RUTH 1:6-13 DON'T BE AN UNBELIEVING BELIEVER

Ru 1:6 Then she 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 by giving them bread. 7 Therefore she went out from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 8 And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each to her mother's house. The LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 "The LORD grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband." Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10 And they said to her, "Surely we will return with you to your people." 11 But Naomi said, "Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 "Turn back, my daughters, go-for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons, 13 "would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me!"

 The Testimony of Naomi 6-7  The Backsliding Believer, she is a Moabite at heart

1. 1. She is out of fellowship with God

• She is missing God’s best
• She is experiencing the consequences of her disobedience
• Lev 26:3-26 If you do this, blessing, if not then consequences

Sometimes we say “Lord, we’ve asked you to bless all these things; but, have we asked please, Lord, make us blessable. Naomi would have had to confess, “Lord, I’m not blessable.

Whenever we have disobeyed the Lord and departed from His will, we must confess our sin and return to the place of blessing.

2. V8 -13 She is giving bad advice

Naomi tried to influence the two women to go back to their families and their false gods.

If it was right for her to go back, it was right for them to go back too

·       Naomi should have said to them what Moses said to his father-in-law, “Come thou with us, and we will do thee good; for the Lord has spoken good concerning Israel (Num. 10:29, KJV). Instead, Naomi tried to influence the two women to go back to their families and their false gods.

3. v 11-13 She is thinking in human terms, not that God can do all things

Naomi was trying to cover up her disobedience. If she returned to Bethlehem alone, nobody would know that the family had broken the Law of Moses.

1.     God providentially closed their wombs so that there would not be any ½ Israelite children, but the promised heir would come later

2.     Over emphasis on husband and children - she is wanting to find security in husbands and children and bread- the physical vs the spiritual

3.     She is Saying go back and marry a Moabite

4.     To find rest for an OT Oriental culture was to find a husband and security

5.     With no husband they have no way to live

Three times Naomi insisted that they return to Moab