The Sermon Naomi: Mother-In-Law by David McGee
May 12, 2013
Naomi: Mother-In-Law (37:56)
Referenced Scriptures: Ruth 1
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The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
Ruth 1
1) It happened in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land. A certain man of Bethlehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
2) The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem-judah. They came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
3) Elimelech, Naomi‘s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons.
4) They took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they lived there about ten years.
5) Mahlon and Chilion died both of them; and the woman was left of her two children and of her husband.
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 how that Yahweh had visited his people in giving them bread.
7) She went forth out of 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) Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each of you to her mother‘s house: Yahweh deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead, and with me.
9) Yahweh grant you that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice, and wept.
10) They said to her, No, but we will return with you to your people.
11) Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will you go with me? have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
12) Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should even have a husband tonight, and should also bear sons;
13) would you therefore wait until they were grown? would you therefore stay from having husbands? nay, my daughters, for it grieves me much for your sakes, for the hand of Yahweh is gone forth against me.
14) They lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth joined with her.
15) She said, Behold, your sister-in-law is gone back to her people, and to her god: return you after your sister-in-law.
16) Ruth said, "Don‘t entreat me to leave you, and to return from following after you, for where you go, I will go; and where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God;
17) where you die, will I die, and there will I be buried: Yahweh do so to me, and more also, if anything but death part you and me."
18) When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, she left off speaking to her.
19) So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. It happened, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and [the women] said, Is this Naomi?
20) She said to them, "Don‘t call me Naomi, call me Mara; for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
21) I went out full, and Yahweh has brought me home again empty; why do you call me Naomi, seeing Yahweh has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?"
22) So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
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What is nice to great day, not only because it's Mother's Day, but it I think I'm on the privilege that we have of him being alive of knowing that God is with us, knowing that God has his eye strengthen our shield our Savior on the one who is constantly by her side in the more we learn, I was thinking this morning and the breakfast of the hip always a couple people I speak with are they speak to me or something and so on. We're talking about. While religion they want everything while I'm on all these religions and stop incisively in all, God is greater than our religions. We make religions in order to simplify who God is and sometimes people become so confined within their religion that they lose perspective of really what God embodies in its NR. It's our faith. Our faith which should be something that gives us a lot of direction and boundaries but also those boundaries are limitless as far as how wonderful our relationship with God can be so our our faith, our religion, our denomination whatever it is that we should be so caught up in what to who God is and how the God speaks in works in our life through his word that we continue to grow and that there is boundless opportunities for us to grow and in the Old Testament 's book of Enoch. Enoch walked with God, and he was not for God took him. So one day Enoch, it just walking down and talking to God and he is in such communion with God that he just walked straight on into heaven, I don't think that would be made by the idea is that we have that's how the relationship with our faith in to be the focus of so many of you know this& it is not that don't go there, do this do that. Do you know everything is okay while it's more than that. It's it's an understanding of how the God works in our life in the good times, and that through the wonderful blessings and through what we consider hard times, but today we are going to speak about mother-in-law 's. Whenever we talk about hard times. In addition, mother love, but actually I was thinking of never done this, so it's a new folder concept, but a whole new train work, but the idea is that whenever we think of mother-in-law 's. I think Rhonda was quite fortunate that she had such an excellent mother-in-law of my mother. FF FF writers by forces, yet excellent mother will I did not pay attention. But anyhow, I was quite blasted I had such an excellent mother. She also that she was the daughter. My mother never had. And so whenever we think of mother-in-law 's. I think sometimes how, how often there are so many stories about Megan negative stories about mother-in-law 's and you know how can this be, are not these be dialed people. The mother of the person we have chosen to spend our life with enough yet are the person I'm chosen to be my misspent my life. What is the mother of that individual. So, but perhaps not all are blessed. But the ideas. This perhaps it's understandable that a mother loves her child so much that the mother wants only the best for them and then showdown is a spouse, and if so, we wonder, sometimes, you know about all that. While I remember whenever we got engaged. That is our mother was sitting on the porch was she crocheting or knitting person knitting. She is the knitter. She was always knitting and we walked on reports of her brothers home and run of shows of the diamond and she didn't look up. She just kept on mating is a don't you think you're going to marry before she graduates from college and so no she didn't stop. See his cap knitting as you look at the ring is exempted, though, that you're going to marry reporting is that I'm a college so, so there are different experiences that we have been different things that go with being a mother-in-law. But today were going to speak about a mother-in-law who made a dramatic difference from manager attic impact on her daughter-in-law 's life, and who made a great impact upon even the lineage of Jesus Christ. Of course, the story is found in the book of Ruth and I speaking of Naomi Naomi in whatever room, thinking him and it's in this context what to think of it in the context that Naomi had such an impact that her life was so different from her daughter-in-law 's that they were willing to leave their country, their families, their gods and accompany Naomi to back to Israel and there are many surroundings and IL stories subtitles. Some stories to go with this note whenever Naomi and her husband leave Israel. Theirs was a famine going on were going to read that chapter one, but the Moabites work were considered enemies of Israel. They were disliked by the Jewish people. The Israel in the Israelite because when Israel was returning her wanting to go to the promised land. They, the Moabites refused to let them go through their life that you go around and so they were. They were there was a lot of tension a lot of friction between these two bordering countries and they were often go to war with each other. So when and one of the other characteristics of the Moabites is that they had many gods that many God they read many different gods, and so they were considered by the Israelites to be people that you stayed away from. And so for whatever reason we have this story here in chapter one of roof in which once upon a time, this is reading from the message Bible and I don't like that introduction once upon a time, it sounds like a fairytale, but is not a fairytale. It is a it is true life story. Once upon a time, it was back in the days when judges led Israel. There was a famine in the land, so judges where on individual profits that would speak what God would speak to them and then they would speak to the people there what they did have a king. Later on they would have kings, Saul is the first king in linking David, but there were judges, and these were individuals that God would move upon and he would go in these judges would go and speak to the nation and keep them in their right direction with God if they were doing something wrong. You know, falling away from their relationship with God. You know, falling into idolatry worshiping idols and things like that the judges would come and tell them either change ways or God is good to bring judgment upon you. So this was in the time in which there were judges. There was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judea in Judah left eleven. The country of my lab so my lab is a place just over the river now the border is the river that flows from Sea of Galilee down through to the Dead Sea and then there is a mountain range. On the other side and up on that mountain range is the land of Moab, and so their bordering countries and there was a famine. It would be like others of famine in Britain, Johnstown, but in buddy and not Bedford. There's a lot of things going on so it's not that far away. Thought about maybe sixty miles eighty miles to this other country, and there was. There was this was the land of Moab, and seated in this man from Bethany from Bethlehem. He and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was, and I will act a little like I can't feel like I've been chewing on marshmallows and cotton balls. I think it's the flowers, but the so please excuse me with my mispronunciations are not being able to talk with my excuse today. Next week it will be different, so the eleventh eleven election and his wife, whose name is Naomi and her sons were named Mei Mei long and Chile on all different types from Bethlehem in Judah. They all went to the country of Moab, and settled there so that there had to abandon a very severe famine in order for them to go to this to the country of Moab, because again, this is like going to your worst enemy. They didn't like you they like you. You do like them and were going to live with them and that's what happened with Amalek his wife, they go to this. This flooring. This foreign country that is better for Bedford. Sometimes a foreign country and the and you are going to this foreign country and the people in Bedford hate people. Now people does not take the people of Bedford. Better to prevent all tall hollow whole different value system completely different religions and they are just opposed to each other and so we are moving from Johnstown, the Bedford into this hostile country. They had little hope of survival in Bethlehem. They felt that this is dropped with severe and ill just pick up and move move south when this case, he moved west, so I am Amalek, died, and he only was left. She and her two sons. So after they moved to Moab, the husband dies, K. This will buy Moabites just me. I really have a hard time. The Suns took Moabite wives. The name of the first was for fun and the second was roof. They lived there in the lab for the next ten years. But when the two brothers mail on and Kelly on God. Now the woman was left without either her young men or her husband. Now, some have said that when you look at this story that in limit and intellect gave up too early, gave up too soon and he yelling should not have gone to Moab, but for whatever reason he did, and whenever we look at this. I think of in the context of how may times we look at life and we look back over and we say what was shown the done this, we shouldn't we make this mistake made that mistake while a doorway to say what is a mistake in not a mistake. We say that I love for a bad mistake, but no in the long term of things, life is life, and that the hard way of the hard reality and he moved there to this to this country, and then why is there his two sons, Mary Moabite know about Moabite women and after ten years, they die. So people have read this and they said while you now that was really accursed of God upon their life and not necessarily so. It isn't necessarily that they were there and that they dive in. This was not going to happen even in Israel because Israel. There was a great famine and there were people dying there because of the famine. So they went to the land of Moab, and there they settled for ten years and there is almost nothing worse than being a widow in a foreign country. In that time. A widow was considered the lowest of society and she didn't have. She didn't have a husband then there was no providers, and if there were no family. She was just left to baking so well was a bigger and the only way they were going to survive is on the gifts and things that other people would give them. So here are three widows in a total of them are in the hole and put on a only is there and she is a despised foreigner having to pay for her living. So this is a very desperate place verse six says one day she, meaning they only talk to herself together, she and her two daughters a lot to leave the country of Moab, and set out for home. She had heard that God had been pleased to visit the people and give them food. So Naomi here and now is understanding. While you know her sons are gone and well, there's no hope. The only hope to have this to go back to her homeland and perhaps someone there will help her. Perhaps there will be things that she can do in her homeland that will be able to help her so the character of Naomi is one that we began to understand or begin to see in the reflection of roof and then and the other more fun that there's a there's a character that we see in in nail and nail me that just brings philosophy reflection that we don't see in her briefing we find her later claiming herself to be narrow, bitter and in and means this narrow narrow better happens to speak of intense loss and intense grief and whenever she is there making up her mind to leave her homeland. She is coming back to this place, and we wonder what type of a woman. Naomi is while look at Ruth. Look at how that roof response to her mother-in-law, we began to see in the actions of others, a reflection of what they have been taught to see in the Jewish culture we have the ten Commandments. We have the idea of loving your neighbor Novell still don't kill, thou bear false witness, have only one God, and we see this character of Naomi is so different than the Moabites that the daughter-in-law 's want to be part of that they want to be part of that and so as we were thinking as I was picking up a Mother's Day sermon, I wasn't given the context that we reflect our children will be reflecting the image that they see that we want to be have an impact upon the people around us a lot. Of course Dennis now with bad hair days we have here and we have bad days in which, in all things don't go right, and that's going to happen, but the overall image that we want to be roof that needs to be reflected in three. The image of Jesus Christ inside of us that anything we see and people see that, and this is where we have to ask God to help us to be the character to be the person that God wants us to be according to his commandments. According to his live according to his desire that we live that life. And that's what other people see and that's what we find in. That's what we find in Naomi, and that's what we find in roof in her reflection of what she sees and how she lives out this experience that she has with her mother-in-law while as they are on the road back verse nine. After a short while on the road family told her two daughters in law go back home and live with your mothers and may God treat you as graciously as you treated your deceased husband and me. So these were good ladies who had really been great wines for there to her children are heard her signs and had been very good to her and she knows what's ahead backing Israel back in Bethlehem. There got to be beggars. They have family did not then know what they have their parents home. They can go back to their homes and live there, but there is a there's a conflict between these two daughter-in-law 's the conflict is the God that they see in Naomi and the God of their families and of their nation and conflict there that they don't want to leave Naomi. They don't want to leave Herb God they don't want to leave her faith and her character and may God give each of you new home and a new husband. She kissed them, and they cry openly, so there was a great attachment between these two daughter-in-law 's and Naomi. There is a great attachment that they have and they are experiencing and they said verse ten. No were going on with you to your people. So whatever drove Naomi and her husband and sons out of Israel was not seen in her relationship with the two young widows. There was some people are fed, well now as you study these characters that Naomi and her husband, they were running away from God. That's why they went to the land of Moab. They went through the sinful place, but I don't think so. They because they displayed a characteristic that these women. The two daughter laws they displayed a characteristic that these two daughter-in-law 's were willing to give up and follow them back to Israel, but Naomi was far. She's very firm. She says go back, my dear daughters. Why would you come with me. Why would you want to come with me. Basically she then and this custom was that the outlet. If a brother in others. Well for four sons, or whatever, and the older son dies than the wife of the older son becomes the wife of the second son in order to take care off and provide for the wife and that the brothers, children, so there was like they were the wife would be passed on downing of the illustration of the what is said in the New Testament would Jesus. If someone dies in the olive may not have a chill run child and they married a run are you guys, I'm a child in the name of the marriage the third brother, and he dies. Heaven, whose wife was she going to be in Jesus as well. There is no marrying and giving in marriage, and heaven knows of. That's what we see in this custom here. Then the wife would have been passed on down, and the only installing them. I can't give you. I can give you the hope of ever having another child, and it will flag it married now and have a son you wait until he grows up to be your to be your husband. The outages of the work that way. So go back to your homes go back to your families go back to your daughters on your way please. Thank you, Wolf. I'm too old to get a husband. I'm too old to get started over again and there's just nothing for us. There is no hope for us in our future. We think that while how is this a good story. My wife has challenges, life has difficulties that we face hardships, and it is our relationship with God even though we don't understand where Brad God has a way of shining through those difficulties. God has a way of being, bearing all of those difficulties, and we find that God has a way of being reflective, even when we feel like we're bitter, even when we feel like there is the whole for the bitterness that was in Naomi had greater hoping greater faith than all of the idols and the lifestyle of the people of Moab, and Ruth saw the feet to nitrogen. I only she sees herself as a lady who has lost every later on, she talks about. I left Israel. I left Bethlehem full. Now I come back into the don't call me Naomi call me Matt, which is bitter and it's not the bitterness of yell on hatred. It's the bitterness of intense loss and grief and even in that situation. Naomi has a greater say in a greater believe that Ruth is able to see and not once does not want to abandon and this is what you are in our life, even when things don't go the way we want, there's still a sense God is with us, even whatever we have our tears and disappointments. There is a sense God is with us, even whatever we look and we think that while what a failure, but they're still a sense, there's still an underlying character that God is with me and him and all difficulties come. There is still God is with me. There was hope in knowing that God is with me, even whenever we don't think there is any hope and Naomi 's sound tying her daughter-in-law 's go back go back is no hope for us and Warsaw listens to her mother-in-law, and goes back again. Verse fourteen. Again they cried openly or purchased her mother-in-law. Goodbye, but Ruth Ruth, I roof rose embraced her and held on Rose Klein to her mother-in-law, and it was. It's like she sees in her mother-in-law, faith and hope, even though her mother-in-law doesn't see it. Ruth does because Ruth grew up in alter no God, Ruth grew up in a culture that had so many gods nothing. None of the men anything but Naomi. She presented truth. This is where for us a bad day in our faith is better than a wonderful day with no faith. There is stability in our life when there's a bad day and we have faith that people who are lost and have no concept of God on their best days because of something, there is someone in Austin is a characteristic of quality of life. The quality of character. A qualitative hope that doesn't come from our minds. It is something that comes from that place inside of our heart that has been filled by God that void that has been filled by God inside of us and in our greatest disappointments. There is still hope verse fifteen Naomi said, look, your sister-in-law 's going back home to live with her own people and dogs go with her. Naomi is so caught up in how the things of falling apart. She she didn't even see the faith that was reflected in her blood. Ruth was able to see it, and she's using everything she can to make her daughter-in-law go back home because in grief and loss, we lose perspective. First, sixteen but Ruth said often quoted don't force me to leave you all make me go home where you go I will go where you live. I'll live your people are my people, your God is my God. Where you die, I'll die and that's where I'll be buried so help me God, not even death itself is going to come between us. So really is declaring making this great declaration of relationship and halt and and and going to cling to going to a halt to her mother-in-law, verse eighteen and when they only saw that Ruth had her heart set on going with her. She gave in. It was not so much the determination of the roof character. It was the determination that Ruth had saw in her mother-in-law and recognize that her God would be Naomi 's God would be her God, Bruce God, and that she would not abandon Naomi. She would not abandon the God of Naomi and she would go with them to the new lands to this new place while when they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was soon buzzing is this really are. Naomi after all this time spent ten years and they were quite overwhelmed that you come back to Bethlehem. This is really our Naomi. They look at her and she's perhaps and writes her life is in shambles and burst when he said that she said don't call me Naomi only better combing marrow in this is where we find. She says the strong one, has dealt me a bitter blow. Even if you hire not understanding what it happened. She was able to say God is in charge. God has taken me out of here. God led us out of Bethlehem to Moab and now God has brought us back. I went away with the husband and two sons, now I'm come back coming back with nothing but the clothes on my back. Why would you call me Naomi was God certainly doesn't the strong one ruined me. Isn't it odd, odd knowledge characteristic of us that we would say God has done something that he has given an knee has taken away and I am bitter, but. And so they only was back and roof. The foreigner with her back from the country of Moab, and they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest and know the not going to go the whole book of Ruth and and see how everything changes, but the characteristic that we find in the mother, mother-in-law is a characteristic of God that is seen even in the difficult choices and when things go wrong, it's not God doesn't stand up and say, you know, straighten up, don't do this, don't let your bad person. You know, go away from me, but that does not than all God has a way of still presenting himself through us and we and this is one those characteristics were Naomi is talking about how bitter she is now is talking about how bad things are building is talking about how bad God is roof isn't buying because she knows Naomi. She's been with her for almost ten years and she was married to her son and she nervous woman in Novell. She was so upset over all the things I taken place roof was not going to give in to any difficulties and not going to give up on the God who brought Naomi to the lab and the God who brought her back from Moab, and we see that these qualities of life. Because what happens is the only tells roof goal and lean in the hot end up in the fields above. Alas, and the only way to widows were going to make a living was by handouts or by gleaning in the fields picking up what people other the harvesters had left behind, and so wrote those out in the left and to the fields about last two ends up being a relative, a distant relative areas well as to who Boaz is, as in one of the readings said that Boaz is a descendent son, grandson, somewhere down the line of the woman in Jericho, who helped and you despise Red Hat right rate of one sitting. This left me wrap brand. The harlot who helps the slides in Jericho and survived the crashing of the walls of Jericho and saved the new spies who went into Jericho that Boaz is a descendent of her him, we find that I looks upon the roof and sees her as a beautiful woman and they end up getting together and getting married throughout this whole thing. And guess what Boaz and Ruth married to have a son and his name is open. He is the father of Jesse, who is the father of the king of Israel, all because of a woman named Naomi, who had such a godly character. The roof saw in her something that they only didn't even see in herself and it was reflective of the God that Naomi serve and Ruth was able to see that and that is what the characteristic quality. Each of our lives and mothers is that even on bad days, there's something in us that is greater than the badness, the bad day or the quality of the character thing things going wrong. There's something in us that is reflective of the God whom we worship the God who loves us, the God who is forgiven us in the God who helps us in every situation, so don't get caught up in being now all of the bad them a bad person that he caught up in the God who loves you, who has called you who's given you the gift of life as a mother, and that he will provide for you the direction and the sense of who you are what you should do and even in bad times when things all looks so good. There's still the quality of God is underneath that character like in Naomi is able to be seen in roof and how that Ruth follows an inset being in the lineage of this is a bad day, always with Jesus. There is hope. Amen ladies all stand. Please all yelling in bringing the girls all the kids up from downstairs. I saw the ladies if you don't come forward that have to be my mouth all the ladies in case you're wondering how maybe we have with seventy right, in which seventy flowers Ali Lazar, while you get to take a couple you. Yes, holy of the girls, but if you have a neighbor that you've been witnessing to her talking to a friend we would like for you to take one home is a gift from our church to them having out in a house one download lowlands will once not little anymore in so and again we just want to say thank you to all of our ladies you are so much a part of our church so much a part of our family and no matter what goes on allow the quality that we see, and Naomi to be that quality that comes through and gives us hope in every situation as we don't know what the little ones will Tom, we don't know the influence that we will make upon people 's lives because there's something someone greater than ourselves at work in us and that is God. Amen. God afraid your blessing upon each of our ladies upon each one this year and the ones we are represented in God. Those who can't make it today in the routes having lunch, we thank you that you bless us with such special gift. We ask you to bless our mothers bless all of our ladies. We pray in Jesus name amen I I need give me a number from one to twelve five okay ladies, how many of you have a birthday on the fifth month and may not play ladies have to be mothers. Mothers honey and mothers have them. We have one okay I plan to you get a view to make their return to give away out of a who has a birthday close to the fifth of the month if I can does a birthday on the fifth of the month of any mind and in my fifth day a month, fifth day. Okay anyone else. Okay, very, very. You have one for Glenn than one for Terry, thank you very much. Now, lady, very trouble next to flower. I sold that your flower and take one for yourself and give take one home. For others, and if you're here and your mom, your wife or your fiancé are your mother you to see them take an beautiful hour for them, and I thank you very much that theWhat is nice to great day, not only because it's Mother's Day, but it I think I'm on the privilege that we have of him being alive of knowing that God is with us, knowing that God has his eye strengthen our shield our Savior on the one who is constantly by her side in the more we learn, I was thinking this morning and the breakfast of the hip always a couple people I speak with are they speak to me or something and so on. We're talking about. While religion they want everything while I'm on all these religions and stop incisively in all, God is greater than our religions. We make religions in order to simplify who God is and sometimes people become so confined within their religion that they lose perspective of really what God embodies in its NR. It's our faith. Our faith which should be something that gives us a lot of direction and boundaries but also those boundaries are limitless as far as how wonderful our relationship with God can be so our our faith, our religion, our denomination whatever it is that we should be so caught up in what to who God is and how the God speaks in works in our life through his word that we continue to grow and that there is boundless opportunities for us to grow and in the Old Testament 's book of Enoch. Enoch walked with God, and he was not for God took him. So one day Enoch, it just walking down and talking to God and he is in such communion with God that he just walked straight on into heaven, I don't think that would be made by the idea is that we have that's how the relationship with our faith in to be the focus of so many of you know this& it is not that don't go there, do this do that. Do you know everything is okay while it's more than that. It's it's an understanding of how the God works in our life in the good times, and that through the wonderful blessings and through what we consider hard times, but today we are going to speak about mother-in-law 's. Whenever we talk about hard times. In addition, mother love, but actually I was thinking of never done this, so it's a new folder concept, but a whole new train work, but the idea is that whenever we think of mother-in-law 's. I think Rhonda was quite fortunate that she had such an excellent mother-in-law of my mother. FF FF writers by forces, yet excellent mother will I did not pay attention. But anyhow, I was quite blasted I had such an excellent mother. She also that she was the daughter. My mother never had. And so whenever we think of mother-in-law 's. I think sometimes how, how often there are so many stories about Megan negative stories about mother-in-law 's and you know how can this be, are not these be dialed people. The mother of the person we have chosen to spend our life with enough yet are the person I'm chosen to be my misspent my life. What is the mother of that individual. So, but perhaps not all are blessed. But the ideas. This perhaps it's understandable that a mother loves her child so much that the mother wants only the best for them and then showdown is a spouse, and if so, we wonder, sometimes, you know about all that. While I remember whenever we got engaged. That is our mother was sitting on the porch was she crocheting or knitting person knitting. She is the knitter. She was always knitting and we walked on reports of her brothers home and run of shows of the diamond and she didn't look up. She just kept on mating is a don't you think you're going to marry before she graduates from college and so no she didn't stop. See his cap knitting as you look at the ring is exempted, though, that you're going to marry reporting is that I'm a college so, so there are different experiences that we have been different things that go with being a mother-in-law. But today were going to speak about a mother-in-law who made a dramatic difference from manager attic impact on her daughter-in-law 's life, and who made a great impact upon even the lineage of Jesus Christ. Of course, the story is found in the book of Ruth and I speaking of Naomi Naomi in whatever room, thinking him and it's in this context what to think of it in the context that Naomi had such an impact that her life was so different from her daughter-in-law 's that they were willing to leave their country, their families, their gods and accompany Naomi to back to Israel and there are many surroundings and IL stories subtitles. Some stories to go with this note whenever Naomi and her husband leave Israel. Theirs was a famine going on were going to read that chapter one, but the Moabites work were considered enemies of Israel. They were disliked by the Jewish people. The Israel in the Israelite because when Israel was returning her wanting to go to the promised land. They, the Moabites refused to let them go through their life that you go around and so they were. They were there was a lot of tension a lot of friction between these two bordering countries and they were often go to war with each other. So when and one of the other characteristics of the Moabites is that they had many gods that many God they read many different gods, and so they were considered by the Israelites to be people that you stayed away from. And so for whatever reason we have this story here in chapter one of roof in which once upon a time, this is reading from the message Bible and I don't like that introduction once upon a time, it sounds like a fairytale, but is not a fairytale. It is a it is true life story. Once upon a time, it was back in the days when judges led Israel. There was a famine in the land, so judges where on individual profits that would speak what God would speak to them and then they would speak to the people there what they did have a king. Later on they would have kings, Saul is the first king in linking David, but there were judges, and these were individuals that God would move upon and he would go in these judges would go and speak to the nation and keep them in their right direction with God if they were doing something wrong. You know, falling away from their relationship with God. You know, falling into idolatry worshiping idols and things like that the judges would come and tell them either change ways or God is good to bring judgment upon you. So this was in the time in which there were judges. There was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judea in Judah left eleven. The country of my lab so my lab is a place just over the river now the border is the river that flows from Sea of Galilee down through to the Dead Sea and then there is a mountain range. On the other side and up on that mountain range is the land of Moab, and so their bordering countries and there was a famine. It would be like others of famine in Britain, Johnstown, but in buddy and not Bedford. There's a lot of things going on so it's not that far away. Thought about maybe sixty miles eighty miles to this other country, and there was. There was this was the land of Moab, and seated in this man from Bethany from Bethlehem. He and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was, and I will act a little like I can't feel like I've been chewing on marshmallows and cotton balls. I think it's the flowers, but the so please excuse me with my mispronunciations are not being able to talk with my excuse today. Next week it will be different, so the eleventh eleven election and his wife, whose name is Naomi and her sons were named Mei Mei long and Chile on all different types from Bethlehem in Judah. They all went to the country of Moab, and settled there so that there had to abandon a very severe famine in order for them to go to this to the country of Moab, because again, this is like going to your worst enemy. They didn't like you they like you. You do like them and were going to live with them and that's what happened with Amalek his wife, they go to this. This flooring. This foreign country that is better for Bedford. Sometimes a foreign country and the and you are going to this foreign country and the people in Bedford hate people. Now people does not take the people of Bedford. Better to prevent all tall hollow whole different value system completely different religions and they are just opposed to each other and so we are moving from Johnstown, the Bedford into this hostile country. They had little hope of survival in Bethlehem. They felt that this is dropped with severe and ill just pick up and move move south when this case, he moved west, so I am Amalek, died, and he only was left. She and her two sons. So after they moved to Moab, the husband dies, K. This will buy Moabites just me. I really have a hard time. The Suns took Moabite wives. The name of the first was for fun and the second was roof. They lived there in the lab for the next ten years. But when the two brothers mail on and Kelly on God. Now the woman was left without either her young men or her husband. Now, some have said that when you look at this story that in limit and intellect gave up too early, gave up too soon and he yelling should not have gone to Moab, but for whatever reason he did, and whenever we look at this. I think of in the context of how may times we look at life and we look back over and we say what was shown the done this, we shouldn't we make this mistake made that mistake while a doorway to say what is a mistake in not a mistake. We say that I love for a bad mistake, but no in the long term of things, life is life, and that the hard way of the hard reality and he moved there to this to this country, and then why is there his two sons, Mary Moabite know about Moabite women and after ten years, they die. So people have read this and they said while you now that was really accursed of God upon their life and not necessarily so. It isn't necessarily that they were there and that they dive in. This was not going to happen even in Israel because Israel. There was a great famine and there were people dying there because of the famine. So they went to the land of Moab, and there they settled for ten years and there is almost nothing worse than being a widow in a foreign country. In that time. A widow was considered the lowest of society and she didn't have. She didn't have a husband then there was no providers, and if there were no family. She was just left to baking so well was a bigger and the only way they were going to survive is on the gifts and things that other people would give them. So here are three widows in a total of them are in the hole and put on a only is there and she is a despised foreigner having to pay for her living. So this is a very desperate place verse six says one day she, meaning they only talk to herself together, she and her two daughters a lot to leave the country of Moab, and set out for home. She had heard that God had been pleased to visit the people and give them food. So Naomi here and now is understanding. While you know her sons are gone and well, there's no hope. The only hope to have this to go back to her homeland and perhaps someone there will help her. Perhaps there will be things that she can do in her homeland that will be able to help her so the character of Naomi is one that we began to understand or begin to see in the reflection of roof and then and the other more fun that there's a there's a character that we see in in nail and nail me that just brings philosophy reflection that we don't see in her briefing we find her later claiming herself to be narrow, bitter and in and means this narrow narrow better happens to speak of intense loss and intense grief and whenever she is there making up her mind to leave her homeland. She is coming back to this place, and we wonder what type of a woman. Naomi is while look at Ruth. Look at how that roof response to her mother-in-law, we began to see in the actions of others, a reflection of what they have been taught to see in the Jewish culture we have the ten Commandments. We have the idea of loving your neighbor Novell still don't kill, thou bear false witness, have only one God, and we see this character of Naomi is so different than the Moabites that the daughter-in-law 's want to be part of that they want to be part of that and so as we were thinking as I was picking up a Mother's Day sermon, I wasn't given the context that we reflect our children will be reflecting the image that they see that we want to be have an impact upon the people around us a lot. Of course Dennis now with bad hair days we have here and we have bad days in which, in all things don't go right, and that's going to happen, but the overall image that we want to be roof that needs to be reflected in three. The image of Jesus Christ inside of us that anything we see and people see that, and this is where we have to ask God to help us to be the character to be the person that God wants us to be according to his commandments. According to his live according to his desire that we live that life. And that's what other people see and that's what we find in. That's what we find in Naomi, and that's what we find in roof in her reflection of what she sees and how she lives out this experience that she has with her mother-in-law while as they are on the road back verse nine. After a short while on the road family told her two daughters in law go back home and live with your mothers and may God treat you as graciously as you treated your deceased husband and me. So these were good ladies who had really been great wines for there to her children are heard her signs and had been very good to her and she knows what's ahead backing Israel back in Bethlehem. There got to be beggars. They have family did not then know what they have their parents home. They can go back to their homes and live there, but there is a there's a conflict between these two daughter-in-law 's the conflict is the God that they see in Naomi and the God of their families and of their nation and conflict there that they don't want to leave Naomi. They don't want to leave Herb God they don't want to leave her faith and her character and may God give each of you new home and a new husband. She kissed them, and they cry openly, so there was a great attachment between these two daughter-in-law 's and Naomi. There is a great attachment that they have and they are experiencing and they said verse ten. No were going on with you to your people. So whatever drove Naomi and her husband and sons out of Israel was not seen in her relationship with the two young widows. There was some people are fed, well now as you study these characters that Naomi and her husband, they were running away from God. That's why they went to the land of Moab. They went through the sinful place, but I don't think so. They because they displayed a characteristic that these women. The two daughter laws they displayed a characteristic that these two daughter-in-law 's were willing to give up and follow them back to Israel, but Naomi was far. She's very firm. She says go back, my dear daughters. Why would you come with me. Why would you want to come with me. Basically she then and this custom was that the outlet. If a brother in others. Well for four sons, or whatever, and the older son dies than the wife of the older son becomes the wife of the second son in order to take care off and provide for the wife and that the brothers, children, so there was like they were the wife would be passed on downing of the illustration of the what is said in the New Testament would Jesus. If someone dies in the olive may not have a chill run child and they married a run are you guys, I'm a child in the name of the marriage the third brother, and he dies. Heaven, whose wife was she going to be in Jesus as well. There is no marrying and giving in marriage, and heaven knows of. That's what we see in this custom here. Then the wife would have been passed on down, and the only installing them. I can't give you. I can give you the hope of ever having another child, and it will flag it married now and have a son you wait until he grows up to be your to be your husband. The outages of the work that way. So go back to your homes go back to your families go back to your daughters on your way please. Thank you, Wolf. I'm too old to get a husband. I'm too old to get started over again and there's just nothing for us. There is no hope for us in our future. We think that while how is this a good story. My wife has challenges, life has difficulties that we face hardships, and it is our relationship with God even though we don't understand where Brad God has a way of shining through those difficulties. God has a way of being, bearing all of those difficulties, and we find that God has a way of being reflective, even when we feel like we're bitter, even when we feel like there is the whole for the bitterness that was in Naomi had greater hoping greater faith than all of the idols and the lifestyle of the people of Moab, and Ruth saw the feet to nitrogen. I only she sees herself as a lady who has lost every later on, she talks about. I left Israel. I left Bethlehem full. Now I come back into the don't call me Naomi call me Matt, which is bitter and it's not the bitterness of yell on hatred. It's the bitterness of intense loss and grief and even in that situation. Naomi has a greater say in a greater believe that Ruth is able to see and not once does not want to abandon and this is what you are in our life, even when things don't go the way we want, there's still a sense God is with us, even whatever we have our tears and disappointments. There is a sense God is with us, even whatever we look and we think that while what a failure, but they're still a sense, there's still an underlying character that God is with me and him and all difficulties come. There is still God is with me. There was hope in knowing that God is with me, even whenever we don't think there is any hope and Naomi 's sound tying her daughter-in-law 's go back go back is no hope for us and Warsaw listens to her mother-in-law, and goes back again. Verse fourteen. Again they cried openly or purchased her mother-in-law. Goodbye, but Ruth Ruth, I roof rose embraced her and held on Rose Klein to her mother-in-law, and it was. It's like she sees in her mother-in-law, faith and hope, even though her mother-in-law doesn't see it. Ruth does because Ruth grew up in alter no God, Ruth grew up in a culture that had so many gods nothing. None of the men anything but Naomi. She presented truth. This is where for us a bad day in our faith is better than a wonderful day with no faith. There is stability in our life when there's a bad day and we have faith that people who are lost and have no concept of God on their best days because of something, there is someone in Austin is a characteristic of quality of life. The quality of character. A qualitative hope that doesn't come from our minds. It is something that comes from that place inside of our heart that has been filled by God that void that has been filled by God inside of us and in our greatest disappointments. There is still hope verse fifteen Naomi said, look, your sister-in-law 's going back home to live with her own people and dogs go with her. Naomi is so caught up in how the things of falling apart. She she didn't even see the faith that was reflected in her blood. Ruth was able to see it, and she's using everything she can to make her daughter-in-law go back home because in grief and loss, we lose perspective. First, sixteen but Ruth said often quoted don't force me to leave you all make me go home where you go I will go where you live. I'll live your people are my people, your God is my God. Where you die, I'll die and that's where I'll be buried so help me God, not even death itself is going to come between us. So really is declaring making this great declaration of relationship and halt and and and going to cling to going to a halt to her mother-in-law, verse eighteen and when they only saw that Ruth had her heart set on going with her. She gave in. It was not so much the determination of the roof character. It was the determination that Ruth had saw in her mother-in-law and recognize that her God would be Naomi 's God would be her God, Bruce God, and that she would not abandon Naomi. She would not abandon the God of Naomi and she would go with them to the new lands to this new place while when they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was soon buzzing is this really are. Naomi after all this time spent ten years and they were quite overwhelmed that you come back to Bethlehem. This is really our Naomi. They look at her and she's perhaps and writes her life is in shambles and burst when he said that she said don't call me Naomi only better combing marrow in this is where we find. She says the strong one, has dealt me a bitter blow. Even if you hire not understanding what it happened. She was able to say God is in charge. God has taken me out of here. God led us out of Bethlehem to Moab and now God has brought us back. I went away with the husband and two sons, now I'm come back coming back with nothing but the clothes on my back. Why would you call me Naomi was God certainly doesn't the strong one ruined me. Isn't it odd, odd knowledge characteristic of us that we would say God has done something that he has given an knee has taken away and I am bitter, but. And so they only was back and roof. The foreigner with her back from the country of Moab, and they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest and know the not going to go the whole book of Ruth and and see how everything changes, but the characteristic that we find in the mother, mother-in-law is a characteristic of God that is seen even in the difficult choices and when things go wrong, it's not God doesn't stand up and say, you know, straighten up, don't do this, don't let your bad person. You know, go away from me, but that does not than all God has a way of still presenting himself through us and we and this is one those characteristics were Naomi is talking about how bitter she is now is talking about how bad things are building is talking about how bad God is roof isn't buying because she knows Naomi. She's been with her for almost ten years and she was married to her son and she nervous woman in Novell. She was so upset over all the things I taken place roof was not going to give in to any difficulties and not going to give up on the God who brought Naomi to the lab and the God who brought her back from Moab, and we see that these qualities of life. Because what happens is the only tells roof goal and lean in the hot end up in the fields above. Alas, and the only way to widows were going to make a living was by handouts or by gleaning in the fields picking up what people other the harvesters had left behind, and so wrote those out in the left and to the fields about last two ends up being a relative, a distant relative areas well as to who Boaz is, as in one of the readings said that Boaz is a descendent son, grandson, somewhere down the line of the woman in Jericho, who helped and you despise Red Hat right rate of one sitting. This left me wrap brand. The harlot who helps the slides in Jericho and survived the crashing of the walls of Jericho and saved the new spies who went into Jericho that Boaz is a descendent of her him, we find that I looks upon the roof and sees her as a beautiful woman and they end up getting together and getting married throughout this whole thing. And guess what Boaz and Ruth married to have a son and his name is open. He is the father of Jesse, who is the father of the king of Israel, all because of a woman named Naomi, who had such a godly character. The roof saw in her something that they only didn't even see in herself and it was reflective of the God that Naomi serve and Ruth was able to see that and that is what the characteristic quality. Each of our lives and mothers is that even on bad days, there's something in us that is greater than the badness, the bad day or the quality of the character thing things going wrong. There's something in us that is reflective of the God whom we worship the God who loves us, the God who is forgiven us in the God who helps us in every situation, so don't get caught up in being now all of the bad them a bad person that he caught up in the God who loves you, who has called you who's given you the gift of life as a mother, and that he will provide for you the direction and the sense of who you are what you should do and even in bad times when things all looks so good. There's still the quality of God is underneath that character like in Naomi is able to be seen in roof and how that Ruth follows an inset being in the lineage of this is a bad day, always with Jesus. There is hope. Amen ladies all stand. Please all yelling in bringing the girls all the kids up from downstairs. I saw the ladies if you don't come forward that have to be my mouth all the ladies in case you're wondering how maybe we have with seventy right, in which seventy flowers Ali Lazar, while you get to take a couple you. Yes, holy of the girls, but if you have a neighbor that you've been witnessing to her talking to a friend we would like for you to take one home is a gift from our church to them having out in a house one download lowlands will once not little anymore in so and again we just want to say thank you to all of our ladies you are so much a part of our church so much a part of our family and no matter what goes on allow the quality that we see, and Naomi to be that quality that comes through and gives us hope in every situation as we don't know what the little ones will Tom, we don't know the influence that we will make upon people 's lives because there's something someone greater than ourselves at work in us and that is God. Amen. God afraid your blessing upon each of our ladies upon each one this year and the ones we are represented in God. Those who can't make it today in the routes having lunch, we thank you that you bless us with such special gift. We ask you to bless our mothers bless all of our ladies. We pray in Jesus name amen I I need give me a number from one to twelve five okay ladies, how many of you have a birthday on the fifth month and may not play ladies have to be mothers. Mothers honey and mothers have them. We have one okay I plan to you get a view to make their return to give away out of a who has a birthday close to the fifth of the month if I can does a birthday on the fifth of the month of any mind and in my fifth day a month, fifth day. Okay anyone else. Okay, very, very. You have one for Glenn than one for Terry, thank you very much. Now, lady, very trouble next to flower. I sold that your flower and take one for yourself and give take one home. For others, and if you're here and your mom, your wife or your fiancé are your mother you to see them take an beautiful hour for them, and I thank you very much that the