Greetings everyone
This week’s SS lesson scriptural text is found in the Old Testament book of Ruth in the 1st chapter. The Book of Ruth is neatly positioned between the Books of Judges and 1st Samuel. It is a book of history that tells the story of King David’s parentage.
Ruth is King David’s great grandmother. She was not born Jewish, but was a Moabite. She married into a Jewish family who had come to Moab from Israel to find food and escape a famine. While living in Moab, Ruth’s husband, her father-in-law and her brother-in-law all died leaving just her, her sister-in-law and mother-in-law, Naomi.
After learning the famine was over, Naomi decides to go back to Israel and her two daughters-in-law decided to go with her. Naomi urges both of them to stay with their people and after much persuasion, one daughter-in-law decided to stay. But Ruth could not be persuaded and was determined to go with Naomi and become one of her people.
There are several important takeaways from this lesson. First, some bonds between people are so strong that they can’t be broken by circumstances. Our bond with God through Christ should be like that so that nothing can break it.
Second, sometimes we must leave what we know or our comfort zone in order to do and go where we feel compelled to go. Ruth felt compelled to go with Naomi. To be a disciple of Christ, we must forsake many, if not all of, the friendships, relationships and ways we are familiar with to go on a spiritual journey that is new, different and unknown. It doesn’t mean we won’t have any interactions with those we know, it means the manner in which we have such interactions will become new and different.
Thirdly, a person doesn’t have to be born a Jew or into the family of God to belong to His family. Most people are born outside the physical family of God because they are born non-Jewish. Ruth was one such person. But she accepted God as her God and His people as her people and God allowed her to do so and received her into His family. The same thing applies to us today. Even though we were not born into God’s family, by receiving Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we are adopted as full children and heirs with Christ.
Finally, by trusting God, God did for her things neither she nor Naomi thought possible when they set out on their journey home. They didn’t know what awaited them or how they were going to make it. The same thing applies to us today. We can’t see or know how things are going to turn out in our lives by following Jesus. All we can know is that we trust Him, regardless of what happens, to bring us to a better and everlasting place and that He is able to make our way better and brighter as we journey to our eternal home.
This lesson is the first of two from the Book of Ruth. Today’s lesson looks at the commitment to become one of God people. Our journey as Christians must begin with commitment. Ruth’s commitment was unto death and so must ours be. Anything less is unacceptable to God. A church or individual’s faith is only as strong as their commitment is to doing the will of God. Part two of Ruth on next Sunday will look at how God intervened in Ruth’s and Naomi’s life as two widows alone with only their faith. So, don’t miss it.
Well, I hope you will attend SS this coming Sunday and share your thoughts with the class. If you have any comments or questions, be sure to place them in the comment section. Until next time remember to fear God and keep His commandments.
Pastor Jordan
