Our God Redeems and Restores
Download MP3Welcome to a place of peace, hope, and divine encouragement. This is Joy in Every Step with your host, beloved preacher, retired teacher, and faithful through the valleys or dancing on the mountaintops, Sarita's voice will guide you back to his promises step by step. So open your heart, settle your spirit, and take the next step in faith with joy in every step.
Sarita Bernadette:Hi, I'm Sarita Bernadette and welcome back to another episode of Joy in Every Step. I'm glad you're here. Psalm 103 verses one through four Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy. And Psalm 100 and seven:two Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those he redeemed from trouble.
Sarita Bernadette:Our God redeems and restores. The Bible is a book filled with stories of redemption and restoration. Today I want to look at one in particular. It's four short chapters that became a crucial part of a much bigger plan. It's the story of Ruth.
Sarita Bernadette:Ruth is the main character. However, her mother-in-law Naomi plays a crucial role in how the story turns out. Normally when this story is shared, the focus is on Ruth's journey. You've probably heard about Ruth and Boaz. But this time around, let's track what happens to Naomi.
Sarita Bernadette:Beginning in Ruth chapter one, Naomi, her husband, and two sons find themselves in the midst of a severe famine in Israel. So the family moves from Judah to another country called Moab. Naomi's husband Elimelech dies and both of the sons marry Moabite women. Makhlone, one of the two sons, marries Ruth. The other son, Kilion, marries a woman named Orpah.
Sarita Bernadette:After they live there in Moab for about ten years, both sons die, so Naomi is left without her husband and her sons. It's just her and her two daughters in law. Now Naomi hears that God is providing for his people back in Judah and she decides to head home with her two daughters in law in tow. On the way though she determines that they should return to their families in Moab. She blesses them and she says goodbye.
Sarita Bernadette:Now at first both women disagree and they say they want to stay with Naomi. Then Naomi does all she can to discourage them. She paints a pretty bleak picture. This is Ruth one verses 11 through 14 rather. This is how it reads: But Naomi said, 'Turn back my daughters.
Sarita Bernadette:Why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? Turn back my daughters, go your way for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying?
Sarita Bernadette:No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the Lord has turned against me. Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye and Ruth clung to her. So Orpah the other daughter-in-law makes the decision to return to Moab but Ruth refuses. I believe Ruth was listening to the voice of the Lord over the words of Naomi.
Sarita Bernadette:Here's what she said to her mother-in-law in verses sixteen and seventeen: Do not press me to leave you, to turn back from following you. Where you go, I will go. Where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried.
Sarita Bernadette:May the Lord do thus to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you. Verse 18: When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her. I'm going to read that again. When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her she said no more to her. Now we don't read where Ruth had any sort of supernatural experience with God prior to this moment, yet somehow Ruth responds in faith knowing the God of Israel will provide.
Sarita Bernadette:This is a powerful example of how we as believers should respond when faced with situations that appear to be hopeless. We're supposed to activate our faith even when we don't know what the future holds. Beloved, when we yield to God he often works in unexpected ways to demonstrate his power and his love for us. Psalm 20 three:one The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. Period.
Sarita Bernadette:Our shepherd provides. Ruth shows unwavering loyalty to Naomi and the two of them go on to Bethlehem. When they arrive there's a bit of a stir in the town and Naomi announces her name change. She declares that the Lord has dealt harshly with her and therefore she now wants to be called Mara which means bitter in Hebrew. So the two women decide that Ruth should pick grain from one of the fields there so that they can have food to eat.
Sarita Bernadette:And Ruth happens to find work in the field of Boaz, a distant relative of Naomi's. Now Boaz is a noble man of good character. He sees Ruth working alongside some of the other women and he asks about her. After hearing about her loyalty to her mother-in-law, he shows her kindness and generosity by allowing her to continue to gather grain in his field. Boaz is so captivated by Ruth that he prays that the Lord would bless her.
Sarita Bernadette:Remember when I mentioned how the Lord does unexpected things for us when we activate our faith? Yes, he does. Ruth tells Naomi all about her encounter with Boaz that day and Naomi gets excited. Yes, even hopeful. Because aside from the tradition of being kind to foreigners, she knows it's also a cultural practice for the kinsman redeemer or family redeemer to marry the widow of a male relative, take over their land, and go on to protect the family.
Sarita Bernadette:We'll expound on on that in a bit. In Ruth three:one we read: Naomi, her mother-in-law, said to her, My daughter, I need to seek some security for you so that it may be well with you. Naomi's focus shifts from her own plight, from her own bitterness if you will, to concern and care for someone else. I believe heaven gets busy when we prioritize the needs of others over those of ourselves. As we're meeting their needs, God is meeting ours.
Sarita Bernadette:Do you see how God is working on Naomi's heart here? So Naomi gives Ruth instructions for the next encounter and Ruth does exactly what she tells her to do. Ruth three and four: When he lies down, she says, observe the place where he lies then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do. She said to her, All that you say I will do. That's Ruth responding, I'm going to do exactly what you're telling me to do.
Sarita Bernadette:You see Naomi was familiar with the traditions of her people and she was prepared for this moment. By lying at the feet of Boaz and telling him he was the next of kin, Ruth illustrates her need and his ability to act as that kinsman redeemer. The kinsman redeemer is a male relative who according to various laws of the Pentateuch or the Torah, the first five books of Moses, had the privilege or the responsibility to act on behalf of a relative who was in trouble, in danger, or in need. The Hebrew term goel designates one who delivers or rescues or redeems property or a person. The ancient Israelite custom was a symbolic gesture of a woman asking a man to marry her and provide for her specifically a request for him to cover her with his cloak.
Sarita Bernadette:So Ruth asked Boaz if he would redeem the family and become her husband. And again Boaz is so impressed by her loyalty to Naomi here. He wants to say yes in the moment but he knows that there is another relative closer to Naomi and he has to make sure that that relative isn't willing to be the Redeemer. Integrity. Integrity.
Sarita Bernadette:So he talks to the relative, Boaz talks to the relative and he gets the go ahead. He then marries Ruth in the presence of the witnesses in town. And in short, Ruth and Boaz have a son named Obed who becomes the grandfather of King David and is listed in the lineage of Jesus Christ. Redemption and restoration. Naomi gains another son and is able to welcome a grandson.
Sarita Bernadette:Ruth four fourteen-fifteen Then the women said to Naomi, Blessed be the Lord who has not left you this day without next of kin, and may his name be renowned in Israel. He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him. What a blessing! God was at work throughout this story, beloved.
Sarita Bernadette:Even though he isn't mentioned explicitly or directly, it's clear this short piece of history was an integral part of a larger plan God's plan of redemption for mankind. Listen, Naomi had lost all hope. She thought God had abandoned her. But as the story unfolded her hope increased and she began to believe in God's faithfulness. We didn't read anything else about the name Naomi had wanted to be called.
Sarita Bernadette:Remember Mara? Yes, the primary meaning is indeed bitter. But due to that transformation we watched take place in Naomi in this story, that name can symbolize a journey of struggle, resilience, strategic response, and yes, favor. Side note, side note, Marah with an H on the end was also the name of the place where the Israelites grumbled against Moses out in the desert, out in the wilderness. They grumbled because the water was bitter.
Sarita Bernadette:And according to the Bible, God showed Moses how to make the water sweet. Go and read it for yourself. He told them to throw a log into the water and instead of the water being bitter to drink it was sweet. That's another episode, beloved. That's another episode.
Sarita Bernadette:Let's just remember how faithful God is even when we're in the midst of a tough time, even when we're going through it. Remember, God is faithful. Let's remember the promise he made in Isaiah 60 one:three: To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory. And beloved, if you're thinking that only pertains to Israelis or people of the Jewish faith, let me just share this piece to clear that up.
Sarita Bernadette:It's from Ephesians one:five-seven. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. We are the beloved and our God is one who redeems and restores. Psalm 3zero 11 You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.
Sarita Bernadette:You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy. You've been listening to Joy in Every Step. I'm Sarita Bernadette and I'm grateful you chose to spend some time here with me. You can find Joy in Every Step wherever you listen to your podcasts and give us a follow there. Do check out the website at joyineverystep.org.
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