Thursday, July 1, 2010

God Is At Work - The Story of Ruth Part I - The Worst of Times, Part 24 of 32

TEXT: "Then Naomi arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had visited His people in giving them bread . . . Now the two of them [Naomi and Ruth] went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, "Is this Naomi?" So she said to them, "Do not call me 'Naomi,’ call me 'Mara' for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?" So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law was with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest" (Ruth 1:6, 19-22).

IDEA: God works in history, but those through whom He works are usually unaware of it.

PURPOSE: To help listeners understand that ultimately history is His-story.

Do you think that when news magazines interpret what is happening in history, they necessarily get it right? Why or why not?

Do you think that when we describe what is happening to us, we necessarily get it right?

I. How would a news magazine have described what was happening in Bethlehem compared to the way the people in the Bible would have talked about it?

News magazine: There was a shift in the weather pattern in one of the regions of Israel that had brought a severe drought and famine. The drought conditions have now ended and rains have fallen and once again have brought prosperity to the region.

Bible: "When Naomi heard that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them . . ."

II. How do we look at circumstances and how does God look at them?

Naomi said that she came back "empty" (Ruth 1:19, 20) because God was punishing her.

Was she right? Was she completely wrong?

What was God doing in bringing Naomi and Ruth back to Bethlehem?

Do we know?

Did they know?

III. Is there a danger in trying to figure out what God is doing through either reading news magazines and/or circumstances?

Good Friday wasn't "good" until "Sunday" came.

God is at work in history, but we may not be able to follow the story line.