- Sermon Notes
- Scripture
Legacy
Ruth 1 – 4
A couple of weeks ago I taught from 1 Samuel 23 on the topic of Loyalty.
The feedback I received inspired me to dig deeper into David’s life, which lead me to Ruth and Naomi, her mother-in-law and Ruth’s loyalty to her.
If you ever wanted to study the blessings of a Godly legacy, look no further than Ruth & Boaz’s life.
We have all seen gravestones – virtually all of them are marked with a birth year and a deceased year.
But the entire legacy is represented by that dash —
How are we all doing with that dash in our lives?
What’s your desire at your memorial service; tell of your outward beauty, personal accomplishments –
What would be more exciting than for your descendants to have this said about them –
- Only 2x in the scriptures is the phrase used, “after God’s own heart” and both refer to David.
Consider the challenge to consider what it is you are doing to leave your own powerful legacy when you are no longer here.
Ruth’s ancestors didn’t even know David yet –
Despite the spiritual decline described in Judges, Ruth shines.
Ruth 1:1-5
I. Naomi Emptied
- Verse 5 has a potentially sad ending for Naomi – the culture wasn’t good for a woman with no husbands and no sons.
- She departs for Bethlehem with daughter in laws, Ruth and Orpah –
- Along the way she tells them they need to go back to Moab –
Verses 14 – 18
A. Obedience, faith and loyalty
- Ruth clung to her – “where you go I will go.”
- Ruth was so courageous; putting the needs of others ahead of her own.
- Do we put relationships and loyalty ahead of personal gain?
I’ve experienced first hand the pain of losing relationships because someone chose personal gain –
- In essence here you have a foreign Moabite woman taking care of family first and her Mother In Law on top of that…
This is where Legacy comes into play…Ruth really amazing here.
- Aren’t we sometimes tempted to choose immediate appeal rather than consider what God’s best might be if we wait and trust Him?
Deuteronomy 5:16; “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
She made a choice to honor God & her Naomi.
Verse 22 – chapter 2:1-2
B. Obedience brings a legacy of blessing
Gleaning was a cultural practice that God Himself set up to provide for the poor & less fortunate.
Deuteronomy 24:19; “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
- Not many land owners did this in Israel, but Boaz, he was faithful, a Godly man.
- God continued to bless him for his obedience.
Verse 2:3-6
Illustration – This story was my inspiration for the wedding ceremony I wrote for one of my son’s…
- The Blessing of Ruth honoring Naomi and Boaz honoring God with his land – and we approach God’s reward for the ages with David coming into the world –
Verse 2:10-13
- Again what are we all doing with the dash in our lives while we live…Are we honoring the Lord with our lives in order to build a legacy?
- Look at how Boaz recognizes Ruth’s devotion…
- A note for those unmarried…praying for a Godly partner – be sure you are being Godly – pursuing the Lord –
Boaz was a distant relative of ‘Sickly’ (Chilion) so he was permitted to marry Ruth, the Moabite woman.
Verse 4:13-17
II. A love story impacts history
- What began as a complete loss for Naomi ends with the providence of God –
- In the day we live in, people would understand if Naomi felt abandoned by God and melted into bitterness…
- Ruth is showing us what redemption looks like through her life of obedience.
Ephesians 1:7; In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
- David’s “grandfather” Obed is born to Boaz and Ruth –
- Obed then fathered Jesse –
- Who then fathered DAVID – Great Grandson to Boaz.
- When you follow the family lineage of David, you see why he became the man he was.
- And if you follow all the way through, it will lead you to Jesus birth –
Why is this story of loyalty and obedience and love important to us?
- All of us parents want blessings on our children and beyond…
- Nothing we can do on earth guarantees us great kids.
- If you are not married or do not have children you can create and pass on your legacy to the many lives you touch…
So let’s look at David’s lineage and see what we can learn by it for our own lives.
- Everything to do with our walk with God.
- Everything to do with living an authentic Christian life.
- Everything to do with how much we love God & choose to obey Him in our walk with Him.
- Everything to do with spiritual choices in our life that we make.
Deuteronomy 5:8-9; “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
- The Book of Ruth is foretelling us the way we live today has ramifications long after.
A. God desires to build our legacy
- Generations of our descendants will feel the impact of our choices today.
- Ruth and Boaz honored God – – David ultimately the blessing who God had great favor on.
- Our Heritage is ours to protect or if you are the one who needs to build and start a legacy – then start one today.
Psalm 61:5; For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
I’d like to take a moment and speak to those of you who have never trusted Christ as your Lord and Savior…
B. Godly choices will change your life
How about the rest of us – what are some of these Godly choices we could make to bless our family as we build our legacy?
Philippians 4:8; Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
1) Parents – Model a Godly, unconditional loving marriage.
- Sherri and I have been married 36 years –
- Jesus was and is our partner
- We figured it out and made changes
- Figuratively speaking, the Cross of Christ was in the center of our home – we used it rather than invite conflict
- Recognize that two sinners living under the same roof – both selfish – are going to have differences…
If you are here today and thinking about marriage or remarriage, make sure you choose a Godly man or woman for life –
2) Live an authentic Christian life in front of your family – – I didn’t say perfect – – I said authentic.
1 Peter 5:8; Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
- Be a role model you would be proud to have your kids emulate.
- Kids have the innate ability to call us out when we mess up…
- Apologize to your kids when you mess up; yes seek their forgiveness when it happens.
Illustration – Many times I went to one of my kids for forgiveness –
3) Make choices that honor God right now.
Colossians 3:17; And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
- Ask your spouse or a trusted friend.
- Do this regularly and you will be a blessing to your family and friends.
C. Healthy boundaries protect your legacy
- If you walk on the edge of life, you can be sure your kids will push the envelope and walk a little closer to that edge.
- So you need to leave more room along that edge so they are safe when they test it for themselves –
- There’s a long list of things you can do that has nothing to do with you losing your salvation over it – we are not legalistic here.
- But do you want to risk being so close to the edge of that thing or activity in your life that your children push it and go over it?
I know many of us did not come from a Godly heritage – – that’s OK, start one!
Be a Boaz – – Be a Ruth
Ruth Chapter 1
Chapter 2
1 Now Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.2 And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after one in whose sight I may find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” 3 So she departed and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. mained from the morning until now; she has been sitting in the house for a little while.”4 Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, “May the Lord be with you.” And they said to him, “May the Lord bless you.” 5 Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” 6 The servant in charge of the reapers replied, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab. 7 And she said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ Thus she came and has remained from morning until now; she has been sitting in your house for a while. 8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but stay here with my maids. 9 Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have commanded the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw.”10 Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” 11 Boaz replied to her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. 12 May the Lord reward your work, and your wages be full from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.” 13 Then she said, “I have found favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and indeed have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants.”14 At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left. 15 When she rose to glean, Boaz commanded his servants, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not insult her. 16 Also you shall purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.
17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. 18 She took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also took it out and gave Naomi what she had left after she was satisfied.19Her mother-in-law then said to her, “Where did you glean today and where did you work? M ay he who took notice of you be blessed.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.”20 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed of the Lord who has not withdrawn his kindness to the living and to the dead.” Again Naomi said to her, “The man is our relative, he is one of our closest relatives.”21 Then Ruth the Moabitess said, “Furthermore, he said to me, ‘You should stay close to my servants until they have finished all my harvest.'” 22 Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maids, so that others do not fall upon you in another field.” 23 So she stayed close by the maids of Boaz in order to glean until the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest. And she lived with her mother-in-law.
Chapter 3
1 Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? 2 Now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maids you were? Behold, he winnows barley at the threshing floor tonight. 3 Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself and put on your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 It shall be when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you shall do.” 5 She said to her, “All that you say I will do.”6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her. 7 When Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came secretly, and uncovered his feet and lay down. 8 It happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet. 9 He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a Or redeemerclose relative.” 10 Then he said, “May you be blessed of the Lord, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. 11 Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence. 12 Now it is true I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. 13 Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as the Lord lives. Lie down until morning.”14 So she lay at his feet until morning and rose before one could recognize another; and he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 Again he said, “Give me the cloak that is on you and hold it.” So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her. Then she went into the city. 16 When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did it go, my daughter?” And she told her all that the man had done for her. 17 She said, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.'”18 Then she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he has settled it today.”
14 So she lay at his feet until morning and rose before one could recognize another; and he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” 1 5Again he said, “Give me the cloak that is on you and hold it.” So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her. Then she went into the city. 16 When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did it go, my daughter?” And she told her all that the man had done for her. 17 She said, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.'” 18 Then she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he has settled it today.”
Chapter 4
16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. 17 T he neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. 18 Now these are the generations of Perez: to Perez was born Hezron, 19 and to Hezron was born Ram, and to Ram, Amminadab, 20 and to Amminadab was born Nahshon, and to Nahshon, Salmon, 21 and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed, 22 and to Obed was born Jesse, and to Jesse, David.
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