Sources for this sermon include 1994 Minister's Manual and the Broadman Bible Commentary. Outline included at the end.
A GOOD WORD FOR THE MOTHER-IN-LAW
Mother’s Day 2010 RUTH 1:6-18
Baby asked God They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow,
but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?
God said Your angel will be waiting for you & will take care of you
Child further inquired, "But tell me, here in heaven
I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy."
God- "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you.
And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy."
Again small child asked, "How am I going to be able to understand
when people talk to me if I don't know the language?"
God-"Your angel will tell you the most beautiful & sweet words
you will ever hear, and with much patience and care,
your angel will teach you how to speak." "
And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"
God-"Your angel will place your hands together
& will teach you how to pray." "Who will protect me?"
God-"Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life."
"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."
God-"Your angel will always talk to you about me & will teach you
way to come back to me even though I will always be next to you"
At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard & child hurriedly asked, "God, if I am to leave
now, please tell me my angel's name."
God said, "You will simply call her, Mom."
Mother taught me RELIGION: When I spilled grape juice on carpet she said "You better pray the stain will come out of the carpet."
Mother taught me LOGIC: From her decisive words, "Because I said so, that’s why."
Mother taught me FORESIGHT: "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you’re in an accident."
Mother taught me IRONY: "Keep laughing, and I’ll give you something to cry about."
Mother taught me about STAMINA: "You’ll sit there ’til all that spinach is finished."
Mother taught me about WEATHER: "It looks as if a tornado swept through your room."
Mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION: "Stop acting like your father!"
Counselors agree that there are 3 Adjustments in Early Marriage
FINANCES, adjusting to shared accounts, setting up a budget
SEXUAL RELATIONS learning to grow in this
God given expression of marital love
AND IN-LAWS in-law relationships person who bears lion’s
share of blame in this latter area is the mother-in-law
a comedian said the mother rocks the cradle,
mother-in-law rocks the boat
Tragic this relationship intended to be enriching treated with sarcasm
becoming an in-law is a reminder
probably more than anything that baby grown up old adage true
you really do marry into a family not just one person
Book of Ruth focuses on which Biblical character??
RUTH, oh I love such a brilliant bunch of biblical scholars
Ruth great-grandmother of David, remarkable woman,
came by it honestly because of mother-in-law called Naomi
Naomi=PLEASANT OR AGREEABLE she was a mother-in-law
In Ruth 1:1-5 find Naomi & husband Elimelech from Bethlehem
famine struck Israel, so to survive migrated to Moab where 2 sons
took wives one named Ruth other Orpah where Oprah name from
it was there that Naomi suffered 3 terrible griefs,
husband died then 10 yrs later both sons died
Can imagine how this effected her
But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara,
for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. Vs 20 NKJV
She was at least depressed and perhaps bitter at her losses
1. Naomi possessed GREAT FAITH
Naomi decided to return home to Bethlehem, been gone years
hearing famine was over she encouraged two childless
daughters-in-law to remain in Moab
As we look at story there was something about Naomi that stood out
Though TARNISHED BY TEARS
Her Faith REMAINED STRONG
She was in Moab foreign land a famine forced her to flee there
Yahweh God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob not worshiped
Yet she remained faithful though she must have done so alone
a true test of Christian faith, when it is practiced by the minority
Would you continue in faith if you were only Christian at work
Would you continue to come to church if you had to do it alone?
I have had to and it is not easy, Naomi remained faithful
Left alone a widow her life is over sends daughters-in-law home
Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back.
Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live.
Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried.
May the LORD punish me severely
if I allow anything but death to separate us!” Vs 16-17 NLT
Ruth pledges herself to Naomi vs 16-17
Most familiar verses in this book, often hear it at weddings
But spoken by a daughter-in-law to her mother-in-law, amazing
Solemn pledge lifelong companionship & utmost devotion
Vs 16 your God my God Ruth did not use general Cannanite term
for God Elohim But Jewish name for God Yahweh,
Saying I want what you’ve got
Says to me Naomi remained faithful to God in her life
Ruth must have seen and heard her talk about God
Home is often hardest mission field they know us all too well see us
Clear that God used Naomi’s witness to touch Ruth
Vs 8 may Lord deal kindly with you
Mom, are you a witness for Christ in your family?
When you going bathing suit shopping with your teenage girl
Do you keep veto power over what suits appropriate which not?
When son in college comes home with girlfriend,
Expects to sleeping together do you stand firm Bible says sex
beautiful to be shared between husband & wife
When they call inviting your to Hyatt for Moms day lunch
Do you say of course love to go after church meet me there
If they say can’t go to Hyatt if church do you say I love Hardees
How bout it mom do you maintain loving witness at home
2. Why did Naomi want to PART FROM HER DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW?
Ruth pledges to stay beside her
But why did Naomi want to part from them anyhow
Look at what she says
Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’
homes. And may the LORD reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. May the LORD bless you with the security of another marriage.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept. Vs 8-9 NLT
Notice she says go back to your mother’s homes
You have been kind to me may God reward you
She kisses them goodbye and they all weep
Why did she want them to go home?
Was she CUTTING OFF RELATIONSHIP
OR DUMPING THE PAST?
Was it just too hard to look at those girls?
Or did she in some way want them to get away?
Levirite marriage provision in Naomi’s day stipulated that male
next-of-kin would marry a childless widow
If my brother Jeff married, if had no kids died,
I would take sister-in-law as wife too
Family responsibility to care for those widows
Naomi knew she could not GIVE THEM OTHER HUSBANDS
Children were social security for aging parents,
if woman married man’s family to care for her,
No jobs for widows, stigma if childless, often sold body to survive
Vs 11-12 Naomi says I cannot give you any more husbands
Naomi was expressing GREAT COMPASSION
Usually women seen as more compassionate than men not easy
Man wrote I was pushing my 8-year-old granddaughter Abby
in the swing in her front yard, our favorite place.
She & twin Erin were learning about childbirth from their mother.
Abby was not liking what she was learning. “I’m not going to have
children, Grandpa,” she said. “It hurts too bad.”
My first thought was to say, “If your mother felt that way,
you would not be here. And if your great-grandmothers felt
that way, none of us would be here.”
But what I said was, “You’re right. It does hurt.
But the pain goes away, and you’re left with this beautiful child,
and you decide that it was worth it.”
The child looked me square in the eyes and said,
“You’re a man. What do you know?”
Naomi Knew best life for them in their homeland
Where they might find another husband
Naomi could have put herself upon her daughters-in-law
Listen I did my best now you care for me, till I die
Suggests they go home mothers may have place
Get impression Naomi had nothing no home lands etc. all gone
Back in Bethlehem Ruth met a kinsman of Elimilech family Boaz
Naomi does not interfere with romance of man taking son’s place
As a matter of fact she gives her dating pointers
3. Naomi gives us AN EXAMPLE OF HEALTHY FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
When you look at the story of this mother in Law
Naomi gives us some pointers for family relationships
She dropped the “IN-LAW”
Vs 11 Naomi drops in-law from reference to Ruth and Orpah
Here they are called by daughters
4:17 Ruth and Boaz have son, called child born to Naomi
Ruth called worth more to Naomi than 7 sons
Many moms say at weddings I am not losing a son
I am gaining a daughter sadly sometimes that is only in word
Take interest IN YOUR INLAWS AS INDIVIDUALS
Worth your while mom to work at relationship w\Children-in-law
Naturally a difficult position to be in not parent but a parent
Love them because your kid yet no one good enough for your kid
Will have likes\dislikes maybe personality that clicks with one
Take time to talk to son or daughter-in-law, don’t call just for child
Take interest in him or her as person not just child’s spouse
Ask about things they’re doing, job, etc. My mom does w\Micki
Helps Micki and means something to me as well
You can be a significant adult mentor, w\out being a parent
in-law may have trouble with his or her mom & you can help
After all son or daughter-in-law will be parent of your grandbaby
In response to question about whether marriages made in heaven
J.Allen Peterson I do not know whether marriage was made in
heaven but I do know that all the maintenance work done on earth
from his book myth of greener pastures
Naomi worked hard TO BE SUPPORTIVE
She did a good maintenance Job
She worked hard to be a supportive mother-in-law
Strong relationships with Ruth and Orpah even after sons dead
Blessed is the Mother
Who can hold onto her children while letting them go
Who puts a tranquil home ahead of an immaculate house
Who knows kind act will be remembered longer than an easy word
Who really believes prayer changes things
Whose faith in the future sweetens the present
Whose Bible never needs dusting
Whose sense of humor is alive and well
Naomi helped Ruth BECOME THE WOMAN USED OF GOD
Ruth was one of only three women listed
in Jesus’ genealogy in Mt 1
That points to how rare of a person she was
Naomi a mother in the bible that you probably
never thought much about she died a widow preceded in death
by two sons yet today rejoicing in heaven
She was a faithful witness,
compassionate person, who developed healthy relationships
What a model for moms today or mothers-in-law
How can you encourage a mother or Mother-In-Law today?
Mrs. Monroe lives in Darlington, Maryland. She’s the mother of 8 children. And except for a few interesting experiences, she’s just like any other mother across America. One experience was so unique that John Haggai put it in his book: “How to Win Over Worry.”
She came home one afternoon from the grocery store and walked into her home and everything looked pretty much the same, though it was a little bit quieter than usual. She looked into the middle of the living room and 5 of her darlings were sitting around in a circle, exceedingly quiet, doing something, with something in the middle of a circle. So she put down the sacks of groceries and walked over closely and looked and saw that they were playing with 5 of the cutest skunks you can imagine.
She was instantly terrified and she said, “Run children, run! Each child grabbed a skunk and ran, in 5 different directions. She was beside herself and screamed louder, more frantically, with great gusto. It so scared the children that each one squeezed his skunk! As the writer put it, “Skunks don’t like to be squeezed!”
A GOOD WORD FOR THE MOTHER-IN-LAW
Mother’s Day 2010 Jay Davis Robison RUTH 1:6-18
3 Adjustments in Early Marriage
Naomi=
But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara,
for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. Vs 20 NKJV
1. Naomi possessed
Though Her Faith
Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” Vs 16-17 NLT
Mom, are you a witness for Christ in your family?
2. Why did Naomi want to
Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes. And may the LORD reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. May the LORD bless you with the security of another marriage.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept. Vs 8-9 NLT
Was she
She knew she could not
Naomi was expressing
3. Naomi gives us
She dropped the
Take interest
“I do not know whether marriage was made in heaven
But I do know that all the maintenance work done on earth”
J Allen Peterson
Naomi worked hard
Naomi helped Ruth
How can you encourage a mother or Mother-In-Law today?
