Title Naomi's Thanks
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<Thanksgiving Sunday, October 5, 2003>
[Nurture Sermon] / [Video]
Naomi's thanks
Ruth 4:13-17
Matthew 9: 9-13
Today is Thanksgiving Day celebrated by our church. This year is a time to give thanks to God by looking back on whether the crops in your life were a bountiful harvest or a poor harvest. Those with a good harvest should give more thanks, and those with poor crops should give thanks for the grace that gave their life to today, even though they have not reaped anything. However, in the kingdom of God, the difference between those who have had a good harvest or those who have suffered from poor crops in life on this earth does not matter. Those who suffer from poor crops should be even more thankful to God when they consider that they can also reap abundantly invisible spiritual fruit.
If you look at the book of Ruth in the Old Testament, you will find the story of Naomi and Ruth who fell into complete despair. They lost all hope, and returned to their homeland with sorrow and pain. However, a small hope began to sprout in their hometown, where they thought there would be no hope, and finally, a new son of hope, who takes away all despair, was embraced in their arms. It was a wonderful grace that Nao or Ruth did not expect. They were desperate that they had nothing to harvest because of poor crops, but they were given an unexpected gift of abundant life. How great must Naomi's joy and gratitude be. I hope that today will be a time to give thanks to the Lord, hoping for a God who always brings joy to us who are in despair.
history of crisis
The first part of the book of Ruth introduces the misfortune that befell Naomi's family. During a famine, this family from Bethlehem moved to Moab, where they had two daughters-in-law. While living there for 10 years, Naomi's husband and both sons died. As all the men who would lead the family died, they fell into a 'crisis' that could not carry on the generations of Judah. These three women were not particularly guilty of any sin that should be pointed out, but they faced hardships that were difficult to bear. And he was faced with a desperate crisis in which the family's income was cut off.
Naomi decided to send her two daughters-in-law back to her hometown and return to her hometown of Bethlehem. One of the two daughters-in-law returned to her parents' home at the invitation of her mother-in-law. But Ruth, another daughter-in-law, refused and insisted on going with her mother-in-law. Ruth volunteered to be Naomi's suffering companion. In a way, it was said that he would join in the suffering of Naomi, who could be seen as a cursed woman. This appearance of Ruth was an unexpected event and an unexpected grace.
When Naomi returns to her hometown, the lament that she utters to the people of her hometown who welcomes her, describes her situation well. He asked me not to call myself 'Naomi', but to call me 'Mara'. Naomi means "my joy" and Mara means "the one who bears bitterness." When he left, he went out without any regrets, but he lamented that God had now allowed him to return empty-handed. According to his lamentation, in the eyes of the people of Bethlehem, his homecoming was a curse.
But in that utter despair, God met them. When they hit the bottom of despair, God comes to them and begins to breathe new hope into them. God began to intervene in the life of a woman who thoroughly recognized her situation as 'naomi', that is, joy, but not 'mara', that is, suffering. The place of God's history is when man completely despairs against himself and descends to the bottom of suffering and groans and cries. When we are in trouble, God comes down to the place of suffering and suffers with us, so He rescues us from that suffering.
history of salvation
God led Ruth to the field of Boaz to glean there. At first, it was simply a job for a meal, but a new history began from there. Boaz took care of Ruth and praised her for her actions.
All that you did to your mother-in-law after the death of your husband, and how you left your father and mother and your homeland, and came to a people I had never known before, was made known to me. May the LORD repay you for what you have done, and may the LORD, the God of Israel, fully reward you under his wings for protection. 2:11-12
Boaz also knew that the only way to overcome the family crisis that Naomi and Ruth faced was with God, and he taught Ruth about it. When her mother-in-law Naomi heard Ruth's report, her thoughts came to mind.
Boaz conceived of the inheritance of his family as a close kin. So they secretly devised a plan and went ahead with it. The mother-in-law instructed his daughter-in-law to take a bath and perfume, then hide in Boaz's bed unnoticed, and the daughter-in-law immediately took action. It was an act of hardship and danger, as it could be seen as unscrupulous and condemnable in some ways. However, Ruth risked all these risks and gave up her life, her people, and even her religion in order to succeed Judah in crisis. Ruth sacrificed her youth and decided to continue the family of Elimelech, who was in danger of being cut off. It was such a great adventure for a feeble woman.
However, Boaz did not blame Ruth for his actions, but understood the saving-historical action he was trying to accomplish, and decided to accept the offer.
My daughter, the Lord bless you. Whether you were poor or rich, you did not follow the young, so your kindness is greater than the first. And now, my daughter, do not be afraid. I will do everything you say. All the people of my city know that you are a virtuous woman. 3:10-11
Boaz did not see Ruth as an affair, but as a woman to be blessed by God, and a woman of purity and fidelity. He judged that he had made an important decision to continue the context of God's history of salvation.
Boaz immediately takes legal action and takes Ruth as his wife. The elders blessed Boaz.
"May the LORD make women entering your house like Rachel and Leah, who built the house of Israel... and the LORD will give you this boy and woman heir, so that your house may be like the house of Perez, which Tamar bore to Judah." 4:11-12
Here, Ruth becomes a woman on the same line as Rachel and Leah, who raised the childless house of Israel, and Tamar, who raised the childless house of Judah. This is a verse that suggests that Ruth's role is an important role in the succession of Israel and Judah.
Ruth gets married and has a son. However, Ruth suddenly disappears, and it is reported that Naomi is congratulated by the local women. It was Ruth who gave birth to a son, but the women are singing, "Naomi has given birth to a son." This shows that when we remember that the book of Ruth first began with Naomi's groanings, her groanings have now turned into songs of joy.
The book of Ruth accurately describes how Naomi's groaning turned into Naomi's joy. One by one, Naomi's life began to change. She was empty-handed, and the grain that Boaz had sent was placed there, and her grandson, who was like a son, was held in her hands. Now his torment is over and a life of joy has begun for her, as his original name implies. All the celebration and joy go to Naomi, not Ruth. Ruth quietly retreated from this seat of joy. Naomi was so moved that he did not give thanks directly to God, but the words of thanks resounded through the mouths of the neighboring women who congratulated her.
Praise the Lord. The Lord gave offspring to this house today, so that the price will not be cut off. May his name always be honored in Israel. A daughter-in-law who loves her mother-in-law, a daughter-in-law who is better than seven sons, has given birth to a baby that will refresh you and take care of you all the time. 4:14-15
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to this earth and suffered for us, so that our sins are forgiven and we become holy children of God. The history of despair and hardship has been transformed into a history of hope and life. We, who were lowly, mean, and weak, have become the holy and beautiful people of God. Just as Naomi's life was reversed based on Ruth's sacrifice, the coming of Jesus Christ reversed the history of mankind, which was running toward death, into the history of life.
Naomi's gratitude was not for the tangible abundance of life, but for the salvific event that enabled her to inherit a family that was about to be cut off. The grace we have received over the past year today is not in our visible riches, but in our gratitude for the eternal life made available to us through Jesus Christ, and in the great love of God who has made us heirs of the kingdom of heaven. thank you for We are thankful for the redeeming grace of God, who has set us free from the bondage of sin and the despair of death, and has given us eternal life.
Beloved, we have celebrated Thanksgiving Day today in a state in which the condition of the land we live in has not improved much over the past year. Moreover, because of the typhoon, many people in the southern region are living painful days. Nevertheless, we gathered to give thanks and praise to God. It is because we know that the harder our life gets, the closer God is to us, and the more we despair of the world, the more the Holy Spirit will visit us. Because we believe in the love of Jesus who visits sinners by saying, "Healthy people do not need a doctor, but sick people do," we sing a song of thanksgiving with our voices raised.
Now we may be like Naomi who lost everything and fell into despair, but we are giving thanks to the Lord because we know that the Lord who came to Naomi and gave her amazing joy will also give us great joy that we can't even imagine.
Now let's raise our voices even more and give thanks to the Lord. Let us give thanks, praise and glory to the Lord who leads us to eternal life. As this society gets more chaotic, I hope that your life will be a life of holding on to the hope that the Lord gives you, always giving thanks and winning with praise.