.540
 it's sometimes the vulnerable

00:11:55.540 --> 00:11:57.100
 who end up bearing the brunt

00:11:57.100 --> 00:11:58.720
 of the immorality.

00:11:58.900 --> 00:12:00.060
 And in chapter 11,

00:12:00.220 --> 00:12:01.820
 Jephthah kills his virgin daughter

00:12:01.820 --> 00:12:03.160
 and in chapter 15,

00:12:03.300 --> 00:12:05.820
 the Philistines burn Samson's wife alive

00:12:05.820 --> 00:12:07.560
 and in chapter 19,

00:12:07.800 --> 00:12:10.140
 the Levite's concubine is gang raped

00:12:10.140 --> 00:12:11.660
 and then cut into 12 pieces

00:12:11.660 --> 00:12:13.120
 and it starts a civil war

00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:14.700
 and then in chapter 21,

00:12:14.879 --> 00:12:15.539
 the Benjamites,

00:12:15.600 --> 00:12:16.639
 who are supposed to know better,

00:12:17.159 --> 00:12:18.279
 essentially go and kidnap

00:12:18.279 --> 00:12:18.919
 all these women

00:12:18.919 --> 00:12:19.759
 and steal the women

00:12:19.759 --> 00:12:20.919
 from their families.

00:12:22.259 --> 00:12:23.200
 It is ugly.

00:12:24.620 --> 00:12:25.919
 And the book of Judges tells us

00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:27.039
 in a repeating refrain

00:12:27.039 --> 00:12:28.120
 that in those days,

00:12:28.299 --> 00:12:28.820
 there was,

00:12:29.159 --> 00:12:30.519
 Israel had no king.

00:12:31.539 --> 00:12:32.639
 The reason I think it says that

00:12:32.639 --> 00:12:33.500
 is because the Lord

00:12:33.500 --> 00:12:34.440
 was not their king.

00:12:35.639 --> 00:12:37.120
 They just did whatever they wanted.

00:12:37.560 --> 00:12:38.680
 Whatever felt good to them

00:12:38.680 --> 00:12:39.180
 at the time,

00:12:39.259 --> 00:12:40.600
 they abused each other,

00:12:40.700 --> 00:12:42.180
 they exploited each other,

00:12:42.179 --> 00:12:43.899
 anyone who was weak

00:12:43.899 --> 00:12:44.399
 and vulnerable,

00:12:44.519 --> 00:12:45.919
 they just took advantage of them.

00:12:46.079 --> 00:12:47.879
 Just traveling from one town

00:12:47.879 --> 00:12:48.439
 to another,

00:12:48.859 --> 00:12:49.759
 you were just as likely

00:12:49.759 --> 00:12:50.739
 as not to be cut up

00:12:50.739 --> 00:12:51.339
 into pieces.

00:12:53.879 --> 00:12:54.859
 And in fact,

00:12:54.919 --> 00:12:55.659
 in the book of Judges,

00:12:55.719 --> 00:12:56.879
 the evil Canaanites,

00:12:57.139 --> 00:12:58.659
 the evil Canaanites

00:12:58.659 --> 00:12:59.479
 that are supposed to be

00:12:59.479 --> 00:13:00.279
 the ones that Israel

00:13:00.279 --> 00:13:01.479
 is purging from the land,

00:13:01.799 --> 00:13:02.519
 they stand around

00:13:02.519 --> 00:13:03.419
 and they say to each other,

00:13:03.719 --> 00:13:05.139
 what is with Israel?

00:13:05.419 --> 00:13:06.699
 They are bad.

00:13:06.859 --> 00:13:07.500
 What is with them?

00:13:07.500 --> 00:13:10.820
 And this is the setting

00:13:10.820 --> 00:13:12.580
 of the book of Ruth.

00:13:14.740 --> 00:13:15.559
 Not only that,

00:13:15.620 --> 00:13:16.639
 but there was a famine

00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:17.259
 in the land,

00:13:17.320 --> 00:13:18.279
 a severe famine

00:13:18.279 --> 00:13:19.340
 and a man from Bethlehem

00:13:19.340 --> 00:13:20.779
 thought he could do better

00:13:20.779 --> 00:13:22.200
 somewhere else

00:13:22.200 --> 00:13:23.639
 than staying in Israel

00:13:23.639 --> 00:13:24.919
 so he packed up his family

00:13:24.919 --> 00:13:25.840
 and he left Israel

00:13:25.840 --> 00:13:27.799
 and he traveled to Moab.

00:13:29.100 --> 00:13:30.639
 It raises a couple of questions.

00:13:30.860 --> 00:13:31.500
 First of all,

00:13:32.539 --> 00:13:33.759
 why did he leave Israel?

00:13:33.759 --> 00:13:35.980
 The irony is

00:13:35.980 --> 00:13:38.319
 that the name Bethlehem

00:13:38.319 --> 00:13:39.200
 in Hebrew means

00:13:39.200 --> 00:13:40.220
 house of bread.

00:13:43.399 --> 00:13:43.799
 Second,

00:13:44.500 --> 00:13:45.259
 lots of people

00:13:45.259 --> 00:13:46.000
 stayed in Israel.

00:13:46.120 --> 00:13:46.500
 We're going to see

00:13:46.500 --> 00:13:47.220
 at the end of the chapter

00:13:47.220 --> 00:13:48.100
 that when they get back,

00:13:48.179 --> 00:13:49.100
 everybody's still there.

00:13:49.220 --> 00:13:50.200
 So was it really necessary

00:13:50.200 --> 00:13:50.879
 for them to leave

00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:51.580
 in the first place?

00:13:53.019 --> 00:13:53.419
 Third,

00:13:54.059 --> 00:13:54.899
 why did they go

00:13:54.899 --> 00:13:55.919
 to Moab

00:13:55.919 --> 00:13:56.960
 of all places?

00:13:58.799 --> 00:13:59.779
 Moab was not just

00:13:59.779 --> 00:14:00.659
 a foreign country,

00:14:00.779 --> 00:14:02.039
 it was an enemy country

00:14:02.039 --> 00:14:03.740
 with assorted history.

00:14:04.659 --> 00:14:06.080
 All the way back in Genesis

00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:07.639
 after God destroyed

00:14:07.639 --> 00:14:09.379
 the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah,

00:14:10.399 --> 00:14:11.240
 Lot and his daughters

00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:12.480
 escaped and went up

00:14:12.480 --> 00:14:13.100
 into the hills

00:14:13.100 --> 00:14:14.259
 and his older daughter

00:14:14.259 --> 00:14:15.220
 got him drunk

00:14:15.220 --> 00:14:16.879
 and had intercourse with him

00:14:16.879 --> 00:14:17.980
 and she gave birth

00:14:17.980 --> 00:14:19.179
 to Moab,

00:14:19.279 --> 00:14:19.879
 the ancestor

00:14:19.879 --> 00:14:21.019
 of the Moabites.

00:14:22.120 --> 00:14:24.659
 So they come from incest.

00:14:25.919 --> 00:14:27.139
 In the book of Numbers,

00:14:27.240 --> 00:14:28.120
 when Israel was traveling

00:14:28.120 --> 00:14:29.019
 to the promised land,

00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:29.980
 Moab refused

00:14:29.980 --> 00:14:31.200
 to let them pass.

00:14:32.160 --> 00:14:33.340
 And the king of Moab

00:14:33.340 --> 00:14:34.460
 hired Balaam

00:14:34.460 --> 00:14:35.600
 to curse Israel.

00:14:35.720 --> 00:14:36.820
 But when that didn't work,

00:14:36.940 --> 00:14:38.160
 the women of Moab

00:14:38.160 --> 00:14:38.879
 came out

00:14:38.879 --> 00:14:40.379
 and sexually seduced

00:14:40.379 --> 00:14:41.280
 the men of Israel

00:14:41.280 --> 00:14:43.440
 and led them

00:14:43.440 --> 00:14:44.600
 into idolatry

00:14:44.600 --> 00:14:45.500
 and it's one of the

00:14:45.500 --> 00:14:46.580
 great scandals

00:14:46.580 --> 00:14:48.800
 in Old Testament history.

00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:51.879
 So if you're an ancient Israelite

00:14:51.879 --> 00:14:52.779
 and you're reading this book

00:14:52.779 --> 00:14:53.740
 and you hear that

00:14:53.740 --> 00:14:54.699
 they went to Moab,

00:14:54.799 --> 00:14:55.979
 you just kind of get

00:14:55.979 --> 00:14:57.379
 this sickening feeling

00:14:57.379 --> 00:14:58.359
 in the pit of your stomach.

00:14:58.539 --> 00:14:59.279
 Like, Moab?

00:14:59.519 --> 00:14:59.859
 Ugh.

00:14:59.860 --> 00:15:05.560
 It represents idolatry

00:15:05.560 --> 00:15:06.300
 and all kinds

00:15:06.300 --> 00:15:07.700
 of sexual deviancy.

00:15:09.680 --> 00:15:10.620
 So the setting

00:15:10.620 --> 00:15:11.180
 of the story,

00:15:11.259 --> 00:15:12.100
 we're only in verse 1,

00:15:12.180 --> 00:15:12.680
 but the setting

00:15:12.680 --> 00:15:13.200
 of the story

00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:14.019
 sets up all kinds

00:15:14.019 --> 00:15:14.740
 of expectations

00:15:14.740 --> 00:15:15.620
 for us as a reader

00:15:15.620 --> 00:15:16.960
 because we know

00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:17.879
 how this is going to go.

00:15:18.580 --> 00:15:19.279
 Not well.

00:15:20.419 --> 00:15:20.659
 Right?

00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:21.200
 The Israelites

00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:22.259
 in this story

00:15:22.259 --> 00:15:25.080
 in the time of judges

00:15:25.080 --> 00:15:26.500
 are disobeying God

00:15:26.500 --> 00:15:27.220
 and doing whatever

00:15:27.220 --> 00:15:28.600
 is right in their own eyes.

00:15:28.600 --> 00:15:29.500
 They're raping

00:15:29.500 --> 00:15:30.159
 and killing

00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:31.279
 and dismembering

00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:31.840
 each other.

00:15:32.779 --> 00:15:34.060
 And it's in Moab

00:15:34.060 --> 00:15:36.139
 where especially

00:15:36.139 --> 00:15:37.040
 Moabite women

00:15:37.040 --> 00:15:38.180
 have this reputation

00:15:38.180 --> 00:15:39.279
 of being conniving

00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:40.420
 and idolatrous

00:15:40.420 --> 00:15:42.300
 and sexually immoral.

00:15:42.500 --> 00:15:44.180
 These are dark times

00:15:44.180 --> 00:15:44.960
 and we're just thinking,

00:15:45.100 --> 00:15:45.340
 oh boy,

00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:46.879
 this is not going

00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:47.560
 to end well.

00:15:48.700 --> 00:15:49.519
 No good is going

00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:50.159
 to come out

00:15:50.159 --> 00:15:50.879
 of any of this.

00:15:52.200 --> 00:15:52.860
 Then in verse 2,

00:15:52.920 --> 00:15:53.759
 we learn the names

00:15:53.759 --> 00:15:54.519
 of the family.

00:15:54.680 --> 00:15:56.100
 Naomi means pleasant.

00:15:56.440 --> 00:15:57.080
 That's important.

00:15:57.160 --> 00:15:57.779
 We're going to talk

00:15:57.779 --> 00:15:58.519
 about that in a bit.

00:15:59.399 --> 00:16:00.879
 Machlon in Hebrew

00:16:00.879 --> 00:16:01.659
 means something

00:16:01.659 --> 00:16:02.519
 like sickness

00:16:02.519 --> 00:16:04.460
 and Kilion in Hebrew

00:16:04.460 --> 00:16:04.960
 means something

00:16:04.960 --> 00:16:05.639
 like death.

00:16:06.940 --> 00:16:07.220
 I mean,

00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:07.800
 who would name

00:16:07.800 --> 00:16:08.460
 their sons

00:16:08.460 --> 00:16:10.220
 sickness and death?

00:16:11.100 --> 00:16:12.320
 But it's appropriate

00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:13.259
 because they die

00:16:13.259 --> 00:16:13.800
 very young

00:16:13.800 --> 00:16:14.440
 and it just sort of

00:16:14.440 --> 00:16:15.879
 adds to the sickly,

00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:16.840
 dark picture

00:16:16.840 --> 00:16:17.659
 of this family

00:16:17.659 --> 00:16:18.180
 that we're being

00:16:18.180 --> 00:16:18.980
 presented with here.

00:16:20.540 --> 00:16:21.220
 And we're not told

00:16:21.220 --> 00:16:22.120
 how Elimelech,

00:16:22.220 --> 00:16:22.940
 the husband of Naomi,

00:16:23.080 --> 00:16:23.420
 died,

00:16:24.500 --> 00:16:25.680
 but Naomi was left

00:16:25.680 --> 00:16:26.220
 a widow

00:16:26.220 --> 00:16:27.560
 without her two sons.

00:16:27.559 --> 00:16:29.899
 And those two sons

00:16:29.899 --> 00:16:31.219
 took Moabite wives.

00:16:31.299 --> 00:16:32.199
 The name of the one

00:16:32.199 --> 00:16:32.959
 was Orpah

00:16:32.959 --> 00:16:33.679
 and the name

00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:34.239
 of the other

00:16:34.239 --> 00:16:35.500
 was Ruth.

00:16:37.639 --> 00:16:37.899
 Now,

00:16:38.219 --> 00:16:39.219
 marriages to foreign

00:16:39.219 --> 00:16:40.000
 women were not

00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:41.519
 forbidden in the

00:16:41.519 --> 00:16:42.059
 Old Testament,

00:16:42.059 --> 00:16:42.119
 Testament.

00:16:44.339 --> 00:16:45.539
 But we can question

00:16:45.539 --> 00:16:46.739
 the wisdom of this.

00:16:48.439 --> 00:16:49.379
 Because Moab was

00:16:49.379 --> 00:16:50.139
 typically at war

00:16:50.139 --> 00:16:50.659
 with Israel

00:16:50.659 --> 00:16:51.439
 in the Old Testament

00:16:51.439 --> 00:16:52.399
 and the people

00:16:52.399 --> 00:16:53.219
 of Moab

00:16:53.219 --> 00:16:54.379
 were pagans

00:16:54.379 --> 00:16:54.959
 who worshipped

00:16:54.959 --> 00:16:55.899
 their own gods.

00:16:56.339 --> 00:16:58.019
 And in Deuteronomy 23.3,

00:16:58.159 --> 00:16:58.479
 it says,

00:16:58.480 --> 00:16:59.220
 that because of the

00:16:59.220 --> 00:16:59.740
 history,

00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:01.220
 no Moabite

00:17:01.220 --> 00:17:02.220
 would ever be

00:17:02.220 --> 00:17:03.139
 allowed to enter

00:17:03.139 --> 00:17:03.759
 the assembly

00:17:03.759 --> 00:17:04.519
 of the Lord

00:17:04.519 --> 00:17:05.380
 ever

00:17:05.380 --> 00:17:06.860
 because of how

00:17:06.860 --> 00:17:07.360
 they had treated

00:17:07.360 --> 00:17:07.759
 Israel.

00:17:09.240 --> 00:17:09.680
 So,

00:17:09.860 --> 00:17:10.620
 it raises a question

00:17:10.620 --> 00:17:11.200
 in my mind,

00:17:11.319 --> 00:17:12.140
 why didn't Naomi

00:17:12.140 --> 00:17:13.460
 stop her two sons

00:17:13.460 --> 00:17:14.059
 from marrying

00:17:14.059 --> 00:17:14.980
 these two Moabite

00:17:14.980 --> 00:17:15.599
 women that they,

00:17:15.720 --> 00:17:16.180
 I don't think

00:17:16.180 --> 00:17:16.579
 they should have

00:17:16.579 --> 00:17:16.839
 married?

00:17:19.700 --> 00:17:20.480
 And then there's

00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:21.160
 another clue

00:17:21.160 --> 00:17:22.220
 that this isn't

00:17:22.220 --> 00:17:22.579
 right.

00:17:22.779 --> 00:17:23.900
 Because the word

00:17:23.900 --> 00:17:26.099
 marry here

00:17:26.099 --> 00:17:26.920
 is the word

00:17:26.920 --> 00:17:27.420
 took.

00:17:27.420 --> 00:17:28.420
 they took

00:17:28.420 --> 00:17:29.640
 Moabite wives

00:17:29.640 --> 00:17:30.400
 and in Hebrew

00:17:30.400 --> 00:17:32.080
 that is a word

00:17:32.080 --> 00:17:32.820
 that is reserved

00:17:32.820 --> 00:17:33.820
 for illegitimate

00:17:33.820 --> 00:17:34.320
 marriages.

00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:35.380
 Marriages that

00:17:35.380 --> 00:17:35.880
 should not

00:17:35.880 --> 00:17:36.920
 have taken place.

00:17:39.200 --> 00:17:40.140
 It is almost

00:17:40.140 --> 00:17:41.039
 always used

00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:41.539
 in connection

00:17:41.539 --> 00:17:42.720
 with concubines

00:17:42.720 --> 00:17:43.560
 or mistresses

00:17:43.560 --> 00:17:45.720
 or taking wives

00:17:45.720 --> 00:17:46.440
 that were forbidden.

00:17:48.920 --> 00:17:49.440
 And then

00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:50.140
 it says that

00:17:50.140 --> 00:17:50.720
 they lived there

00:17:50.720 --> 00:17:51.840
 about ten years

00:17:51.840 --> 00:17:52.519
 and yet there

00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:53.840
 were no children.

00:17:55.240 --> 00:17:56.320
 There are many

00:17:56.320 --> 00:17:57.340
 couples in the Bible

00:17:57.339 --> 00:17:57.939
 that are unable

00:17:57.939 --> 00:17:58.480
 to conceive

00:17:58.480 --> 00:17:58.859
 children.

00:17:59.019 --> 00:17:59.579
 And that is

00:17:59.579 --> 00:18:00.159
 a very

00:18:00.159 --> 00:18:01.819
 sad

00:18:01.819 --> 00:18:02.599
 and heartbreaking

00:18:02.599 --> 00:18:04.659
 fact.

00:18:05.179 --> 00:18:05.679
 And it's

00:18:05.679 --> 00:18:06.199
 something that

00:18:06.199 --> 00:18:06.919
 definitely adds

00:18:06.919 --> 00:18:07.500
 to the pain

00:18:07.500 --> 00:18:08.319
 of the situation

00:18:08.319 --> 00:18:08.699
 here.

00:18:08.819 --> 00:18:09.859
 But when you

00:18:09.859 --> 00:18:10.500
 think about it,

00:18:10.679 --> 00:18:11.439
 neither of these

00:18:11.439 --> 00:18:12.000
 couples had

00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:12.859
 children for ten

00:18:12.859 --> 00:18:13.179
 years.

00:18:14.519 --> 00:18:15.299
 I think it's

00:18:15.299 --> 00:18:15.879
 possible

00:18:15.879 --> 00:18:17.659
 that there may

00:18:17.659 --> 00:18:18.039
 be something

00:18:18.039 --> 00:18:18.819
 additional going

00:18:18.819 --> 00:18:19.299
 on here.

00:18:19.480 --> 00:18:20.259
 Moses had said

00:18:20.259 --> 00:18:20.779
 in Deuteronomy

00:18:20.779 --> 00:18:22.139
 28 that those

00:18:22.139 --> 00:18:23.039
 who break his

00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:23.859
 covenant will not

00:18:23.859 --> 00:18:24.459
 be allowed to have

00:18:24.459 --> 00:18:24.779
 children.

00:18:24.779 --> 00:18:25.339
 That was a

00:18:25.339 --> 00:18:26.720
 special circumstance

00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:27.319
 in the Old

00:18:27.319 --> 00:18:28.059
 Testament in

00:18:28.059 --> 00:18:28.619
 Deuteronomy.

00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:29.940
 And it just

00:18:29.940 --> 00:18:30.680
 makes me wonder

00:18:30.680 --> 00:18:31.519
 if there's some

00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:33.359
 indicator here

00:18:33.359 --> 00:18:35.019
 of something

00:18:35.019 --> 00:18:35.740
 that was off.

00:18:38.319 --> 00:18:39.319
 In verse 5,

00:18:39.399 --> 00:18:40.059
 Naomi's two

00:18:40.059 --> 00:18:40.660
 sons, the

00:18:40.660 --> 00:18:41.480
 husbands of Ruth

00:18:41.480 --> 00:18:41.960
 and Orpah,

00:18:42.039 --> 00:18:42.859
 die, and Naomi

00:18:42.859 --> 00:18:44.000
 is left with

00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:44.500
 nothing.

00:18:44.660 --> 00:18:45.059
 I mean, this

00:18:45.059 --> 00:18:45.639
 is like the

00:18:45.639 --> 00:18:46.379
 female version

00:18:46.379 --> 00:18:47.000
 of Job.

00:18:48.720 --> 00:18:49.779
 It is hard

00:18:49.779 --> 00:18:50.740
 to be a widow.

00:18:51.759 --> 00:18:52.799
 In our society,

00:18:52.859 --> 00:18:53.519
 it's hard to be a

00:18:53.519 --> 00:18:53.700
 widow.

00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:55.039
 A widow is

00:18:55.039 --> 00:18:55.519
 alone.

00:18:57.059 --> 00:18:57.700
 A widow has

00:18:57.700 --> 00:18:58.859
 lost her social

00:18:58.859 --> 00:18:59.400
 connections.

00:18:59.740 --> 00:19:00.359
 She's lost her

00:19:00.359 --> 00:19:00.980
 companion.

00:19:01.379 --> 00:19:02.420
 It affects her

00:19:02.420 --> 00:19:03.079
 friendships.

00:19:05.319 --> 00:19:06.200
 When everyone

00:19:06.200 --> 00:19:08.139
 pairs off, she

00:19:08.139 --> 00:19:08.920
 doesn't have a

00:19:08.920 --> 00:19:09.639
 partner like she

00:19:09.639 --> 00:19:10.099
 used to.

00:19:11.879 --> 00:19:12.759
 She doesn't have

00:19:12.759 --> 00:19:13.460
 the support of

00:19:13.460 --> 00:19:13.980
 her husband.

00:19:14.299 --> 00:19:14.920
 She struggles

00:19:14.920 --> 00:19:15.859
 with loneliness.

00:19:17.480 --> 00:19:18.500
 At least in our

00:19:18.500 --> 00:19:20.019
 society, there are

00:19:20.019 --> 00:19:21.559
 often financial

00:19:21.559 --> 00:19:22.460
 safety nets.

00:19:22.460 --> 00:19:23.539
 sometimes the

00:19:23.539 --> 00:19:23.940
 husband will

00:19:23.940 --> 00:19:24.480
 have life

00:19:24.480 --> 00:19:25.519
 insurance or

00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:27.100
 there are food

00:19:27.100 --> 00:19:28.100
 stamps or other

00:19:28.100 --> 00:19:29.740
 kinds of

00:19:29.740 --> 00:19:30.059
 government

00:19:30.059 --> 00:19:30.600
 assistance.

00:19:30.819 --> 00:19:31.200
 But in the

00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:32.220
 Old Testament, a

00:19:32.220 --> 00:19:33.259
 woman who was a

00:19:33.259 --> 00:19:34.360
 widow was truly

00:19:34.360 --> 00:19:35.100
 desperate.

00:19:36.220 --> 00:19:37.600
 She had no way

00:19:37.600 --> 00:19:38.500
 of providing for

00:19:38.500 --> 00:19:39.380
 herself except

00:19:39.380 --> 00:19:40.539
 through her sons.

00:19:41.480 --> 00:19:42.279
 Because someone

00:19:42.279 --> 00:19:42.920
 has to go out

00:19:42.920 --> 00:19:43.579
 there and work in

00:19:43.579 --> 00:19:44.360
 the fields and

00:19:44.360 --> 00:19:45.440
 grow the crops to

00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:45.680
 eat.

00:19:45.840 --> 00:19:46.360
 There are no

00:19:46.360 --> 00:19:47.440
 grocery stores and

00:19:47.440 --> 00:19:48.120
 you can't get a

00:19:48.120 --> 00:19:48.840
 job somewhere.

00:19:48.839 --> 00:19:52.480
 But Naomi didn't

00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:53.220
 have any sons

00:19:53.220 --> 00:19:55.299
 because they had

00:19:55.299 --> 00:19:55.679
 died.

00:19:55.839 --> 00:19:56.459
 And so here is

00:19:56.459 --> 00:19:57.720
 Naomi with no

00:19:57.720 --> 00:19:58.799
 one except two

00:19:58.799 --> 00:19:59.659
 other widows who

00:19:59.659 --> 00:20:00.599
 are also with her.

00:20:00.699 --> 00:20:01.959
 It is a terrible,

00:20:02.579 --> 00:20:03.679
 desperate situation.

00:20:06.779 --> 00:20:07.899
 Now in verse 6,

00:20:07.980 --> 00:20:09.119
 she had heard that

00:20:09.119 --> 00:20:09.919
 there was food in

00:20:09.919 --> 00:20:10.659
 Israel, so she

00:20:10.659 --> 00:20:11.879
 decides to pack up

00:20:11.879 --> 00:20:13.319
 and travel with her

00:20:13.319 --> 00:20:14.500
 daughter-in-laws back

00:20:14.500 --> 00:20:15.199
 to Judah.

00:20:15.200 --> 00:20:15.279
 Judah.

00:20:16.360 --> 00:20:17.039
 And they're on

00:20:17.039 --> 00:20:17.559
 their way and

00:20:17.559 --> 00:20:18.319
 they're traveling on

00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:18.880
 the road toward

00:20:18.880 --> 00:20:19.840
 Judah and at some

00:20:19.840 --> 00:20:21.000
 point, Naomi starts

00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:21.680
 to think about the

00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:22.620
 situation here and

00:20:22.620 --> 00:20:23.299
 she changes her

00:20:23.299 --> 00:20:23.620
 mind.

00:20:23.860 --> 00:20:24.720
 This is really what

00:20:24.720 --> 00:20:25.860
 dominates, this

00:20:25.860 --> 00:20:26.840
 conversation is really

00:20:26.840 --> 00:20:27.620
 what dominates this

00:20:27.620 --> 00:20:27.920
 chapter.

00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:30.460
 She realizes that

00:20:30.460 --> 00:20:31.740
 there is no hope

00:20:31.740 --> 00:20:33.039
 for her daughters

00:20:33.039 --> 00:20:33.920
 back home in

00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:34.120
 Judah.

00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:37.140
 It is not in

00:20:37.140 --> 00:20:38.100
 Ruth and Orpah's

00:20:38.100 --> 00:20:38.860
 best interest to

00:20:38.860 --> 00:20:39.400
 come along.

00:20:39.480 --> 00:20:40.279
 And so she says to

00:20:40.279 --> 00:20:40.759
 them, somewhat

00:20:40.759 --> 00:20:42.380
 forcefully, go,

00:20:43.000 --> 00:20:44.160
 return each of you

00:20:44.160 --> 00:20:44.840
 to your mother's

00:20:44.840 --> 00:20:45.180
 house.

00:20:46.059 --> 00:20:47.240
 And as she says

00:20:47.240 --> 00:20:47.880
 goodbye, she

00:20:47.880 --> 00:20:48.940
 blesses them and

00:20:48.940 --> 00:20:49.660
 she says, may the

00:20:49.660 --> 00:20:50.720
 Lord deal kindly

00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:51.779
 with you as you

00:20:51.779 --> 00:20:52.400
 have dealt with

00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:54.000
 the dead and with

00:20:54.000 --> 00:20:54.259
 me.

00:20:55.660 --> 00:20:57.039
 What is this kindness

00:20:57.039 --> 00:20:57.700
 that they have

00:20:57.700 --> 00:20:58.000
 done?

00:21:00.299 --> 00:21:02.019
 Well, maybe their

00:21:02.019 --> 00:21:02.960
 faithfulness to her

00:21:02.960 --> 00:21:03.900
 in hard times.

00:21:05.799 --> 00:21:07.000
 I think perhaps the

00:21:07.000 --> 00:21:07.480
 fact that they're

00:21:07.480 --> 00:21:08.160
 returning to her

00:21:08.160 --> 00:21:08.640
 with Judah.

00:21:09.240 --> 00:21:10.059
 Returning to Judah

00:21:10.059 --> 00:21:10.740
 with her, I should

00:21:10.740 --> 00:21:11.019
 say.

00:21:11.019 --> 00:21:14.900
 They're moving to a

00:21:14.900 --> 00:21:16.480
 foreign country to

00:21:16.480 --> 00:21:17.259
 stay with her and

00:21:17.259 --> 00:21:18.059
 help take care of

00:21:18.059 --> 00:21:18.200
 her.

00:21:18.339 --> 00:21:19.839
 This word kindly or

00:21:19.839 --> 00:21:21.460
 kindness is a

00:21:21.460 --> 00:21:22.440
 really significant

00:21:22.440 --> 00:21:23.400
 theological word in

00:21:23.400 --> 00:21:24.019
 the Old Testament.

00:21:24.879 --> 00:21:25.619
 It's the Hebrew

00:21:25.619 --> 00:21:26.819
 word chesed.

00:21:27.660 --> 00:21:28.460
 And sometimes it's

00:21:28.460 --> 00:21:29.400
 translated covenant

00:21:29.400 --> 00:21:30.420
 love or something

00:21:30.420 --> 00:21:30.920
 like that.

00:21:30.980 --> 00:21:32.079
 In the passage in

00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:32.960
 Lamentations that

00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:33.920
 Brian read this

00:21:33.920 --> 00:21:35.000
 morning, it's

00:21:35.000 --> 00:21:35.680
 translated as

00:21:35.680 --> 00:21:36.619
 steadfast love,

00:21:36.619 --> 00:21:37.959
 the steadfast love

00:21:37.959 --> 00:21:38.799
 of the Lord never

00:21:38.799 --> 00:21:39.259
 ceases.

00:21:40.139 --> 00:21:41.079
 It's characteristic

00:21:41.079 --> 00:21:42.000
 of God throughout

00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:42.799
 the Old Testament

00:21:42.799 --> 00:21:44.059
 and it's built upon

00:21:44.059 --> 00:21:45.179
 his relationship with

00:21:45.179 --> 00:21:45.759
 his people.

00:21:45.919 --> 00:21:47.059
 It involves love

00:21:47.059 --> 00:21:48.679
 and mercy and

00:21:48.679 --> 00:21:50.539
 kindness and

00:21:50.539 --> 00:21:51.439
 grace and

00:21:51.439 --> 00:21:52.959
 goodness and

00:21:52.959 --> 00:21:54.000
 benevolence and

00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:54.719
 loyalty.

00:21:56.519 --> 00:21:57.799
 And because God

00:21:57.799 --> 00:21:58.839
 acts toward his

00:21:58.839 --> 00:22:00.619
 people with chesed,

00:22:00.699 --> 00:22:01.899
 because he is kind

00:22:01.899 --> 00:22:02.559
 to them and he

00:22:02.559 --> 00:22:03.479
 loves them on the

00:22:03.479 --> 00:22:04.719
 basis of his

00:22:04.719 --> 00:22:05.559
 covenant relationship,

00:22:05.559 --> 00:22:06.859
 he expects his

00:22:06.859 --> 00:22:07.839
 people in the

00:22:07.839 --> 00:22:08.579
 covenant community

00:22:08.579 --> 00:22:09.779
 to show chesed

00:22:09.779 --> 00:22:10.720
 toward each other.

00:22:12.599 --> 00:22:13.099
 And Naomi's

00:22:13.099 --> 00:22:14.319
 blessing of her

00:22:14.319 --> 00:22:15.139
 two daughters-in-law

00:22:15.139 --> 00:22:16.119
 suggests that the

00:22:16.119 --> 00:22:17.139
 Lord is interested

00:22:17.139 --> 00:22:18.240
 in chesed.

00:22:18.359 --> 00:22:19.819
 She says, may the

00:22:19.819 --> 00:22:20.779
 Lord deal chesed

00:22:20.779 --> 00:22:21.819
 with you as you

00:22:21.819 --> 00:22:22.639
 have done with me.

00:22:23.759 --> 00:22:25.440
 She hoped that

00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:26.119
 the Lord would

00:22:26.119 --> 00:22:27.619
 recognize the chesed

00:22:27.619 --> 00:22:28.179
 that they had

00:22:28.179 --> 00:22:29.000
 showed toward her

00:22:29.000 --> 00:22:30.000
 and that he would

00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:31.919
 then deal kindly

00:22:31.919 --> 00:22:32.619
 with them in

00:22:32.619 --> 00:22:33.139
 response.

00:22:34.579 --> 00:22:35.019
 And in verse

00:22:35.019 --> 00:22:35.539
 nine, she

00:22:35.539 --> 00:22:36.399
 blesses them,

00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:37.259
 hoping that they

00:22:37.259 --> 00:22:38.099
 will find new

00:22:38.099 --> 00:22:39.099
 husbands back in

00:22:39.099 --> 00:22:39.779
 Moab and that

00:22:39.779 --> 00:22:40.420
 they'll be taken

00:22:40.420 --> 00:22:41.200
 care of and

00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:41.980
 provided for.

00:22:42.399 --> 00:22:43.200
 And the dialogue

00:22:43.200 --> 00:22:43.960
 here in verse

00:22:43.960 --> 00:22:44.899
 nine is just

00:22:44.899 --> 00:22:45.940
 infused with

00:22:45.940 --> 00:22:46.440
 emotion.

00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:48.159
 She kisses

00:22:48.159 --> 00:22:49.099
 them and they

00:22:49.099 --> 00:22:50.240
 lifted up their

00:22:50.240 --> 00:22:51.559
 voices and wept.

00:22:51.680 --> 00:22:52.579
 This isn't,

00:22:52.579 --> 00:22:53.359
 this isn't, you

00:22:53.359 --> 00:22:53.740
 know, standing

00:22:53.740 --> 00:22:54.539
 around dabbing

00:22:54.539 --> 00:22:55.240
 your eye with a

00:22:55.240 --> 00:22:55.779
 little tissue.

00:22:56.480 --> 00:22:57.059
 They are, they

00:22:57.059 --> 00:22:57.859
 have lifted up

00:22:57.859 --> 00:22:58.279
 their voices.

00:22:58.440 --> 00:22:59.319
 They are wailing

00:22:59.319 --> 00:23:00.039
 and weeping,

00:23:00.220 --> 00:23:01.279
 three desperate

00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:02.420
 widows on a dusty

00:23:02.420 --> 00:23:03.119
 road on the way

00:23:03.119 --> 00:23:03.519
 to Judah.

00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:06.279
 It is a

00:23:06.279 --> 00:23:07.759
 miserable scene.

00:23:08.879 --> 00:23:10.059
 This family has

00:23:10.059 --> 00:23:10.980
 experienced so

00:23:10.980 --> 00:23:11.940
 much brokenness

00:23:11.940 --> 00:23:12.759
 and so much

00:23:12.759 --> 00:23:13.559
 pain and now

00:23:13.559 --> 00:23:14.619
 these desperate,

00:23:15.119 --> 00:23:16.740
 poor, miserable

00:23:16.740 --> 00:23:18.059
 widows are wailing

00:23:18.059 --> 00:23:19.980
 and weeping on

00:23:19.980 --> 00:23:20.619
 the road because

00:23:20.619 --> 00:23:21.599
 now they have to

00:23:21.599 --> 00:23:22.279
 separate because

00:23:22.279 --> 00:23:22.900
 there's no hope

00:23:22.900 --> 00:23:23.440
 for them at all

00:23:23.440 --> 00:23:23.940
 in the future.

00:23:26.599 --> 00:23:27.180
 Naomi says,

00:23:27.279 --> 00:23:27.759
 look, don't even,

00:23:27.859 --> 00:23:28.559
 don't even come

00:23:28.559 --> 00:23:28.980
 with me.

00:23:28.980 --> 00:23:30.000
 As bad as things

00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:30.559
 have been in

00:23:30.559 --> 00:23:31.819
 Moab, in Judah,

00:23:32.220 --> 00:23:32.839
 you will be

00:23:32.839 --> 00:23:34.720
 foreigners and

00:23:34.720 --> 00:23:35.380
 there is no

00:23:35.380 --> 00:23:36.500
 possibility of

00:23:36.500 --> 00:23:37.099
 your finding a

00:23:37.099 --> 00:23:37.720
 husband there.

00:23:38.680 --> 00:23:39.559
 That isn't going

00:23:39.559 --> 00:23:40.019
 to happen.

00:23:40.920 --> 00:23:41.720
 All they have

00:23:41.720 --> 00:23:42.579
 left is each

00:23:42.579 --> 00:23:43.640
 other and now

00:23:43.640 --> 00:23:44.099
 they have to

00:23:44.099 --> 00:23:44.420
 separate.

00:23:46.480 --> 00:23:47.200
 But the two

00:23:47.200 --> 00:23:47.700
 daughters-in-law

00:23:47.700 --> 00:23:48.339
 say, no, no,

00:23:48.380 --> 00:23:48.860
 no, we'll go

00:23:48.860 --> 00:23:49.620
 with you and

00:23:49.620 --> 00:23:50.440
 Naomi urges

00:23:50.440 --> 00:23:51.039
 them again and

00:23:51.039 --> 00:23:51.620
 says, why would

00:23:51.620 --> 00:23:52.339
 you do that?

00:23:52.980 --> 00:23:53.579
 It's a really

00:23:53.579 --> 00:23:54.160
 good question.

00:23:54.259 --> 00:23:54.720
 She's probably

00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:55.120
 right.

00:23:55.299 --> 00:23:55.759
 She's probably

00:23:55.759 --> 00:23:56.539
 right about that.

00:23:56.660 --> 00:23:57.180
 What do they

00:23:57.180 --> 00:23:57.640
 have to look

00:23:57.640 --> 00:23:58.319
 forward to in

00:23:58.319 --> 00:23:58.799
 Bethlehem,

00:23:58.859 --> 00:23:59.119
 where they

00:23:59.119 --> 00:24:00.599
 are foreigners

00:24:00.599 --> 00:24:02.899
 who have been

00:24:02.899 --> 00:24:06.179
 so traditionally

00:24:06.179 --> 00:24:08.220
 maligned by the

00:24:08.220 --> 00:24:08.960
 people of Israel?

00:24:10.960 --> 00:24:11.519
 And then Naomi

00:24:11.519 --> 00:24:12.099
 says to them,

00:24:12.200 --> 00:24:14.099
 do I have sons

00:24:14.099 --> 00:24:14.939
 in my womb

00:24:14.939 --> 00:24:15.839
 right now that

00:24:15.839 --> 00:24:16.299
 they would grow

00:24:16.299 --> 00:24:16.960
 up and be sons

00:24:16.960 --> 00:24:17.359
 for you?

00:24:18.439 --> 00:24:19.019
 Verse 12,

00:24:19.159 --> 00:24:19.839
 turn back.

00:24:19.919 --> 00:24:20.639
 I am too old

00:24:20.639 --> 00:24:21.359
 to have a husband.

00:24:21.500 --> 00:24:22.679
 Even if I should

00:24:22.679 --> 00:24:23.240
 have a husband

00:24:23.240 --> 00:24:24.139
 tonight and

00:24:24.139 --> 00:24:25.299
 conceive two sons

00:24:25.299 --> 00:24:26.139
 and bear them,

00:24:26.179 --> 00:24:26.559
 are you going to

00:24:26.559 --> 00:24:27.159
 wait until they're

00:24:27.159 --> 00:24:27.779
 grown up?

00:24:28.319 --> 00:24:30.720
 Now, it's a

00:24:30.720 --> 00:24:31.659
 ridiculous scenario,

00:24:31.879 --> 00:24:32.339
 but the point

00:24:32.339 --> 00:24:33.039
 that she's making

00:24:33.039 --> 00:24:33.859
 is quite serious.

00:24:35.579 --> 00:24:36.439
 There is no

00:24:36.439 --> 00:24:38.220
 possible way that

00:24:38.220 --> 00:24:38.700
 they are going to

00:24:38.700 --> 00:24:39.779
 find husbands in

00:24:39.779 --> 00:24:40.079
 Israel.

00:24:40.759 --> 00:24:41.700
 No one is going

00:24:41.700 --> 00:24:42.339
 to want to marry

00:24:42.339 --> 00:24:42.960
 them if they're

00:24:42.960 --> 00:24:43.659
 Moabite women.

00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:46.200
 What Naomi's point

00:24:46.200 --> 00:24:47.220
 is, is this,

00:24:47.339 --> 00:24:48.700
 the only possible

00:24:48.700 --> 00:24:49.919
 way that you are

00:24:49.919 --> 00:24:50.439
 going to have a

00:24:50.439 --> 00:24:51.240
 husband to take

00:24:51.240 --> 00:24:52.000
 care of you and

00:24:52.000 --> 00:24:52.619
 make you anything

00:24:52.619 --> 00:24:53.579
 other than desperate

00:24:53.579 --> 00:24:54.859
 when we get to

00:24:54.859 --> 00:24:55.859
 Judah is if I

00:24:55.859 --> 00:24:57.119
 bear him for you

00:24:57.119 --> 00:24:57.759
 and you wait

00:24:57.759 --> 00:24:58.519
 20 years until

00:24:58.519 --> 00:24:59.039
 he's grown up

00:24:59.039 --> 00:24:59.339
 and then you

00:24:59.339 --> 00:24:59.719
 marry him

00:24:59.719 --> 00:25:00.119
 yourself?

00:25:02.019 --> 00:25:02.799
 Or we can say

00:25:02.799 --> 00:25:03.299
 it like this,

00:25:03.339 --> 00:25:03.899
 it is more

00:25:03.899 --> 00:25:05.799
 likely that I

00:25:05.799 --> 00:25:06.519
 will have a

00:25:06.519 --> 00:25:07.159
 husband and

00:25:07.159 --> 00:25:07.859
 conceive a child

00:25:07.859 --> 00:25:08.379
 and give birth

00:25:08.379 --> 00:25:08.819
 to him and

00:25:08.819 --> 00:25:09.159
 you will wait

00:25:09.159 --> 00:25:09.719
 20 years and

00:25:09.719 --> 00:25:11.299
 marry him than

00:25:11.299 --> 00:25:12.139
 that anyone in

00:25:12.139 --> 00:25:13.219
 Israel would

00:25:13.219 --> 00:25:14.139
 ever want to

00:25:14.139 --> 00:25:14.479
 marry you.

00:25:14.559 --> 00:25:15.039
 That is not

00:25:15.039 --> 00:25:15.799
 going to happen.

00:25:17.079 --> 00:25:17.919
 So don't get

00:25:17.919 --> 00:25:18.779
 involved with me.

00:25:20.159 --> 00:25:21.399
 I am a poison

00:25:21.399 --> 00:25:22.099
 pill.

00:25:22.199 --> 00:25:22.659
 I'm like a

00:25:22.659 --> 00:25:23.459
 sinking ship.

00:25:23.460 --> 00:25:24.779
 Just get off

00:25:24.779 --> 00:25:25.519
 while you can.

00:25:25.620 --> 00:25:26.160
 Go back to

00:25:26.160 --> 00:25:26.519
 Moab.

00:25:26.600 --> 00:25:27.180
 Maybe you can

00:25:27.180 --> 00:25:27.860
 cobble together

00:25:27.860 --> 00:25:28.480
 some kind of

00:25:28.480 --> 00:25:30.100
 life back there.

00:25:32.220 --> 00:25:32.920
 Now we

00:25:32.920 --> 00:25:33.460
 shouldn't miss

00:25:33.460 --> 00:25:34.059
 here that Naomi

00:25:34.059 --> 00:25:34.700
 is actually being

00:25:34.700 --> 00:25:35.559
 very unselfish

00:25:35.559 --> 00:25:36.160
 because think of

00:25:36.160 --> 00:25:37.079
 how important it

00:25:37.079 --> 00:25:38.220
 is to her to

00:25:38.220 --> 00:25:39.100
 have that support,

00:25:39.759 --> 00:25:40.720
 to have these

00:25:40.720 --> 00:25:41.539
 daughters-in-law to

00:25:41.539 --> 00:25:42.380
 stay with her and

00:25:42.380 --> 00:25:43.160
 help provide for

00:25:43.160 --> 00:25:43.319
 her.

00:25:43.380 --> 00:25:44.019
 But she is being

00:25:44.019 --> 00:25:45.000
 unselfish and she's

00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:45.840
 saying I give you

00:25:45.840 --> 00:25:46.559
 up so that you

00:25:46.559 --> 00:25:47.539
 have some kind of

00:25:47.539 --> 00:25:48.000
 hope for the

00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:48.340
 future.

00:25:48.980 --> 00:25:49.700
 She's looking out

00:25:49.700 --> 00:25:50.420
 for their interest

00:25:50.420 --> 00:25:51.160
 and not her own.

00:25:53.460 --> 00:25:55.920
 So, maybe she's

00:25:55.920 --> 00:25:56.279
 right.

00:25:57.539 --> 00:25:58.400
 And in verse 14

00:25:58.400 --> 00:25:59.460
 they wail again

00:25:59.460 --> 00:26:00.180
 and now Orpah

00:26:00.180 --> 00:26:01.259
 realizes, yeah,

00:26:01.480 --> 00:26:02.640
 that's probably the

00:26:02.640 --> 00:26:03.640
 best thing and she

00:26:03.640 --> 00:26:04.759
 kisses Naomi goodbye

00:26:04.759 --> 00:26:05.600
 but at the same

00:26:05.600 --> 00:26:07.519
 time that Orpah is

00:26:07.519 --> 00:26:08.539
 kissing her mother-in-law

00:26:08.539 --> 00:26:09.600
 goodbye, Ruth is

00:26:09.600 --> 00:26:11.420
 just clinging to

00:26:11.420 --> 00:26:11.640
 her.

00:26:13.759 --> 00:26:14.799
 And so Naomi tries

00:26:14.799 --> 00:26:15.720
 one more time and

00:26:15.720 --> 00:26:16.720
 she encourages Ruth

00:26:16.720 --> 00:26:18.240
 to follow her

00:26:18.240 --> 00:26:18.860
 mother-in-law and

00:26:18.860 --> 00:26:19.500
 she says, look,

00:26:19.600 --> 00:26:20.740
 your sister-in-law

00:26:20.740 --> 00:26:21.700
 has gone back to

00:26:21.700 --> 00:26:22.860
 her people and to

00:26:22.859 --> 00:26:24.559
 her gods, return

00:26:24.559 --> 00:26:26.099
 after your sister-in-law.

00:26:27.179 --> 00:26:28.159
 Now, some scholars

00:26:28.159 --> 00:26:28.959
 think that this is

00:26:28.959 --> 00:26:30.179
 bad theology here,

00:26:30.259 --> 00:26:30.859
 that Naomi is

00:26:30.859 --> 00:26:31.919
 actually encouraging

00:26:31.919 --> 00:26:33.019
 Ruth to go back to

00:26:33.019 --> 00:26:33.939
 the gods of Moab.

00:26:34.000 --> 00:26:34.639
 But I think what's

00:26:34.639 --> 00:26:36.359
 happening is that

00:26:36.359 --> 00:26:37.659
 the author here is

00:26:37.659 --> 00:26:39.039
 setting up Orpah

00:26:39.039 --> 00:26:40.079
 and Ruth as a

00:26:40.079 --> 00:26:40.639
 contrast.

00:26:41.500 --> 00:26:42.419
 Orpah is providing

00:26:42.419 --> 00:26:43.500
 a foil for Ruth

00:26:43.500 --> 00:26:45.240
 and it's for this

00:26:45.240 --> 00:26:46.699
 reason, Ruth has a

00:26:46.699 --> 00:26:47.619
 decision to make.

00:26:48.479 --> 00:26:49.259
 Is she going to go

00:26:49.259 --> 00:26:50.559
 like Orpah back to

00:26:50.559 --> 00:26:51.740
 her own family and

00:26:51.740 --> 00:26:52.559
 her own home?

00:26:53.699 --> 00:26:54.439
 Or is she going to

00:26:54.439 --> 00:26:54.919
 go to Judah?

00:26:56.679 --> 00:26:57.419
 Is it going to be

00:26:57.419 --> 00:26:58.759
 Naomi's family or is

00:26:58.759 --> 00:26:59.740
 it going to be Orpah's

00:26:59.740 --> 00:27:00.099
 family?

00:27:00.240 --> 00:27:01.079
 Is it going to be

00:27:01.079 --> 00:27:02.459
 Judah or is it

00:27:02.459 --> 00:27:03.399
 going to be Moab?

00:27:03.519 --> 00:27:04.099
 Is it going to be the

00:27:04.099 --> 00:27:05.459
 gods of Moab or is

00:27:05.459 --> 00:27:05.879
 it going to be the

00:27:05.879 --> 00:27:06.740
 God of Israel?

00:27:08.759 --> 00:27:09.839
 And Ruth makes her

00:27:09.839 --> 00:27:11.299
 choice and says in

00:27:11.299 --> 00:27:11.699
 one of the most

00:27:11.699 --> 00:27:12.799
 beautiful statements in

00:27:12.799 --> 00:27:15.079
 the Bible, no.

00:27:15.740 --> 00:27:17.559
 Where you go, I will

00:27:17.559 --> 00:27:17.859
 go.

00:27:18.459 --> 00:27:19.939
 And where you lodge, I

00:27:19.939 --> 00:27:20.500
 will lodge.

00:27:20.639 --> 00:27:22.099
 Your people shall be my

00:27:22.099 --> 00:27:23.279
 people and your God,

00:27:23.439 --> 00:27:23.959
 my God.

00:27:24.039 --> 00:27:25.579
 Where you die, I will

00:27:25.579 --> 00:27:26.659
 die and there I will

00:27:26.659 --> 00:27:27.119
 be buried.

00:27:27.240 --> 00:27:28.159
 May the Lord do to

00:27:28.159 --> 00:27:28.319
 me.

00:27:28.379 --> 00:27:29.259
 Here she swears.

00:27:29.480 --> 00:27:30.539
 She swears by the

00:27:30.539 --> 00:27:32.219
 Lord if anything but

00:27:32.219 --> 00:27:34.519
 death separates me from

00:27:34.519 --> 00:27:34.759
 you.

00:27:37.139 --> 00:27:38.539
 Ruth is not saying here

00:27:38.539 --> 00:27:39.539
 that Naomi is wrong.

00:27:40.719 --> 00:27:41.639
 Ruth is not saying here

00:27:41.639 --> 00:27:42.799
 to Naomi, don't worry

00:27:42.799 --> 00:27:43.079
 about it.

00:27:43.099 --> 00:27:44.299
 I'm sure things will

00:27:44.299 --> 00:27:44.779
 work out.

00:27:45.619 --> 00:27:46.579
 She's saying it's okay,

00:27:46.719 --> 00:27:47.619
 Naomi, because when you

00:27:47.619 --> 00:27:48.939
 die back in Judah of

00:27:48.940 --> 00:27:49.960
 starvation, I'll be right

00:27:49.960 --> 00:27:50.420
 there with you.

00:27:50.500 --> 00:27:51.480
 They will bury me there.

00:27:53.480 --> 00:27:55.080
 Notice she says, where

00:27:55.080 --> 00:27:56.680
 you lodge, I will lodge.

00:27:56.740 --> 00:27:57.860
 That means to kind of

00:27:57.860 --> 00:27:58.840
 camp out outside

00:27:58.840 --> 00:27:59.400
 temporarily.

00:27:59.799 --> 00:28:00.799
 She's saying, I have no

00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:01.539
 hope for a home.

00:28:01.640 --> 00:28:02.519
 I have no hope for a

00:28:02.519 --> 00:28:02.740
 husband.

00:28:02.880 --> 00:28:03.799
 I have no hope of even

00:28:03.799 --> 00:28:05.299
 living, but I'm with you.

00:28:07.360 --> 00:28:08.779
 She is turning her back

00:28:08.779 --> 00:28:09.480
 on her country.

00:28:09.620 --> 00:28:10.740
 And I believe here that

00:28:10.740 --> 00:28:12.920
 she is a believer in the

00:28:12.920 --> 00:28:13.480
 God of Israel.

00:28:13.620 --> 00:28:15.019
 She has committed herself

00:28:15.019 --> 00:28:15.759
 to the God of Israel.

00:28:15.880 --> 00:28:17.720
 She says, your God is my

00:28:17.720 --> 00:28:17.920
 God.

00:28:17.960 --> 00:28:18.819
 It's difficult to be more

00:28:18.819 --> 00:28:19.579
 clear than that.

00:28:19.819 --> 00:28:21.519
 And she says, by the

00:28:21.519 --> 00:28:23.059
 Lord, I swear it.

00:28:23.140 --> 00:28:24.039
 That is God's covenant

00:28:24.039 --> 00:28:24.400
 name.

00:28:27.759 --> 00:28:29.000
 So even though there is

00:28:29.000 --> 00:28:30.240
 no future for Ruth at

00:28:30.240 --> 00:28:31.140
 all, and even though

00:28:31.140 --> 00:28:32.519
 Naomi urges her to leave,

00:28:32.579 --> 00:28:33.940
 and even though Orpah has

00:28:33.940 --> 00:28:34.880
 already made the decision

00:28:34.880 --> 00:28:36.000
 to go home, Ruth has

00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:37.680
 decided that she is going

00:28:37.680 --> 00:28:39.279
 along with Naomi, not

00:28:39.279 --> 00:28:41.360
 for herself, but for

00:28:41.360 --> 00:28:43.079
 Naomi's sake, to take

00:28:43.079 --> 00:28:44.299
 care of her and be with

00:28:44.299 --> 00:28:44.940
 her and have a

00:28:44.940 --> 00:28:45.940
 relationship with her.

00:28:45.940 --> 00:28:49.180
 And it's startling.

00:28:49.460 --> 00:28:50.720
 Naomi has been so

00:28:50.720 --> 00:28:52.299
 unselfish in trying to

00:28:52.299 --> 00:28:53.460
 get Ruth to leave, and

00:28:53.460 --> 00:28:54.860
 now Ruth is being so

00:28:54.860 --> 00:28:56.279
 unselfish in deciding to

00:28:56.279 --> 00:28:57.000
 stay with her.

00:28:57.480 --> 00:28:58.840
 And so, verse 19, the two

00:28:58.840 --> 00:29:00.100
 of them went on until they

00:29:00.100 --> 00:29:01.500
 came to Bethlehem, and

00:29:01.500 --> 00:29:02.120
 when they came to

00:29:02.120 --> 00:29:02.920
 Bethlehem, the whole

00:29:02.920 --> 00:29:05.460
 village was just in a

00:29:05.460 --> 00:29:06.559
 tizzy, right?

00:29:06.600 --> 00:29:07.480
 They were just worked up.

00:29:08.100 --> 00:29:09.440
 Because news travels fast

00:29:09.440 --> 00:29:10.559
 in a small village, and

00:29:10.559 --> 00:29:11.559
 Naomi had been gone for

00:29:11.559 --> 00:29:12.759
 ten years, and everyone

00:29:12.759 --> 00:29:13.340
 is excited.

00:29:13.339 --> 00:29:14.339
 We can just imagine

00:29:14.339 --> 00:29:15.799
 people stopping in each

00:29:15.799 --> 00:29:16.980
 other's homes, or over at

00:29:16.980 --> 00:29:17.919
 the little market, and

00:29:17.919 --> 00:29:19.000
 saying, hey, did you hear?

00:29:19.099 --> 00:29:20.119
 Naomi is back.

00:29:20.179 --> 00:29:21.119
 She's been gone for ten

00:29:21.119 --> 00:29:22.639
 years, and she's home, and

00:29:22.639 --> 00:29:23.619
 she's got a Moabite girl

00:29:23.619 --> 00:29:24.079
 with her.

00:29:27.279 --> 00:29:28.699
 But Naomi immediately

00:29:28.699 --> 00:29:30.119
 squashes their excitement.

00:29:31.659 --> 00:29:32.779
 She is discouraged.

00:29:33.179 --> 00:29:34.019
 She's been through a lot.

00:29:34.119 --> 00:29:35.619
 She is discouraged and

00:29:35.619 --> 00:29:38.579
 depressed, and she's even

00:29:38.579 --> 00:29:39.099
 angry.

00:29:39.099 --> 00:29:41.659
 And she says to them,

00:29:41.759 --> 00:29:42.859
 don't call me Naomi.

00:29:43.199 --> 00:29:44.279
 In Hebrew, that means

00:29:44.279 --> 00:29:44.879
 pleasant.

00:29:45.459 --> 00:29:47.039
 She says, call me Mara,

00:29:47.639 --> 00:29:48.679
 which in Hebrew means

00:29:48.679 --> 00:29:49.059
 bitter.

00:29:50.619 --> 00:29:52.379
 She says, call me what I

00:29:52.379 --> 00:29:52.919
 am.

00:29:53.439 --> 00:29:55.639
 Call me Mara, for the

00:29:55.639 --> 00:29:57.299
 Almighty has dealt very

00:29:57.299 --> 00:29:58.339
 bitterly with me.

00:30:02.839 --> 00:30:04.859
 She says, this is who I am

00:30:04.859 --> 00:30:05.159
 now.

00:30:06.079 --> 00:30:06.980
 Have you ever felt that

00:30:06.980 --> 00:30:07.439
 way before?

00:30:07.440 --> 00:30:11.420
 Things have been so hard

00:30:11.420 --> 00:30:14.860
 and so dark and so broken

00:30:14.860 --> 00:30:16.080
 for so long that you just

00:30:16.080 --> 00:30:16.920
 kind of feel like this is

00:30:16.920 --> 00:30:17.559
 who I am.

00:30:17.640 --> 00:30:18.960
 This is my identity now.

00:30:21.279 --> 00:30:22.460
 Don't call me pleasant.

00:30:22.840 --> 00:30:23.820
 Call me bitter, because

00:30:23.820 --> 00:30:25.720
 that's my name, she says.

00:30:26.779 --> 00:30:28.160
 I went away full.

00:30:28.580 --> 00:30:29.580
 She can't be talking about

00:30:29.580 --> 00:30:30.519
 food, because she didn't

00:30:30.519 --> 00:30:31.380
 go away full of food.

00:30:31.460 --> 00:30:32.120
 She went away in a

00:30:32.120 --> 00:30:32.400
 famine.

00:30:33.360 --> 00:30:35.140
 I went away full with my

00:30:35.140 --> 00:30:37.039
 husband, with my sons who I

00:30:37.039 --> 00:30:37.420
 love.

00:30:37.440 --> 00:30:40.460
 And now I have come back

00:30:40.460 --> 00:30:42.400
 empty, and it's God's fault.

00:30:46.059 --> 00:30:47.340
 And so she uses two

00:30:47.340 --> 00:30:48.600
 statements in verse 21 that

00:30:48.600 --> 00:30:50.140
 kind of intensify from one

00:30:50.140 --> 00:30:50.559
 to the next.

00:30:50.620 --> 00:30:53.180
 She says, not only has the

00:30:53.180 --> 00:30:56.240
 Lord testified against me, he

00:30:56.240 --> 00:30:57.900
 has brought calamity on me.

00:30:57.960 --> 00:30:59.519
 And not only do I call him

00:30:59.519 --> 00:31:02.140
 Lord, I call him Almighty,

00:31:02.340 --> 00:31:03.360
 which is a name often in the

00:31:03.360 --> 00:31:04.460
 Old Testament that you reserve

00:31:04.460 --> 00:31:05.380
 when God is a little bit

00:31:05.380 --> 00:31:05.720
 scary.

00:31:08.000 --> 00:31:09.380
 She is angry at God.

00:31:09.500 --> 00:31:10.640
 He is the source of her

00:31:10.640 --> 00:31:11.500
 trouble, and she has

00:31:11.500 --> 00:31:13.620
 struggled and lost everything,

00:31:13.840 --> 00:31:14.560
 and she comes to the

00:31:14.560 --> 00:31:15.820
 conclusion, I guess God is

00:31:15.820 --> 00:31:17.400
 just out to get me, so call me

00:31:17.400 --> 00:31:18.020
 what I am.

00:31:22.200 --> 00:31:23.460
 You remember what Sam said to

00:31:23.460 --> 00:31:23.780
 Frodo?

00:31:24.520 --> 00:31:25.580
 Boy, do we really want to know

00:31:25.580 --> 00:31:26.160
 the end here?

00:31:26.160 --> 00:31:28.960
 I mean, this is dark stuff.

00:31:30.019 --> 00:31:32.000
 How could the end possibly be

00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:32.360
 happy?

00:31:33.140 --> 00:31:34.620
 But one thing we can say is

00:31:34.620 --> 00:31:35.820
 that in the midst of all this

00:31:35.820 --> 00:31:38.380
 darkness, these two women are

00:31:38.380 --> 00:31:39.000
 good.

00:31:39.940 --> 00:31:42.060
 They are kind to each other and

00:31:42.060 --> 00:31:42.420
 good.

00:31:42.580 --> 00:31:44.460
 And so having worked through

00:31:44.460 --> 00:31:45.480
 this story, we want to ask

00:31:45.480 --> 00:31:46.620
 ourselves, what's the point

00:31:46.620 --> 00:31:46.860
 here?

00:31:46.940 --> 00:31:48.220
 What is the message that the

00:31:48.220 --> 00:31:49.080
 author is trying to

00:31:49.080 --> 00:31:49.940
 communicate to us?

00:31:49.940 --> 00:31:52.440
 I think one of the ways that

00:31:52.440 --> 00:31:53.660
 we can identify that message

00:31:53.660 --> 00:31:55.279
 is by noticing the key

00:31:55.279 --> 00:31:56.559
 details in the story, the

00:31:56.559 --> 00:31:58.220
 most significant things that

00:31:58.220 --> 00:31:59.259
 the author wants us to note

00:31:59.259 --> 00:31:59.700
 in the story.

00:31:59.799 --> 00:32:00.840
 And here they are, I think.

00:32:00.940 --> 00:32:03.299
 Number one, these women stand

00:32:03.299 --> 00:32:05.400
 out in stark contrast to their

00:32:05.400 --> 00:32:06.279
 surrounding culture.

00:32:08.779 --> 00:32:10.380
 In verse one, the author makes

00:32:10.380 --> 00:32:11.620
 sure that we know that this

00:32:11.620 --> 00:32:13.160
 story takes place in the time

00:32:13.160 --> 00:32:15.100
 of judges in the country of

00:32:15.100 --> 00:32:15.519
 Moab.

00:32:15.519 --> 00:32:18.420
 It sets up expectations that

00:32:18.420 --> 00:32:19.500
 these are going to be horrible,

00:32:19.859 --> 00:32:22.119
 disobedient, evil people that do

00:32:22.119 --> 00:32:23.240
 whatever is right in their own

00:32:23.240 --> 00:32:23.599
 eyes.

00:32:23.720 --> 00:32:25.839
 And then that's not what happens

00:32:25.839 --> 00:32:26.240
 at all.

00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:29.599
 These two women are showing

00:32:29.599 --> 00:32:31.619
 tenderness to each other and

00:32:31.619 --> 00:32:33.059
 kindness to each other and

00:32:33.059 --> 00:32:33.539
 loyalty.

00:32:35.039 --> 00:32:36.220
 And Ruth is from Moab.

00:32:36.319 --> 00:32:38.960
 She's not a seductive, licentious

00:32:38.960 --> 00:32:39.779
 idol worshiper.

00:32:41.359 --> 00:32:43.339
 She's a faithful woman who is

00:32:43.339 --> 00:32:45.500
 sacrificing her own future to

00:32:45.500 --> 00:32:47.220
 commit herself to the God of

00:32:47.220 --> 00:32:47.500
 Israel.

00:32:47.660 --> 00:32:49.420
 It is, that's a surprise.

00:32:51.680 --> 00:32:55.480
 Second, a second key detail is

00:32:55.480 --> 00:32:58.859
 that Naomi links good character

00:32:58.859 --> 00:33:00.680
 with God's character.

00:33:02.619 --> 00:33:04.720
 In verse eight, Naomi wants the

00:33:04.720 --> 00:33:06.519
 Lord to bless Orpah and Ruth

00:33:06.519 --> 00:33:08.359
 because of their chesed, because

00:33:08.359 --> 00:33:09.160
 of their kindness.

00:33:09.339 --> 00:33:11.000
 And so she says, may the Lord

00:33:11.000 --> 00:33:13.119
 show you kindness as you have

00:33:13.119 --> 00:33:14.480
 shown the dead and to me.

00:33:14.480 --> 00:33:16.880
 This word chesed, this word

00:33:16.880 --> 00:33:18.839
 kindness only occurs three times

00:33:18.839 --> 00:33:19.579
 in the book of Ruth.

00:33:20.740 --> 00:33:22.299
 It occurs one time in chapter

00:33:22.299 --> 00:33:24.880
 one, one time in chapter two, and

00:33:24.880 --> 00:33:26.559
 one time in chapter three.

00:33:26.660 --> 00:33:27.360
 Isn't that interesting?

00:33:27.480 --> 00:33:28.700
 This is going to be the key

00:33:28.700 --> 00:33:30.180
 theological thread that we follow

00:33:30.180 --> 00:33:30.740
 through the book.

00:33:31.120 --> 00:33:33.319
 I believe it's the interpretive key

00:33:33.319 --> 00:33:33.799
 to the book.

00:33:33.799 --> 00:33:38.519
 The question here is, why does Naomi

00:33:38.519 --> 00:33:42.940
 think that God cares if Ruth shows

00:33:42.940 --> 00:33:43.740
 kindness to her?

00:33:44.680 --> 00:33:46.000
 Well, the answer is obvious.

00:33:46.399 --> 00:33:48.299
 It's because God is kind.

00:33:49.700 --> 00:33:52.079
 In other words, there's a link between

00:33:52.079 --> 00:33:56.519
 God's character and the way that his

00:33:56.519 --> 00:33:57.319
 people act.

00:33:57.319 --> 00:34:03.759
 Naomi is angry at God and hopeless, but

00:34:03.759 --> 00:34:04.740
 she still believes.

00:34:06.279 --> 00:34:08.579
 In fact, I would say that her anger at

00:34:08.579 --> 00:34:11.500
 God is proof that she believes in him.

00:34:12.779 --> 00:34:14.860
 So she tries to send her daughters-in-law

00:34:14.860 --> 00:34:19.460
 back to the family, even though she will

00:34:19.460 --> 00:34:19.940
 be alone.

00:34:19.940 --> 00:34:25.280
 And Ruth has determined that God of

00:34:25.280 --> 00:34:26.679
 Israel is her God.

00:34:27.500 --> 00:34:29.200
 So even though Orpah goes home, Ruth

00:34:29.200 --> 00:34:30.880
 swears an oath to the Lord that she

00:34:30.880 --> 00:34:32.519
 will stay with Naomi, even though it

00:34:32.519 --> 00:34:33.960
 will probably end in starvation and

00:34:33.960 --> 00:34:34.300
 death.

00:34:35.420 --> 00:34:37.559
 This kindness that they show to each

00:34:37.559 --> 00:34:39.720
 other is a reflection of their faith, and

00:34:39.720 --> 00:34:41.559
 that is the reason Naomi think that the

00:34:41.559 --> 00:34:43.079
 Lord might bless them because of it.

00:34:43.159 --> 00:34:45.780
 There is a link between the chesed of

00:34:45.780 --> 00:34:47.480
 God, the kindness of God, and the

00:34:47.480 --> 00:34:48.579
 kindness of his people.

00:34:48.579 --> 00:34:51.360
 And that, I think, is the main point of

00:34:51.360 --> 00:34:52.599
 this particular chapter.

00:34:53.299 --> 00:34:57.039
 God's people are sacrificial in their

00:34:57.039 --> 00:34:59.159
 actions toward each other because God

00:34:59.159 --> 00:35:00.319
 is sacrificial.

00:35:02.480 --> 00:35:04.900
 It's because he is sacrificial that his

00:35:04.900 --> 00:35:06.500
 followers look out for each other's

00:35:06.500 --> 00:35:08.460
 needs, even at their own expense.

00:35:08.599 --> 00:35:12.000
 It's because God is sacrificial that his

00:35:12.000 --> 00:35:13.739
 followers act differently than everyone

00:35:13.739 --> 00:35:15.880
 else in that country, in that time

00:35:15.880 --> 00:35:16.299
 period.

00:35:16.300 --> 00:35:20.760
 His character is reflected in his people, and

00:35:20.760 --> 00:35:23.240
 the way his people act is showing us

00:35:23.240 --> 00:35:24.560
 something about God's character.

00:35:24.940 --> 00:35:27.060
 We can look at the actions of Ruth and

00:35:27.060 --> 00:35:29.400
 Naomi here and say, so that's what God is

00:35:29.400 --> 00:35:32.620
 like because of that link.

00:35:35.320 --> 00:35:37.640
 And I think there are three more sort of

00:35:37.640 --> 00:35:39.740
 sub-points of application that we can take

00:35:39.740 --> 00:35:40.240
 from this.

00:35:40.239 --> 00:35:44.739
 First of all, this story reminds us that God

00:35:44.739 --> 00:35:47.539
 cares for apparently insignificant people, which

00:35:47.539 --> 00:35:50.139
 is really good news for all of us.

00:35:51.839 --> 00:35:56.339
 Ruth and Naomi are poor peasants without any

00:35:56.339 --> 00:35:58.199
 political or social connections.

00:35:59.479 --> 00:36:00.559
 They are women.

00:36:00.559 --> 00:36:03.360
 They are widows.

00:36:04.460 --> 00:36:07.019
 They don't have anything to contribute to society.

00:36:07.380 --> 00:36:10.299
 In fact, they have to be cared for by other

00:36:10.299 --> 00:36:10.659
 people.

00:36:12.159 --> 00:36:15.279
 And Ruth is an immigrant from Moab.

00:36:16.460 --> 00:36:17.519
 She's a foreigner.

00:36:18.420 --> 00:36:19.539
 She's an outsider.

00:36:19.739 --> 00:36:21.000
 She speaks with an accent.

00:36:21.000 --> 00:36:24.000
 She comes from a different people group.

00:36:25.960 --> 00:36:28.760
 Isn't it amazing that there is an entire book of the

00:36:28.760 --> 00:36:30.860
 Bible about these two women?

00:36:30.860 --> 00:36:36.720
 In our culture, there is constant pressure to network,

00:36:38.059 --> 00:36:40.440
 to connect with people that will benefit you,

00:36:40.640 --> 00:36:43.380
 to get a following on social media,

00:36:43.579 --> 00:36:45.019
 to meet the head of the company,

00:36:45.160 --> 00:36:48.720
 to have dinner with someone who can advance your vocation.

00:36:50.700 --> 00:36:54.500
 There is pressure to avoid wasting time with people that

00:36:54.500 --> 00:36:57.360
 are a drag on you and don't have anything to contribute to

00:36:57.360 --> 00:36:58.579
 your personal welfare.

00:36:58.740 --> 00:36:59.880
 But that's not how God is.

00:37:00.860 --> 00:37:06.260
 That's not how God prioritizes his concerns at all.

00:37:06.340 --> 00:37:08.059
 He doesn't need to network with anyone.

00:37:08.340 --> 00:37:11.519
 Every relationship he has is lopsided.

00:37:12.780 --> 00:37:15.840
 Every relationship that God has is about him giving to

00:37:15.840 --> 00:37:18.559
 someone else who has nothing to give to him in return.

00:37:19.559 --> 00:37:22.099
 These poor widows in the middle of nowhere,

00:37:22.360 --> 00:37:25.360
 weeping on the road, are significant to him.

00:37:28.380 --> 00:37:30.840
 And this story, as we'll get into chapter 2,

00:37:30.860 --> 00:37:33.900
 chapter 2, and 3, and 4, is about how God will care for them

00:37:33.900 --> 00:37:35.519
 in increasingly significant ways.

00:37:39.780 --> 00:37:41.960
 If you're an unimpressive person,

00:37:42.220 --> 00:37:43.019
 if you're weak,

00:37:43.460 --> 00:37:44.700
 if you don't measure up,

00:37:45.260 --> 00:37:48.120
 that's okay.

00:37:48.119 --> 00:37:53.039
 We aren't significant because we benefit God.

00:37:53.039 --> 00:37:55.819
 We are significant because God benefits us.

00:37:58.579 --> 00:38:01.559
 The second sort of sub-application, I think, that's going on here

00:38:01.559 --> 00:38:04.460
 is that God is faithful through his people.

00:38:04.900 --> 00:38:09.960
 How is it that he sacrificially cares for the people that he loves?

00:38:09.960 --> 00:38:11.280
 It's through his people.

00:38:11.280 --> 00:38:14.880
 When we say that God sacrificially cares for people,

00:38:14.960 --> 00:38:17.679
 of course we mean that he will never leave us

00:38:17.679 --> 00:38:19.099
 and that he will help us,

00:38:19.260 --> 00:38:22.460
 but that rarely comes as sort of an airdrop out of heaven.

00:38:22.579 --> 00:38:24.260
 He's not sending C-130s over,

00:38:24.380 --> 00:38:25.679
 and here come the package and the parachute.

00:38:25.960 --> 00:38:26.820
 It doesn't work that way.

00:38:28.900 --> 00:38:32.179
 He didn't provide for Naomi through a package from heaven

00:38:32.179 --> 00:38:34.579
 or even through the high priest up in Jerusalem.

00:38:35.639 --> 00:38:37.899
 It wasn't even through the local town elders.

00:38:39.139 --> 00:38:41.339
 He provided for Naomi through Ruth,

00:38:41.379 --> 00:38:44.399
 and he provided for Ruth.

00:38:45.679 --> 00:38:46.839
 Well, we'll get to that in chapter two.

00:38:50.779 --> 00:38:53.419
 There are people in our church who have given up hope,

00:38:53.480 --> 00:38:54.199
 and they're discouraged,

00:38:54.699 --> 00:38:57.440
 and they are tired of everything always turning out wrong.

00:38:58.899 --> 00:39:00.119
 And maybe when we talk to them,

00:39:00.179 --> 00:39:01.059
 they sound like Naomi,

00:39:01.059 --> 00:39:02.400
 and they just feel like,

00:39:02.539 --> 00:39:04.380
 I'm trying to follow God,

00:39:04.480 --> 00:39:06.000
 but it is not working.

00:39:08.139 --> 00:39:10.019
 Maybe they have a questionable past.

00:39:10.759 --> 00:39:13.500
 Maybe like Naomi and Ruth and that situation in Moab,

00:39:13.559 --> 00:39:15.420
 maybe there's some murkiness there,

00:39:15.539 --> 00:39:16.579
 some illegitimacy there.

00:39:16.639 --> 00:39:17.199
 That's okay.

00:39:19.279 --> 00:39:22.340
 The way that God will show faithfulness to them

00:39:22.340 --> 00:39:26.179
 and sacrificially care for them is through us.

00:39:27.699 --> 00:39:29.900
 So as a body here at Christ the King,

00:39:29.900 --> 00:39:32.139
 we won't wait for the pastors to do it.

00:39:32.240 --> 00:39:33.940
 We won't wait for the elders to do it

00:39:33.940 --> 00:39:36.280
 or the deacons to sort of jump into that situation.

00:39:36.559 --> 00:39:38.400
 It's our job, all of us.

00:39:39.599 --> 00:39:42.740
 Because that's how God will care for these people who are hurting.

00:39:44.320 --> 00:39:46.119
 We're the ones who will listen to them.

00:39:46.280 --> 00:39:47.780
 We're the ones who will hug them,

00:39:49.059 --> 00:39:52.460
 who will give them money that they need for their daily needs

00:39:52.460 --> 00:39:54.539
 on behalf of God.

00:39:57.119 --> 00:39:59.079
 And finally, the story is a good reminder

00:39:59.079 --> 00:40:01.679
 that God is faithful even when he is silent.

00:40:03.220 --> 00:40:04.920
 Did you notice in the course of this story

00:40:04.920 --> 00:40:06.780
 that God doesn't say a thing the whole time?

00:40:07.460 --> 00:40:08.400
 He doesn't say a thing.

00:40:09.760 --> 00:40:10.960
 He's there in the background.

00:40:11.220 --> 00:40:12.619
 People are talking about him,

00:40:12.720 --> 00:40:14.440
 but he has not done one thing yet.

00:40:14.440 --> 00:40:18.480
 And so from Naomi's perspective,

00:40:18.639 --> 00:40:20.360
 not only was God silent,

00:40:20.480 --> 00:40:22.039
 but he was actually working against her.

00:40:22.099 --> 00:40:23.840
 I mean, how could she not feel that way?

00:40:23.920 --> 00:40:26.440
 She had experienced one soul-crushing event

00:40:27.139 --> 00:40:28.240
 after another one.

00:40:28.300 --> 00:40:31.579
 Even though famine and sickness

00:40:31.579 --> 00:40:35.039
 and death and poverty with no hope for the future,

00:40:35.619 --> 00:40:37.159
 she calls out to God,

00:40:37.240 --> 00:40:37.940
 where are you?

00:40:37.940 --> 00:40:40.900
 And he is silent.

00:40:43.800 --> 00:40:47.159
 For 10 years, he was silent.

00:40:49.500 --> 00:40:51.599
 But one thing this book tells us,

00:40:51.679 --> 00:40:52.880
 not only in chapter 1,

00:40:52.960 --> 00:40:54.179
 but in the course of the book,

00:40:54.260 --> 00:40:56.119
 is that being silent

00:40:56.119 --> 00:40:58.780
 is not the same thing as being absent.

00:41:01.000 --> 00:41:03.220
 God has not abandoned Naomi,

00:41:03.460 --> 00:41:04.539
 even though she doesn't know it.

00:41:05.900 --> 00:41:07.059
 He is there.

00:41:07.059 --> 00:41:08.340
 First of all,

00:41:08.420 --> 00:41:09.360
 in the form of Ruth,

00:41:09.759 --> 00:41:10.960
 clinging to her and saying,

00:41:11.079 --> 00:41:12.139
 I will not let you go.

00:41:12.259 --> 00:41:14.539
 And he is also there behind the scenes,

00:41:15.340 --> 00:41:17.500
 watching, caring,

00:41:18.480 --> 00:41:19.779
 biding his time

00:41:19.779 --> 00:41:21.900
 until the moment is right

00:41:21.900 --> 00:41:23.279
 for him to step in

00:41:23.279 --> 00:41:25.079
 and redeem her.

00:41:27.099 --> 00:41:28.739
 Even though Naomi feels like

00:41:28.739 --> 00:41:29.940
 God is working against her,

00:41:30.059 --> 00:41:31.340
 we will soon find out

00:41:31.340 --> 00:41:32.500
 in just the next chapter

00:41:32.500 --> 00:41:34.860
 that he is actually working for her,

00:41:34.860 --> 00:41:37.240
 even though she doesn't know

00:41:37.240 --> 00:41:38.380
 anything about that yet.

00:41:41.059 --> 00:41:42.280
 Some of us have suffered

00:41:42.280 --> 00:41:43.900
 and experienced God's silence.

00:41:45.059 --> 00:41:46.180
 It is painful.

00:41:47.940 --> 00:41:50.440
 It is painful to struggle and suffer.

00:41:50.680 --> 00:41:52.780
 That is when we want God the most.

00:41:52.900 --> 00:41:54.780
 That's when we want some answers from him

00:41:54.780 --> 00:41:56.620
 and we want to feel that he is near.

00:41:57.740 --> 00:41:59.860
 We want to have some type of hope

00:41:59.860 --> 00:42:01.660
 that we can cling to in the future,

00:42:01.659 --> 00:42:04.500
 that God has not given up on us.

00:42:04.639 --> 00:42:06.379
 It's painful to think about the fact

00:42:06.379 --> 00:42:07.639
 that in this situation,

00:42:07.799 --> 00:42:09.019
 God could do something,

00:42:09.359 --> 00:42:10.599
 but he doesn't.

00:42:13.539 --> 00:42:15.699
 But silence is not the same thing

00:42:15.699 --> 00:42:16.579
 as absence.

00:42:18.259 --> 00:42:19.899
 God's presence doesn't always

00:42:19.899 --> 00:42:21.399
 remove our suffering,

00:42:21.519 --> 00:42:23.619
 but he is there in our suffering.

00:42:23.619 --> 00:42:26.239
 He will always know

00:42:26.239 --> 00:42:27.920
 and care

00:42:27.920 --> 00:42:29.359
 and work

00:42:29.359 --> 00:42:31.679
 in the situation

00:42:31.679 --> 00:42:32.579
 that we are going through

00:42:32.579 --> 00:42:34.000
 even though we cannot see it.

00:42:36.699 --> 00:42:38.279
 Now, Naomi is angry now,

00:42:38.359 --> 00:42:39.559
 but if she would just wait

00:42:39.559 --> 00:42:40.339
 a little longer,

00:42:41.000 --> 00:42:42.460
 then she would see

00:42:42.460 --> 00:42:43.359
 that God is at work.

00:42:43.440 --> 00:42:45.119
 In fact, there are some hints of hope

00:42:45.119 --> 00:42:46.679
 in the next two verses.

00:42:46.839 --> 00:42:48.159
 Look very quickly at verse 22.

00:42:48.299 --> 00:42:49.519
 They came to Bethlehem

00:42:49.519 --> 00:42:50.519
 at the beginning

00:42:50.519 --> 00:42:52.359
 of the barley harvest.

00:42:52.360 --> 00:42:52.720
 Oh.

00:42:54.099 --> 00:42:55.120
 So there is food.

00:42:57.039 --> 00:42:58.300
 And then in 2.1 it says,

00:42:58.500 --> 00:42:59.539
 And Naomi had a relative

00:42:59.539 --> 00:43:00.579
 of her husband's,

00:43:00.599 --> 00:43:01.559
 a worthy man

00:43:01.559 --> 00:43:02.820
 of the clan of Elimelech

00:43:02.820 --> 00:43:04.680
 whose name was Boaz.

00:43:04.860 --> 00:43:05.300
 Interesting.

00:43:05.539 --> 00:43:06.059
 Why are we told

00:43:06.059 --> 00:43:07.960
 that little detail?

00:43:09.640 --> 00:43:11.420
 Maybe God has something

00:43:11.420 --> 00:43:12.700
 even greater in mind

00:43:12.700 --> 00:43:13.579
 for Naomi and Ruth

00:43:13.579 --> 00:43:14.620
 that they don't know about yet.

00:43:17.180 --> 00:43:18.539
 But that's for next week.

00:43:18.940 --> 00:43:20.860
 We'll continue the story next week,

00:43:20.920 --> 00:43:22.160
 and for now we'll remember

00:43:22.159 --> 00:43:24.519
 that God cares for us

00:43:24.519 --> 00:43:25.420
 sacrificially,

00:43:25.519 --> 00:43:26.659
 and his people care

00:43:26.659 --> 00:43:28.799
 for each other sacrificially

00:43:28.799 --> 00:43:31.119
 in good times and in bad.

00:43:32.079 --> 00:43:32.779
 Let's pray.

00:43:36.839 --> 00:43:39.539
 Father, we know

00:43:39.539 --> 00:43:41.219
 that there are people among us,

00:43:42.219 --> 00:43:43.500
 there are people here

00:43:43.500 --> 00:43:44.359
 in this building

00:43:44.359 --> 00:43:45.420
 who are hurting.

00:43:47.059 --> 00:43:48.579
 Some of us don't have enough.

00:43:48.579 --> 00:43:51.739
 we pray that you would provide

00:43:51.739 --> 00:43:52.559
 for what they need.

00:43:54.340 --> 00:43:55.559
 Some of us are lonely.

00:43:57.679 --> 00:43:59.659
 We pray that you would comfort them

00:43:59.659 --> 00:44:02.599
 and give them friendship.

00:44:04.219 --> 00:44:05.900
 Some of us need counsel

00:44:05.900 --> 00:44:06.619
 and support

00:44:06.619 --> 00:44:07.340
 and are struggling

00:44:07.340 --> 00:44:08.239
 with what to do.

00:44:08.340 --> 00:44:09.039
 We pray, Lord,

00:44:09.079 --> 00:44:09.679
 that you would give them

00:44:09.679 --> 00:44:10.500
 wisdom and guidance.

00:44:12.239 --> 00:44:13.199
 Some of us are dealing

00:44:13.199 --> 00:44:14.719
 with physical sicknesses

00:44:14.719 --> 00:44:15.980
 and illnesses and pain.

00:44:15.980 --> 00:44:16.840
 We pray, Lord,

00:44:16.920 --> 00:44:17.679
 that you would give them

00:44:17.679 --> 00:44:18.980
 healing and grace.

00:44:20.960 --> 00:44:21.820
 And we pray

00:44:21.820 --> 00:44:22.579
 that you would do that

00:44:22.579 --> 00:44:23.240
 through us.

00:44:24.639 --> 00:44:25.940
 That we would be sensitive

00:44:25.940 --> 00:44:27.280
 to the needs of each other

00:44:27.280 --> 00:44:28.740
 and that we would reflect

00:44:28.740 --> 00:44:29.719
 your character

00:44:29.719 --> 00:44:33.099
 by sacrificially caring

00:44:33.099 --> 00:44:33.960
 for each other,

00:44:34.820 --> 00:44:35.840
 looking to the needs

00:44:35.840 --> 00:44:36.539
 of each other,

00:44:37.619 --> 00:44:38.820
 encouraging each other

00:44:38.820 --> 00:44:42.140
 in really significant ways.

00:44:43.980 --> 00:44:45.420
 You are a good God.

00:44:46.420 --> 00:44:48.000
 And you have shown yourself

00:44:48.000 --> 00:44:49.559
 to be good and kind

00:44:49.559 --> 00:44:51.039
 in the way that you care for us.

00:44:51.180 --> 00:44:52.080
 And we know that

00:44:52.080 --> 00:44:53.200
 in this book of Ruth,

00:44:53.280 --> 00:44:54.140
 you show yourself

00:44:54.140 --> 00:44:55.380
 to be an amazing,

00:44:55.559 --> 00:44:56.280
 redeeming,

00:44:56.760 --> 00:44:57.620
 kind God.

00:44:59.100 --> 00:45:00.019
 And we know that

00:45:00.019 --> 00:45:00.680
 that kindness

00:45:00.680 --> 00:45:02.280
 and even that sacrifice

00:45:02.280 --> 00:45:04.900
 was ultimately

00:45:04.900 --> 00:45:06.200
 demonstrated

00:45:06.199 --> 00:45:08.939
 in Jesus' sacrifice

00:45:08.939 --> 00:45:09.899
 on the cross

00:45:09.899 --> 00:45:11.399
 and his glorious resurrection.

00:45:11.599 --> 00:45:12.139
 We thank you

00:45:12.139 --> 00:45:13.199
 that you have saved us

00:45:13.199 --> 00:45:13.980
 from our sins

00:45:13.980 --> 00:45:17.399
 because you sacrificially

00:45:17.399 --> 00:45:18.159
 gave your son

00:45:18.159 --> 00:45:19.319
 as an atonement for us.

00:45:20.980 --> 00:45:22.259
 You are a good God

00:45:22.259 --> 00:45:23.379
 and we want to be like you.

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 We pray that you would

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 teach us your ways,

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 transform our hearts,

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 and bring glory to you

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 in the ways that we act

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 in our daily lives

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 in the good times

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 and the bad.

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 We pray these things

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 in your name.

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 Amen.