Special Study
Art Credit to: Elspeth Young (Image retrieved from: hopestreamradio.com)
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Bible Study Recording (YouTube) – August 11th
Ruth 1:1-18
The book of Ruth opens with a tragedy and ends with a victory. It is the story of how God took a Moabite girl named Ruth, brought her out of death and darkness, and made her part of the covenant people of Israel. It is the story of how this woman was transformed from a lost sinner into an ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the story of a sinner being pursued by grace. This passage opens with three widows: Naomi and her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth. These three women have just lost their husbands. Now, they are left destitute in the land of Moab, with little or no hope for the future. Ruth and Orpah were natives of Moab, but Naomi was a native of Judah. She was a Jew, and she knew the Lord. She had no business being in the land of Moab, a place called “God’s washpot” (Psalm 60:8).
By the way, the term “washpot” is a term of utter contempt! By calling Moab this, God was saying that they were lower than the lowest slave, like the pot used by slaves to wash the feet of their superiors. Now, after the death of her husband, Naomi became determined to return to the place where the Lord was blessing His people. The Bible presents three women to us in this passage, three women who are in a terrible situation and have become widows because they are paying the price for sin. All Naomi had to show for her time in Moab are three tombstones in a washpot called Moab. How they respond to their situation can teach us much about how we should react when we find ourselves away from the Lord and in trouble because of sin. Let us take the time today to observe these three women as we consider the thought: Three Widows in a Washpot.
1. ONE WIDOW IN THE PLACE OF DEFEAT – Ruth 1:8-13
Naomi: A picture of a child of God who has grown cold and backslidden on the Lord!
a) The Cause of her Defeat (Ruth 1:13b): The cause of her defeat can be traced back to verses 1–5. There is always a high price tag attached to sin! (Galatians 6:7–9; Proverbs 13:15) No good will ever come from a child of God returning to the world!
b) The Completeness of her Defeat (Ruth 1:8-13a): As you listen to Naomi’s words, you can easily see that she is completely defeated and stripped of hope.
i. No Hope for Today (Ruth 1:8-9): She has nothing with which to take care of herself or her daughters-in-law. She has no income, no place to live. She has nothing left but the Lord. She doesn’t realize it now, but He is always more than enough!
ii. No Hope for Tomorrow (Ruth 1:11-13a): Even her future appears bleak. She has no husband, expects no more sons, and sees nothing ahead but grief and pain as the consequences of sin. When she speaks of her future, she is referring to the law of levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5). Naomi is more concerned with the material than with the spiritual. Sin always distorts our priorities and our understanding of right and wrong (Isaiah 5:20).
c) The Consequences of her Defeat (Ruth 1:8-9, 15): Naomi encouraged Ruth and Orpah to return to their pagan gods and wicked lifestyles. She told them that they will be better off in Moab. They might not be accepted in Israel. They will find husbands of “their own kind.” She has lost all her ability to be a powerful witness for the glory of God. Naomi is proof of the truth that a backslider is a poor advertisement for the Gospel (Philippians 1:27; Matthew 5:13-16). No child of God should ever be guilty of hindering others from coming to Jesus Christ! We are to seek to bring people to Him, not turn them away.
2. ONE WIDOW IN THE PLACE OF DEPARTURE – (Ruth 1:14 – 15; Luke 9:61, 62; Hebrews 10:38,39):
Orpah: A picture of a lost person who looks into the things of God and turns back to a life of sin without believing or embracing them.
a) She Returned to Her Relatives: Family ties and natural affections can sometimes become a hindrance to people receiving the Lord – Luke 9:61, 62.
b) She Returned to Her Religion: Evidently, even after all she had heard and seen of the God of Israel, her false gods remained the object of her love and devotion (2 Timothy 4:10).
c) She Returned to Her Reality: (Mark 12:34) Orpah would never have been truly happy in Israel because her heart was still completely tied to Moab. She illustrates the tragedy of a lost church member, someone who may be close to the things of God but has never truly surrendered to Him.
Orpah is a picture of that person who is a “mere professor” of faith in the Lord. She walked away from the light and is never heard from again. Her eternal destiny is not hard to figure (Psalm 9:17). Friend, don’t turn your back on Jesus, He is the only hope you have (John 14:6).
3. ONE WIDOW IN THE PLACE OF DECISION – (Ruth 1:15-18):
Ruth: A picture of that lost sinner who looks into the things of God and believes them by faith. She is a real possessor. She enters the family of God and makes a total commitment to follow the Lord forever!
a) Ruth Decides to Follow (Ruth 1:16a): Even though Naomi had nothing to offer her, Ruth determined that, come what may, she would follow Naomi. Evidently, something (Someone) had been working in her heart! She is living proof that God is indeed the one who convicts the sinners and not the words of the preacher. Thank God for those who love Him even when He does not give them the things they desire! How important was this decision? It ultimately determined that the Lord Jesus Christ would be born in Bethlehem. What have you decided concerning Jesus?
b) Ruth Decides by Faith (Ruth 1:16b): By faith, Ruth embraced a new family and a new Lord. She received a new life because she exercised faith in the true and living God. Everything changes at Calvary! (2 Corinthians 5:17; Luke 4:18; Romans 6:6) In Jesus Christ, we are made new and set free!
c) Ruth Decides Finally (Ruth 1:17): Ruth made a total commitment that extended all the way to death. She devoted every remaining day of her life to walking with the Lord. For her, there would be no looking back! After all, what was back there? Death, defeat, darkness, and doom! Genuine Christianity is about total commitment (Matthew 16:24; Luke 14:26–27, 33). Is your all His? Are you wholly His?
Conclusion: Which of these three widows best represents the life you are living today? Are you like Naomi, a person who knows the Lord but needs to return to the place of blessing? Or are you like Orpah? You have considered the things of the Lord but have chosen not to follow Him, choosing instead your own way and your sin over the will of God. Or are you like Ruth, having made the decision to follow the Lord, come what may, until He calls you home? Which of these women best represents your life today?
If you are saved but have wandered away from the Lord, come home today. If you are lost and are considering a life of faith, receive Jesus Christ as your Savior today. If you are saved, secure, and steadfast in your walk with the Lord, come before Him in worship, praise, and thanksgiving for His amazing grace.
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