3/30 The Lord does not mock the child who has fallen after trying to do things by their own strength.

Sermon:

“The Lord does not mock the child who has fallen after trying to do things by their own strength."

Scripture: Ruth 1-22

1 In the days when the judges ruled,[a] there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab.

 2 The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.

3 Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 

4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 

5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

6 When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. 

7 With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.

8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. 

9 May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.”

Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud 

10 and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.”

11 But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 

12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— 

13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!”

14 At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.

15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”

16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 

17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” 

18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.

19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”

20 “Don’t call me Naomi,[b]” she told them. “Call me Mara,[c] because the Almighty[d] has made my life very bitter. 

21 I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted[e] me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”

22 So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.

"Are you coming home today?" "When are you coming?" These are the questions that parents ask in anticipation of their children's coming. 

It is a word that parents ask with anticipation while waiting for their children who are absent or have been away from home for a long time. Children can freely come and go at their parents' house whenever they want. 

We all left Korea or our homeland and came here, but if we want, we can return to our parents' house. However, some people may not want to go back home, or there may be people who can no longer return. 

If, when you left home, there was a serious argument with your parents, and if you had doubts or denial about their love, returning home will not be easy. 

This is because the condition for returning is confessing your mistakes, so you will feel guilt, shame, and embarrassment on the way back home. 

When you see your parents, who might say, 'I knew this would happen. Didn’t I tell you so?' or 'I knew you'd come back begging like this,' it will be hard to go back.

In Luke 15:11-14, the Parable of the Prodigal Son is mentioned. Let's read it together."

11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 

12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 

14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 

Like this son, there are many moments when we reveal the prodigal son’s image, and we can relate the heart of the prodigal son to our own hearts. 

We want to search on our own, do things the way we see fit, and have the desire to try things out, preferably by going far away to a distant country to experience everything in life. 

When students go to college, they often want to go as far away from home as possible. Why? Because they want to live without being interfered with, and they want to take those risks and adventures. 

We have the right to leave, and we use it. Moreover, we also have the right to return. Leaving and returning is a continuing theme in life.

There’s a quote that says, “There is a psychoanalytic theory that explains why Christians can become violent towards others. It says that Christians, because they have never truly chosen, experienced, or integrated their faith, are in a state as if they are angry. 

In other words, because their faith is not based on experience but on conclusions learned, they accept faith like a burden they cannot refuse"(Home tonight, Henri Nouwen).

Today’s story is about Naomi’s departure and return. In her story, imagine it as your own story, something that repeatedly happens in your own life, and I pray that the Holy Spirit opens our spiritual eyes.

Naomi’s name means ‘pleasantness,’ but she found herself in a reality that was the opposite of her name. As she returned to her hometown, she told the villagers who recognized her that she was no longer Naomi, but Mara. 

In other words, she said that God had made her life bitter.

She lived during the time of the Judges. What kind of time was it? As soon as Israel entered the land of Canaan, they sinned, and history repeated itself. 

The promised land should have been the kingdom of God, but the people didn’t want God to rule over them directly. Even though they disobeyed God, whenever they were invaded by enemies, they cried out to God, and the Lord raised up judges to save them. 

But once they became comfortable again, they would betray the Lord, serve idols, and do what seemed right in their own eyes. This period of the Judges lasted about 400 years.

 This is similar to how we, who believe in Jesus as our Savior and Lord and are saved, fail during the process of sanctification when we do not follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Truth. 

When we do what seems right in our own eyes, it is not God's kingdom but our own. One of the reasons the period of the Judges ended in failure was that during this time, Israel did not gather to worship. 

Without worship, they inevitably became focused on visible things, thinking that what they saw was all that mattered.

In this time, a famine occurred. Due to the drought and food shortage, Naomi and her family had no choice but to leave their homeland. God, the Creator of all things, controls the rain, making it stop or fall. 

The famine was a sign that something was not right in the land. Famine due to drought was considered a punishment from God. 

The family of Elimelech left the land of Judah, Bethlehem, to go to the land of Moab to escape the famine. We can understand why Naomi’s family left the land of Judah. 

How could they survive during a famine? They probably left with the thought that no land could be worse than Judah. Naomi’s family seems to have settled down and lived a relatively stable life in Moab. 

However, just when things seemed stable, problems arose. Naomi’s husband died, and her two sons also died. Only three vulnerable women were left—Naomi, the elderly widow, and her two daughters-in-law.

Then, Naomi heard the news that God had shown mercy to the land of Judah, bringing about a plentiful harvest. 

She decided to return to her homeland with her daughters-in-law. On the way back, Naomi urged her daughters-in-law to return to their own homes. 

Her suggestion for them to find new husbands and start fresh was an expression of genuine love for them. She believed that sending them back was the best thing she could do for them. 

Obedient to Naomi’s words, one daughter-in-law, Orpah, returned to her homeland, but the other, Ruth, said she would go with Naomi to the end. 

When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she no longer tried to stop her.

Looking at Ruth, Naomi might have remembered how resolutely she herself had left her Father’s house. 

God did not stop or prevent Naomi and her family from leaving the land of Judah. Just as the father of the prodigal son allowed his son to leave, even though he knew what would happen, God allowed Naomi to leave as well.

The reasons Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth were leaving Moab were different. One was returning to her homeland where her father was, while the other was leaving her parents and going to live with strangers. 

Ruth, despite the possibility of a better future, or even remarriage, chose to go with her elderly mother-in-law, who seemed to have little hope for the future. 

Ruth did not consider other possibilities, even though other paths existed. She chose the path that appeared to have the most hardship, accompanying the elderly Naomi. 

In those days, marriage meant safety and protection for a woman—protection by a husband, raising children, security, and the hope of future happiness. 

Ruth, however, chose to accompany Naomi, who would have to live alone with no one to protect her. Even though Naomi heard the news of the harvest in Judah, Ruth left her family and homeland, not knowing whether her future would be one of abundance or famine. 

From a third-party perspective, this was clearly a difficult and challenging choice.

These two women, with their many stories, return together to the land of Judah. 

When Naomi brings Ruth back to Judah, the village becomes noisy and buzzes with talk.

19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”

These villagers ask, 'Is that really Naomi?' This shows how Naomi returned to her hometown and how the people of the village reacted to her appearance. 

Because of this, Naomi tells the people that she is no longer the Naomi but she tells them to call her 'Mara,' which means bitter, because the Lord has brought great suffering upon her. 

This was an appropriate way for Naomi to explain her return to her hometown with nothing, empty-handed. 

Naomi must have left Judah with bitterness in her heart, doubting and distrusting God's existence, power, and love, thinking that she could overcome the famine on her own. 

God was not the one who stopped her; the Lord allowed her to do as she wished. Just as the father of the prodigal son allowed his son to leave, despite knowing what would happen, Naomi was allowed to leave as well. 

The father’s love for the son was not expressed by stopping him from leaving or threatening him, but by letting him go.

We can assume that Naomi lived somewhat decently in Moab, but in the place where she stayed for a while, she lost her husband and two sons. 

Naomi must have wanted to leave the land of Moab, where she had lost everything. How could Naomi, who couldn’t bear the famine in Judah with her family, endure the 'famine' of life in Moab, a place where she had no one? 

Ten years ago, Judah was the land of famine, but now, Moab had become the land of famine. There is no place on earth that is truly safe. 

A land of famine can become a land of plenty, and a land of plenty can turn into a land of famine. How have you responded when you have encountered such confusing situations?

Henry Nouwen describes four characteristics of spiritual signs: 

First, they are simple, not complicated. Second, they are persistent.

 Third, they seem difficult to prove. 

And fourth, they are always connected not just to ourselves, but to others. 

As seen in Naomi’s story, events and situations that arise from both inside and outside of us are enough to capture our attention. Don’t miss the signs, and use them wisely in your journey of faith. 

If you are encountering such signs right now, pay close attention. Do not ignore them, because these signs and movements of the heart provide clues to what will happen in the future.

The sign that leads Naomi to return to God’s constant love is this: Naomi, who had lost her husband and two sons, found life painful and difficult. 

It was in this situation that she heard the news that there was a plentiful harvest in Judah, and Naomi must have remembered the love of God the Father. 

Until then, she had only blamed God, unable to think about His love. If Naomi had been successful in Moab, she would not have returned to her homeland. 

She would have lived decently in Moab and would not have been able to remember the love of her Father. When Naomi returns to her hometown, how does she confess?

 21 I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”

In other words, she left my father’s house full, but the Lord has caused her to return empty. Can I return home as an empty-handed person?

 Yet, when Naomi became aware of the emptiness in her life and heart, she was able to turn toward the Lord and remember the love of the Father. 

In the land of Moab, there may have been enough food. The labor of three men would have provided protection and security. 

However, when that security and protection were no longer there, Naomi made the decision to return to the house of God, where there is eternal rest and protection. Why?

Because Naomi remembered the love of God that had been accumulated in her heart. 

“The Lord does not mock the child who has fallen after trying to do things by their own strength" (Home tonight, 78).

When I left Korea and came to the United States, I was so happy. No one could interfere with me, I could go anywhere, and whatever I did, no one would know. 

I was excited about how free I could live, filled with expectations. However, just three days after coming to the U.S., I was caught by someone who was more knowledgeable than my parents. 

The Lord in heaven led me to the church in just three days, and for the past 30 years, He has guided me. I haven’t been able to visit Korea often. 

I could only visit once every 3 or 4 years at most. But one day, I realized that my mother was waiting for me. 

I began to see a little bit of the heart of a mother who waits for her child to return. Though I couldn’t visit more often, my mother was waiting for me. 

Even 15 years ago, just before her passing, she waited for me and held on to life. I arrived early in the morning, went to the hospital to see her, and a few hours later, she passed away. 

A parent’s love remains in the place where the child has left, even if it is considered a departure. 

In the same way, God’s love is the kind of love that stays 'there' before anything happens and after something happens. 

However, because we lack wisdom, we only remember the love of our parents when something happens, and then finally, we remember God and reflect on His love and grace. 

When my son was about to enter college, he injured his ankle while playing sports. I graduated from high school in June and spent a few months hanging out with my friends until I entered the school in August or September. 

A child who had never had such a time was busy walking around when he had time. We really walked around so much that we didn't have time to eat together. 

But he injured his foot while exercising, and from then on, my child really stayed at home. When he entered university, he picked up crutches. 

There is an entrance ceremony at the university, and the new students parade. But my child was on crutches. 

There was another child in the same situation. He had broken his leg while diving. So I remember the school providing these kids with an open car or something like that, and they rode it to watch the parade. 

The point is this. Because he hurt his foot, my son was spending time with me. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had to spend time with me until the time he was gone off to university.

When Naomi was empty-handed, she turned her steps toward God the Father.

When Naomi returned to her hometown, God the Father prepared a great feast for her. 

Just like in the parable of the prodigal son, a feast was prepared for the returning son. Let’s read Luke 15:22-24.

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 

23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 

24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.”

This feast is an expression of God's joy and love for the returning prodigal son. The feast given to the prodigal son is for this one son. 

It shows how precious the Lord considers one soul that returns to His love. The feast for Naomi, however, is beyond imagination in scale. 

In this case, the feast goes beyond just being for an individual; it is like the prelude to the salvation of the nation of Israel. 

Let’s see how God works in the lives of Naomi and her daughter-in-law, Ruth, as they return.

At that time, the barley harvest had begun in Judah. Ruth started gleaning for food, and the field she worked in belonged to Boaz, a close relative of Naomi. 

When Boaz heard about Ruth, he treated her kindly and instructed her to only glean in his field. He also told his workers to be kind to her and provide whatever she needed. 

When Ruth asked Boaz why he was showing her such kindness, Boaz replied,

11 Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. 

12 May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge”(2:11-12).

When Ruth returned home and told Naomi that she had worked in Boaz's field, Naomi replied that Boaz was their close relative. 

He was the one who would take responsibility for Naomi and Ruth’s lives—he was their kinsman-redeemer.

Having returned to God’s house, Naomi finally found rest. She lived under the Lord’s love and protection. As Naomi saw her daughter-in-law, Ruth, she must have realized deeply how much Ruth needed a safe place to be protected. 

Naomi, filled with compassion for Ruth, saw her daughter-in-law working hard, not complaining, but diligently gleaning for their livelihood. 

When you receive salvation, you can’t help but desire that others experience salvation as well, and so you pray for them.

Naomi, wanting Ruth to have a happy home and to live in safety and protection, began to make a plan. 

Knowing that Ruth had been working in the field of Boaz, a powerful relative, and understanding that Boaz was their kinsman-redeemer, Naomi sent Ruth to the threshing floor at night. 

Ruth obeyed her mother-in-law’s plan, going to the threshing floor as instructed. There, she lay down at Boaz’s feet. When Boaz woke up and was startled, Ruth humbly lowered herself and, in front of her redeemer Boaz, did not hide or internalize her needs. 

Instead, Ruth asked Boaz, “Spread your garment over me, for you are a kinsman-redeemer.”

Boaz praised Ruth for her good character. 

“You could have gone after a younger man, whether rich or poor, but you did not. Don’t worry, I will do everything you ask. Everyone in this town knows you are a virtuous woman.” Boaz also said,

12” Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family, there is another who is more closely related than I. 

13 Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning” (3:12-13). 

Boaz meets a relative who is closer to Naomi than he does, and he urges the elders to buy Elimelech's land and restore the family land.

He also emphasizes the responsibility of marrying Naomi's daughter-in-law, Ruth, to have future generations and continue the family. 

Then the close relative said that he could not redeem it, and Boaz became the inheritor of the house of Elimelech, that is, the savior. 

Not only did Boaz buy the land and give it back to Naomi, but he married Ruth and gave birth to Obed, who begat Jesse and Jesse begat David. 

Through the family of David, the Savior, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for us, comes. God prepared Boaz to be the one who would save Naomi and Ruth in Bethlehem in the land of Judah, so that she would be a savior, to give her the safety and protection she needed, just as Ruth showed her mother-in-law Naomi.

Ruth gave birth to Obed, and the Bible says, "Naomi saw a son" (4:17). When Naomi returned to God's house and asked her to call herself Mara instead of Naomi, God gave her such a feast that would bring about the salvation of Israel and all mankind. 

He gave a new life, Obed, to Naomi, who had lost the lives of her husband and two sons.

What land are you in now? Are you in Moab, where you can escape God's providence and sovereignty and do what you think you want, and you seem to be rich? 

But is there a problem? Are you losing everything? If so, don't ignore the signals. This signal would be a signal to return to Heavenly Father. 

Can't you go because you're empty? Are you afraid of the eyes of others? Was it easy for Naomi to admit her failure? Probably not. 

However, when Naomi saw the signs of life's events, she could not take her eyes off God's unwavering love. That's the only way to be saved and safe. 

Heavenly Father's love is the love that does not laugh at His children who fail and return, or at His children who have fallen. 

"The Lord does not laugh at a child who has fallen down trying to do something with his own strength." Like Naomi, we are empty. 

I tried to live on my own, but I became empty. So where do you go? Is it the land of Judah? Will you stay in the land of Moab? 

We must go to the place where God's presence and love are. It is only in God's love that we can be filled and enriched again. 

Salvation is when we return to the place where God's presence is and God's love awaits us. 

If the place you are in is only filling your physical stomach and making you even more empty, do you hesitate to go to the land of Judah? 

Remember Heavenly Father's love. And return to God, the land of Judah, where God takes care of His people. 

Let us pray.