Wednesday, October 13, 2010

God Is At Work - The Story of Ruth Part III - A Strange Proposal, Part 22 of 31

TEXT: The book of Ruth

IDEA: God also keeps His promises through His interaction with His people.

PURPOSE: To help listeners realize that God works in different ways in the lives of His people.

Who are the full-fledged cast of characters in the story of Ruth? Naomi, Ruth and Boaz.

I. Would you agree that the main character in the story of Ruth is the God of Israel?

How do you explain that the narrator refers to God directly only twice, at the beginning (Ruth 1:6) and end (Ruth 4:13) of the story?

These references show that God grants life, be it seed from the earth (Ruth 1:6) or seed from the womb (Ruth 4:13).

Is either of these references to a "miracle" God performed for His people?

Ruth demonstrates a second way God works for His people: it is the interaction of God with His people.

God works and we work and we become workers together with God.

We see the interaction of God in the call of Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:7-10).

II. God works and we work in this interaction of God with His people.

Do you think that the people in the story of Ruth thought that God was at work through them?  Was He?