Nov. 30 – Ruth 1, “Hope in Belonging”

Dec. 7 – Ruth 2, “Peace in Provision”

Dec. 14 – Ruth 3, “Joy in Redemption”

Dec. 21 – Message in Music – “Hope is Born”

Dec. 28 – Ruth 4, “Love in Faithfulness”

 

 

Lil Cook, our dear Minister of Senior Adults, has a gift for feeling deeply with and for others. It’s a kind of Christian empathy that reminds me of the “compassion” that Jesus often felt for the people he encountered; “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). In a recent staff meeting, Lil mentioned how burdened she was for folks in our congregation. She recalled looking out over our gathered church one Sunday and, because many have trusted her to help bear their burdens, she began to feel sorrow for each person whom she knew to be in a great struggle. We prayed, as we always do, for these people.

 

The reality of this life is that it’s hard. Our world is weary, and so are we. We encounter great trials and unexpected tragedies. And in our human frailty, our natural reflex is often to ask, “Why?” Why would God allow this to happen? And yet the fact that we ask this question points to the underlying assumption that God is in control of all things. Even people who are not religious often ask “why?” after something terrible happens because, deep down, we believe there is an all-powerful Being who is sovereign over all creation. So the two key questions that we must answer in the face of tribulation are these – “Is God really sovereign?”, and “Is God really good?”

 

Most of us know the good news of the Christmas story. But try to put yourself in the shoes of God’s people living in the days just before the Advent of Christ. It was a dark time for Israel. They lived under the oppressive thumb of the mighty Roman Empire. They had lost all national prominence and power. A millennium had passed since the “glory days” of King David. Since then, the Babylonians had destroyed Jerusalem and defiled the temple. And though a remnant returned to rebuild during Nehemiah’s day, the Greeks came in and destroyed it all again. And though the Maccabees were able to take Jerusalem back for a while, now Judea was merely a client state of Rome. There had not been a prophetic messenger from the Lord since Malachi who died 400 years ago. Various Jewish sects competed for what little authority the Romans would allow them. Where was the promised Messiah, the long-awaited Rescuer who would come to set God’s people free?

 

This Advent, we are going to do something a little different. We are going to explore the hope, peace, joy, and love that the arrival of the Christ-child brings by examining God’s purpose for his people (and for the world) in the book of Ruth. Ruth is an incredible story. It starts with a bleak and dire situation and moves towards a beautiful, redemptive ending. In Ruth’s story, we are reminded that just because we can’t see a good reason for something bad that happens, doesn’t mean that there isn’t one. God remains on his throne, and he remains faithful. He knows what he’s doing! We have to trust in his proven character and methods. As Psalm 30:5 instructs us, “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

 

A weary world can rejoice because of, as the carol reminds us, “the dawn of redeeming grace” is assured to those who wait on the Lord.

 

And don’t forget that Ruth’s story takes place in Bethlehem. The prophet Micah had long foretold, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:2). The centerpiece of God’s great rescue plan for all creation is being prepared directly through Ruth’s story, more than a thousand years before the advent of Christ. Ruth, an outsider, a weeping and single and homeless Moabitess, is mentioned by name in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1. Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law, could have never known that her grandson would one day look into his grandson’s eyes, those of King David. The line of Judah would lead to “one from whom the scepter would never depart” (Gen. 49:10).

 

I think most of us can relate to waiting in the darkness for the dawn of grace to finally appear. Some of you may feel the weight of this weary world in an overwhelming way. My prayer is that through this Advent season, we will all be able to trust that we will be able to renew our hope in the Lord and wait well, knowing that waiting is not a waste, nor is it passive.

 

May we join with the hymnwriter William Cowper,

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God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea, And rides upon the storm. Deep in unfathomable mines Of never-failing skill, He treasures up His vast designs, And works His sovereign will. Ye fearful saints! fresh courage take; The clouds ye so much dread Are big with mercy, and will break In blessings on your head. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust Him for His grace; Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face. His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour; The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower. Blind unbelief is sure to err, And scan his work in vain; God is His own interpreter, And He will make it plain.

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God has interpreted the events of the arrival of Jesus in our world. God has interpreted how he lovingly cared for Naomi and Ruth in Bethlehem long ago so that his purposes would be plain to us. He has given us all we need to trust that he is in control and he is good.

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“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” – Isaiah 9:2,6

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Grace and peace,