Naomi returned home to Bethlehem, in her own words, "empty." All of her hopes, dreams and expectations lay buried with her husband and two sons in Moab. Naomi was a widow. And the young woman traveling with her was also a widow, and a foreigner. Events beyond their control had changed the course of their lives and there was no going back to things as they were before. Naomi and Ruth faced the question that everyone in crisis has to face: What are we going to do now? Ruth 2 gives us an opportunity to make some observations re: poverty and charity in a day when there was no social security, no DSHS, no food stamps, no food banks and no medical coupons. Are food, shelter and clothing fundamental human RIGHTS? Or are they only fundamental human NEEDS? We'll see in this sermon that poverty, like wealth, comes ultimately from God and serves his good purposes.
NOTE: It appears that only the first half of the sermon recorded. We regret this inconvenience, but we believe there is sufficient helpful information to warrant posting it even though it is incomplete.
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Pastor Bruce Ray has been senior pastor of Juanita Community Church in Kirkland, Washington since 1976. He also serves as a Police, Fire & EMS chaplain. Books include Withhold Not Correction and Celebrating the Sabbath (both published by P&R Publishing). He is a member of the...
