WINTER QUARTER SUNDAY SCHOOL 2010 - The Study Hour



SUMMER QUARTER SUNDAY SCHOOL 2019

THEME: COVENANT IN GOD

UNIT TWO: A HEARTFELT COVENANT

“THE HIGH COST OF OUR DECISIONS”

Sunday School Lesson No. XI ~ August 11, 2019

Presented by Rev. Frank A. Davis, III ~ Pastor-Teacher

Lesson Text: Ruth 1:1-18

Required Reading: Ruth 1:1-22

Memory Text: Ruth1:16, “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.”

Reliable Resources: Standard Lesson Commentary; LOGOS Bible Software; Union Gospel Press Expositor and Illuminator; Precepts for Living (UMI); Wiersbe’s Expository Outline on the Old Testament” by Dr. Warren Wiersbe

INTRODUCTION

There remains the immortal book and movie classic entitled “The Wizard of Oz.” It focuses on a young teenage girl (Dorothy) who becomes bored with the Kansas farm life and its daily challenges and routines, and who wished she could leave her community and travel to a dream land over the rainbow. Well, after many events, she decided to run away from home. When a cyclone presented itself, she tried to get back home and seek shelter with her family, only to find out that they were safe inside the storm cellar and could not hear her crying for help. Left with no other choice of shelter, she goes back into their farmhouse and is hit in the head by flying debris. It caused her to pass out and dream of her fantasy over the rainbow. Well beloved, the dream had all the things of life – good, bad and ugly, but in the end, she desired to go back to her community and realized, “There’s no place like home.”

In our lessons for the next two weeks, we’ll meet a family that left the home community for what they thought would be a short period. The decision to leave their community brought many challenges at a high cost. Let us focus our attention on this life lesson as we examine “The High Cost of Our Decisions.”

BACKGROUND

The story is found in the Book of Ruth, a lovely expression of the grace of God from the pages of the Holy Bible. It shows how God accepted into the very family of His dear Son, a foreigner whose people were banished from the fellowship of the Israelites for ten generations. (Read Deuteronomy 23:3-4).

The setting of the lesson is quite depressing. A man whose name was Elimelech (“my God is king”) took his family from Bethlehemjudah (“house of bread and praise”) down to Moab (“desire”) because there was a famine in his land. Now this man Elimelech was married to Naomi (“pleasant”), and his sons’ names were Mahlon (“sickly”) and Chilion (“wasting away”).

Now beloved, the interesting reality of this story is the fact that God’s timeless tenants, the Israelites, were to reside in their land, which was to be blessed with abundance. But what happened to cause a famine to occur? The answer is partly found in Judges 21:25, “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Surely many of God’s blessings and curses were conditional upon the obedience of His people (Deuteronomy 28:1-2, 15).

Well, I want to go on, but time is of the essence, so let us turn to the lesson, “The High Cost of Our Decisions.”

Anticipated Power Points:

• A Costly Commute. Ruth 1:1-5

• A Costly Consideration. Ruth 1:6-15

• A Costly Commitment. Ruth 1:16-18

LESSON OUTLINE

I. A Costly Commute. Ruth 1:1-5

According to “Heart of the Lesson” in the Union Gospel Press Expositor and Illuminator, there were three tragedies:

A. “A Tragedy of Desperation.”

A famine came to the Promised Land in the days of the Judges. (Note Judges 21:25)

B. “A Tragedy of Decision.”

For whatever the reason, Elimelech, whose name meant “God is my King,” temporarily left the land of God during a famine for green pastures in the foreign land of Moab. Beloved, this act was considered backsliding or transgressing. Proverbs 13:15 tells us, “Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.”

C. “A Tragedy of Death.”

The tragedy of death is not uncommon, but when it strikes three times and leaves widows without resources, it really causes a feeling of desperation and disaster! This family left the place of God’s choosing and met with great calamities. It was a very costly commute! Romans 8:6, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

II. A Costly Consideration. Ruth 1:6-15

Naomi turns to the two Moabite women who had loved her sons and encouraged them to return to their mothers’ houses. She knew that she had nothing to offer them, except more travail and tears. She had no husband, she could raise no more sons to be their husbands, and her journey back home would be tedious and travailing. She would have to travel over mountains and journey nearly 100 miles to get back home. The home folks would surely receive her, but what about her daughters-in-law, who were Moabites and not of the chosen seed of Abraham? Unselfishly, she encouraged them to go back to their homes.

The pain of grief had left Naomi somewhat bitter (Ruth 1:20), but I am not here to condemn her, only to inform us that grief brings about pain, and sometimes a sense of self-pity. Orpah departed, but Ruth was determined to remain with Naomi in spite of the outcome.

III. A Costly Commitment. Ruth 1:16-18

Ruth brings to the pages of scripture some of the most wonderful words of trust and testimony. In spite of the pains of grief, she lived up to the meaning of her name Ruth (“Fellowship”). She decided to forsake all and follow Naomi her mother-in-law, back home. Whether she lived or died, she forsook all and committed herself to Naomi and her God. In verses 16-17 we read, “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.” The lesson we glean from Ruth’s testimony is that if one is willing to trust in the True God, they will find comfort to overcome grief. God alone will bring relief when we put our trust in Him. Perhaps Ruth’s declaration sealed Naomi’s hope, for they both went on, and as the Book of Ruth will conclude, they both came to a good end.

CLOSING

Beloved, if tragedy has befallen your life, do not fold under the weight of grief, but look to the hills from whence cometh your help. Your help comes from the Lord. Psalm 46:1-7 will help us, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”

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Bibleway Missionary Baptist Church, New Orleans, LA and Little Bethel Baptist Church, Amite City, LA

Mailing Address: Post Office Box 19768, New Orleans, LA 70179

Phone: (504) 486-7876

Website:

WHNO TV-Channel 20, Sunday, 6:30 a.m.

Looking Ahead: August 18, 2019 Ruth 3:1-6, 8-12, 16-18

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