Introduction

Good day to all. I want to share a very beautiful story with you all. This story is truly remarkable! Why, you ask? Because it features some of the sisters' most beloved figures, such as Hannah and Ruth. I have observed that few people are named Rahab, likely due to her past as a prostitute. The person I want to talk about today is Ruth. Sisters particularly like the name Ruth, because she married a man who was both tall, rich and handsome. It is indeed a very beautiful story.

In past sermons, I have been quite critical of Eve for eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Some have even accused me of gender discrimination against the sisters as a result. That is fine; we cannot travel back in time to settle scores with her anyway. By speaking on Ruth, I aim to show that I harbour no gender bias. We often say that behind every successful man, there is a woman. You might assume that woman is his wife or secretary. However, that is not the case. What I want to say is that it's his mother. A mother's influence on her son is profound, much like Samuel having a good mother named Hannah. Ruth later gave birth to Obed, who was David's grandfather.

So, the woman behind a man is not necessarily his wife. Some wives are remarkably adept at ruining their husbands. Adam's lack of success can indeed be attributed to a woman named Eve. But I want to tell you about Ruth, who is extraordinary! A saying from her became a truism:

Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. (Ruth 1:16)

These words have had a profound impact. Hence, there is a book in the Bible called the Book of Ruth. This book was likely written during David's reign. When David became the King of Israel, tracing his genealogy required recording the woman who founded the Davidic line. It seems that a great family often begins with a great woman, while a corrupt family often begins with a corrupt woman. Brothers and sisters, while my words may not be entirely accurate, the influence of women should not be underestimated.

The Bible records many people, but not all are chronicled throughout its entirety. You will find that the Bible seems to be written around a central thread. If you trace it from Genesis through Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, and 2 Samuel, and so on, you will see a clear lineage: the record of Jesus Christ's ancestors, generation after generation.

The Ruth I am speaking of is on par with Tamar and Rahab in the Bible. They are three great women. How do we know of their greatness? Because they appear in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus Christ:

Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah (Matthew 1:2-6).

Why is it Abraham and Sarah who bore Isaac? Why Judah and Tamar who bore Perez? And why Salmon and Rahab who bore Boaz, and Boaz and Ruth who bore Obed? You see, Abraham begat Isaac; Isaac begat Jacob, and Jacob begat Judah, But later, Rebekah and Sarah are not seen. It turns out that Tamar was more righteous than Judah, meaning Tamar was greater than Judah. Rahab was greater than Salmon, and Ruth was greater than Boaz. The word great may not be entirely accurate, but I trust you understand the meaning.

Is this main thread recorded in the Bible the main thread of Jesus Christ? Yes, it is. The later prophetic books record that Jesus is a descendant of David. Therefore, during Jesus' time, they cried out, Son of David, have mercy on me! David was very famous, and three great women appeared among David's ancestors: Rahab, Tamar and Ruth, and a fourth being Bathsheba.

Your God will be my God! This sentence left a deep impression on me. How deep, you ask? When my mother was still alive, she often said to me, Your God will be my God, and where you are, I will be. I am also very moved. My mother is also great! Just like receiving a Golden Rooster Award, standing at the podium and delivering my acceptance speech. I also want to thank my mother.

If David were to stand on the podium, he would also have to thank his ancestors Rahab, Tamar, and Ruth. Who is Ruth? Ruth is the grandmother of David's father, David was still alive when Ruth passed on! So, this is not something very old. Everyone wants to live a better life, who does not want to marry a rich man like Boaz just like Ruth, but you must have the blessing! People want to live a better life, but where is the road? The road is not under your feet, the road is in Ruth's saying:

Your God will be my God! (Ruth 1:16)

This Ruth is extraordinary! Ruth pioneered a path of faith. She yearns for God and loves His kingdom, has a broad mind, diligent qualities, and a heart that pleases God. She is truly remarkable! Everyone must know that, selfishness is definitely not the way, and stinginess is definitely not the way. If you find that selfish people live well, you can tell me, I would very much like to do research on this, but I have not found any case of selfish people living well.

In fact, I always want to overthrow this statement, but I can't find any evidence in this regard! Stingy, money-loving, and self-loving people never live well. Brothers and sisters can go to a mental hospital to see, those people in the depths of their bone marrow and minds are hiding selfishness, stinginess, and self-love. If you go to the hospital to see those with tubes inserted and those with cancer, you will find that their end results are not very good.

So, I often tell you to love God, have a broad mind, and please God. Some people may say: I can't do it! In fact, it's not that they can't, how can a worthwhile thing be impossible to do? It's just that people don't believe it's worthwhile. So, although the road pioneered by Ruth is very worthwhile, many people do not believe it. If you believe it, wouldn't you become Ruth? If after you get married, your husband dies, and you can still take care of your mother-in-law, that would be great! I know such a woman. Her husband cheated and divorced her. Later, this woman's husband got cancer and eventually died. Sometimes she would still take care of her ex-husband's parents, truly a broad mind!

Today, the Ruth we are talking about came from a cursed nation, she was a Moabite. Who were the Moabites? They were the descendants of Lot, Abraham's nephew, and his daughters. In the Old Testament Bible, Moses clearly said that Moabites could not enter the assembly of God (see Deuteronomy 23:3), but Ruth, as a Moabite, became a model of a successful woman and started a great family.

Ruth has several characteristics. Everyone should know that these characteristics allowed Ruth to come out of a cursed family and completely did not affect Ruth's future. So, don't pass the buck to your family, and don't pass the buck to family curses. Let's start learning from Ruth, recognizing the God of Israel as our own God, and being filial and loyal to our mother-in-law. Know that filial piety and loyalty are not small matters, they are definitely beneficial things. Among our sisters who are daughters-in-law, if you are full of complaints about your parents-in-law, you are a very bad daughter-in-law, you are probably not like Ruth. Filial piety and loyalty are the people God is looking for.

Ruth recognized the God of Israel and recognized the mother-in-law she followed. Although her husband died and her father-in-law also died, she still wanted to support her mother-in-law, willing to endure hardship and work hard, such people are hard to find! But God likes such people, so the ending of filial and loyal people is very good. A good ending is worth talking about, I encourage those among us, especially the sisters, to change their minds well.

Scripture

And Naomi said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her. (Ruth 1:15-18)

Prayer

God, please speak to us through the story of Ruth, open our minds, and let us know that walking the path of imitating Ruth is the path that pleases You. God, You will surely prepare a bright future for us. God, You are our God, You will surely prepare opportunities for us in front of us, You will surely open a path for us in front of us. God, let us begin to have a determination to imitate Ruth, in the name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen!

Scripture Background

Many people do not know much about Ruth, so I will tell you the story of Ruth. In fact, the story of Ruth is not too far from the time when the Israelites entered Canaan. Later, Ruth became the wife of Boaz. Who is Boaz? He is the son of Rahab. Rahab was a prostitute in the city when Joshua led the Israelites into Canaan to attack Jericho, the first city. You say is this long ago? Not long. The stories of Ruth and Rahab are a continuation of each other, both taking place during the period of the Judges.

In Judges, there was a man named Elimelech, whose wife was named Naomi, and they immigrated to Moab. Some people ask, isn't Canaan a land flowing with milk and honey, how can there still be famine? After the famine, Elimelech and Naomi sold all their property and came to Moab. Their two sons, the elder son was named Mahlon, and the younger son was named Chilion. Each of them married wives who were Moabite women, and the younger son's wife was named Ruth.

What's the matter with the Moabites? There are quite a few stories between the Moabites and the Israelites. Lot was Abraham's nephew, Lot and his daughters had children, and his children had children, all the way to the time when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, Moab circled a piece of land in that place, that is the Moabites, Ruth's story happened in that year. Naomi's husband, that is, Ruth's father-in-law, and Ruth's husband and Orpah's husband, these three men all died.

According to today's words, Ruth and Naomi have the appearance of killing their husbands, they killed all their husbands, who would dare to marry such a woman. After her husband died, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law (the elder daughter-in-law Orpah, the younger daughter-in-law Ruth): You are still young, you should return to your parents. Orpah returned to her parents and found a husband, and that's how she lived her life. But Ruth was more unconventional, she insisted on following Naomi, the reason for following Naomi was: Your God will be my God, your country will be my country, where you die I will die too.

As a result, Naomi had no choice but to take Ruth back to Israel, Naomi returned empty-handed, which was really miserable. However, she brought back a treasure of a daughter-in-law, which was more profitable than those who took away property. This daughter-in-law brought back from Moab was a treasure, she gleaned ears of wheat in the field to support her mother-in-law, which is really admirable. If you can find a daughter-in-law like Ruth today, it would be amazing, not to mention a daughter-in-law like Ruth, even a daughter like Ruth is hard to find. Now selfishness is so prevalent, it is difficult for many daughters to go to the field to glean ears of wheat to support their mother.

As a result, Ruth was spotted while gleaning ears of wheat, this person was Boaz. Boaz's family was a big family in this city, the people in this place knew Boaz, and they also knew Ruth. This is also very magical, her husband died, and she followed her mother-in-law back, and as a result, she was spotted by Boaz, and she married Boaz and gave birth to a child named Obed, which is really magical!

So, the Book of Ruth tells the story of a woman who transformed from the edge of poverty into a very influential woman. As long as someone on earth believes in Jesus, no one does not know the name of Ruth. Ruth's virtues are praised in heaven and on earth, and look at how well her life is going. In today's words, Ruth has found a tall, rich, and handsome man. If we listen to stories, we should listen to more such stories.

What did Ruth want?

What did Ruth want when she married Chilion back then? Later, Ruth's husband also died, and her father-in-law also died, leaving only her mother-in-law Naomi, that is, the mother of her dead husband. Usually, when a couple gets married, they will think that your mother did not give birth to me, and my mother did not give birth to you, and no one supports anyone, so don't expect it. The more you expect, the more heartbreak you will have. But there is really such a Ruth in this world, and when she returned to Israel with her mother-in-law, she supported the elderly Naomi, what did Ruth want? It's really hard for us to understand.

In fact, Ruth wanted to go to Israel. Why did she want to go? Because she understood Israel and the God of Israel more deeply than most. Otherwise, she wouldn't have said, Your God is my God, and left her parents, siblings, and gone alone with her mother-in-law to Israel. What was Ruth after? She was after the God of Israel. You might say, why not be after something better? Why be after something so abstract?

Actually, in Moab, the stories of how God brought Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, as well as the story of Rahab, were constantly being told. This is similar to today, where some people are China experts and others are America experts. Some people are even racking their brains, hoping to run to America. What kind of ambition did Ruth have? I want to seek God! The gods of Moab are not gods; the God of Israel is the true God. It just so happened that Elimelech and Naomi, with their two sons Mahlon and Chilion, came to Moab, and Ruth married Chilion. I suppose Ruth thought, Now that I have married an Israelite, I can rightfully immigrate to Israel. The God of Israel is the God I have longed for since I was a child.

I guess Elimelech and his two sons were not willing to return to Israel because that place often suffered from famine. In the end, they all died. If they hadn't died, Ruth couldn't have returned. We don't need to speculate about how they died, but they just died. What was Ruth after? She was after going to Israel to worship the God of Israel.

Ruth thought, I don't want to be a Moabite; I want to be an Israelite. She had a conviction that moved the hand of God. Rahab was the same. She lived in Jericho, a city that was about to be destroyed, and everyone was going to die. But Rahab longed to worship the God of Israel. As a result, Joshua sent two spies to Jericho. They did nothing but lie in Rahab's house for a while and then left.

When we read this story, we find it amazing. What did those two spies do? In fact, this is God's miraculous work, to save Rahab's whole family. Later, Rahab became Ruth's mother-in-law. Imagine these two mothers-in-law, Naomi and Rahab, Boaz's mother – what a great family! Ruth inherited Rahab's faith, and this faith moved God's hand to deliver.

What Ruth was Thinking

Everyone must understand that thoughts are powerful. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Everyone can ponder what Ruth was thinking. As a Moabite, Ruth knew deeply that the Moabites lived under a curse. Did she know that the curse of the Moabite ancestors also applied to her? She knew. Did she know that the God of Israel was powerful? She knew. Otherwise, she wouldn't have said, Your God is my God. But she also knew there was an opportunity! As a result, she longed to marry an Israelite, just like some sisters today like to marry foreigners.

May God open a path for you, but you must have Ruth's Mingding Destiny. Ruth pursued the God of Israel. Isn't it wondrous? Very wondrous! As a result, God, in a twist of fate, brought Elimelech and his two sons to Moab. You might ask, why immigrate anywhere else but Moab, and to the very place where Ruth lived? Then Ruth met Mahlon, Naomi's son, and married him. Isn't that divine? Truly divine!

Where did this begin? It began with Ruth's desire for God, her desire to escape the curse of the Moabites and enter into the blessing of the Israelites. This desire moved the hand of God. You ask me why Elimelech and Chilion came to Moab in a twist of fate? It turns out that our God often plays tricks for the sake of someone He delights in. Elimelech and Chilion eventually died; they were just extras, completing a task: bringing Ruth to Israel.

The stories of Rahab and Ruth are almost identical. As long as you and I often long for God in our hearts, longing to seek and know our God, you will surely experience Ruth's miracle. Do you know what Ruth was thinking? She was thinking of becoming a blessing to many people! Did she succeed? She did! So many years have passed, and today, when we read about a figure from more than three thousand years ago, we admire her and desire God in our hearts.

I tell you, there is a most wonderful choice in heaven and on earth, and that is Ruth's choice: I will seek this God, I will know Him, I will enter into His blessing! Think about it, what good days did she have following Naomi? They were incredibly poor! But what Ruth thought in her heart was: I want to pursue the God of Israel! Although I am a Moabite, living under a curse, I want to return to the God of Abraham.

Do you think God would fulfill Ruth's desire? If God fulfilled Ruth's desire, I would also encourage our brothers and sisters: If you have any desires in your heart, desire to love God more. Some people say that Ruth was like a toad wanting to eat swan meat. Did she succeed? Absolutely! Because she had God!

God Favored Ruth

Why did God favor Ruth? In fact, God, in heaven and on earth, no matter where you are, you can be a Moabite, you can be someone from Jericho, you can be among those who are being destroyed. But I tell you, if you are a treasure in God's eyes, God will do everything possible to bring you to His side; God will favor you! God will favor people like Ruth because God sees Ruth as a treasure.

Nothing is impossible for God! The Bible records Jacob reversing the order of birth; although Joseph did not receive the birthright, he was greater than the firstborn, becoming the savior of the family; God sent two people to rescue Rahab from among those being destroyed; Ruth lived among the Moabites, becoming a cursed people, but she longed for God in her heart, and then God favored her. For Ruth's sake, God caused an Israelite couple to immigrate to her doorstep, so she had the opportunity to marry into an Israelite family, and then God caused the two sons of that Israelite family plus Ruth's father-in-law to die. These things seem like what the world experiences, but these coincidences all happened to Ruth.

God was directing Ruth's life in favor, and as a result, she lived a very wonderful life. Although it seemed there was no room for reversal, she returned to Israel with her mother-in-law Naomi, living by gleaning leftover grain, just like a ragpicker today, very hard. But it doesn't matter; God gave her a good opportunity, God favored Ruth! Brothers and sisters must know for sure, what is the key to all problems? The key to all problems is whether we are a treasure in God's eyes. If we are a treasure in God's eyes, no matter where you are, whether in a cursed tribe or among a cursed people, nothing can stop God's hand from continuing to direct a blessed life! It's exciting to hear!

So brothers and sisters must know for sure, in 2012 I once preached a sermon called Ruth, A Miraculous Woman of Moab. That's how I spoke back then, and now I'm speaking again. You must know that all these things are God's favor to Ruth because Ruth is pleasing to God. If you are pleasing to God, the people around you will be arranged by God to be extras for your sake.

God Gives Ruth Good Opportunities

Isn't it wondrous? Going out to glean grain, she stumbled upon Boaz's field. Coincidentally, Boaz and his workers were working in the field, and he asked the workers who the gleaner was. Boaz's workers told him it was Ruth, Naomi's daughter-in-law, who had returned from Moab. Boaz was a wealthy man and also Rahab's son. He had heard his mother's story since he was a child and wanted to find someone like his mother. When he saw Ruth, he thought she was very good, so he favored her.

Ruth's reputation spread throughout that place. God favored Ruth, giving her a good opportunity to come to Boaz's field. Some people date and go on blind dates, but they don't find anyone they like; they often run into scammers. Ruth didn't go on a blind date but found her spouse. Boaz liked Ruth very much. This is God's work, God's operation! How could it be such a coincidence? I tell you, the blessed are so coincidental.

The unmarried sisters should envy Ruth, but today everyone should not only envy her. First, you must have a heart that loves God, and God will prepare Boaz for you. Otherwise, even if He prepares him, he will love the world. In fact, Ruth didn't think much about it; she just went to the field to work and fill her stomach. She and her mother-in-law Naomi didn't even have food at home; they could only go to the field to glean grain; otherwise, they would have nothing to eat. You say, in this situation, to make such a decision, she still had some backbone in her heart.

Ruth worked hard, gleaning grain diligently, busy from morning to night, very industrious. As a result, God gave her a good opportunity. Through some miraculous operations, Boaz married Ruth. If you want to learn more about the story of Boaz and Ruth, you can read the Book of Ruth.

Ruth Marries Boaz and Becomes a Distinguished Family

Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth, these three women are remarkable! Tamar was very remarkable. She pretended to be a prostitute and gave birth to Perez from her father-in-law Judah; Salmon married the prostitute Rahab and gave birth to Boaz; Boaz had Obed from Ruth, Obed had Jesse, Jesse had David, and later Jesus was a descendant of David. The stories are full, and they became distinguished families before God! I like to tell Bible stories; more stories are better to listen to. Today, there is no opportunity to tell too many testimonies; we are just telling Ruth's story. Everyone has the opportunity to learn about Tamar, to learn about Rahab, and to learn more about Ruth. It turns out that God doesn't care about your background at all; God only cares about whether your thoughts love God. If you love God, God will surely make you a distinguished family.

Today, our brothers and sisters must know that you and I are not ordinary people. God predestined us to become children of God; we are all seen as precious in God's eyes. How God favored Ruth, so God favors you and me; how God created good opportunities for Ruth, so God creates good opportunities for us today. In fact, I have many stories; the things to tell are very divine! Why? Because God favors me, God creates good opportunities for me!

Conclusion: What Kind of Person Do We Choose to Be

Brothers and sisters must know for sure, the Bible clearly records a line, and that line is that some people choose to be pleasing to God, and some people are wrathful to God. What kind of person do you choose to be? Whether brother or sister, male or female, is not important, nor is your birth important, but I tell you, the key is that you have a Mingding Destiny in your heart to seek God.

If you are a sister, God will greatly raise you up, making you a prosperous person, and your faith can move the hand of God. If you are a brother, it doesn't matter, you can also be like Ruth, like Boaz, and become pleasing to God. Whether male or female, those who love God, long for God, long to enter into God's Mingding Destiny, and long to have wonderful stories are treasures in God's eyes.

God is looking for treasures in heaven and on earth, and although there seems to be no opportunity, you must know that God is your opportunity. Ancestors cannot determine your future; only you can decide. Although the situation you are in today is just a person gleaning grain, as poor as Ruth, only able to barely make a living, and sometimes even have to go hungry, it doesn't matter. God's grace is extremely vast, as long as you choose to be someone with Mingding Destiny, with dreams, who deeply longs to be used by God to accomplish God's beautiful plan, you will appear in the genealogy of Jesus Christ like Ruth.

Today, although Jesus Christ has already come, died, was buried, and rose from the dead and ascended to heaven for us, God is still looking for usable vessels on earth. God will raise up a group of people with Mingding Destiny in heaven and on earth, so that their stories will be praised in heaven and on earth like Ruth's story. So can you broaden your mind and start to restore your faith and hope, not because of anything else, but because you are filled with the kingdom of God, the kingdom of God is your kingdom, and God is our God. What a wonderful declaration! This declaration can shake the dark power of the devil, this declaration can move the hand of God, and the resources of heaven are yours and mine!

May God accomplish wonderful stories like Ruth's in this generation, in these brothers and sisters of ours! May God bless everyone!