Turning and Clinging

I want to be with honor and joy to preach God's word to you. After nearly two years, we have finished the book of Matthew.

So this morning, turn with me in your Bible for the book of Ruth. If you don't have a Bible, please wave your hand. We'll give you a copy that you can use while you're here and take one with you.

How did I know what James said?

Ruth is situated after the book of Judges and before the book of 1 Samuel. And that location between those two books is deliberate and ancient.

Ruth 1.1 begins, in the days when the Judges ruled, there was a famine in the land.

If you turn back one page from the beginning of Ruth to the end of the book of Judges, you'll find this summary of what the days of the Judges were like in Judges 21-25.

In those days, there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own time.

So then the days of the Judges were lawless times.

I don't know why that hasn't changed.

A time when everyone did as they saw fit and did abide by God's word.

It was a time when there was no king to rule and guide the people of God according to the will of God.

It is therefore no coincidence that the book of Ruth, which comes right after Judges, begins with that verse, Ruth 1.1, and then ends with a genealogy that says,

Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.

That's the same King David that we know so well.

This is one of the main purposes of the book of Ruth, to explain the origin of the Davidic royal dynasty.

That's why it's preceded by the book of Judges and followed by the book of 1 and 2 Samuel, which chronicle the rise and reign of David.

We're never told who the author of the book of Ruth is.

We can't know for sure.

But Jewish tradition, as recorded in the Babylonian Talmud, holds that Samuel, Prophet Samuel, was the author.

Some people think that Samuel was too early to have been the author of Ruth, since he died before David ascended to the throne.

However, since Samuel is the one who anointed David as king in 1 Samuel 16,

and it was according to Samuel's prophecy that David eventually did rise to the kingship of Israel,

I personally think that Samuel is as good a guest as any.

With the man who had anointed King Saul, but later said that God had rejected and has chosen David to be king instead,

wouldn't he want to explain that to some people?

Who is this David?

Perhaps when Samuel got to meet David's family when he went over to anoint him,

he got to hear this story about his ancestors and decided to pen it for the sake of Progeny.

But I speculate and digress.

Whether Samuel is the author or not, the apparent purpose of the Book of Ruth,

which is to explain the origin of the Davidic dynasty,

it would date around the time of the Davidic dynasty, which is around 1000, 1000 BC.

Ruth is a beautiful and compelling love story.

It is told with remarkable tenderness and artfulness and delicacy.

It is a literary masterpiece about which Rudolf Alexander Schroeder,

the 20th century German poet and a five-time Nobel laureate in literature,

he once said,

no poet in the world has written a more beautiful short story.

In this book, you will find no great wars or spectacular miracles.

God does not thunder from a fiery mountain, nor does he split the Red Sea.

There are no awe-inspiring building projects like the tabernacle or the temple.

There are no larger-than-life kings, prophets, priests.

Ruth is a humble story about two widows

and how God redeems them from their loss and widowhood

through Ruth's marriage to Boaz and the birth of Obed.

But if, for that reason, you deem that, well,

nothing really important happens in Ruth,

then you'd be badly mistaken.

If not for the steadfast love and covenant loyalty of Ruth

to her to see her husband, Nellon,

and to her mother-in-law, Naomi,

there would be no King David.

And if there's no King David,

down the line there is no King Jesus,

the Son of David.

The very redemption history

and the plan of God hangs in the balance

in this humble story of two widows and their small family.

Our world doesn't celebrate women like Ruth.

Think about it.

From a worldly perspective,

Ruth didn't accomplish very much.

Some might truly dismiss her as saying

all she did was get married and have a kid.

Our world thinks that that's a waste of a woman's gifts and talents

and that a woman can only realize her full potential

when she does something other than that.

This week, while I was studying Ruth,

I saw a quote from a Bible scholar

who criticized the book of Ruth

as a, quote,

pernicious, exploitative trap.

Because, according to her,

it promotes a patriarchal culture

where women's primary goal is to bear children.

That's a narrow and cynical perspective.

But that's how much of our world thinks.

Our society doesn't celebrate women like Ruth,

but God does.

God wrote a whole book in the Bible

to recount her story

so that wherever God's words proclaimed

in the whole world

that what she has done

will be told in memory of her.

Ruth is the only non-Israelite

who has a book in the Bible named after her.

Ruth is named in the very genealogy

of our Lord and Savior, Jesus himself,

in Matthew 1.

So let us labor instead

to have God's perspective

and not man's perspective

on these matters.

I hope that's enough of an introduction

to wet your appetite for the series.

This is completely underrated.

Oh, actually kind of related.

These illustrated note-take notes,

notebooks for the book of Ruth.

I know some of you guys collect these

and get one for every sermon series you do.

Elena, of her own court,

she used her own money

to purchase some of these

and she has some extra.

So if you want some,

go talk to Elena.

Can you raise your hand?

Yes, yes.

All right.

And thank her

because she thought that herself.

Please, let me read Ruth 1,

but before I do,

let me pray and ask God for her.

Heavenly Father,

your word is wiser

and more powerful

than anything we can imagine

to come up with ourselves.

Would you please,

by your word,

humble us in our pride,

exalt your mercy

and grace and salvation,

and fix our eyes

on your son, Jesus Christ,

our Lord and Redeemer.

Do that this morning

in Jesus' name,

we pray.

Amen.

Please stand so we can honor God

as we read from his word again.

I'm going to read

the whole first chapter.

Let's read the chapter.

Let's read the chapter.

In the days when the judges ruled,

there was a famine in the land,

and a man of Bethlehem in Judah

went to sojourn in the country of Moab,

he and his wife and his two sons.

The name of the man was Elimelech

and the name of his wife, Naomi.

And the names of his two sons

were Melon and Kilion.

They were Ephrathites

from Bethlehem in Judah.

They went into the country of Moab

and remained there.

But Elimelech,

the husband of Naomi,

died,

and she was left with her two sons.

These took Moabite wives.

The name of the one was Orpah

and the name of the other, Ruth.

They lived there about ten years.

And both Melon and Kilion died

so that the woman was left

without her two sons and her husband.

Then she arose with her daughters-in-law

to return from the country of Moab.

For she had heard in the fields of Moab

that the Lord had visited his people

and given them food.

So she set out from the place

where she was with her two daughters-in-law

and they went on the way

to return to the land of Judah.

But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law,

Go, return each of you to her mother's house.

May the Lord deal kindly with you

as you have dealt with the dead and with me.

The Lord grant that you may find rest,

each of you,

in the house of her husband.

Then she kissed them

and they lifted up their voices and wept.

And they said to her,

No, we will return with you to your people.

But Naomi said,

Turn back, my daughters.

Why will you go with me?

Have I yet sons in my womb

that they may become your husbands?

Turn back, my daughters.

Go your way.

For I am too old to have a husband.

If I should say,

I have hope,

even if I should have a husband this night

and should bear sons,

would you therefore wait till they were grown?

Would you therefore refrain from marrying?

No, my daughters,

for it is exceedingly bitter to me

for your sake

that the hand of the Lord

has gone out against me.

Then they lifted up their voices

and wept again.

And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law.

But Ruth clung to her.

And she said,

See,

your sister-in-law has gone back

to her people and to her gods.

Return after your sister-in-law.

But Ruth said,

Do not urge me

to leave you

or to return from following you.

For where you go,

I will go.

Where you lodge,

I will lodge.

Your people

shall be my people

and your God,

my God.

Where you die,

I will die

and there will I be buried.

May the Lord do so to me

and more also

if anything but death

parts me from you.

And when Naomi saw

that she was determined

to go with her,

she said,

No more.

So the two of them

went on until they came

to Bethlehem.

And when they came

to Bethlehem,

the whole town was stirred

because of them.

And the woman said,

Is this Naomi?

She said to them,

Do not call me Naomi.

Call me Mara.

For the Almighty

has dealt very bitterly

with me.

I went away full

and the Lord

has brought me back

empty.

Why call me Naomi

when the Lord

has testified against me

and the Almighty

has brought calamity

upon me?

So Naomi returned

and Ruth,

the Moabite,

her daughter-in-law

with her,

who returned

from the country

of Moab

and they came

to Bethlehem

at the beginning

of barley harvest.

This is God's

holy and authoritative

word.

Please be seated.

The story begins

with an all too

common tragedy.

There's a famine

in the land

so that a limelight

decides to up

and move his family

out of Bethlehem

to sojourn

in the country

of Moab.

A cross-country move

which is fraught

with risks

their migrants,

immigrants.

Elimelech's

initial plan

was to sojourn

there a temporary

stay,

a brief stay

to outlast

the famine

in Bethlehem

and then to move

back.

But one year

turns to two years,

two years

turns to three years.

For one reason

or another

their stay

gets extended.

He says in verses

two to three

they went into

the country

of Moab

and remained

there about

ten years.

Naomi

has two sons

take

Moabite wives

and indication

that they're

assimilating

and settling

down in the country.

But during

those ten years

Naomi's husband

dies

then both

of her sons

die

leaving her

with only

her two

Moabite

daughters-in-law.

And verse

five summarizes

her

for one's fate

so that the

woman

was left

without

her two

sons

and her

husband.

Most of us

haven't suffered

half as much

as Naomi

at least

not yet.

We can discern

Naomi's grief

and bitterness

in the things

that she said

in this passage.

She says to her

daughters-in-law

in verse 13

Later in

verses 19

to 20

when they

returned to

Bethlehem

the whole town

is above us.

Imagine

someone

from our

church

or someone

from Boston

leading

and coming

back

for ten years

and the

woman of the

town

are wondering

is this

Naomi?

And that's

probably a

loaded question

is this

really Naomi?

Can this

really be the

Naomi

who left

town

ten years

ago?

Is this

the Naomi

who left

with her

husband

and two

sons

looking for

better days

and better

future?

What happened?

Where's her

family now?

Her suffering

has probably

taken a

physical toll

on her body.

Her wrinkled

face and her

white hairs

probably tell

the tale of

the hardship

and grief

that she

endured in

Moab.

Can this

really be

Naomi?

Naomi?

And Naomi

responds

curtly.

Do not

call me

now.

Call me

Mara

for the

Almighty

has dealt

very bitterly

with me.

The name

Naomi

if you have

footnotes

in your

Bible

it probably

tells you

Naomi

means pleasant.

To highlight

the word

play we

can translate

that as

sweet.

But she

says call

me Mara

instead which

means bitter.

Don't call

me sweet.

Call me

bitter.

The Almighty

has made

my life

very bitter.

That old

me that you

knew ten

years ago

is gone.

My innocence

gone.

My youth

gone.

My optimism

gone.

My family

gone.

Don't call

me sweet.

Call me

Mara.

Bitter.

That's my

name from

her life.

Naomi is

beginning to

lose her

very sense

of identity.

She's

going to

even

bitter

her.

And pay

attention to

the way

Naomi

speaks of

God.

She says

the hand

of the

Lord

has gone

out

against

me.

She's

not wrong.

She seems

to have a

good understanding

of the

sovereignty

of God.

The Lord

says in

Deuteronomy

32 39

see now

that I

even I

am he

and there

is no

God

beside me.

I kill

and I

make alive.

I wound

and I

heal

and there

is none

that can

deliver out

of my

hand.

And in

Isaiah 45

6-7

I am

the Lord

and there

is no

other.

I form

light and

create

darkness.

I make

well-being

and create

calamity.

I am

the Lord

who does

all these

things.

The Lord

is in

control of

all these

things of

both well-being

and calamity

and it is

his prerogative

to do so

as the

creator who

exercises

worship over

all of his

creatures and

creation.

So she

gets the

sovereignty of

God but

her understanding

of the

character of

God,

his love,

his mercy,

his justice

is profoundly

wrong.

Look at the

way she uses

the title of

God,

the Almighty

in verse 20.

The Almighty

has dealt

very bitterly

with me.

That title,

Almighty,

El Shaddai,

is a title

that is the

key word in

the book of

Genesis and

it's used

over and

over again

in places

where God

is making

covenant

promises

specifically of

fertility.

I'm going to

give you a

people,

sons and

daughters,

progeny.

So the use

of the title

here is quite

cutting.

Look at what

the Almighty

has done

for me.

He's taken

away my

husband and

both of my

sons.

See how

fertile and

fruitful he's

made me.

Now it

continues in

verse 21.

I went

away full,

but the

Lord has

brought me

back in

a day.

Note the

symmetry of

that sentence.

Naomi doesn't

say the

Lord sent

me away

full and

the Lord

brought me

back empty.

No, she

says I

went away

full, but

the Lord

brought me

back empty.

The fullness

she once

had, she

attributes to

herself, my

family, my

husband, my

children, I

went away

full.

But all

her loss, all

her tragedy, she

attributes to

the Lord.

Bitterness

and sin

doesn't have a

way of skewing

our perspective,

okay?

And we

see that

that's in

full force in

Naomi's

perspective.

What do you

mean you

went away

full, Naomi?

You

literally left

Bethlehem

because you

have no

food to

you.

Because of

the family,

you left

empty.

Oh, you

mean your

family, you

had family

back then,

your husband

and sons

then, is

that what

you mean?

But what

do you

mean that

the Lord

has brought

you back

empty?

How rude.

I don't

know if

you've

ever

this

happened.

It's

like you

agreed to

meet some

friends at

the gathering

and you

go to the

gathering and

your friend's

calling somebody

and it's

like, oh,

who's there?

And I was

like, oh,

no one's

here.

It's like,

whoa.

Sorry for

giving no

one.

Ruth is

right there

with the

mother-in-law,

right?

And later

in chapter

four, the

woman of

the town

will say

of Ruth,

your

daughter-in-law

who loves

you, who

is more

to you

than seven

sons.

That's the

kind of

precious and

value the

woman and

Ruth is.

She's brought

Ruth back

with her to

this new

country and

yet she

said, no,

the Lord

brought me

back empty.

Sorry,

Ruth.

Our

griefs and

sufferings have

a way of

making us

either bitter

or humble.

When I was

a student at

seminary, I

attended a

debate between

a Christian

apologist and

a Christian

apostate.

The

apostate had

grown up in

evangelical

circles.

He claimed

to have had a

born-again

experience as a

high schooler,

went to what

he calls a

fundamentalist

Bible college,

eventually got a

Ph.D. in New

Testament studies

and became a

Bible professor,

but eventually

he lost his

faith because,

according to

his words,

he couldn't

resolve the

problem of

evil in his

mind.

If God is

all power from

all good,

why is there

much evil

in suffering

in the world?

He became a

very vocal

and famous

atheist and

wrote a book

entitled

God's Problem,

How the Bible

Fails to

Answer Our

Most Important

Question,

Why We

Suffer.

Recounting

how he

lost his

faith because

he couldn't

make sense of

the suffering

in the world

in that

whole book.

That debate

that I

attended was

on that

very topic

of suffering

and evil

in the world

and this

was part of

the promotional

circuit to

promote that

very book.

After watching

the debate,

I exchanged

a couple

emails with

him.

He was

academic

whose email

wasn't hard

to find.

Be warned,

all you

academics.

I

concluded

the email

by gently

nudging him

and encouraging

him to

reconsider the

book of

Ruth.

Because I

believed then,

as I still

do now,

16 years

later,

that it

offers a

compelling

answer to

the problem

of evil

and suffering

in the world.

And what

was interesting

was that by

his own

admission,

this man

hadn't

suffered much

at all in

his life.

And yet,

he lost his

faith because

of other

people's

suffering

that he

himself had

never

experienced.

But throughout

the world,

so often,

people who

have suffered

the most

find their

faith in

God strengthened

and deepened.

Our brother

Daniel Jenkins

once told me

about a book

entitled,

When Sorrows

Like Sea

Billows

Roll.

It's a

memoir written

by a friend

of his,

Brad Franklin.

It's a

memoir about

the sudden

death of

Franklin's

wife,

who became

ill and

died shortly

after giving

birth to

their seventh

child,

leading Brad

Franklin as

a widower

and a single

dad of seven

children,

one of them

an infant.

Franklin,

as you can

imagine,

endured

unimaginable

grief and

hardship.

But he

didn't have

a crisis

of faith.

Instead,

his experience

deepened his

faith and

trust in God.

He writes,

I so

desperately

wanted God

to be glorified

and healing

men.

That didn't

happen.

But he was

glorified in

ways I

didn't

anticipate.

He says

he took

things one

day at a

time.

If you still

love God

and want to

serve him,

that day is

a success.

Whatever else

happened that

day, God

has kept

you.

That's a

good day.

such a

study in

contrast.

Extreme

pressure can

crush and

collapse rocks

and mills,

but that

same extreme

pressure also

makes diamonds.

Nathaniel

actually brought

a copy of the

book, I

think, right?

If you guys

want to borrow

it, first

come first

to the

copy.

Naomi doesn't

have that

perspective yet.

God adjusts

her perspective

by revealing

his faithfulness

and steadfast

love and

mercy toward

her throughout

the book,

and I think

she gets

there by

the end

of the

book, but

she doesn't

have that

perspective

yet.

And I

think,

I was

going to

share this

example.

The reason

why her

perspective

is so

skewed is

because she

thinks that

she doesn't

deserve anything

that's

happening to

her.

She sees

herself as

blameless.

I don't

deserve this

God.

My family

didn't do

anything to

deserve this.

And it's

that mindset

that ultimately

leads to

bitterness,

isn't it?

But her

perspective,

once again,

is skewed.

God has

specifically

stipulated when

he made

his covenant

initially with

Israel,

that if they

sin against

him, that

he will

withhold rain

so that the

land does

not produce

fruit.

You can

find that in

Leviticus 26,

18 and 20,

and Deuteronomy

28, 23, 24.

There is not

only a

meteorological

reason for the

famine, but

there is a

theological

reason for the

famine.

It's the

Lord God who

brings rain and

makes the

heavens give

showers.

And remember

during the

time of the

judges, the

lawless times

when people

did whatever

they saw fit

and were

following the

whims of

their own

wicked hearts.

Is it any

wonder then

that the

Lord God

struck them

with famine?

Moreover,

now you

should not

have left

Bethlehem in

the first

place.

Abraham

once sojourned

in Egypt

because of

a famine and

bad things

happened to

him there.

Isaac once

sojourned

among the

Philistines

because of a

famine and

bad things

happened to

him there.

the story

of the

patriarchs

reminded us

over and

over again

that you're

not supposed

to leave

the promised

land,

Cain,

unless the

Lord himself

tells you

to leave.

You're not

supposed to

go to

Moab.

Moabites

are the

ones who

refused

Israel

passage when

they came

out of

Egypt.

Moabites

are the

ones who

seduced

the Israelites

into idolatry.

Moabites

are the

ones who

conquered

and oppressed

the Israelites

in Judges 3,

15-30.

They're the

ones of

whom Moses

specifically

said in

Deuteronomy

23,

3-4,

no

Abonite

or Moabite

may enter

the assembly

of the

Lord,

even to

the tenth

generation.

None of

them may

enter the

assembly of

the Lord

forever

because they

did not

meet you

with bread

and with

water on

the way

when you

came out

of Egypt

and because

they hired

against you

Balaam,

the son of

Baor,

from

Pethor of

Mesopotamia,

to curse

you.

Naomi's

family's

actions are

far from

innocent.

There are

several

workways in

this passage,

in the names

of this

passage.

The name

Bethlehem,

the name

of the

town,

literally

means the

house of

bread or

the house

of food.

It's the

same word

in Hebrew.

So Naomi

is literally

leaving the

house of

bread to

the land

of Moab,

the land

that refused

Israelites'

bread when

they were

coming out

of Egypt.

Naomi's

husband's

name means

Elimelech,

which means

God is

king.

God is

still king

there in

Bethlehem,

and instead

of submitting

to him,

they are

moving to

a land

that worships

the god

Chemosh,

who is no

god and

no king

at all.

It's from

Israel that

God will

raise up

a deliverer.

He will

raise up

King David.

It's from

Israel that

God will

raise up

King Jesus,

and yet,

here you are

leaving the

promise.

In Amos

Amos 4:6–8

chapter 4,

verses 6-8,

the Lord

said to

his people,

I gave

you lack

of bread

in all

your places,

yet you

did not

return to

me.

I also

withheld

rain from

you,

yet you

did not

return to

me.

The word

return is

the same

Hebrew word

that is

sometimes

translated as

repent,

and that

key word

is used

15 times

in the

book of

Ruth,

12 times

in chapter

1 alone.

That's

the point

of the

passage.

Ruth,

Naomi,

return from

Moab to

Bethlehem.

That's why

the passage

keeps mentioning

Bethlehem

five times

in those

passages.

That's

where you're

supposed to

be.

That's

where the

promises of

God are.

That's

where the

Lord God

is king

over you.

The proper

response to

famine is

not to

flee,

but to

repent,

to return

to

Yah.

That's

why verse

six is

such a

turning point

in this

narrative.

Then

Naomi arose

with her

daughters-in-law

to return

from the

country of

Moab,

for she

had heard

in the

fields of

Moab that

the Lord

had visited

his people

and given

them food.

Where

would the

Lord visit

his people

and give

them bread?

In

Bethlehem,

of course,

the house

of bread,

she needs

to return

to the

land and

the people

that have

the favor

of the

Lord.

Brothers

and sisters,

when you

fall upon

hard times,

when things

are not

going your

way,

when you

struggle in

the loneliness

of your

singleness,

in the pain

of infertility,

in the

nagging effects

of chronic

illness,

do you

flee elsewhere?

Or do you

turn to

the Lord?

To whom

do you

turn?

Do you

try to

numb yourself

emotionally

by refusing

to confront

these issues

and escaping

to substances

or to

shows or

even to

your work?

Do you

just try to

tough it out

or go

through life

like a

zombie

carried along

by your

grief,

rather than

carrying your

griefs and

sorrows to

the Lord?

When push

comes to

shove,

when the

lower

gets to

throne,

what are

the

functional

gods

in your

life

that you

turn to

for help

and for

rescue?

There are

no gods

at all.

Is it

your own

industry

and

intelligence?

Your own

resourcefulness?

Is it

your parents,

your boss,

your spouse,

your boyfriend,

or girlfriend?

Do you

take things

into your

own hands

by packing

up and

moving to

Moab

when the

Lord calls

you to

stay and

to pray

and to

wait on

the

Lord?

That's the

point of

this passage.

Even in

your bitter

circumstances,

return and

cling to

the Lord.

Recall

what David

did in

Samuel,

2 Samuel

24.

David takes

a census

that he's

not supposed

to take.

He's

supposed to

trust in

the Lord,

not in

the number

of his

soldiers.

And after

recognizing

what he

has done,

he says

David's

heart struck

him so

that he

acknowledged

his sin.

And

prophet Gad

offers him

three options

as God's

judgment.

Three years

of famine,

three months

of fleeing

before enemies,

or three

days of

pestilence.

And David

says,

I am in

great distress.

Let us

fall into

the hand

of the

Lord,

for his

mercy is

great.

But let

me not

fall into

the hand

of man.

So he

chooses the

three days

of pestilence.

I don't

want to,

even for

three months,

be pursued

by men,

by enemies.

The Lord

is merciful.

I will

fall into

his hands.

Give me

the pestilence

for three

days.

And he

was correct

to throw

his lot

in with

the Lord.

Because

while the

pestilence is

raging in

Israel,

it says

that the

Lord

relented

from the

calamity and

said to the

angel who was

working destruction

among the

people,

is enough.

Now stay

your hand.

How was

David able

to make that

choice?

How did

David know?

Because David

knows,

not just

theoretically,

but experientially

and viscerally,

that the

Lord is

merciful and

gracious.

because he

knows what

Hosea says

in 11

to 8

when God

says,

how can I

make you

like Adma?

How can I

treat you

like Zebulun?

My heart

recoils within

me.

My compassion

grows warm

and tender.

I will not

execute my

burning anger.

I will not

again destroy

Ephraim,

for I am

God and

not a

man.

A man

would pursue

you to

your destruction.

God is

too compassionate

and merciful

for that,

so he will

not do

that and

David knows

that about

him.

So he

says,

I'll take

the best

of us.

Hasn't

God done

enough to

prove himself

worthy of

our trust

and hope?

What

shall we

say to

these things?

If God

is for

us,

who can

be against

us?

He who

did not

spare his

own son,

but gave

him up

for us

all,

how will

he not

also with

him

graciously

give us

all things?

If God

gave his

only son

for us,

can we

expect him

to give

anything

more?

Is there

anything

more God

can give

to prove

his love

for us?

His

steadfast

love for

us?

Has he

not proven

that he

is trustworthy

and worthy

of our

world?

Can we

say,

as Job

said,

though you

slay me,

I will

yet hope

in you.

I will

yet trust

in you.

Where

our brothers

will say,

if the

Lord strikes

you one

day with

dementia,

and you

can't

remember

any of

the new

things you're

learning,

you can't

form any

new memories,

and you

can still

say to

the people,

well then,

I will

rely on my

old memories

to praise

the Lord.

Well then,

I can't

remember any

new things

I've learned

about my

God,

but I

will then

relearn that

same thing

over and

over again

and praise

Him.

Where

are my

sisters who

say,

when you

get into

a car

accident,

and you

become a

quadriplegic,

and you

still say,

well,

I cannot

raise my

arms to

worship God,

yet still

I lift up

my soul

and my

heart to

Him,

and praise

Him,

because He

is worthy

of it.

those are

diamonds that

are precious

to the Lord

God.

And so,

Naomi turns

back,

and that

brings them

to a fork

on the road,

because now

her two

daughters-in-law,

Lord Phi and

Ruth,

have to make

a decision

about whether

they will go

with her

or not.

And

even though

Naomi tells

them to go

back and

find rest,

go find a

husband,

go back to

your mother's

house,

help her

find a

husband,

ask her

to find a

new husband

for you.

They say,

no,

we will

return with

you to

your people.

It's a

hard and

cheap scene.

Lots of

mutual affection,

care,

and tears.