The Impact of Great-grandparents: Lessons from Ruth for Families Today

2. Can you imagine what that poor man’s ride would have been like if that lady had a prince or a king for a grandson?

3. We want to think about a woman who became David’s great-grandmother.

4. We want to think about a woman who became David’s great-grandmother. • In the Book of Ruth, we see how Ruth became a great-grandmother to David.

5. Grandparents have great influence.

6. Enoch had a profound impact on his great-grandson.

7. Enoch had a profound impact on his great-grandson. • “Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him” (Gn 5:24, ESV).

8. Enoch had a profound impact on his great-grandson. • “Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him” (Gn 5:24, ESV). • “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God” (Gn 6:9, ESV).

9. Enoch had a profound impact on his great-grandson. • “Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him” (Gn 5:24, ESV). • “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God” (Gn 6:9, ESV). • You grandparents here can greatly influence your grandchildren!

10. Enoch had a profound impact on his great-grandson. • “Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him” (Gn 5:24, ESV). • “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God” (Gn 6:9, ESV). • You grandparents here can greatly influence your grandchildren! That’s why we’ll talk about Ruth this morning.

11. Ruth was David’s great-grandmother.

12. Ruth was David’s great-grandmother. • “They named him [Ruth’s son] Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David” (Ruth 4:17, ESV).

13. Ruth was David’s great-grandmother. • “They named him [Ruth’s son] Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David” (Ruth 4:17, ESV). • The purpose of the Book of Ruth is to demonstrate how a foreigner became an ancestor of Israel’s most famous king.

14. Ruth was David’s great-grandmother. • “They named him [Ruth’s son] Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David” (Ruth 4:17, ESV). • The purpose of the Book of Ruth is to demonstrate how a foreigner became an ancestor of Israel’s most famous king. • David had a Moabite—a “bad apple” in his family tree.

15. Ruth was David’s great-grandmother. • “They named him [Ruth’s son] Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David” (Ruth 4:17, ESV). • The purpose of the Book of Ruth is to demonstrate how a foreigner became an ancestor of Israel’s most famous king. • David had a Moabite—a “bad apple” in his family tree. • This book seeks to explain that.

16. Ruth was David’s great-grandmother. • “They named him [Ruth’s son] Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David” (Ruth 4:17, ESV). • The purpose of the Book of Ruth is to demonstrate how a foreigner became an ancestor of Israel’s most famous king. • David had a Moabite—a “bad apple” in his family tree. • This book seeks to explain that. • Today, politicians “spin” this stuff away.

17. Ruth was David’s great-grandmother. • “They named him [Ruth’s son] Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David” (Ruth 4:17, ESV). • The purpose of the Book of Ruth is to demonstrate how a foreigner became an ancestor of Israel’s most famous king. • David had a Moabite—a “bad apple” in his family tree. • This book seeks to explain that. • Today, politicians “spin” this stuff away. • That’s far different from what we have here.

18. Ruth was David’s great-grandmother. • “They named him [Ruth’s son] Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David” (Ruth 4:17, ESV). • The purpose of the Book of Ruth is to demonstrate how a foreigner became an ancestor of Israel’s most famous king. • David had a Moabite—a “bad apple” in his family tree. • This book seeks to explain that. • Today, politicians “spin” this stuff away. • That’s far different from what we have here. This is not half-truths, but it is the Word of God!

19. Ruth provides an example of what a family member should look like.

20. Ruth provides an example of what a family member should look like. • Ruth: • LOVES • LEAVES • LABORS • LISTENS

21. Ruth Loves 1:15-18

22. Naomi “said, ‘See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.’ But Ruth 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.’ And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more” (Ruth 1:15-18, ESV).

23. What an amazing passage!

24. What an amazing passage! We aren’t supposed to love our mothers-in-law!

25. Ruth loves her mother-in-law unconditionally.

26. Ruth loves her mother-in-law unconditionally. Had Ruth not loved her mother-in-law unconditionally, she would never have become David’s great-grandmother!

27. How much do we love our in-laws?

28. “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,’ and any other commandments, are summed up in this word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Rm 13:8-10, ESV).

29. “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,’ and any other commandments, are summed up in this word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Rm 13:8-10, ESV). • “Love one another earnestly from a pure heart” (1 Pt 1:22, ESV).

30. “Justin, no one can love my in-laws!”

31. “Justin, no one can love my in-laws!” Jesus thought differently!

32. I do NOT use this text to make a joke or to be funny, but to make a point.

33. I do NOT use this text to make a joke or to be funny, but to make a point. • “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt 5:44, ESV).

34. If we are to love our enemies, can’t we love our own families?

35. How do we love our in-laws?

36. Appreciate what they have given you.

37. Appreciate what they have given you. • Try to understand their motivation.

38. Appreciate what they have given you. • Try to understand their motivation. They generally act out of love for our families.

39. Appreciate what they have given you. • Try to understand their motivation. They generally act out of love for our families. • Make a list of every admirable quality they possess.

40. Appreciate what they have given you. • Try to understand their motivation. They generally act out of love for our families. • Make a list of every admirable quality they possess. • Focus on those good qualities.

41. Appreciate what they have given you. • Try to understand their motivation. They generally act out of love for our families. • Make a list of every admirable quality they possess. • Focus on those good qualities. • “Out of the heart come evil thoughts” (Mt 15:19, ESV).

42. Appreciate what they have given you. • Try to understand their motivation. They generally act out of love for our families. • Make a list of every admirable quality they possess. • Understand that if you really detest your in-laws, you wouldn’t have married your spouse.

43. Appreciate what they have given you. • Try to understand their motivation. They generally act out of love for our families. • Make a list of every admirable quality they possess. • Understand that if you really detest your in-laws, you wouldn’t have married your spouse. We have quite a bit of our parents in us.

44. Let us love our in-laws!

45. Ruth Leaves 1:15-18

46. Naomi “said, ‘See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.’ But Ruth 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.’ And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more” (Ruth 1:15-18, ESV).

47. Let’s refresh ourselves with Ruth’s story.

48. Let’s refresh ourselves with Ruth’s story. • There was a famine in Judah & Elimelech took his wife Naomi & his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, and went to Moab.

49. Let’s refresh ourselves with Ruth’s story. • There was a famine in Judah & Elimelech took his wife Naomi & his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, and went to Moab. • Elimelech died & his two sons married Moabite women, Ruth & Orpah.

50. Let’s refresh ourselves with Ruth’s story. • There was a famine in Judah & Elimelech took his wife Naomi & his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, and went to Moab. • Elimelech died & his two sons married Moabite women, Ruth & Orpah. • In time, Mahlon & Chilion both die, leaving 3 widows in 1 family.