Jesus, Our Successor – Part 1

Ruth, Chapter number one.

Scripture Reference

Ruth 1:1-5

Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife, and his two sons. And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there. And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.

Introduction

We begin a short but powerful book—Ruth. In four chapters God reveals a story full of real people, real sins, real consequences, and ultimately real redemption. Dr. Terry LeQuieu frames this sermon series under the title “Jesus, Our Successor — Part 1.” Tonight’s focus is the opening verses of Ruth chapter one and the foundational truth that our relationship is found in Christ. From famine and family to funeral and bitterness, Naomi’s story warns us what happens when God’s people forsake the place God intended for them and try to raise godly children while drifting into the world.

We’re going to start our series on Ruth tonight, and I’ve been really struggling with when to do it. I’ve shared with a couple different folks, I think about two months ago about doing the Book of Ruth and that being our next one, but just trying to place it in the right place and spend a lot of time praying about it.

Outline

Relationship Revealed — Relationship is in Christ
1. Context and setting: “In the days when the judges ruled” (a spiritual vacuum; Judges 21:25). Spiritual leadership was weak and truth became relative.
2. Three famines: missionary (no faithful leadership), material (lack of provision), and moral (leaving the Promised Land for Moab).
3. The danger of leaving the Promised Land: Bethlehem means “house of bread.” To leave the place God provided is to chase pagan substitutes for what God alone supplies.
Renouncements — Decisions that Remove Blessing
1. A seemingly reasonable decision: Elimelech leaves Bethlehemjudah to sojourn in Moab because of famine. He seeks provision but abandons God’s ordained place.
2. What the decision reveals: A man’s choices affect his household spiritually. A leader who pulls his family away from God’s place risks yielding them to surrounding pagan influences.
3. Modern application: When we change moral absolutes to situational ethics, we send children and families into confusion. Churches and families must preach whole counsel, not compromise.
Discipline Diminished — The Home Under Strain
1. Continued where they went: The text says they “continued there.” The nuance indicates they tried to maintain the faith taught in Bethlehem while living among pagans.
2. Thermostat vs. thermometer: God’s people are called to set the spiritual temperature (a thermostat), not merely follow the culture (a thermometer). Prolonged exposure to a pagan environment changes believers’ practice and perspective.
3. Parental responsibilities: Fathers and mothers must unite to protect and teach. If one spouse weakens the spiritual direction, children can drift when the other is gone.
Deadly Consequences — Sorrow, Death, and Bitterness
1. Deaths in the home: Elimelech dies, then Mahlon and Chilion die. What began as a move to preserve life ended in loss for Naomi.
2. Timing matters: The sons did not marry heathen women until their father died—spiritual leadership restrained their drifting. When the leader was gone, the children followed the world.
3. Naomi’s trajectory: Bereavement produces bitterness (Naomi will later say “call me Mara”—bitter). Bitterness is a spiritual hazard that can come from bad choices and loss.
Survivors and Salvation — The Turning Point Ahead
1. Naomi left alone: She is physically and spiritually bereft—bankrupt, bewildered, bitter, bereaved. This state prepares the heart for the gospel picture that Ruth will portray.
2. God’s sovereignty: Even in the consequences of bad decisions, God is at work. Chapter 2 begins the restoration that points forward to Christ as our Successor.
3. Hope for families: One bad decision can alter a family, but Christ is able to restore. The Book of Ruth is full of gospel imagery—redeemer, kinsman, and the line leading to David and ultimately to Jesus.

Summary

Ruth 1:1-5 gives us a compact but potent warning and hope. Elimelech’s decision to leave Bethlehem for Moab—motivated by famine—illustrates how even well-meant, reasonable choices can become spiritual turning points when they remove a family from God’s protection. The absence of faithful leadership produced moral drift in the sons, the death of the household’s stability, and Naomi’s bitter sorrow. At the same time, the passage sets the stage for God’s redeeming work: even survivors who are broken can be restored. The true successor we need is Christ—He restores what sin and bad choices wreck. This sermon calls believers to stand firm in absolute truth, unify parents in spiritual leadership, and trust God rather than worldly substitutes.

There’s a lot of truths that are found here in the Book of Ruth. It’s just four small chapters. But we’re going to go through the life of somebody who really would be oblivious here in the beginning, somebody who was from the world, and we’re going to see redemption be brought through her life, and we’re going to see some acceptance in her life, and then we’re going to see some royalty that she was placed into some lineage, and we’re going to see God do a great work in and through her life when in all reality, she was a nobody when everything started.

Application for the Week

Practical steps to respond to this passage. These are small, concrete actions to help you protect your home, strengthen your walk with Christ, and make space for God’s restorative work.

Examine Your Place:
1. Ask: Am I where God has called me spiritually? Name one area where you are tempting a “move to Moab”—a worldly compromise that looks like provision but could cost your family.
2. Write down one choice to reverse or one boundary to set this week (internet filters, media rules, activity limits).
Unite with Your Spouse:
1. If married, schedule a short time to pray with your spouse about spiritual leadership of the home. Agree on one practical rule you will enforce together this week.
2. If single or a single parent, identify a trustworthy spiritual mentor or elder to partner with in decision-making for your children.
Root Your Children in Truth:
1. Plan a family devotion this week based on Ruth 1:1-5. Read the passage aloud and ask each child to tell one thing they would want to do differently if they were Naomi.
2. Limit unmonitored access to secular influences for at least one week—set device times, review subscriptions, and decide together what is and isn’t allowed.
Guard Your Heart Against Bitterness:
1. If you feel hurt or bitter about a loss or a poor decision, confess it to the Lord and to one trusted believer. Bitterness festers when unspoken; healing begins when you are honest.
2. Memorize or meditate on Psalm 34:18 and Romans 8:28 this week as anchors for God’s near and providential care.
Be a Restoring Influence:
1. Identify one person in your circle (a neighbor, coworker, family member) who needs encouragement. Reach out with a short, gospel-centered word or invite them to a church event.
2. Volunteer for one church ministry this month that intentionally invests in children or families—be that spiritual figure for someone else.

May we all learn from Naomi’s losses and Ruth’s coming redemption: do not trade the house of bread for the ways of the world. Stand firm in God’s absolutes, raise children with clear boundaries and consistent teaching, and trust Jesus—our true Successor and Redeemer—to restore what sin has broken.