God's Sovereign Grace Is Present Even in the Worst of Times (Ruth 1)

First Scripture Reading: Exodus 20:1-17; Romans 13:8-10

Second Scripture Reading: Ruth 1:1-22

Sermon Text: Ruth 1:1-22

The book of Ruth, though brief, reveals God’s gracious and sovereign purposes for his people. Even as Naomi and her family experienced suffering and loss, God was working providentially to bless them and accomplish redemption through his promised Messiah. The Apostle Paul, in Romans 15:4, teaches us that the Old Testament Scriptures were “written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." So as we read Ruth, we can draw application to our own lives by noticing the pattern of God’s goodness and faithfulness to his people throughout the ages. Sinclair Ferguson writes:

As Christians in the New Testament era, we know even more than the author of the book of Ruth about what God was planning and working out through the lives of its central characters. In this way, God is saying to us, “Do you see how I planted my footsteps in the sea in the lives of these my children in the past days? Let me show you how I did that. This is the kind of God I am; that is the kind of thing I do; and that is precisely what you may expect me to do in your lives, too. Trust me! I know exactly what I am doing.” As we learn from God’s Word in this way, it becomes profitable to us.