Sermon Cloud

Last week we began our study of the book of Ruth and got a taste of the suffering that Naomi experienced when God’s hand fell upon them. There was a famine in Judah, a move to pagan Moab, the death of her husband, the marriage of two sons to foreign wives, and the death of her sons. Naomi’s suffering lead her to say, “The hand of the LORD has gone out against me…the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.” Her life is so enshrouded by her suffering that she has lost all hope and cannot see God’s goodness as it begins to break into her life. Like many of us she knows there is a God. She knows that He is sovereign over all things. She knows that God has brought this suffering into her life. Yet, she has forgotten that in all her suffering God is working all things to His glory and her good. As we concluded chapter 1, we saw that God’s goodness begins to shine on Naomi through the lifting of the famine in her home country and through a faithful and loving daughter in law named Ruth. As we began looking today at chapter 2, we will see that God’s providence shows up again as he provides a kinsman who will someday marry Ruth and preserve Naomi’s line.

As we continue this Tale of Two Women let’s start with first seven verses of Ruth 2. In these verses we will meet Boaz, get a deeper glimpse into the character of Ruth, and start to get a clearer picture of God’s provident goodness working behind the scenes.