Ruth 1:1-3- Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
2 And 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 Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
3 And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.
*notice the…
A. Famine -v. 1a
B. Flight -v. 1b
C. Fall -v. 3
The Grass Isn’t Always Greener on the Other Side!
*we see it wasn’t so in their case, look at the…
1. Reason!
*their motive! = they sought food not the Father!
2. Ramifications!
Ruth 1:1– Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons
*he took others with him!
3. Reaping! (death!) (many reap spiritual death!)
Ruth 1:3; 5- And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.
5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.
4. Ruin!
Ruth 1:13; 20-21– Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.
And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
21 I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?
*The prodigal son never regained all he lost in the far country; Lot never regained all he lost in Sodom; Adam never regained what he lost in the garden; Samson never regained what he lost due to Delilah; and David never regained the 4 sons he lost!
5. Return!
Ruth 1:22– So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
*It only took one day to leave but ten years to get back!
Let us learn to be content with such things as we have and trust God to supply the needs that we have not!
-Pastor Doug Foster