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Sermon Notes - February 20, 2022
Choose: Legacy - Brian Becker
Ruth 1:2-5 (ESV)
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…and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
Ruth 1:20-21 (ESV)
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?”
Ruth’s story:
Better than a fairytale— It is real.
“We are delusional to imagine that those whose lives are marked by deep tragedy will somehow, someday escape the weight of grief.” -Carolyn Custis James
“Sad stories do not always have happy endings, but sad stories can yield new beginnings.”
Ruth discovered grief could shape her rather than destroy her.
Ruth 4:13-14 (NLT)
So Boaz took Ruth into his home, and she became his wife. When he slept with her, the Lord enabled her to become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. Then the women of the town said to Naomi, “Praise the Lord, who has now provided a redeemer for your family!
Ruth 4:14-15 (NLT)
May this child be famous in Israel. May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!”
Ruth 4:16-17 (NLT)
Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own. The neighbor women said, “Now at last Naomi has a son again!” And they named him Obed.
“The world has a hole in it now. I shall look at the world through tears. Perhaps I shall see things that dry-eyed I could not see.” -Nicholas Wolterstorff
“I struggle indeed to go beyond merely owning my grief toward owning it redemptively. But I will not and cannot disown it. I shall remember Eric. Lament is part of life.” -Nicholas Wolterstorff
Ruth 4:17-18 (NLT)
“Now at last Naomi has a son again!” And they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David. This is the genealogical record of their ancestor Perez:
Ruth 4:19-22 (NLT)
Perez was the father of Hezron.
Hezron was the father of Ram.
Ram was the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.
Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
Salmon was the father of Boaz.
Boaz was the father of Obed.
Obed was the father of Jesse.
Jesse was the father of David.
“The decisions we make today are the stories we will tell tomorrow.”
Hesed חֶסֶד:
“A costly brand of love that involves going above and beyond what anyone has a right to ask or expect.”
Psalm 23:6 (NLT)
“Surely your goodness and kindness “hesed” will follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” -King David
Different types of links in the chain:
- Broken link (Mahlon and Chilion)
- Damaged link (Elimelech)
- Strong link (Boaz)
- First link (Ruth)
Our God:
is able to bring beauty out of ashes.
is able to take our past and give us purpose for our future.