路得记1:1-19上

愿恩惠、怜悯和平安归于你们所有盼望主慈爱和敬畏他名的人。阿们。

在今天的旧约经文中，我们看到三个女人的故事，一个是婆婆叫拿俄米，另外两个是儿媳：路得和俄珥巴。拿俄米这个名字的意思是“愉悦、喜乐”，路得名字意思是“陪伴”，俄珥巴的意思是“脖子后面、掉头转回”。我们从这些希伯来文名字的意思就可以知道这个故事要讲的是什么，以色列人从士师时代起一直流传着这个故事，他们从这个故事中看见的是上帝恩典怜悯的作为，百姓在困苦中的信靠，我们今天也从中学习主给我们的同样信息。

他们的遭遇，先要从拿俄米跟随丈夫和两个儿子逃难说起。因为迦南地的伯利恒（意思就是：粮仓之家，面包房）——上帝的应许之地遭遇饥荒，他们举家搬迁到摩押地寄居，摩押地是个外邦之地，在上帝的应许之地疆界之外，大概举例伯利恒50英里，走路需要一星期的时间。

他们一家人好不容易到了摩押地，而且安居在了那里，两个儿子在当地也娶了媳妇，日子还不错。然而没过多久，这个家里的主心骨，就是拿俄米的丈夫死了，又过了十年，两个儿子也相继去世，这真是雪上加霜啊，家里没了男人。更糟糕的是，两个儿子和各自的媳妇都还没有孩子，可以想象这个悲惨状况。难怪拿俄米和儿媳路得回到伯利恒的时候，全城的人都惊讶，叹气，妇女们都说：“这是拿俄米吗？”（路得记1:19）拿俄米的遭遇跟她的名字意思——喜乐，愉悦，完全相反啊，这是全身上下充满了忧伤和羞愧啊。在启程回伯利恒之前，拿俄米自己不也说，“耶和华伸手攻击我。”（路得记1:13）

弟兄姐妹们，有时候我们是不是也有这样的经历，虽然身为神的儿女，但所经历的苦难、伤心之事，也会让我们觉得主耶和华不是与我们同在，不是祝福我们，而是对付我们，攻击我们。无论是亲人的离世，还是工作的不顺利，无论是身体上的疾病，或是人际关系的不和睦等等，都会让我们看起来是神的敌人，而不是朋友。是的，如果是凭着经历，凭着感受，凭着眼见，这些都是真实的，拿俄米心底发出的叹息也是真切的。但是，主耶和华没有离弃我们，没有离弃他自己的百姓，没有离弃教会。

就在这人生最低谷的时候，拿俄米听说了一件让她心生盼望的大事。“她在摩押地听见耶和华眷顾自己的百姓，赐粮食与他们。”（路得记1:6）这么多年过去了，看似被神遗忘的应许之地，迎来了神的眷顾，伯利恒名副其实了，有了粮食，有了面包。这个好消息传到了拿俄米的耳朵里。顿时她就看到了生命的亮光和力量。她和两个儿媳就立刻行动，不等片刻。“她就与两个儿妇起身，要从摩押地归回……起行离开所住的地方，要回犹大地去。”（路得记1:6-7）

我们仔细想一想，如果是你，你会因着这个风声就抛下一切归回犹大地吗？不要忘了，她留在摩押地，还有自己的家产，自己两个孝顺的儿媳照样对她好，或许儿媳的娘家人，因为都是本地的，也能帮衬一些，即使她们再嫁人，也会恩待拿俄米。我们从经文看到，这两个儿媳不错啊，拿俄米称呼她们为自己的女儿，闺女。她知道这两个儿媳恩待她啊，待她如自己的母亲啊，“愿耶和华恩待你们，像你们恩待已死的人与我一样！”（路得记1:8）但是如果回去了，一个亲人都没有了。虽然自己男人家中祖祖辈辈分配的产业可以赎回，得有人给你撑腰，帮你赎回啊，不到禧年，你得有足够的资本去赎回田地房屋啊，因为出去逃荒之前应该已经典当出去了。她一个女人，落到这样凄惨的地步，试想谁会这样无偿地帮助她啊，可怜她啊。

但是，拿俄米看的不是环境，而是神的眷顾和应许。她凭着信心看见神是满有怜悯，满有恩慈的，不会撇下她这个寡妇。她决意要归回故土，归回神的应许之地。哪怕因此可能会失去地上的亲情关系，仅有的帮扶，仅有的情谊。

弟兄姐妹们，我们有时候是凭着信心，还是凭着眼睛所看见的环境来做决定呢？许许多多时候，我们听了足够多神的应许，以及他赐给我们话语的祝福，基督十字架的救赎，天国的福分，永远的安息，永恒的生命，神永远的眷顾和同在，但我们就是不朝着这应许奔跑，仍然留恋这世界和人情世故能施舍给我们的一丁点儿安慰。我们不愿承认自己在地上这一辈子不过是寄居的，是过客，却常常将此地当作永恒的归宿，好似我们永远不会死，如果神愿意，我们情愿求他让我们永远活在这地上。

拿俄米这位母亲代表的就是教会。基督在地上的教会就是走在归回天家的路上。我们凭着什么继续向前？难道不是神的话语，神的应许，神的眷顾吗？我们还能凭着眼睛所见的，自己所经历的？如果是后者，我们早就气馁、甚至绝望，早就放弃了。感谢上帝，主耶和华不断地在教会中借着话语的宣讲和圣礼在造访我们，眷顾我们，赐给我们盼望和力量。

我们基督徒都像这两位儿媳，是被收养进这个家的，这个看似命运悲惨，在地上毫无盼望的家，神的家。这两个儿媳可以代表信徒啊，她们已经得了恩惠，已经知晓了主耶和华，就是真神的作为，她们已经是教会的成员。而且当拿俄米说要归回犹大地，归回伯利恒那面包房的时候，这两位儿媳是跟着一起出发的。然而没走多久，可能就一上午的时间，她们就做出了截然不同的选择。一个含着泪水，掉头返回去了，要走轻松的路，要归回父家，重新再嫁人；一个斩钉截铁地说，我要跟随你去你要去的地方。

当然，我们知道，是拿俄米先规劝她们好好想想，跟着她去伯利恒的代价。就像基督常常告诉门徒，跟随他要付的代价一样，要抛弃田产家业，要背起自己的十字架，不能回头，要爱主胜过爱自己的父母，要面对一无所有，甚至被抄家，被杀的危险。

拿俄米打心底里规劝她们，“你们回去吧，我落到这个地步，你们跟着我这个老寡妇回去伯利恒可能什么也没有，连再结婚的希望都没有，你们跟着去也很可能将来做寡妇的。我就是现在结婚，今晚就生儿子，生两个，你们也不可能守寡到他们长大成人娶你们啊——以色列人是这样的规定，丈夫死了，按照律法，丈夫的弟兄应该娶她们生儿子，为了保留丈夫的名和产业。”

俄珥巴，第一个儿媳一想，算了吧，我还是听你的吧，回娘家，好好找个人家嫁了，重新再来吧，生活总得实际点儿吧，谁不得吃喝呢。路得，第二个儿媳，这么多年以来，听了那么多主耶和华在他的百姓中间的作为，知道他是信实的神，所以她不看环境，不图今生的安逸，毫不犹豫地继续跟随婆婆归回。她们所做的不是一个简单的决定。俄珥巴归回父家，贪图安逸，也意味着她必定会归回她以前所拜的假神那里。“看哪，你嫂子已经回她本国和她所拜的神那里去了。”她所拜的神，这个“神”在希伯来文里是复数，可见是多神偶像崇拜，就像一些中国人一样，到处拜拜，到处求神问仙。

而路得呢？她说：“不要催我回去不跟随你。你往哪里去，我也往哪里去；你在哪里住宿，我也在那里住宿；你的国就是我的国，你的神就是我的神。你在哪里死，我也在那里死，也葬在那里。除非死能使你我分离！”路得晓得这接下来的路不好走，甚至越发艰难，两个寡妇要走一星期的路，风餐露宿的，如果能顺利抵达伯利恒，还得想办法重新开始。但她心里明白，真正的盼望不是自己，也不是自己的婆婆，而是她们都认识和信靠的主耶和华，她们的神。

弟兄姐妹们，我们明白了该怎样做出选择吗？不管信仰这条路多么艰难，不管自己的经历多么饱经忧患，我们说“主啊，你有永生之道，我们还跟从谁呢？”（约翰福音6:68）无论教会经历什么磨难，什么样假道的冲击，什么样的不和睦，在世人看来多么的荒凉惨淡，我们信靠主的话语，主的应许，他是信实的主，他必眷顾自己的百姓。

我们同在基督里的，我们都是神家的一员，我们不仅同吃喝，我们甚至同生共死，并且也要共同复活，死亡永远不能把你我分离，因为我们都在基督里。他已经为我们战胜了死亡，战胜了一切的邪恶，包括那恶者魔鬼。等候我们的家园故土是天堂，是永远的安息，永远的生命，没有疾病、眼泪或者痛苦死亡。不要贪恋这个世界和其中的荣华富贵了，这些都会过去。我们永远跟随教会的迁移，无论走到哪里，教会就是我们寄居的帐棚，朝向天上的家园一起挪移。因为教会里面有主的同在，主的眷顾和亲临，主的喂养和保护。

拿俄米和路得，凭着信心回去了。结果呢？神并没有亏待她们，反而大大祝福她们。借着波阿斯，一位敬畏神的亲属眷顾了她们。波阿斯娶路得为妻，为她们赎回了产业。生了一个儿子，叫俄备得，“这俄备得是耶西的父，耶西是大卫的父。”再往后我们知道，救主耶稣基督从这一血脉而出。两位寡妇蒙了怜恤，主也使用她们成就将来的救赎大工，救赎的降生和十字架的工作。路得记还有很多精彩美好的细节记载，大家回去后一定要读完。感谢主，这在以色列中间世世代代传诵的故事，上帝奇妙的作为，今日也在我们中间传扬。更奇妙的是，所有的应许都在基督耶稣里实现，并且赐给我们，带领我们迎接将来那最终完全的实现。奉圣父、圣子、圣灵的名。阿们。

Grace, mercy, and peace be with all who hope in the Lord's lovingkindness and fear His name. Amen.

In today's Old Testament reading, we see the story of three women: a mother-in-law named Naomi, and her two daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah. Naomi's name means "pleasant, joyful," Ruth's means "companion," and Orpah's means "the back of the neck" or "to turn back." From the meanings of these Hebrew names, we can already get a sense of what this story is about. The Israelites have passed down this story since the time of the Judges, and through it, they saw the merciful work of God's grace and the reliance of His people in times of trouble. Today, we learn the same message from the Lord.

Their ordeal began when Naomi, her husband, and their two sons fled because of a famine. Bethlehem in the land of Canaan—the promised land—which means "house of bread," was suffering from a famine, so they moved and lived in the land of Moab. Moab was a foreign land outside the boundaries of the promised land, about 50 miles from Bethlehem, a week's walk away.

After much hardship, they finally settled in Moab. The two sons married local women, and life was decent. However, not long after, the head of the household, Naomi's husband, died. Ten years later, her two sons also passed away, adding sorrow upon sorrow. The family was left without any men. Worse still, the two sons and their wives had no children. We can imagine the tragic situation. No wonder when Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth returned to Bethlehem, the whole town was astonished and cried out, "Is this Naomi?" (Ruth 1:19). Naomi's experience was the complete opposite of her name's meaning—joyful, pleasant. She was filled with sorrow and shame. Before setting off for Bethlehem, Naomi herself lamented, "The hand of the Lord has gone out against me" (Ruth 1:13).

Brothers and sisters, do we sometimes have similar experiences? Although we are children of God, the suffering and sorrow we endure can make us feel that the Lord is not with us or blessing us, but is instead dealing with us and attacking us. Whether it's the passing of a loved one, a setback at work, physical illness, or strained relationships, all these things can make us feel like enemies of God rather than friends. Yes, if we rely on our experiences, feelings, and what we see, these things are real, and the sigh from the depths of Naomi's heart was genuine. However, the Lord has not abandoned us. He has not abandoned His people or His church.

It was at this lowest point in her life that Naomi heard something that gave her hope. "She heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had visited His people and given them food" (Ruth 1:6). After all these years, the promised land, which seemed to be forgotten by God, was now visited by His grace. Bethlehem truly lived up to its name; it had food, it had bread. This good news reached Naomi's ears. Suddenly, she saw a light and found strength. She and her two daughters-in-law immediately took action without delay. "She set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah" (Ruth 1:6-7).

Let's think carefully: if it were you, would you abandon everything and return to the land of Judah just because of this rumor? Don't forget, if she stayed in Moab, she still had her property. Her two dutiful daughters-in-law would continue to care for her, and perhaps their families, being local, could also lend some support. Even if they remarried, they would be kind to Naomi. From the scripture, we see that these two daughters-in-law were good to her. Naomi called them her daughters and said, "May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me!" (Ruth 1:8). But if she returned, she would have no family members left. Although the ancestral property in her husband's family could be redeemed, someone would need to back her up and help her redeem it. Before the Year of Jubilee, she would need enough capital to redeem the fields and houses, as they were likely sold off before they left because of the famine. She was a woman in such a tragic situation; who would help her or pity her without expecting anything in return?

But Naomi did not look at her circumstances; she looked at God's grace and His promises. With faith, she saw that God is full of mercy and lovingkindness and would not abandon her, a widow. She was determined to return to her homeland, to the promised land of God, even if it meant possibly losing her earthly family relationships, the only support and affection she had left.

Brothers and sisters, do we sometimes make decisions based on faith or on the circumstances we see with our own eyes? All too often, we have heard enough of God's promises and the blessings of His Word, the redemption of Christ on the cross, the blessings of the kingdom, eternal rest, eternal life, and God's perpetual care and presence. Yet, we do not run toward this promise, still clinging to the meager comfort that this world and human relationships can give us. We are unwilling to admit that we are only sojourners and passing guests on this earth. Instead, we often treat this place as our eternal home, as if we will never die, and if God is willing, we would rather ask Him to let us live here forever.

Naomi, this mother, represents the church. The church of Christ on earth is on the road back to its heavenly home. What do we rely on to keep moving forward? Is it not God's Word, God's promises, and God's care? Can we rely on what we see with our eyes or what we experience? If it were the latter, we would have long been discouraged, even desperate, and would have already given up. Thanks be to God, the Lord continually visits us, cares for us, and gives us hope and strength in the church through the preaching of the Word and the sacraments.

We Christians are all like these two daughters-in-law. We were adopted into this family, this family of God that seemed to have a tragic fate and no hope on earth. These two daughters-in-law can represent believers. They had already received grace, already knew the works of the Lord, the true God, and were already members of the church. And when Naomi said she was returning to the land of Judah, to that house of bread in Bethlehem, both daughters-in-law started to go with her. However, after not walking for long, perhaps just a morning, they made completely different choices. One, with tears in her eyes, turned back to take the easy road and return to her father's house to remarry. The other said firmly, "I will follow you wherever you go."

Of course, we know that it was Naomi who first urged them to consider the cost of following her to Bethlehem. Just as Christ often told His disciples the cost of following Him: to forsake their homes and possessions, to take up their own cross, not to turn back, to love the Lord more than their own parents, and to face the danger of having nothing, being robbed, or even being killed.

Naomi wholeheartedly urged them, "Go back! I've been brought to this point. If you follow an old widow like me back to Bethlehem, you might have nothing, not even the hope of remarrying. If you follow, you might very well become widows in the future. Even if I were to marry now and have two sons tonight, you couldn't possibly wait as widows until they grew up and married you—this was the rule for the Israelites: if a husband died, according to the law, his brother should marry the widow to preserve the husband's name and inheritance."

Orpah, the first daughter-in-law, thought, "Forget it. I'll listen to you. I'll go back to my father's house, find a good husband, and start over. Life has to be practical, right? Everyone needs to eat and drink." Ruth, the second daughter-in-law, had heard so much about the works of the Lord among His people over the years and knew that He was a faithful God. So, she did not look at her circumstances or seek worldly comfort. She continued to follow her mother-in-law without hesitation. The decision they made was not a simple one. Orpah's return to her father's house, seeking comfort, also meant that she would surely return to the false gods she worshiped before. "See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods." The Hebrew word for "gods" here is plural, indicating polytheistic idol worship, just as some people in our time worship many different gods.

And what about Ruth? She said, "Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you." Ruth knew that the road ahead would be difficult, even increasingly so. Two widows had a week's journey ahead of them, sleeping outside and living off the land. If they could successfully reach Bethlehem, they would have to find a way to start over. But she understood in her heart that the real hope was not in herself or her mother-in-law, but in the Lord whom they both knew and trusted—their God.

Brothers and sisters, do we understand how we should make our choice? No matter how difficult the path of faith is, no matter how much our experiences are fraught with trouble, we say, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (John 6:68). No matter what tribulations the church goes through, what attacks from false teachings, what disharmony, or how desolate and miserable it may seem to the world, we trust in the Lord's Word and His promises. He is a faithful Lord, and He will take care of His people.

We who are in Christ are all members of God's family. We not only eat and drink together, but we also live and die together, and we will also be resurrected together. Death can never separate you and me because we are all in Christ. He has already triumphed over death and all evil, including the devil. The home that awaits us is heaven, eternal rest, and eternal life, with no sickness, tears, pain, or death. Do not cling to this world and its fleeting glory and wealth, for these things will pass away. We will always follow the migration of the church, and no matter where we go, the church is our temporary tent, moving together toward our heavenly home. For in the church, there is the Lord's presence, His care, His visitation, His nourishment, and His protection.

Naomi and Ruth returned by faith. And what was the result? God did not shortchange them but blessed them greatly. Through Boaz, a God-fearing kinsman, they were cared for. Boaz took Ruth as his wife and redeemed their property. They had a son named Obed, "He was the father of Jesse, the father of David." And as we know, the Savior Jesus Christ came from this bloodline. The two widows received mercy, and the Lord also used them to accomplish the future great work of redemption, the birth of the Savior, and the work of the cross. The book of Ruth contains many more wonderful details, so be sure to read the rest of it when you get home. Thanks be to the Lord that this story, which has been passed down for generations among the Israelites, and God's miraculous work are proclaimed among us today. What is even more wonderful is that all the promises are fulfilled in Christ Jesus, and they are given to us, leading us to welcome that final, complete fulfillment in the future. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.