OBEDIENCE

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Sermon Reflections from OBEDIENCE | Alex Hardt | July 20

This Sunday’s sermon was on a subject that is near and dear to my heart. Pastor Alex’s words of wisdom gleaned from the book of Ruth give hope and foundation to our faith. Obedience is something that the Lord demands of each of us that always leads to blessings, purpose and success in our walk with Him. In the book of 1 Samuel 15 we encounter the story of King Saul returning from war. He had been instructed to take no spoils. 15:9 “But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction."

When Saul showed up at the temple he was confronted by the priest Samuel. 15:21-22 “But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” 22 And Samuel said,

“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams.”

Saul and his followers thought that bringing the sheep and goats to the Lord for sacrifice was a good thing. However, God had told them to destroy everything and kill King Agag. They thought that their good was good enough and that partial obedience would be fine. Scripture teaches that partial obedience is not obedience at all and = disobedience. Much harm later came to them because they did not kill Agag and destroy everything. King Saul did not trust God to work out all the details and provide for them. He thought he had to help God along. God is sovereign and the only thing he needed from Saul was obedience.

Ruth on the other hand, did not question her mother-in-law's requested actions. She might not have understood all the cultural significance, but she trusted her. Her obedience brought about blessing. Naomi gained protection, land and wealth as well as a future with her people by and through Ruth’s obedience.

I love how this story ends as it shows God’s richest blessing for them by their obedience. Boaz went to the city elders and asked if there was another ‘kins man’ redeemer that was closer in relation to Naomi. There was another man but when Boaz told him to redeem the land of Naomi he would also have to marry Ruth her daughter-in-law, a moabite, the man declined. Thus, Boaz was able to redeem the land and marry Ruth. Ruth 4:13-14 “So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! “ Naomi, Ruth and Boaz were mightily blessed as they obeyed and stepped forward in faith. Ruth and Boaz had a son named in Ruth 4:17 “They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David."

Pastor’s last point was that obedience positions us be to be used by God for His divine purpose. This was certainly true for Ruth as is seen in Ruth 4. Ruth is one of only 4 women mentioned in the lineage of Christ. Matthew 1 verse 5 “and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king. The line concludes in verse 16 “ and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. The blessing of their obedience causes us all to be mightily blessed through our Savior.

Where is God positioning you right now to be a blessing to others through your obedience to Him? 

 Maybe it is at work, in the neighborhood or even in your own family. 

 Be open this week to His leading and see what blessing He brings as you walk in obedience to Him.

Linda

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Linda is a member of Crossroads church and regularly blogs about her faith. 
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