Ruth’s faithful response to God; Ruth 1:15-18

1. When I started my second Master's degree, I had to write a dissertation. To begin, I needed to create a research proposal, which required me to read many books and theses over several months. This was incredibly challenging because everything was in English. I was really struggling, but then my supervisor suggested a book called "How to Read a Book." That book taught me how to read efficiently and with purpose for my dissertation. It was a game-changer. Thanks to what I learned, I was able to write a 140-page dissertation and finish my second Master's degree. Even now, as I work on my doctoral dissertation, those lessons are still with me. Whether it's a novel or an academic journal, every book has a structure: an introduction, a main body with problems and solutions, and a conclusion. The main body itself is made up of different parts—questions, struggles, and a climax. As I read, I realized that a book's structure is a lot like life. Our lives also have an introduction, a main part, and a conclusion. The main part of our lives is filled with its own joys, sorrows, challenges, and trials.

2. Since last Sunday, we've been looking at figures from the Bible to see how God worked in their lives and how they responded. Our first figure was Joseph. He went through many ups and downs, like a roller coaster, but through it all, he could see how God was with him and how God was changing his life. Because of this, the people around him also saw that God was with him. Today, we'll turn to our second figure: Ruth. While I was preparing this message, her story deeply touched and encouraged me. I believe God will use her story to encourage you as well. Let us read from Ruth, chapter 1, verses 15 through 18.

Ruth 1:15–18 NASB 2020

Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” But Ruth said, “Do not plead with me to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you sleep, I will sleep. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord do so to me, and worse, if anything but death separates me from you.” When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her about it.

3. The Book of Ruth opens during a tough time for Israel, a period of chaos known as the Judges. The people often turned away from God, and as a result, they faced His judgment. The story begins with a severe famine in Bethlehem, a town whose name ironically means "House of Bread." This hunger was likely a consequence of their disobedience. 

4. A man named Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their two sons left Bethlehem to escape the famine. They went to a pagan nation called Moab, but this journey ended in tragedy. Elimelech died, leaving Naomi a widow. After about ten years, both of their sons also died, leaving Naomi and her two daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, in utter despair. When Naomi heard that the famine in Bethlehem was over, she decided to go home. Her daughters-in-law wanted to go with her, but Naomi urged them to stay in Moab. She knew that as foreign widows, they would face immense hardship in Israel and would have a better chance of finding a new husband and security in their own homeland. Orpah sadly went back, but Ruth made an incredible commitment. She spoke some of the most famous words in the Bible: "Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God." This wasn't just loyalty; it was an extraordinary act of chesed—a Hebrew word for steadfast, loving-kindness. It was a complete and total transformation of her life and her faith. She left her Moabite gods behind to follow the God of Israel.

5. When Naomi and Ruth arrived in Bethlehem, the townspeople were excited to see Naomi. But Naomi revealed her deep pain, asking to be called "Mara," which means "bitter," instead of her given name, "Naomi," which means "pleasant." She said, "the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty." But even in her bitterness, there was a glimmer of hope. They arrived just as the barley harvest was beginning, a quiet sign of God's provision.

6. When we read the Book of Ruth, it's easy to see the contrasts: Israel and Ruth, Orpah and Ruth, and Naomi and Ruth. Let's start with the big picture: Israel and Ruth. As we see in Ruth 1:1, the setting for this story is the same as the Book of Judges. So, what's the final word on the Book of Judges? We can find the answer in Judges 21:25.

Ruth 1:1 NIV

In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab.

Judges 21:25 NIV

In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.

7. We shouldn't overlook an important part of the background of the Book of Judges: the Moabites. Who were they? Were they enemies or friends of Israel? We know that the Moabites were one of Israel's greatest adversaries during their wilderness journey. We can read the story of Balaam in Numbers 22–24, which gives a full account of how King Balak of Moab hired Balaam to curse the Israelites. But instead, Balaam ended up blessing them four times, and it also includes the famous incident with his talking donkey.

The main story of Balaam covers three chapters in the Book of Numbers:

1. Numbers 22: King Balak sends for Balaam, and we find the well-known story of the talking donkey.

2. Numbers 23: Balaam delivers the first two blessings for Israel.

3. Numbers 24: Balaam gives his third and fourth blessings, and then he leaves.

8. Now, who is Ruth, the main character of this story? She was a Moabite woman, a widow, and a childless woman. She was also a foreigner from an enemy nation. In this story, she was one of the most desperate and vulnerable people. After her husband died, she likely didn't know what to do or where to go. Like Orpah, she might have wanted to return to her own country. However, she had already experienced God through her Israelite family. Because of this, she didn't want to leave Naomi, her mother-in-law. She willingly moved to Israel with Naomi.

9. Through this historical background, we can see some important lessons for our lives. The first is how God works in history. There's a crucial Hebrew word in the Old Testament for understanding this: Hesed. This word is hard to translate perfectly into English. Most English Bibles translate it as "love," but it means so much more. Hesed refers to God's steadfast, enduring, unchanging, and limitless love. It teaches us that God is an unchanging, faithful, merciful, and everlasting God who is always the same.

Psalm 103:8 NASB 2020

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in mercy.

Lamentations 3:22–23 NLT

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.

10. Throughout the Bible, God has shown His Hesed to His people, but we also know that people could not remain faithful to God. The Book of Judges clearly shows us why: because they focused on what they saw. They didn't keep their eyes on God; instead, they focused on their own thoughts, their circumstances, and even what was right in front of them. It's so true that we can easily lose our focus on God when we look at our outward situation. In this story, Orpah had the same perspective as the Israelites. For a short time, she wanted to stay with Naomi, but she decided to return to her country because her situation was difficult and seemingly unsolvable. As a widow, she was in a very vulnerable position. She would have to find a man to provide for her and her family. This could be one reason why she decided to go back home.

Ruth 1:14–15 ESV

Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”

11. In this situation, Ruth made a different choice. Even though her situation was arguably worse than Orpah's, Ruth didn't focus on her outward circumstances. Instead, she kept her focus on Naomi. Ruth didn't want to go back to her own country and wanted to stay with her mother-in-law. If Ruth had gone back home like Orpah, she wouldn't have become a foreigner in Israel, and she might not have experienced any discrimination. She might have been safe in Moab because it was her homeland. However, she didn't choose that path. Instead, she chose to become a foreigner and followed Naomi. This wasn't a choice based on circumstances or a joyful outcome; it was an act of Hesed. She showed her Hesed—her faithfulness, steadfastness, and sincere devotion—to Naomi and to Naomi's God. It was a completely different decision from what the Israelites and Orpah had made. Ruth didn't follow her eyesight. Instead, she chose to be with Naomi because of her decision to embrace Naomi's God, her people, and her country. And God didn't reject her; He made her a part of His great plan. As we know, she became the great-grandmother of King David, a part of Jesus’s lineage.

Ruth 4:16–17 NASB 2020

Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. And the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Ruth 4:18–22 NASB 2020

Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram, and Ram fathered Amminadab, and Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon, and Salmon fathered Boaz, and Boaz fathered Obed, and Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.

12. God's way of working is completely different from ours. God doesn't operate based on human expectations or circumstances. He always does what He wants to do, and His actions often don't match our expectations because He can use the smallest of things to accomplish His will. This is why God wasn't concerned with Ruth's difficult situation. In fact, Ruth's bad and seemingly hopeless circumstances were the perfect canvas for God's work.

1 Corinthians 1:26–29 MSG

Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don’t see many of “the brightest and the best” among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God.

13. When I first came to Canada, I experienced some difficult times. My English wasn't perfect, and I felt I was judged for it. Back in 2015, I applied to countless churches, but none were willing to hire me. I believe it was because I didn't fit their idea of what a Canadian person looks like. Even after becoming a pastor at a small, rural church, people in other congregations didn't seem interested in hearing what I had to say. They assumed that because I was leading the smallest church in Canada, I must have been a failure. But as I was preparing this message about Ruth, her story touched my heart deeply. I saw God's hand at work in her life and in mine. When we decided to move from Pelly to Yorkton, many people—including our church—worried about the future of our church in Pelly.

14. The church we left behind in Pelly faced a difficult situation. A larger church in the denomination, with over 200 members, had been searching for a pastor for two years and still hadn't found one. Naturally, we couldn't expect the tiny Pelly church to find a replacement anytime soon. But we kept praying. A few months later, a retired pastor voluntarily visited the church. After some conversation, he decided to take on the ministry there. By Thanksgiving Sunday in 2016—just nine months after I left—the church had found its new pastor. When the denomination heard this story, they were amazed. When I received the news, I was stunned, and I couldn't help but praise God. He works in ways that are completely different from our expectations.

Acts 1:6–8 NASB 2020

So, when they had come together, they began asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time that You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” But He said to them, “It is not for you to know periods of time or appointed times which the Father has set by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.”

15. Sometimes, we get so focused on finding the perfect timing and making the perfect plan based on our own expectations. We try to create a beautiful, perfect outcome. But this approach doesn’t always work. It may look good for a little while, but in the end, we find it doesn't really work out. Yet, we know that when we pray and let go of our well-intentioned plans, God reveals His own. When we accept His plan, we truly experience His great work in our lives. The story of Ruth teaches us exactly what we should follow. We shouldn't follow human perspectives or our own elaborate plans. Instead, we should show our Hesed—that is, our steadfast, unchanging, and enduring faith in God. God doesn't require a grand, perfect plan from us. He simply asks for this Hesed, just as Ruth showed. Let's remember what Ruth confessed to Naomi and God. Let's reflect on her words this week. God is our God, and He will guide us in His way.

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Video Overview: https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/20540dfe-64e9-418d-b60c-dc659b572627?artifactId=131ab2b4-cb09-4d7d-a5c6-bb07cad10c4e

Quiz: Key Concepts and Narratives

Instructions: Answer the following questions in 2-3 complete sentences, drawing your information directly from the provided source material.

1. What is the historical and spiritual context for the story of Ruth, as described in the Book of Judges?

2. Explain the tragedy that befell Naomi and her family after they moved from Bethlehem to Moab.

3. Define the Hebrew word Hesed and explain its significance in understanding God's character.

4. What famous vow did Ruth make to Naomi that demonstrated her commitment?

5. How did Naomi's perspective on her own life change upon her return to Bethlehem?

6. Contrast the decision made by Orpah with the decision made by Ruth when Naomi urged them to return home.

7. Who were the Moabites, and what was their historical relationship with Israel?

8. How does the text argue that God’s way of working often contradicts human expectations?

9. What was the ultimate outcome of Ruth's decision to follow Naomi and her God?

10. According to the text, what is the one thing God asks for from people, as demonstrated by Ruth?

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Answer Key

1. The story of Ruth is set during the time of the Judges, a period of chaos in Israel when the nation had no king and "everyone did as they saw fit." The people often turned away from God and, as a result, faced His judgment, such as the severe famine that opens the story.

2. After Naomi's family left the famine in Bethlehem for the pagan nation of Moab, her husband Elimelech died. About ten years later, both of her sons also died, leaving Naomi a widow alongside her two widowed daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah.

3. Hesed is a crucial Hebrew word referring to God's steadfast, enduring, unchanging, and limitless love. It is difficult to translate perfectly, but it teaches that God is a faithful, merciful, and everlasting God who is always the same.

4. Ruth vowed, "Where you go, I will go, and where you sleep, I will sleep. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried." This was a total transformation of her life and faith.

5. Upon returning, Naomi was filled with deep pain and bitterness. She asked to be called "Mara" (bitter) instead of Naomi (pleasant), stating, "the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty."

6. Orpah focused on her outward circumstances and the seemingly unsolvable difficulty of her situation as a widow. She made the practical choice to return to her homeland, her people, and her gods. In contrast, Ruth did not focus on her circumstances but on Naomi and her God, choosing to become a foreigner in Israel in an act of Hesed.

7. The Moabites were one of Israel's greatest adversaries. The text references the story of King Balak of Moab hiring the prophet Balaam to curse the Israelites during their wilderness journey.

8. The text argues that God does not operate based on human expectations or circumstances. He can use the smallest things, chooses people the culture overlooks ("nobodies"), and uses bad or seemingly hopeless situations as the perfect canvas for His work.

9. As a result of her faithfulness, God made Ruth part of His great plan. She became the great-grandmother of King David and an ancestor in the lineage of Jesus.

10. The text concludes that God does not require a grand, perfect plan from people. He simply asks for Hesed—a steadfast, unchanging, and enduring faith in Him, just as Ruth demonstrated.