Tuesday, June 22, 2010
God Is At Work - The Story of Ruth Part I - The Worst of Times, Part 17 of 32
TEXT: "Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me" (Ruth 1:16-17).
IDEA: God is a poet.
PURPOSE: To help listeners appreciate why poetry says what prose may not.
Do you read much poetry?
What is poetry?
Poetry is defined as "a type of discourse which achieves its effects by rhythm, sound patterns and imagery. Most characteristically, the poetic form evokes emotion or sensations, but it may also serve to convey loftiness of tone or lend force to ideas."
I. A small section of the story of Ruth is poetry, Ruth 1:16-17.
In many Bibles it appears indented from the surrounding narrative. Many commentators have noticed the strength and symmetry of Ruth's memorable promise.
"Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you;for wherever you go, I will go;
and wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
your people shall be my people,
and your God, my God.
Where you die, I will die,
and there will I be buried.
The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me."
The structure breaks down into five two-line couplets:
Do not pressure me to leave you,
To turn back from behind you.
For where you go I will go,
And where you lodge I will lodge.
Your people, my people,
Your God, my God.
Where you die, I will die,
And there I shall be buried.
Thus may Yahweh do to me and thus may he add,
Surely nothing but death will separate me and you.
II. What is Ruth pledging with this poetic utterance?
Remind us of her situation when she spoke these words.
The central couplet is the most impressive of all. In Hebrew it is only four words: your people / my people, your God / my God. She responds to Naomi's plea to join her sister-in-law and return home to her family and their gods (Ruth 1:15).
She abandons every base of security that in that culture anyone would have held tight.
She gave up her native homeland, her own people and even her own gods.
Conclusion:
Jesus demanded the same kind of commitment of His disciples in Luke 14:26-27.
