RUTH

At the center of the book of Ruth are two widows, Naomi and Ruth. Naomi is from Judah and a worshipper of the god of Israel. Her daughter-in-law Ruth is from Moab, a foreign nation often at odds with Judah. Despite being foreigners to one another, these two women are bound together by a devotion that reflects God's devotion for us. Both widowed and impoverished, Ruth and Naomi experience the kindness of God through unlikely circumstances. At the end of it all, God works through their devotion to one another in an unexpected of way.

Quote on "Hesed"

Hesed is "notoriously difficult to translate. Attempts to capture it in english include 'mercy,' 'fidelity/faithfulness, 'loyalty,' 'love,' and so on. Rather than get bogged down in an argument about translation, a more helpful approach is to recognize that hesed is a relational term. It does not merely assert some abstract quality concerning God's inner nature but rather confesses the way that the Lord relates to others." - Old Testament Scholar Rolf Jacobson

One thing this quote means is that one of the most common Hebrew terms used to describe God should point us back to God's way of treating others, particularly Israel, in history.

Sermon Outline

I. What is the book of Ruth?

II. "May the Lord deal kindly with you."
A. Hesed
B. Rolf Jacobson quote

III. "Where you go, I will go."
A. We can see God's love in Ruth.
B. Devotion

IV. Moab
A. Enemies of Israel more often than not.
B. Unlikely pairing.

V. If we can see God's love in Ruth, who else might we see God's love in?

NEXT STEPS:

1) Reach out to someone who showed you God's love in the past and thank him or her.

2) Think of someone you've been at odds with and find ways to show him or her God's love.

GROWTH GROUP / PERSONAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1) What is the most surprising time in which you saw God's love through someone else? What made it surprising?

2) Why is it significant that Ruth was from Moab?

3) How would you explain God's love to someone else?

4) How does the book of Ruth explain God's love?

5) Why is it difficult to show the devotion Ruth shows Naomi to others?

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