An Immigrant’s Courage

​It took courage for Ruth to leave the land of her birth. Let’s learn from her story in the Book of Ruth.
 
Naomi moved to Moab with her husband and two sons because of famine in Israel. Their two sons had Canaanite names and married Moabites, who were traditionally bitter enemies of the Israelites: “No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation” (Deuteronomy 23:3).
 
Subsequently, Naomi’s husband and the two sons died. In those days, widows had difficulty surviving, unless they had money or sons. Naomi had neither. When Naomi heard that there was food in Israel, she and one of her daughters-in-law, Ruth, returned to Israel.
 
Typically, immigrants leave their place of birth hoping for a more comfortable life. But not Ruth. In Israel, Ruth had no family connections nor status. In fact, Israelites saw Moabites as horrible, wicked people.
 
We could see the danger when Ruth picked leftover grain in an Israel field. The owner knew she had been good to Naomi. He suggested Ruth to stay in his field, and said, “I have told the men not to lay a hand on you” (Ruth 2:9).
 
Ruth left Moab because she loved Naomi (Ruth 4:15) and she recognized Yahweh as God, implying her belief. In Ruth 1:16-17, Ruth said to Naomi, “Your people will be my people and your God my God…. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”
 
We can only postulate that Ruth’s faith came from seeing God in Naomi’s life. Because of Naomi, Ruth took refuge in God (Ruth 2:12). In turn, Ruth redeemed Naomi from a life of bitterness and saved the line of David through which Christ would come.
 
Christ was also an immigrant. He gave up His life to move to earth, where He suffered terribly and died to redeem us from a life of hell. God the Father raised Him from the dead, making His name above all names.
 
Learn from Christ and Ruth. Don’t focus on what the world considers as a good life. Surrender ourselves. Follow Christ. God will be with us and give us a great life.
 
Adapted from a Tim Keller sermon:
http://www.gospelinlife.com/free-sermon-resource
​https://gospelinlife.com/downloads/an-immigrant-s-courage-6517/

 
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一位移民的勇氣
 
路得離開自己出生的故土需要巨大的勇氣。讓我們从路得记中向她學習。
 
由於以色列的飢荒，拿俄米随着丈夫带着兩個兒子一起搬到了摩押。兩個兒子都改成了迦南人的名字，與当地人結婚。摩押人是以色列人的仇敵. “亞捫人，摩押人或他們的後裔都不可能参加主的集會，甚至在他们的第十代也不能。” 申23：3.
 
后来，拿俄米的丈夫和兩個兒子都死了。在那些日子裡，除非寡婦有錢或兒子，她们是難以存活的,而拿俄米一样都沒有。
 
當拿俄米聽說以色列粮食充足時，就和她的一個媳婦路得回到了以色列。
 
通常移民離開出生地是希望過更美好舒適的生活，但路得不是这样。她在以色列既沒有家庭关系，也没有个人地位。实际上，以色列人認為摩押人是邪惡可怕的。
 
我們可以看到她在以色列田间採摘剩餘穀物時的危險。田地的主人知道路得善待拿俄米。 他建議路得留在他的田地裡, 並說：“我已经告訴我的仆人不要欺负你.”路得記2：9。
 
路得離開摩押是因為她愛拿俄米（路得記4:15），承认耶和华是神，这暗示了她的信仰。路得對拿俄米說：“你的國就是我的國，你的上帝就是我的上帝。你在哪裏死，我也在那裏死，也葬在那裏。除非死能使你我相離！不然，願耶和華重重地降罰與我.” 路得记1：16-17.
 
我們只能假設路得的信仰來自於在拿俄米的生命中看見上帝。由於拿俄米，上帝成为路得的避難所 （路得记2:12）。 反過來，因为路得的缘故，拿俄米從痛苦的生活中被救贖出來，使大卫后裔的这一支得以延续。基督就是路得的后代。
 
基督也是一位移民，一位从天而来的移民。祂放棄天家来到世上，在这裡遭受极大的痛苦,為救贖我們脫離地獄的生活，死在十字架上。天父上帝使祂從死裡復活，赐给祂超乎万名之上的名。
 
当向基督和路得學習，不要專注於这世界以為好的生活。
 
降服于上帝，跟隨基督。 如此，上帝将与我们同在，赐给我们美好的生命。