Jesus Our Successor – Part 2

Ruth 1:6-15

Scripture Reference

Ruth 1:6-15

Introduction

Today we consider the sermon titled “Jesus Our Successor” preached by Dr. Terry LeQuieu from the Book of Ruth, chapter one, verses 6–15. This passage follows Naomi’s turning point — her resolve to leave Moab and return to Bethlehem, and the responses of her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth. The text is a vivid picture of spiritual renouncement, the hard road back to God, and how God can use even broken circumstances to lead souls to Himself. As Independent Fundamental Baptists believing the KJV as our authority, we will trust the Scripture to guide our application.

“Go to the Book of Ruth. We started out our series on Sunday night, and we’re going to do it on Sunday nights and Wednesday nights. Eight messages over four weeks, we’re going to begin to break this book down.”

Quote from Preacher

This quote opens the preacher’s plan for the study and sets the frame: a careful, multi-message examination of Ruth that will expose practical, spiritual lessons for the home, for repentance, and for redemption.

Outline

Resolve to Return
1. Recognition of the blessing elsewhere
  Ruth 1:6 — Naomi “had heard… how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread.” She recognizes that the blessings and provision of God belong in the place of obedience (Bethlehem, the “house of bread”). The Christian must discern when he has left God’s place of blessing.
2. Decision to leave the world
  A resolve was necessary: Naomi “arose” to return. Repentance is active — it requires a decision and movement. The prodigal “came to himself” (Luke 15) and made a deliberate trip back to his father.
Provision and Plan
1. Provision is back where God is
  Noting the spiritual truth: when famine comes, staying in God’s will is still safest. Naomi heard of bread in Bethlehem — God’s provision is connected to His place and His people.
2. Plan includes leaving baggage
  Returning requires forsaking what you gained in the world. Naomi could not bring Moab’s practices into Judah and expect God’s favor. The Christian life calls for separation (II Corinthians 6:14-18 principle).
Passage Back Is Painful
1. The road back retraces the road away
  Naomi had to backtrack the same path she had taken, but now without husband and sons. The longer one remains outside the will of God, the more difficult the return.
2. Emotional burden and memory
  Traveling stirred memories of better days; grief and regret are part of repentance. Spiritual recovery often includes grieving losses and making peace with past choices.
Plea, Prayer, and Preference
1. Naomi’s plea: “Go, return each to her mother’s house”
  Her appeal reveals truth and compassion: she wants Ruth and Orpah to be released to their own people if that is best. The Christian shows tough love — urging what is spiritually right even when it hurts.
2. Naomi’s prayer: “The Lord deal kindly with you”
  Even amid judgment, Naomi shows a praying heart for others. The disciplined believer still intercedes for those they love.
3. The daughters’ preference to stay
  Initially both say they will go; this reflects emotional bonds and loyalty but also an attachment to the person more than to God.
Naomi’s Discouragement and Diagnosis
1. Defeatism — “Are there yet any more sons in my womb?” (v.11)
  Naomi recognizes her inability to restore what was lost. A penitent believer admits limitations and the reality of God’s discipline.
2. Despair — “I am too old to have an husband” (v.12)
  Discouragement is candidly confessed. Returning to God involves honest confession of age, weakness, and regret.
3. Diagnosis — “the hand of the Lord is gone out against me” (v.13)
  Naomi names God’s hand in her circumstances. Mature Christians see chastening as God’s corrective love (Hebrews 12) — painful, but purposeful.
Deterrence, Determination, and Devotion
1. Orpah’s deterrence
  Orpah kisses Naomi and leaves — returning to her gods. This depicts how many will turn away when the cost of commitment becomes real.
2. Ruth’s determination — “Entreat me not to leave thee” (v.16)
  Ruth’s confession, “Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God,” is an anchor of conversion and covenant commitment. This mirrors the believer’s public commitment to Christ: a voluntary, resolute transfer of allegiance.
3. Devotion carries consequences and hope
  Ruth’s devotion demonstrates how God uses faithfulness in hard places to bring redemption and blessing. God’s grace can turn past failures into a stage for His deliverance, though not without cost or consequence.
Redeeming Grace in a Broken Story
1. God works through imperfect people
  Naomi had left God’s will; yet God used the returned Naomi and devoted Ruth to bring about redemption. This teaches that God can take our failures and, through repentance, bring fruit for His glory.
2. Salvation is heart transfer, not merely relocation
  Ruth’s allegiance is not about geography alone. Saying “thy God my God” is the confession of personal faith — salvation and discipleship follow true surrender.

Summary

Ruth 1:6–15 shows a woman’s painful but determined return to God’s place of blessing, the natural consequences of leaving God’s will, and the different responses of those around her. Naomi’s resolve to return demonstrates genuine repentance — a moral and spiritual turning. Orpah’s departure reminds us that many will turn back when sacrifice is required. Ruth’s steadfastness is a beautiful picture of conversion and covenant commitment: she chooses Naomi’s people and Naomi’s God. The passage reinforces two key truths: staying in God’s will is the place of provision, and God can use repentance to bring restoration and to draw others to Himself.

“And Ruth said, entreat 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.”

Quote to Ponder

This quote from Ruth 1:16, used in the sermon transcript, is the heart of Ruth’s faith — an example for every believer who truly decides to follow Christ.

Application for the Week

These practical steps are designed to help young adults (and all believers) take the sermon into everyday life. They are concrete actions to aid spiritual return, growth, and faithful witness.

Examine your place of blessing
This week, prayerfully ask: Am I where God intended me to be spiritually, relationally, and morally? Read Psalm 1 and Proverbs 3:5–6. If you find you’ve drifted from daily devotions or church fellowship, begin by restoring those basics: a morning reading of Scripture, a time of prayer, and faithful church attendance.
Make a concrete resolve
Naomi “arose” — act similarly. Write down one specific change: restore a regular family devotion, attend midweek services, or begin a personal Bible-reading plan (start with John and Ruth). Set a start date and a measurable plan (example: read one chapter in John each morning for two weeks).
Leave what’s binding
Identify one habit, relationship, or entertainment that pulls you away from God. Confess it, repent, and remove or limit exposure to it. Ask a mature believer to hold you accountable this week.
Pray for those still in the world
Like Naomi praying for her daughters-in-law, commit to pray daily for one person who does not yet know the Lord or who has drifted. Ask God to make you an instrument of His drawing, as He used Ruth and Naomi.
Show steadfast devotion in small ways
Ruth’s pledge was simple and practical. Demonstrate devotion by serving someone in your household or church this week: prepare a meal, offer to help with childcare, volunteer with a youth activity. Small acts of obedience build spiritual momentum.
Share your testimony
If God has worked in your life, tell someone. A brief testimony about how God restored you can encourage another person to return. Keep it simple, honest, and gospel-centered: sin, consequences, repentance, Christ’s grace.
Commit to a Scripture memory
Memorize Ruth 1:16 this week. Recite it daily and meditate on how a transfer of allegiance (people and God) shapes life choices.

May God give each of us grace to make the hard journey back when we have wandered, to encourage those who struggle, and to be faithful witnesses whose lives draw others to Christ. As the sermon reminds us: returning to God’s place of blessing is often painful, but it is where bread is found — both physically and spiritually.