Good News Heard in Moab

Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread. - Ruth 1:6

    “Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread.”

    The Scriptures tell us plainly that when God is pleased to save a sinner, he causes that sinner to hear the gospel. Ruth 1:6 gives us an illustration of that fact. There is, by divine arrangement, a blessed necessity for gospel preaching. Sinners are regenerated, born again, given faith in Christ, and converted by the Word of God through the preaching of the gospel. This is the doctrine of Holy Scripture. All that is needed to convince us of this is a casual reading of the Word of God itself (Rom. 10:13-17; 1 Cor. 1:21; Heb. 4:12; James 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:23-25).

    Let people argue and debate all they want to about this issue. This fact is plainly revealed in Holy Scriptures. God does not save his elect apart from the preaching of the gospel, any more than he saves them without repentance and faith. God does not save chosen, redeemed sinners by the light of nature, “sincere” idolatry, a false , man-centered gospel, freewill, works religion, or even the bare reading of Holy Scripture. If sinners are saved by the reading of the Bible, the best missionary work in the world would be to hire a plane and drop pages from the Bible all over the world. It is not the reading of the Word that saves, but the exposition of the Word in the preaching of the gospel (1 Pet. 1:25). Let any who question this fact simply read the story of Philip and the Eunuch (Acts 8:30-31).

    In his exposition of Romans 10:14-17, Martin Luther was exactly right in declaring that Paul asserts in that passage that four things are impossible. It is absolutely impossible for anyone to (1) call upon Christ until he believes on Christ, (2) believe on Christ until he hears the gospel of Christ, (3) hear the gospel of Christ without a preacher, or (4) preach the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit until he is sent of God.

    Whenever men and women realize the necessity and the value of the preaching of the gospel three things are certain: (1.) They will honor God’s servants (Isa. 52:7; Rom. 10:15; 1 Thess. 5:12-13). (2.) They will attend the ministry of the Word. (3.) They will involve themselves in the preaching of the gospel. They will bring people to hear the gospel. They will support the work of the ministry, the preaching of the gospel, at home and around the world. And they will themselves endeavor to tell out the good news of redemption accomplished by Christ by personal witnessing, distributing tracts, gospel literature, tapes, etc.

    It was when Naomi heard in Moab how that the Lord had visited his people that she left Moab and returned with Ruth to Bethlehem. The turning point in the family of Naomi, that which forever changed the lives of Naomi and Ruth, was what they heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had done for his people.

    What a beautiful picture this is of the gospel, the good news that proclaims to sinners what the Lord God has done for his people by the life, death, and resurrection of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as their Substitute. Naomi “had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread.” Someone told her what God had done for his people. She believed the report (Isa. 53:1). “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). She acted upon her faith. Believing God, Naomi abandoned Moab (2 Cor. 6:17; Rev. 18:4) and returned to Bethlehem. There are seven distinct parallels between the Word which Naomi heard in Moab and the hearing of faith.

    1. THE MESSAGE NAOMI HEARD IN MOAB WAS A VERY SIMPLE MESSAGE - “The Lord had visited his people.” Like Zacharias’ prophecy many years later (Lk. 1:78-79), the report Naomi heard was of a divine visitation. That is what happened when Christ came into this world. When God visits his people in mercy, salvation is accomplished. The way of peace was opened up by the death of Christ. The light for them that sit in darkness is the gospel.

    The gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ is simplicity itself (2 Cor. 11:3). It reveals the most profound mysteries of the universe as simple statements of undeniable truth. Here is a simple fact - We have broken God’s law (Rom. 3:19-23). Here is a simple requirement - Justice demands satisfaction (Ezek. 18:0). Here is a simple declaration - Christ has visited and redeemed his people (Gal. 3:13). Here is a simple command - “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Heb. 11:6; 1 John 3:23). Here is a simple promise - “Thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:30).

    Those who are responsible to preach the gospel must do so with clarity and simplicity ( 1 Cor. 2:1-5, 13). True preachers studiously avoid the words of man’s wisdom. The power of the gospel is not in the eloquence of the preacher but in the message we preach (1 Cor. 15:1-3) - “H -O-W that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures.” Here are four words that describe the death of Christ. These four words tell us how the Lord visited his people: sovereignty, substitution, satisfaction, and success. The Lord Jesus Christ died at Calvary according to his own sovereign will and purpose, according to the terms agreed upon when he became our Surety in the covenant of grace before the world began (John 10:165-18; Heb. 10:1-10).

    2. THE MESSAGE NAOMI HEARD IN MOAB WAS A MESSAGE OF LIFE - “The Lord had visited his people in giving them bread.” Bread was the one thing needed, just as Christ, the Bread of Life, is the one thing needful (Luke 10:42).Bread is a common figure and emblem of life, ever illustrative of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 6:32, 33, 48).

    3. NAOMI’S DESTITUTE FAMILY HEARD A MESSAGE OF GRACE DOWN IN MOAB. They did not hear how that the Lord visited his people in providing a means for them to get bread, in making bread possible, in offering them bread, or in giving them a plan by which to get bread, but in “giving them bread!” Eternal life and all that pertains to it is the free-gift of God’s unconditional, unqualified grace in Christ (Rom. 6:23).

    Satan is a great deceiver. He knows the deceitfulness of the human heart. And he has stocked the world with numerous religions that appeal to the proud heart of man. All satanic religions have one thing in common. They all make salvation to be, in some way, at some point, to some degree dependent upon and ultimately determined by man. The religion of the Bible is the religion of grace, free, sovereign, irresistible grace (Eph. 2:8-9; 1 Cor. 15:10; 1 Cor. 4:7). From election and predestination to resurrection and glorification there is no part of salvation that is determined by either the will, works, or worth of man. “Salvation is of the Lord!” It is, in its totality, the work of God’s grace in Christ.

    4. NAOMI’S FAITH IN THE WORD SHE HEARD IN MOAB WAS SHOWN BY HER WORKS (vv. 6-7). All who truly believe God show their faith by their works (James 2:17). God’s children do nothing to get saved, but do much because they are saved (Eph. 2:10). We show our faith by coming to Christ (Heb. 11:6). We show our faith by works of love (James 1:27; 2:14-26). It is not legal austerity that demonstrates true faith in Christ, but mercy, love, and grace (Rom. 14:17).

    5. THE HISTORY OF NAOMI’S FAMILY SHOWS US THAT FAITH IN CHRIST AND SALVATION BY HIM IS A PERSONAL, INDIVIDUAL MATTER. Naomi had faith, and Ruth had faith. God graciously gave them that gift which no man can have, but by the gift of his grace (Eph. 2:8). Orpah only had a profession of faith. Multitudes there are like her. Philip Mauro¹ wrote, “God is a ‘God of truth,’ that is to say, of reality; and he will have reality. A mere profession of Christianity...may deceive men. But God knoweth the hearts.”

    6. THOSE WHO TRULY BELIEVE THE GOSPEL OF GOD ARE CONTROLLED IN THEIR LIVES BY THINGS NOT SEEN (2 Cor. 4:18-5:1; Heb. 11:13-16). Orpah went back to Moab, because she was “mindful of that country.” Her mind was full of Moab. Like Lot’s wife (Gen. 19:15-26), she started out, but her heart was still in Moab. Ruth had the same opportunity to go back, but her mind was full of another country. Therefore, she persevered.

    7. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORPAH AND RUTH, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SAVED SINNERS AND LOST SINNERS, IS THE DIFFERENCE MADE BY THE GRACE OF GOD (1 Cor. 4;7). Ruth was not a better woman than Orpah. Both were kind, affectionate, caring, and tender daughters to Naomi (vv. 8-9). But Orpah was lost and Ruth was saved. A sweet, lovable disposition, a tender, affectionate heart, and faithfulness in responsibilities and relationships, though they are commendable traits of character, will never take us to heaven. The one thing needful is faith in Christ. If that one thing needful is lacking, like the rich young ruler, we are yet without hope before God (John 3:15-18).

    Naomi dealt fairly and truthfully with both Orpah and Ruth. She made no appeals to their flesh She offered no carnal inducements to get them to go back to Bethlehem with her. She simply told them…

    •What she had left. She told them of her fall, her departure from the house of bread.

    •What God had done. How he visited his people.

    •What was to be found at Bethlehem. Bread, life, deliverance, and restoration if a kinsman were pleased to undertake their cause.

    Orpah chose to stay in Moab. She counted the cost and went back. Ruth came to Bethlehem with Naomi, believing the report of good news and grace she heard from the lips of her mother-in-law. Once she met and married Boaz, she found with him a better life than she had ever known before.