Title: Ruth 01:1-18 Moab and Bethlehem
Contents
Moab and Bethlehem (Ruth 1:1-18)
Let's not leave worship for 'bread'
Beware of the ‘trap of the times’ of throwing away God after money
The story of Ruth begins with Naomi's family from Bethlehem going down to Moab. I hope that you will listen to the voice of God given to us living today while examining the meaning of the pain we encountered while going down to Moab and the recovery through our return to Bethlehem.
those who went to Moab
When Elimelech and Naomi, who were living in Bethlehem, met a famine, they took their two sons to the land of Moab (verses 1 and 2), but they overlooked the spiritual danger. Bethlehem is the land that the ancestors received from God, where they worshiped and lived. But those who met the famine needed bread to fill their stomachs right away. So they left Bethlehem and went down to Moab. There was no time to think about the crisis of faith that it could cause.
God said that Moab could not enter the general assembly of Israel forever (Deuteronomy 23:3). He wanted Israel to stay away from them. But Naomi's family went down to Moab. To the very place where food may be available, but it may be detrimental to serving God rightly.
How did this family go down to Moab? Did you eat well and live well? no. They lose something more important. Verses 2:3 “They went into the region of Moab and lived there, and Elimelech the husband of Naomi died.”
First, Naomi's husband Elimelech died. Here Naomi realizes and should have returned to Bethlehem, but rather hastily married her two sons to Moabites. They fell deeper into Moab (v. 4).
Then a bigger problem arises. Verses 4 and 5, “And about ten years after they lived there, both Marlon and Kirion died.”
As a result of the Bethlehemite going down to Moab for food, all the men in the household are lost. You may have eaten there, but you have lost something so precious.
Meaning of Moab and Bethlehem
Verse 6 tells us that God looked after the people who had suffered famine when the time came. If you wait a little bit, God will take care of the people and give them food, but they left Bethlehem.
In the book of Ruth, Moab is characterized by economic life, and Bethlehem is characterized by faith-oriented life.
Naomi's family, who left Bethlehem to go to Moab for bread, was never happy. Unless you put your faith first, you cannot have happiness and satisfaction if you have a lot and eat a lot. The moment God's people leave the Word and worship, they lose the most important thing.
We are tempted by this world. You are invited to give up your conscience and your faith for a few bucks. It puts worship behind to have a little more. There are people who say that we need to save the economy to do missionary work and do good things, but we must not forget that our country started missionary work when it was poor and difficult, and we were able to stand up financially and live this much because we worked hard for good things at that time.
towards Bethlehem
In the end, poor Naomi, having lost everything, decides to return to Bethlehem (verse 6). Naomi, who went to Moab in search of bread and tasted the bitter taste of life, returned to Bethlehem and recovered and was able to laugh again.
Think of Ruth going up to Bethlehem following Naomi here.
Poor mother-in-law, her mother-in-law's hometown of Bethlehem, where it was inevitable to follow her, but Ruth follows her mother-in-law. He did not follow bread. If I had pursued bread, I would not have followed my poor mother-in-law. He had a confession of faith toward God.
Verse 16, “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.”
That's right. Ruth did not go to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law to eat well and live well. It is not only to serve the mother-in-law who is left alone, but more importantly, the mother-in-law chooses the God she serves.
In verse 14, East and West Orpah return to Moab. But verse 15 reveals that it is going back to the god of Moab.
Even if you die, you have something to hold on to. Ruth held on to it. It was obvious that Ruth's choice was to go with her poor mother-in-law and suffer. But he doesn't die. I don't even starve. He sees God's supplying hand creating happiness in his life.
This brings blessings to Naomi's family. Ruth meets and marries Boaz (4:13) and is named in the Bible as David's great-grandmother (4:22).
The flow of this generation is Moab
Moab shows us a life where we let go of God, faith, and love in pursuit of food. Bethlehem shows us a life that holds only God, even if we die. If I go to Moab, I think I will live, but I will die.
Let's be careful with the flow of our times today. Let's not fall into the trap of this age of thinking that the flow of chasing bread and the economy will save us.
Stay in Bethlehem. Do not go down to Moab for food. Worship and live. Do not leave worship for food or clothing.
In the end, God's people, Naomi, turned their backs on God and went down to Moab for bread and lost everything, but Ruth, a Moabite woman, shows a life of gaining everything by giving up bread to choose God.
Do we follow Moab or Bethlehem? Be careful not to turn your back on Bethlehem for bread. Sermon Note Through Ruth, we wanted to reflect on our concerns, all focused on eating and drinking. In a world where the economy has emerged as a top priority, the church must be on the right track.