Sermon: The LORD's Hand Upon Us

20th Sunday after Pentecost, 2010

Ruth 1:1-19

 

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

 

In our English Bibles, we find the book of Joshua located sequentially after the five books of Moses. In the book of Joshua the Holy Spirit teaches us about the securing of the Promise Land under the leadership of Joshua. In those days the people as a whole were faithful to the LORD their God who brought them out of Egypt. However, in the next book in order, we are told of the unfaithfulness of Israel at the death of Joshua. The book of Judges ends with this statement, "In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes." (Judges 21:25, ESV) The people of God had failed to listen to the word of God.

 

Today’s Old Testament reading begins with these words, "In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech… " (Ruth 1:1, ESV) These are the first words of the book of Ruth. As you recall, the people of God began worshiping the LORD their God in the way of their contemporaries. Thus, the curses of the covenant came upon them. The broken covenant resulted in such things as their fields, baskets, and kneading bowl being cursed. It brought heat and drought causing famine. The heavens above their heads were like bronze, and the earth under their feet was like iron. The precious rain was like powder. Thus, the famine came.

 

Like his fathers before him, Elimelech left the Promised Land for awhile during the drought. Abraham and Jacob had fled to Egypt during famines in the life time. Isaac fled to Gerar of the Philistines during the famine in his day. In such times, the ultimate goal of the LORD their God was not to keep them away from the Promised Land. Nor was it to make them forget His promises. Rather, this was a testing of their faith that the LORD their God would provide.

 

Now the Promised Land was to said to be flowing with milk and honey. The land was to be like paradise on earth with an abundance of food. Yet, Elimelech had to leave his city of Bethlehem because of the famine. The Hebrew word Bethlehem means, “House of Bread.” It didn’t seem like a house of bread during the days of famine. The house was empty. The baskets and the kneading bowls were cursed. This did not seem like the Promised Land. Also, note that Elimelech’s name means, “My God is King.” It did not seem like the LORD was King. Thus, Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and his two sons moved to Moab. But they continued to live in the promises of God. Then, Elimielch and his two sons die died outside of the Promised Land. Now Naomi had suffered the loss of land, food, and the lives of her loved ones. How is it that God was King? How could the King let His people go hungry? How could the King let His people die outside the Promised Land? 

 

Naomi is extremely distraught under these circumstances. She tells her sons wives,“for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.” (Ruth 1:13, ESV) Yet, she has not given up her faith in the LORD her God. She returns to Bethlehem. Verse six states,“Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the LORD had visited his people and given them food.” (Ruth 1:6, ESV) Because of her faith in God’s goodness, Naomi returned to the Land of Promise. The LORD had come to His people to help them in their day of trouble. He visited them with His loving presence for their good.

 

There is a holy tension here between feeling the pains of affliction while at the same time trusting in the goodness and mercy of God. Through tragedy, we are tested and tried. The afflictions brought upon us teach us to rely upon the LORD our God all the more. When we are brought low, we are humbled and realize our need for a Redeemer. We live in a fallen world where there is death and famine, sickness, and hunger. 

 

When we feel the pressure of the heavy hand of the LORD upon us, it is a call to constant repentance and trust in Him. He is the potter. We are the clay. He makes us and shapes us. He puts us through the fire to perfect us and form us into useful vessels for Him. He is the Master weaver and we are the tattered baskets. He is mending us. Through such calamities in life, we are learning to listen to His voice and be His bowls and baskets that He fills up with His good gifts.

 

By nature, we are cursed baskets and kneading bowls.We are earthen vessels prone to cling to the earth. We tremble because the devil comes to crack us, chip us, break us, and tear us apart so that we cannot receive the blessings of the LORD and be filled by Him. The LORD continues to assure us that His heavy hand upon us is applying pressure to make us firm in the faith. He is repairing us and making us solid. 

 

The ten lepers recognized their need for healing. In afflictions, just like the ten lepers, the LORD is teaching us to pray, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” (Luke 17:13, ESV) Jesus tells the Samaritan that was healed from his leprosy, “Rise and go your way, your faith has saved you.” (Luke 17:19) We are learning that God’s hand is at work in the circumstances of our lives. We trust in his promises. In these circumstances, we are learning to trust in Him. He cares for the widows. He cares for the leper. He cares for us.

 

Look with me at Psalm thirteen. David writes,

 

"How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me." (Psalm 13:1-6, ESV)

 

David asks, “How long?” while at the same time declaring, “But I have trusted in your steadfast love.” In our afflictions, we are being taught to trust in His steadfast love.

 

Now if you were to talk a piece of chalk as you go out the door after the Divine Service and place a mark on the sidewalk this would represent your life. Then, if you were to take that chalk and draw a line to your house and continue to draw a line wherever you go, that would represent eternity. There is no comparison. From an eternal perspective, the short afflictions that we face in this life are nothing. They are just a small speck of chalk.

 

In today’s Old Testament text, we see two different reactions to the afflictions of the world. Orpah kisses Naomi and leaves for her people and her gods. Ruth clings to Naomi and her people and her God. Naomi and Ruth gather together with the people of God in Bethlehem who wait on the LORD receiving His gifts. Eventually, Naomi is redeemed. Boaz her Kinsman Redeemer takes back her land and takes Ruth as a wife. The LORD gives Ruth the gift of a husband and a son. This son will become the father of Jesse who will become the father of David. David will become king.

 

The LORD does not forget His promises to His people. The way of the world is to forget the promises of God. As part of this fallen creation, we are drawn to deny Christ and return to the dust with no hope. However, that is not the will of the LORD our God. He has visited His people in a unique way in the birth of Jesus who takes upon our earthen bodies. Zechariah sings, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his peopleand has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David.” (Luke 1:68-69, ESV) Jesus will be the descendant of David of the tribe Judah. He was born in the city of Bethlehem which is the “House of Bread.” He is the Bread from Heaven that gives us eternal life. He will suffer from the curse of the land becoming a curse for us so that we would be blessed in Him. Jesus is our King. Like Elimelech, we can boldly say, My God is King. He is mercifully overseeing the affairs of my life. His hand is upon us making us and taking us to be with Him forever. Amen.