Click here for more Mother’s Day Sermons.
Click here to return to the Sermons page.
Click here for Famous Mothers in the Bible Series

Note: If you found this sermon series helpful, would you consider purchasing it as an ebook or print book? Thank you! Click the image to view on Amazon.

Click here for more books in the Understanding God’s Word series.

—————–

Ruth 1-4

INTRODUCTION: We are continuing with our series on Famous Mothers from the Bible for Mothers Day. Over the past several years for Mother’s Day we have been working our way chronologically forward through each of the more well-known mothers in the Bible.

And even though these messages are about mothers and mostly directed towards mothers, because they deal with basic Biblical principles, they are applicable to us all – whether mothers or father, sisters or brothers, daughters or sons. As we study each of these mothers, we learn not only how God worked in their lives but how he works in our lives as well.

Today we will be looking at the life of Naomi from the book of Ruth. (Read Ruth 1:3-5 and pray.)

——————

Usually, when we open up the book of Ruth, we think of Ruth. It makes sense. Ruth’s story is a major focus of the book, and of course the book is named after her. But in many ways the whole book is about Naomi as well. The book both begins and ends with Naomi, and Ruth’s and Naomi’s lives are so intertwined that you cannot tell one of their stories without the other.

Naomi’s story is an especially beautiful one as God tenderly restores her after a season of great sorrow in her life. At one point in her story, Naomi complains that she went away full and came back empty, but then we see how God fills her life once again.

Naomi is an example of the restored mother, and her story teaches us valuable lessons of how we should respond when we go through difficult times in our lives. It is also a message of hope. God restored the losses in Naomi’s life, and you can trust God to restore the losses in your life, too.

I. When life seems to turn against you (Ruth 1)

So, what do you do when you experience loss in your life? As we get started this morning, let me share with you three things to remember when life seems to turn against you.

   A. Know that life is brief and uncertain (1-5)
      – James 4:14

First of all, know that that life is brief and uncertain. Look at verses 1-5 where we find the beginning of Naomi’s story.

In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. 2 The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. … 3 Now Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

(Ruth 1:1-5)

Our passage begins with a series of losses that Naomi experiences in her life. There is a famine in Israel. As a result, Naomi is forced to leave her hometown of Bethlehem and move to a foreign land. While in Moab she loses her husband. Then her sons marry Moabite women. And then after ten years her sons also die, leaving Naomi alone in a foreign land without her two sons or husband.

When life seems to turn against you, it is good to remember that life is brief and uncertain. James 4:14 says: “You do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” (James 4:14) Life is short for all of us compared to eternity, and you never know what a day will bring forth. God is good and gives us many blessings in this life, but don’t pack too much of your hopes and expectations into this life. This world cannot sustain that kind of hope. Put your hope in the Lord alone.

   B. Know that God will give you the help you need (14-18)
      – 1 Corinthians 10:13

Know that this life is brief and uncertain, but then know also that God will give you the help you need. Look at verses 14-18:

Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her. 15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” 16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. (Ruth 1:14-18)

When Naomi hears that the famine is over, she prepares to return to the land of Judah. She encourages her two daughters-in-law to stay in Moab where they can find husbands. Orpah returns to her people and her gods, but Ruth insists on going with Naomi. God knew that Naomi needed Ruth, and he opened Ruth’s heart towards Naomi and her people.

We read in 1 Corinthians 10:13: “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) We often apply this verse to temptations, as we should, but it also refers to the trials you go through in life. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond what you can bear. God gave Naomi what she needed to make it through her trial, and God will give you what you need, too.

   C. Know that God is in control of your situation (19-21)
      – Job 1:20-21, 2:10

And then it is important to know that God is in control of your situation. Look at verses 19-21 with me now:

So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” 20 “Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. 21 I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.” (Ruth 1:19-21)

When Naomi and Ruth arrive in Bethlehem, the women exclaim, “Can this be Naomi?” But Naomi tells them: “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.” The name, Naomi, means “pleasant,” while the name, Mara, means “bitter.” Now it’s unclear from the text whether Naomi is trusting God through this trial or blaming God for her trial, but either way she knows that God is in control of her situation.

Of course, it is better to trust God than blame God when you go through your trials. Job in the Old Testament is our ultimate example of this. When Job experienced severe loss in his life he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” (Job 1:20-21) Later he told his wife: “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:10) Job trusted God in times of trouble.

So, when life seems to turn against you, there are three things you need to remember. 1) Know that life is brief and uncertain. 2) Know that God will give you the help you need. 3) Know that God is in control of your situation.

II. Trust God to provide (Ruth 2)

And then next, trust God to provide. As we pick up Naomi’s story in Ruth 2, we see three things in particular: 1) God will take care of the details; 2) God will reward every good deed; and 3) We should praise God for his provision when it comes.

   A. God will take care of the details (1-7)
      – Proverbs 16:9

First of all, you can trust God to provide because God will take care of the details. Look at verses 1-7:

Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, from the clan of Elimelech, a man of standing, whose name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.”
Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” 3 So she went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.

4 Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The Lord be with you!” “The Lord bless you!” they called back. 5 Boaz asked the foreman of his harvesters, “Whose young woman is that?” 6 The foreman replied, “She is the Moabitess who came back from Moab with Naomi. 7 She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She went into the field and has worked steadily from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.” (Ruth 2:1-7)

Notice how God immediately begins to take care of the details in Naomi’s life. Naomi just happens to have a relative on her husband’s side, a man of standing, named Boaz. It is harvest time, and Ruth volunteers to go into the fields to pick up any leftover grain. She just happens to start working in one of the fields owned by Boaz. And then Boaz just happens to arrive and notice her as she works.

Of course, none of this is coincidence. God is sovereign, and he is taking care of the details to restore Naomi’s life. Proverbs 16:9 says: “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9) You can make your plans, but God is sovereign, and God is in charge. You can trust God to provide because God will take care of the details.

   B. God will reward every good deed (8-16)
      – Galatians 6:9; Hebrews 6:10

God will also reward every good deed. Look at verses 8-16:

So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with my servant girls. 9 Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the girls. I have told the men not to touch you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.” At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She exclaimed, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”

11 Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband – how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. 12 May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

13 “May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord,” she said. “You have given me comfort and have spoken kindly to your servant – though I do not have the standing of one of your servant girls.”

14 At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar.” When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over. 15 As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, “Even if she gathers among the sheaves, don’t embarrass her. 16 Rather, pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don’t rebuke her.” (Ruth 2:8-16)

And so, Boaz not only notices Ruth working in his fields. Boaz approaches her and speaks kindly to her. He tells her to stay with his own servant girls. He puts her under his protection. He gives her special privileges, allowing her to drink from the men’s water jars when she is thirsty. He feeds her at mealtime. He tells the men to pull out extra stalks of grain from the bundles for her to find and pick up. When Ruth asks why he is being so gracious to her, a foreigner, Boaz says it is because he heard what she did for Naomi, and that God is rewarding her.

We sometimes focus so much on salvation by grace that we forget God also rewards good deeds. Yes, you are saved by faith, not works, but that doesn’t mean that God does not also recognize and reward the good that you do. Galatians 6:9 says: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)

Why does God reward good deeds? The Bible says because it is the right thing to do, and God always does what is right and just. That’s why we read in Hebrews 6:10: “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” (Hebrews 6:10)

   C. Praise God for his provision – especially Jesus! (17-20)
      – Romans 8:31-32

Trust God to provide, and then when God does provide, make sure that you praise him for his provision. Look at verses 17-20:

So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah. 18 She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over after she had eaten enough.

19 Her mother-in-law asked her, “Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!” Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz,” she said.

20 “The Lord bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers.” (Ruth 2:17-20)

God has begun to restore Naomi’s life. And when Naomi learns all that Boaz has done for her and Ruth, she blesses Boaz and praises God for his provision. She also notes that Boaz is one of their kinsman redeemers, which is a foreshadowing of God’s provision for us in Christ.

When God provides for you, thank him for his provision – especially his provision for you through Jesus! Romans 8:31-32 says: “If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32) As a Christian it is important to remember that even when life seems against you, God is not against you. God is for you. And if God is for you, you are going to be okay.

III. Act wisely (Ruth 3)

When life seems to turn against you, trust God to provide, and then, act wisely. There are two ways in particular we learn to act wisely from Naomi’s story in Ruth 3.

   A. Don’t be passive; do what you can do (1-5)
      – 1 Peter 4:19

First of all, don’t be passive; do what you can do. Look at verses 1-5:

One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for? 2 Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. 3 Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.” 5 “I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered. (Ruth 3:1-5)

Naomi does not take God’s provision for granted, but she begins to act wisely. She suspects Boaz may be attracted to Ruth, but that Boaz would never dream of asking her to marry him because she is so much younger than him. She instructs Ruth how to present herself humbly and modestly to Boaz so that he will understand that she is asking for his protection in marriage. Ruth does everything her mother-in-law tells her, and Boaz determines to fulfill his role as a kinsman redeemer. God is providing for Naomi, but instead of being passive, Naomi does what she can do.

1 Peter 4:19 says: “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” (1 Peter 4:19) If you are going through a difficult time, what are some of the things that you can do? With God’s help. you can always do good. Trust God to do what only he can do, but make sure that you do what you can do as well.

   B. Maintain an attitude of faith and expectation (16-18)
      – Psalm 5:3

And then, also, be sure that you maintain an attitude of faith and expectation. Look at verses 16-18:

When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did it go, my daughter?” Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her 17 and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’” 18 Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.” (Ruth 3:16-18)

When Ruth tells Naomi all that Boaz has done for her, Naomi adopts an attitude of faith and expectation. Boaz still needs to deal with the obstacle of another kinsman redeemer who is more closely related than he is, but Naomi is confident that God will continue to provide the answer to her request. She tells Ruth, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”

We read in Psalm 5:3: “In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” (Psalm 5:3) That’s the right attitude to have when you bring your requests to God. That is a wise attitude to have when you bring your requests to God.

Do you want to act wisely when you are going through a time of trial or loss? Remember these two things: 1) Don’t be passive; do what you can do; and 2) Maintain an attitude of faith and expectation.

IV. Wait for God’s restoration (Ruth 4)

When life seems to turn against you, trust God to provide, act wisely, and then, finally, wait for God’s restoration. That’s what we see from Naomi’s life in Ruth 4. We find two important lessons from Naomi’s life in this chapter.

   A. God has promised to meet all your needs (13-17a)
      – Philippians 4:19

First, God has promised to meet all your needs. Look at verses 13-17:

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.” 16 Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son.” (Ruth 4:13-17a)

Boaz settles things with the other kinsman redeemer and takes Ruth as his wife. The Lord enables her to conceive, and she gives birth to a son. The women give praise to God and tell Naomi that God has also provided for her. Naomi takes the child on her lap, and the women living there together proclaim, “Naomi has a son.”

Yes, it’s Ruth’s baby, but can you see what God has done for Naomi here as well? Naomi lost everything, but through Boaz and Ruth God has restored her. She went away full and came back empty, but now God has made her full once again. This is such a beautiful scene as Naomi takes her grandson on her lap and cares for him. It is a beautiful picture of God’s restoration in her life.

We read in Philippians 4:19: “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) That’s a promise you can cling to when you are going through times of suffering or loss.

   B. God is always fulfilling his larger plan through Jesus (17b)
      – Ephesians 1:9-10

And then, finally, know that God is always fulfilling his larger plan through Jesus. Look at the end of verse 17:

And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. (Ruth 4:17b)

There’s a plot twist at the end of our story, because we learn that Boaz is in the family line leading up to King David. Boaz becomes the father of Obed, Obed becomes the father of Jesse, and Jesse becomes the father of David. That makes Ruth David’s great-grandmother. And that means God was working on far more than just restoring Naomi this whole time, as important as that was. He was also continuing the birth line of Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior of the world.

We read in Ephesians 1:9-10: “And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment – to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.” (Ephesians 1:9-10)

God is working on one giant restoration project, and you and I are just a small part of it. We are not an unimportant part, but we are a small part, nonetheless. God is always fulfilling his larger plan through Jesus, and we are privileged to be part of God’s magnificent, sovereign, over-arching plan to bring all things together in Christ.

CONCLUSION: What do we learn from Naomi’s life in the book of Ruth? You can trust God to restore the losses in your life. God is sovereign, God is in control, God will give you the help that you need.

Did you know that you can take the four main points of the outline today and string them together into a single sentence that sums up the whole message? When life seems to turn against you, trust God to provide, act wisely and wait for God’s restoration. That’s it! That’s the whole message in a nutshell. When life seems to turn against you, trust God to provide, act wisely and wait for God’s restoration.

You can trust God through even the most severe losses in your life. Why? Because God will take care of the details, and God will reward your every good deed. So, don’t be passive, but act wisely. Do what you can do. Maintain an attitude of faith and expectation. God has promised to meet all your needs through Jesus his Son, and he is always fulfilling his larger plan through Jesus.

© Ray Fowler

You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this message provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For any web postings, please link to the sermon directly at this website.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copies:
By Ray Fowler. © Ray Fowler. Website: https://www.rayfowler.org

Click here for more Mother’s Day Sermons.
Click here to return to the Sermons page.
Click here for Famous Mothers in the Bible Series