Bible Text: Book of Ruth | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Wel\u00adco\u00adme Home | The Book of Ruth speaks of lea\u00adving home and retur\u00adning. In order for the widow Ruth to make her home in Isra\u00adel, she nee\u00added a rede\u00ademer. Boaz took over this func\u00adtion. This gave her a liveli\u00adhood and eter\u00adnal hope. Jesus is our rede\u00ademer; he too enables us to have a home in the house of God.<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s bles\u00adsing of Noe\u00admi G. is reason enough to look at the Noo\u00admi of the Bible in the Book of Ruth. It is a sto\u00adry of coming home. For the time being, howe\u00adver, it was off to a for\u00adeign land.
\nHard Bread Abroad
\nNao\u00admi lived with her hus\u00adband Elim\u00ade\u00adlech and her two sons Mach\u00adlon and Kil\u00adjon in Beth\u00adle\u00adhem, which means bread house. But then a fami\u00adne aro\u00adse in the land. The bread in Brot\u00adhau\u00adsen beca\u00adme scar\u00adce. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, the who\u00adle fami\u00adly of Nao\u00admi and Elim\u00ade\u00adlech moved to Moab, an area south of Isra\u00adel. At first glan\u00adce we say, \u00abThat\u2019s under\u00adstan\u00adda\u00adble!\u00bb But we have to look clo\u00adse\u00adly at what kind of fami\u00adly this is that sets out for Moab. This is striking becau\u00adse one does not actual\u00adly go to Moab, cer\u00adtain\u00adly not to seek one\u2019s bread the\u00adre. The\u00adre is no bread and no water for stran\u00adgers in Moab, that is Israel\u2019s expe\u00adri\u00adence from its time of wan\u00adde\u00adring in the desert.
\nWho will get bread and water in Moab, whe\u00adre one vol\u00adun\u00adt\u00ada\u00adri\u00adly gets neither? Pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly the one who has some\u00adthing to give in return. Noomi\u2019s fami\u00adly brings some\u00adthing with them that gives them access to bread and water: Money. She hers\u00adelf says: \u00abRich and pro\u00adspe\u00adrous I have emi\u00adgra\u00adted, and emp\u00adty-han\u00added the Lord sends me home\u00bb (Ruth 1:21). This money not only opens up access to food for them, but also to socie\u00adty. Only rich peo\u00adp\u00adle could mar\u00adry into the land of Moab. Their two boys mar\u00adry Moa\u00adbi\u00adte women: Orpah and Ruth. Why do rich peo\u00adp\u00adle have to flee to Moab when bread is scar\u00adce? The assump\u00adti\u00adon is that they want to pre\u00adser\u00adve their wealth. They do not flee from the hun\u00adger that wants to enter their house, but from the beggar who wants to come to their table. They refu\u00adse solidarity.
\nBut Moab beco\u00admes a dead end. They eat \u00abhard bread\u00bb the\u00adre. As Noomi\u2019s hus\u00adband and two sons die, she is left alo\u00adne. She beco\u00admes a lonely and bit\u00adter woman, as she hers\u00adelf will later express on her return to Beth\u00adle\u00adhem: \u00abCall me no more Noo\u00admi, call me Mara (= bit\u00adter\u00adness), for the Almigh\u00adty has made my life bit\u00adter\u00bb (1:20). Widows at that time were out\u00adlaws, in a sta\u00adte of com\u00adple\u00adte law\u00adless\u00adness and defen\u00adce\u00adl\u00adess\u00adness. Only if they found a new home and bore child\u00adren could they escape the pover\u00adty trap.
\nIsra\u00adel is the peo\u00adp\u00adle of God. Figu\u00adra\u00adtively spea\u00adking, the fami\u00adly moved from the God of Isra\u00adel to a land whe\u00adre sel\u00adfi\u00adsh\u00adness was enthro\u00adned and whe\u00adre the inha\u00adbi\u00adtants even sacri\u00adfi\u00adced their child\u00adren to idols. Moab means \u00abfrom the father\u00bb and testi\u00adfies to its ori\u00adgin. It was at the time when Sodom and Gomor\u00adrah were des\u00adtroy\u00aded (Gene\u00adsis 19). Lot, the nephew of Abra\u00adham, lived with his two daugh\u00adters in a cave up in the moun\u00adta\u00adins. In this seclu\u00adsi\u00adon, far from pos\u00adsi\u00adble hus\u00adbands, the two women hat\u00adched a plan to have child\u00adren. They got Lot drunk and slept with him. This affair resul\u00adted in the incest child Moab. From then on, this mis\u00addeed lay like a shadow over the Moa\u00adbi\u00adtes \u2013 an open wound. Some\u00adthing bur\u00adden\u00adso\u00adme lay on this people.
\nElim\u00ade\u00adlech moved to this coun\u00adtry with his fami\u00adly to bring his wealth to safe\u00adty. His moti\u00adve was the love of money, which, as we know, is the root of all evil (1 Timo\u00adthy 6:10). And somehow the bread did not nou\u00adrish them in the same way as in Beth\u00adle\u00adhem. In the para\u00adble of the pro\u00addi\u00adgal sons, the youn\u00adger son also left home to buy a ful\u00adfil\u00adled life. His attempt fai\u00adled mise\u00adra\u00adb\u00adly and ended up star\u00adving with the pigs. Jesus explains this prin\u00adci\u00adple: \u00abFor whoe\u00adver tri\u00ades to pre\u00adser\u00adve his life will lose it\u00bb (Mark 8:35). The fami\u00adly of Elim\u00ade\u00adlech and Nao\u00admi expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced exact\u00adly this. They went their own ways and moved away from the \u00abhouse of bread\u00bb becau\u00adse they belie\u00adved that the grass was gree\u00adner on the other side of the fence. Many peo\u00adp\u00adle think like this. They think that a life with God brings dis\u00adad\u00advan\u00adta\u00adges and does not nou\u00adrish enough. In search of a ful\u00adfil\u00adled life, they look else\u00adwhe\u00adre. Unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adte\u00adly, howe\u00adver, illu\u00adso\u00adry wealth ulti\u00adm\u00adate\u00adly lea\u00adves us hun\u00adgry. Our hun\u00adger for mea\u00adning, secu\u00adri\u00adty, love and belon\u00adging is only satis\u00adfied with God.
\nIt is also typi\u00adcal that in the cri\u00adsis Nao\u00admi puts the bla\u00adme on God: \u00abDo not call me Nao\u00admi any more. Call me Mara, for the Almigh\u00adty has made my life bit\u00adter. Rich and pro\u00adspe\u00adrous I have emi\u00adgra\u00adted and emp\u00adty-han\u00added the Lord lets me return home. Why should you call me Nao\u00admi, when the Lord has put me through so much suf\u00adfe\u00adring and the Almigh\u00adty has brought such mis\u00adfor\u00adtu\u00adne upon me?\u00bb (1,20f). At a distance from God, we all come up emp\u00adty-han\u00added. Don\u2019t we also often pur\u00adsue our own paths to hap\u00adpi\u00adness and when we are in cri\u00adsis, we bla\u00adme God? This is cal\u00adled ego\u00adcen\u00adtric deism: I shape my life. I deci\u00adde what is right and wrong for me and God helps me. God is my per\u00adso\u00adnal saviour and will never dis\u00adap\u00adpoint me. What a mistake!
\nReturn home
\nAnd so Nao\u00admi sets off back to Beth\u00adle\u00adhem, to tho\u00adse she aban\u00addo\u00adned \u2013 back when she was still rich. She wants to get rid of her daugh\u00adters-in-law first and sends them back to their fami\u00adlies. Bit\u00adter\u00adness seeks loneli\u00adne\u00adss. Tho\u00adse who are bit\u00adter know their own into\u00adle\u00adr\u00ada\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty. Nao\u00admi says: \u00abNo, my daugh\u00adters, turn back, for I am too old to mar\u00adry again. And even if I were to say, \u00abI still have hope,\u00bb yes, even if I were to join mys\u00adelf to a man this very night and have sons, what good would that do? Would you wait till they grew up? Would you lock your\u00adsel\u00adves up for so long and for\u00adgo any other mar\u00adria\u00adge? No, do not go with me, my daugh\u00adters! My bit\u00adter sor\u00adrow is even hea\u00advier for me than for you, for the Lord hims\u00adelf has brought it upon me\u00bb (1:12f).
\nNoo\u00admi addres\u00adses the issue of mar\u00adria\u00adge in law. If a mar\u00adried man dies and lea\u00adves no child\u00adren, the next of kin is obli\u00adged to take the widow as his wife. The first son she gives birth to is then con\u00adside\u00adred a des\u00adcen\u00addant of the decea\u00adsed brot\u00adher, so that his name is pre\u00adser\u00adved in Isra\u00adel. The only pro\u00adblem was that such a brot\u00adher was not yet born and Nao\u00admi had no hus\u00adband. The only hope for the future for her daugh\u00adters-in-law was that they would look for a Moa\u00adbi\u00adte husband.
\nOrpa, which means \u00abback of the head\u00bb, jumps off. Noo\u00admi only sees her from behind. But Ruth sim\u00adply refu\u00adses to lea\u00adve Nao\u00admi. \u00abBut Ruth repli\u00aded, \u00abDo not ask me to lea\u00adve you and turn back. Whe\u00adre you go, the\u00adre will I go also, and whe\u00adre you live, the\u00adre will I live also. Your peo\u00adp\u00adle are my peo\u00adp\u00adle and your God is my God. Whe\u00adre thou diest, the\u00adre will I die also, and be buried. The Lord shall punish me if I allow any\u00adthing but death to sepa\u00adra\u00adte us!\u00bb \u00bb (Ruth 1:16f).
\nThe fier\u00adcen\u00adess with which the Hebrew text is spo\u00adken is pal\u00adpa\u00adble. The sen\u00adten\u00adces are short and to the point: \u00abYour peo\u00adp\u00adle \u2013 my peo\u00adp\u00adle, your God \u2013 my God! Ruth trans\u00adla\u00adtes as the fri\u00adend, com\u00adpa\u00adn\u00adion. And Ruth beco\u00admes what is in her name: the com\u00adpa\u00adn\u00adion for Nao\u00admi. At the same time, Ruth\u2019s con\u00adcise sen\u00adten\u00adces con\u00adtain a clear com\u00admit\u00adment to the one God of Israel.
\nBelon\u00adging to home
\nWell \u2013 Nao\u00admi moves to Brot\u00adhau\u00adsen with her daugh\u00adter-in-law Ruth, and sen\u00adsi\u00adbly at the time of the bar\u00adley har\u00adve\u00adst. The bread shorta\u00adge is over. Ruth now has to sup\u00adport hers\u00adelf. In anci\u00adent Isra\u00adel, soci\u00adal\u00adly dis\u00adad\u00advan\u00adta\u00adged peo\u00adp\u00adle such as widows had the right to go after the rea\u00adpers during the har\u00adve\u00adst to pick up the remai\u00adning ears. Ruth did this in the field of Boaz, a rela\u00adti\u00adve of Elim\u00ade\u00adlech. Boaz was very sym\u00adpa\u00adthe\u00adtic to her, pro\u00advi\u00added for her safe\u00adty, snacks and made sure that the har\u00adves\u00adters left more ears of corn.
\n\u00abWhe\u00adre did you gather all that grain today?\u00bb cried Nao\u00admi. [\u2026] Ruth told her mother-in-law who she had work\u00aded for. And she said, \u00abThe man in who\u00adse field I was today is cal\u00adled Boaz.\u00bb \u00abThe Lord, who has not with\u00addrawn his mer\u00adcy from the living or the dead, bless him,\u00bb said Nao\u00admi to her daugh\u00adter-in-law. \u00abThis man is one of our clo\u00adsest rela\u00adti\u00adves (Hebrew qar\u00adob), one of the rede\u00ademers (Hebrew goel) of our fami\u00adly.\u00bb (2,19f).
\nThe first thing that stands out is that Nao\u00admi regains her faith. \u00abThe Lord has not with\u00addrawn his grace.\u00bb In addi\u00adti\u00adon, Nao\u00admi uses two expres\u00adsi\u00adons that have a las\u00adting effect on what hap\u00adpens next. She says that Boaz is a qar\u00adob (kins\u00adman) and also a goel (sol\u00adver). The sol\u00adver is the next of kin who has to buy up the pro\u00adper\u00adties of impo\u00adve\u00adris\u00adhed men or men who have died child\u00adless. In the lat\u00adter case, the sol\u00adver must try to pro\u00adcu\u00adre an heir to the land on behalf of the decea\u00adsed by mar\u00adry\u00ading the widow. The situa\u00adti\u00adon was that it was Boaz who was the second sol\u00adver. The\u00adre was ano\u00adther clo\u00adser rela\u00adti\u00adve who had the \u00abright of first redemp\u00adti\u00adon\u00bb. This one would have lik\u00aded to rede\u00adem the land of Elim\u00ade\u00adlech, but did not want to mar\u00adry the Moa\u00adbi\u00adte widow Ruth (4:1ff).
\n\u00abThen Boaz said to the elders and to all the peo\u00adp\u00adle pre\u00adsent, \u00abYou are wit\u00adnesses that today I have bought all the pro\u00adper\u00adty of Elim\u00ade\u00adlech, Kil\u00adjon and Mach\u00adlon from Nao\u00admi. Along with the land I have also purcha\u00adsed Ruth, the Moa\u00adbi\u00adte widow of Mach\u00adlon. She is to be my wife so that the decea\u00adsed will have an heir to car\u00adry on his name. In this way, his name will not be lost among his rela\u00adti\u00adves and among the citi\u00adzens of the city. You are all wit\u00adnesses to this today.\u00bb \u00bb (4,9f).
\nBoaz beca\u00adme the rede\u00ademer of Nao\u00admi. The out\u00adlaw widow from the peo\u00adp\u00adle crea\u00adted by incest found a new home. The door-ope\u00adner for her new home among God\u2019s peo\u00adp\u00adle was Boaz the Rede\u00ademer. It is not by chan\u00adce that the term \u00abrede\u00ademer\u00bb bears such a strong resem\u00adblan\u00adce to the word \u00abrede\u00ademer\u00bb. God pic\u00adtures Moses as the one who will rede\u00adem Isra\u00adel from the hand of the Egyp\u00adti\u00adans (Exodus 6:6). Isai\u00adah 41:14 also has this word goel in Hebrew: \u00ab[\u2026] Fear not, I will help you; on this you have my word. Your rede\u00ademer is the Holy One of Isra\u00adel.\u00bb Ulti\u00adm\u00adate\u00adly, God rede\u00adems us all through Jesus Christ. He is the door ope\u00adner to the one God, the hea\u00adven\u00adly Father. Through Jesus we gain access to the house of God. This supre\u00adme and pro\u00adphe\u00adtic signi\u00adfi\u00adcan\u00adce of this litt\u00adle word goel is alre\u00ada\u00addy expres\u00adsed in the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment: \u00abBut for Zion and tho\u00adse of Jacob who turn from their sin, he comes as a rede\u00ademer. On this the Lord gives his word\u00bb (Isai\u00adah 59:20).
\nJesus is our Saviour. Through him as our door ope\u00adner, we recei\u00adve a home in the house of God. Through this being at home, we are no lon\u00adger out\u00adla\u00adwed, but recei\u00adve secu\u00adri\u00adty, qua\u00adli\u00adty of life and an eter\u00adnal future. Our name will never peri\u00adsh. Moreo\u00adver, we are freed from dark shadows \u2013 whe\u00adther the cau\u00adse is incest or any\u00adthing else. The house of God is also the house of bread (Beth\u00adle\u00adhem). The\u00adre is always a bar\u00adley har\u00adve\u00adst the\u00adre and con\u00adse\u00adquent\u00adly enough bread. Jesus, a des\u00adcen\u00addant of Ruth, says of hims\u00adelf: \u00abI am the bread of life\u00bb (John 6:48). He has come to \u00abgive us life in all its full\u00adness\u00bb (John 10:10).
\n
\n
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead the Bible text: Ruth 1 and 4:1\u201312<\/p>\n
\tWhat does Beth\u00adle\u00adhem stand for and what does Moab stand for in the sto\u00adry? Why could the Elimelech\/Noomi fami\u00adly not be hap\u00adpy in Moab?
\n\tHow did the insti\u00adtu\u00adti\u00adon of the sol\u00adver func\u00adtion in anci\u00adent Isra\u00adel? To what ext\u00adent was it a door ope\u00adner for a new homeland?
\n\tWhat are the par\u00adal\u00adlels with Jesus?
\n\tHow did the redemp\u00adti\u00adon of Boaz chan\u00adge Ruth\u2019s situation?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bible Text: Book of Ruth | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Wel\u00adco\u00adme Home | The Book of Ruth speaks of lea\u00adving home and retur\u00adning. In order for the widow Ruth to make her home in Isra\u00adel, she nee\u00added a rede\u00ademer. Boaz took over this func\u00adtion. This gave her a liveli\u00adhood and eter\u00adnal hope. Jesus is our Rede\u00ademer; he too\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[53],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-willkommen-daheim","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-2337","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"hentry","10":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t