RUTH 1:21

THE PRODIGAL DAUGHTER

I. Introduction

A. Although the title of the book is Ruth, the central character of the first chapter is Naomi.

1. We could honestly call her the prodigal daughter of the O.T.
2. There are certain similarities between the prodigal son and Naomi.

a. The prodigal son could well have used the same words as Naomi in 1:21.
b. True, he did not remain empty but neither did Naomi.
c. And the rich supply of the Lord toward Naomi is recorded in
chapters 2 - 4.

II. Consider Naomi's History

A. She is part of a happy family living in Bethlehem.

1. Her husband's name is Elimelech which means "God is King."
2. Bethlehem, the little town where they lived means "the house of bread."
3. Naomi's name meant "pleasant." She was a bubbling, carefree and pleasant woman. What a joy she must have been to her family.

B.What a home it must have been. A husband who has God as His King. Living in authority to the word of God.

1. He has a wife who is happy and pleasant to be around. This truly is the right kind of a home in which to bring up children.
2. Although scholars differ on the meaning of the names of their sons, the names can mean as follows:

Mahlon - "song"
Chilion - "complete"

a. If we take these names as descriptive of their condition what a lovely family we have.
b. God was their king, they lived in the house of bread, theirs was a happy, pleasant experience of life. Song was the outward expression of their joy and with it came a sense of completeness or fullness.

3. Whether we can see it or not it certainly provides us with a picture.

III. TheScene Abruptly Changes.

A. We are abruptly told there was a famine in the town of Bethlehem.

1. A famine in the house of bread Ä how could that happen.

a. Had not God said; that the promisec land would be a place of milk and honey? He said his people would eat bread without scarceness.
b. There was a catch to that blessing.

2. God also had stated; if you turn away from Me to worship other gods, transgress my laws, then I will find it necessary to shut up heaven that there will be no rain. (II Chron. 7:13 - 14)
3. It is sadly true that this also happem in the life of a christian.

a. God finds it necessary at times to shut up heaven against us, the mov ings of His Holy Spirit are no longer known in the heart.
b. The Bible becomes stale and prayer is empty.
c. We lose our witness and we begin to live like people who do not know Christ.
d. Our testimony is gone and christiai service becomes a chore.
e. That's really a terrible experience for a child of God.

4. Amos talks about a famine that has nothing to do with bread but is a famine "of hearing the Word of God

a. That's the worst famine of all. A of this can take place in the hear of a christian.
b. But God says; if His people will humble themselves and pray, seek His face and turn from their wicked ways, then He will hear and heal their land.
c. This is wath Naomi and Elimalech should have done when they found themselves in a famine.
d. He should have stayed in Bethlehem and led the people in days of humbling and prayer before God.

B. He didn't do that, He took another route to get out of his predicament.

1. He took his family and went to Moab. What a place to turn to for God in His Word calls Moab, His garbage can.
2. Doubtless he told his friends "we won't be gone long, we will come back shortly.

a. Elimelech never did come back, Naomi came back after being away ten years.
b. Isn't that much like our own situation.

3. When we have problems and difficulties, we look to other fields and set our hearts on them.

a. We turn our hearts back to the world system.
b. We turn back not because the world is so attractive, but because Bethlehem has become so dry.
c. Jesus isn't real anymore. So we feel we must have some fun out of life.

4. It appears that there is nothing among the saints to attract them, everything in church just seems so dead.

a. But whose fault is that? Could it possibly be you that is dead and dry and not other christians.
b. Instead of getting back to the source of joy and blessing, we go like the prodigal son did, into a far country to find some substitute

C. We convince ourselves that this excursion into the fields of sin is only for a short time.

1. Young people excuse it by saying I need to know what the world is all about. My life is too sheltered.
2. Older people excuse it by attributing it to the change of life.
3. If we remain in the far country for very long, God in grace sends the means to turn us back.
4. In Naomi's case God used two things to cause her to repent.

D. First, he laid his hand of discipline upon her family.

1. God took her husband home to heaven - that still didn't reach her, finally he took both of her sons.
2. God left her alone to think and pray and to repent and go back to God's land
3. God had caused life in Moab to be bitter indeed.

a. Read her own statement in Ruth 1:20

IV God's Love for His Own

A. The love of God is such that no sooner do we get away from Him than He goes to work to bring us back.

1. What he uses most often is bitter discipline.
2. Let me say emphatically that these bitter experiences are not to be regard as punishments.
3. They are always restorative in their intention.

a. Whatever calamity we may suffer, it is never to be regarded as a punishment for sin.
b. The only adequate punishment for sin is what Jesus bore on Calvary.
c. There alone do we see the due reward for our sin.

4. Whatever comes our way is designed to bring us back to God or to bring us closer to God.

a. As William Cowper says in his famous hymn, "Behind a frowning proviaence God hides a smiling face."
b. It is all the love of God working for our restoration.

5. We still may have trouble believing this.

a. It is the natural thing to feel when things go wrong that God is against us.
b. A guilty conscience always makes a person feel that God is against him and that anything adverse that happens is God's punishment.
c. That is just not so. The Bible clearly says; God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing unto them their
trespasses.

6. whatever adversity means, it cannot mean that God is imputing unto us our trespasses. He has already imputed them to Christ on the Cross.

a. In all their adveristy he was no adversary 63:9
b. It is always and only the love of God intent on restoring us.

7. So when we face times of adversity, we should not ask why this is happening to us but rather what is God teaching us?
8. When we take this attitude, God will graciously reveal those areas yet to be made right.
9. So don't question God - don't condemn God - Rather yeild yourself to God.