主題---你往哪裏去，我也往那裏去（星期五～日）

你往哪裏去，我也往那裏去

經節 路得記01：1~18

1:1 當士師秉政的時候，國中遭遇饑荒。在猶大的伯利恆，有一個人帶著妻子和兩個兒子往摩押地去寄居。1:2 這人名叫以利米勒，他的妻名叫拿俄米；他兩個兒子，一個名叫瑪倫，一個名叫基連，都是猶大伯利恆的以法他人。他們到了摩押地，就住在那裏。1:3 後來拿俄米的丈夫以利米勒死了，剩下婦人和她兩個兒子。1:4 這兩個兒子娶了摩押女子為妻，一個名叫俄珥巴，一個名叫路得，在那裏住了約有十年。1:5 瑪倫和基連二人也死了，剩下拿俄米，沒有丈夫，也沒有兒子。1:6 她就與兩個兒婦起身，要從摩押地歸回；因為她在摩押地聽見耶和華眷顧自己的百姓，賜糧食與他們。1:7 於是她和兩個兒婦起行離開所住的地方，要回猶大地去。1:8 拿俄米對兩個兒婦說：「你們各人回娘家去吧。願耶和華恩待你們，像你們恩待已死的人與我一樣！1:9 願耶和華使你們各在新夫家中得平安！」於是拿俄米與她們親嘴。她們就放聲而哭，1:10 說：「不然，我們必與你一同回你本國去。」1:11 拿俄米說：「我女兒們哪，回去吧！為何要跟我去呢？我還能生子作你們的丈夫嗎？1:12 我女兒們哪，回去吧！我年紀老邁，不能再有丈夫；即或說，我還有指望，今夜有丈夫可以生子，1:13 你們豈能等著他們長大呢？你們豈能等著他們不嫁別人呢？我女兒們哪，不要這樣。我為你們的緣故甚是愁苦，因為耶和華伸手攻擊我。」1:14 兩個兒婦又放聲而哭，俄珥巴與婆婆親嘴而別，只是路得捨不得拿俄米。15 拿俄米說：「看哪，你嫂子已經回她本國和她所拜的神那裏去了，你也跟著你嫂子回去吧！」1:16 路得說：「不要催我回去不跟隨你。你往哪裏去，我也往那裏去；你在哪裏住宿，我也在那裏住宿；你的國就是我的國，你的　神就是我的　神。1:17 你在哪裏死，我也在那裏死，也葬在那裏。除非死能使你我相離！不然，願耶和華重重地降罰與我。」1:18 拿俄米見路得定意要跟隨自己去，就不再勸她了。

講道大綱Sermon Outline

1. 在異鄉的寡婦A widow in a foreign land (路得記v.1-6)

2. 獨自忍受痛苦Suffering alone in bitterness (路得記v.7-13)

3. 恩待成肉身Loving kindness becoming flesh (路得記v.14-18)

Wherever You Go, I Will Go

Scripture: Ruth 1:1-18

1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. 2 The man's name was Elimelech, his wife's name Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there. 3 Now Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. 6 When she heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there.

7 With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah. 8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back, each of you, to your mother's home. May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. 9 May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband." Then she kissed them and they wept aloud 10 and said to her, "We will go back with you to your people." 11 But Naomi said, "Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons- 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD's hand has gone out against me!"

14 At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her. 15 "Look," said Naomi, "your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her." 16 But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.

Notes:

1. A widow in a foreign land (v.1-6)

The book of Ruth begins with the phrase ‘in the days when the judges ruled’. It points back to a morally corrupt period of Israel’s history where ‘everyone did as he saw fit’ (Judges 17:6, 21:25). There was a severe famine in the land even the agricultural centre Bethlehem (literally ‘house of bread’) was affected. A man from Judah by the name of Elimelech (literally ‘my God is the king’) was forced to make a fateful decision to move to a foreign and somewhat hostile land of Moab, thus altering his (and his family’s) status from landowner to alien (or sojourners).

Every single name that appears in these beginning verses has a rich and special significance. Naomi, the wife of Elimelech, literally means ‘my pleasant one’ or ‘my lovely one’. Her name will become the subject of a wordplay in 1:20-21 when she laments that she is no longer ‘pleasant’ but ‘bitter’. Mahlon and Kilion, the two sons of Elimelech and Naomi, literally mean ‘weak’ and ‘frail’. These are ominous names that foreshadow the disaster that was to come. Orpah and Ruth were the Moabite women whom the two sons took as wives. Orpah literally means ‘to turn one’s back’ and Ruth literally means ‘friend, companion’. Ironically, Orpah will eventually turn her back on Naomi, while Ruth will display extraordinary friendship as Naomi’s life-long companion.

Disaster soon struck, Elimelech died and Naomi was left to care for the two sons. The widow endured hardship in the foreign land but managed to find two Moabite wives for her sons. Disaster struck again, the two sons also died, leaving Naomi (with Orpah and Ruth) with nothing - no status, no husband, no sons, no land and no protection. It was at this point that Naomi decided to return to her homeland upon hearing that God was providing food for his people again.

Reflection: Do you know of anyone who has experienced devastating loss of loved ones? Are you able to empathize with such a loss? How could you have helped?

2. Suffering alone in bitterness (v.7-13)

Naomi wanted to suffer alone. She may have felt that the death of her husband and two sons was her own burden to bear. She may have wanted to spare Orpah and Ruth from a life of destitute and shame. Naomi dismissed the two daughters-in-law and urged them to return to the home of their mothers. She blessed them by saying, “May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me.” (v.8) The word ‘kindness’ (‘hesed’ in Hebrew) is a key thematic term in the book of Ruth (see 2:20; 3:10). Other possible translations of this word are ‘loyalty’, ‘faithfulness’ or ‘loving kindness’. It is not merely an attitude or an emotion, it is an action performed for the benefit of the other within a deep and enduring relationship. As Naomi was no longer in position to show ‘kindness’ to her daughters-in-law, she prayed that God would. She also blessed Orpah and Ruth that they would find other suitable husbands who would provide for them, then she kissed them.

This initial dismissal should have been enough for Orpah and Ruth. Naomi was right, there was no future for them to be with her. Moabites widows would not have been welcomed by the Israelites. But they insisted on staying with Naomi. At this point, Naomi posed a series of sharp and rhetorical questions to discourage her daughters-in-law – “Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands?” (v.11) In many ways, these questions were quite hurtful to these young widows – and they were probably intended to be so. Naomi then revealed that her true bitterness was against God, as she believed that “the LORD's hand has gone out against me!" (v.13)

Reflection: If we believe that God is in control of all things, then is it right to blame God for human suffering? Why or why not?

3. Loving kindness becoming flesh (v.14-18)

In face of such determined bitterness and with Naomi’s blessing, Orpah turned her back on her mother-in-law, and returned to her own people. But Ruth stayed. She repaid Naomi’s determined bitterness with a determined kindness, saying to her, “where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried.” (v.16-17) This surprising kindness surpassed her duty as a daughter-in-law. It came from a widow who had not yet experienced the kindness of God or people. It came from someone who had all the reason to be bitter with her own suffering (she has also lost her husband). But Ruth was determined to show kindness to Naomi, regardless of what Naomi said or did. Ruth cemented her determination with an oath, in God’s name, that only death itself will part the two women. Naomi relented. The suffering (and the eventual joy) of the two were now inseparable.

Reflection: How do you show kindness to someone who is suffering but who refused to be comforted?

希望弟兄姊妹認真讀經，認真分享，把信仰的種子撥送出去！

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心靈小品

神為我們擋子彈 --- 德福威的故事
不要隨便論斷人
第99封信
鴨子的故事---罪的捆綁
種什麼，收什麼
乞丐與經理的故事---上帝的救贖

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2009/11/06 週五 青年聚會---敬拜讚美
點擊程序可以聽到錄音
1. 愛是不保留.
2. King of Majesty
3. 我的救贖主活著
4. 專題-- 上帝的救贖 --- 吳柏翰牧師

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活動佈告欄

-- 下週五即將送出3台Ipod Shuffle 給認真寫Comments 的契友， 請各位青少年們加油！！

-- 2009年關懷第三世界貧窮小孩「聖誕鞋盒禮物」活動將在11月16日開始到11月21日截止,附上$7元郵資在盒子裏，並在11月20日以前將禮盒交出放在招待處。 ”Operation Christmas Child” is collecting shoeboxes from Nov. 16 until Nov. 21. Please enclose $ 7.- to cover cost of mailing. Deadline is Nov. 20.

-- 11月10日(本週二) 晚上7：30查經禱告會將查考「抹大拉的馬利亞」請參考聖經節：路加7：36-50、8:1-3; 馬可 15:33 – 16:8; 約翰 19:25, 20:1-18),，由許志三牧師主領，請兄姊參加。On Nov. 10(Tues.) at 7:30pm, Bible Study & Prayer group will be studying ‘Mary Magdalene’ (Luke 7:36-50, Luke 8:1-3; Mark 15:33 – 16:8; John 19:25, 20:1-18), led by Rev. Joseph Hsu.

-- 社青在1 1月12日晚上7：30各組將分享阿摩司書總結論，歡迎大家參加。Career Fellowship will present ‘Social Justice in the Book of Amos’ on Nov. 12, 7:30pm at church. We welcome and invite all to participate.

-- 11月１8日(週五)晚上7:30大專、青、少年團契聚會內容是「選擇』，主理者：黃貴美長老。On Nov. 18 at 7:30pm Junior, Youth and University three Fellowship will hold a combine service, topic: “choice”, led by Elder Kuei Mei Huang. All are welcome.

-- 11月29日（週日）下午1點30分 舉辦生活講座--主題/ 更年期應注意事項，由本教會吳松源醫師主領，歡迎弟兄姊妹參加

-- 原訂於11月11日(週三)所舉辦的乒乓球比賽，為鼓勵更多會友參加比賽，將延期到２０１０年１月１日(週五)元旦新年開賽，報名截止日期至12月20日止，歡迎兄姊繼續向董倫欣長老報名，詳情請看公佈欄。 In order to promote fellowship and exercise among church members, a Ping-Pong Game will be held on Friday, Jan. 1st, 2010. Please register with Elder Ivan and registration deadline is December 20th. Please see the contest details on the bulletin board.

-- 由於近日以來，為了避免HINI流行性感冒之傳染，請在教會門口先洗手。 During the flu season, we are reminding everyone to wash hands often to avoid the transmission of H1N1 virus.

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代禱事項

為教會
-- 為本教會吳柏翰牧師的牧會
-- 為教會的青少年事工禱告
-- 為各團契新的輔導及11月底各團契將改選新同工禱告
-- 求神復興我們同工開始 求神復興同工禱告的心（TRC禱告部落格）
-- 為12月20日預備的慕道受洗的朋友---高美秀，Melody，Hilary Chen, Jessica 蔡，11月8日截止報名
-- 請多鼓勵您身旁的年輕人來加入靈修默想禱告的行列！
-- 為新一年度各團契新的輔導服事禱告


為肢體

-- 為社青面對事業上和工作上的壓力
-- 為大專團契許多契友這幾天要面對考試禱告
-- 繼續為Ivy 的眼睛眼角膜的損傷禱告
-- 為國庭晚上能有好的睡眠禱告
-- 為Iren 因搬東西導致坐骨神經受傷禱告

-- 為莉雯的腳痛復發禱告

感謝事項

-- 為Kenny黃的弟弟, 小Wilson 已順利安排進入St-Luc High School 就讀
-- 為伍威，伍揚搬新家順利感謝