Helping The Bride Get Dressed For The Wedding
By: Pamela R. Jeffers
Read the following scriptures:
- Matthew 22:1-14
- Matthew 25:1-13
We are the brides and we need to get ready to meet the bridegroom.
I need you to help me get dressed for my wedding.
My sisters….that is the epitome of true sisterhood.
Helping one another get prepared to meet the bridegroom, Christ.
When I first read the parable of the Ten Virgins, my first thought was….Now why didn’t the ones that had their oil share with the ones that didn’t. Then, they could have all gone into the wedding banquet with the groom. The things that make you go, hum…
Let’s look at the Book of Ruth.
I encourage you that if you haven’t read this book of the Bible that you do so, now. And if you have already read it, do yourself a favor and revisit it. I’m sure that you will be blessed by it.
During this Bible study, we will look at some key points in this story that God wants to speak to your heart about.
Read Ruth 1:1-6
We find in these few verses of scripture that Ruth is a Moabite, but Naomi is an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in Judah, who serves the God of Israel, the one true God.
When reading this one might say that Naomi had hit rock bottom. She lost her husband and her 2 sons. She was left with her 2 daughter in-law’s, who could do nothing for her. They were widows also. In those days, widows were supported by their sons and their families. Naomi didn’t even have grandchildren.
But look at what Naomi does…verse 6 starts out with this…”Then she arose…”
Naomi got up and she responded to something that she heard. She heard that God had visited His people in Judah, by giving them food.
This is what God says to us when we find ourselves in destitute, dire strait, unfavorable circumstances that we believe holds no more hope. He says, “Arise, get up and go! Get up and go to where you can find me!” God is saying, “Get up and go to a place where my favor is…Get up and go to a place where I am pouring out my blessings!!!”
Isaiah 60:1 says:
“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.” (KJV)
Naomi made a choice not to stay in her present circumstances. She wanted to go to where God was pouring our blessings. We should be like that; we should desire to go where God is.
Read Ruth 1:7-18
In these verses we see that Naomi did an unselfish act by telling her 2 daughter in-law’s to return to their own families. She wanted them to each find husbands. She wanted them to be blessed. She knew that she needed to fend for herself and she did not want her daughter in-law’s to be obligated to her.
But we see that in the following verses Ruth refuses to leave. The other daughter Orpah returns to her people and her god.
Isn’t that true of some people…they stay for a while and then they return to what is familiar to them.
But Ruth is determined to stay with Naomi. Even after the insistence of Naomi that Ruth should follow after Orpah, Ruth still clings to Naomi.
In vs. 15-18, Ruth declares to Naomi that Naomi’s God shall be her God.
We have to make sure that the people we choose to stick with are serving the one true living God.
We also see in these verses that Ruth is being a true friend. In fact, a true friend will stick with you even when you are trying to push them away.
Sisters, we need to go the distance with one another. Ruth went all the way back to Bethlehem with Naomi.
Although it is after Naomi and Ruth get to Bethlehem, that she tells the people to call her “Mara”, which means bitter. Naomi means pleasant. I believe that she had to be exhibiting this sort of “bitter” behavior, for quite sometime. For we all know that we usually show what we are felling before we actually put a name on it and confess it as such.
This brings me to the next point…
Naomi calling herself bitter. Naomi named her pain. Before God can show us solutions and His way out of our circumstances, we first have to recognize…admit…and confess…where we are at.
1. We should recognize it in ourselves.
2. We should admit it to God. (He is not afraid for you to tell Him how you are feeling)
3. And sometimes we have to confess it to someone else.
So we find that at the end of Chapter 1:
1. Naomi has lost all hope
2. Her husband is dead
3. Her sons are dead
4. and she has this woman, her daughter in-law who refuses to leave her
But look at what happens right at the beginning of the very next chapter…
God brings HOPE!!!
In verses 1 & 2 of Chapter 2 we find that God brings a solution. God brings Hope.
Boaz is the hope that God brings to these women!
Ruth recognized her destiny and when she expressed it to Naomi in this verse of scripture, Naomi responds with a…You Go!, Girl!!!! (just to paraphrase)
My sisters, we need to surround ourselves around women who are going to encourage us.
Now as we read on we see that the very next thing that Ruth does is step out.
Verse 3 says that “she went”…in order to get what God has for you, you have to step out!!! Ruth stepped out with the blessings of her mother in-law, Naomi.
There are times when we need the support of a sister.
After Ruth stepped out, she was seen and this is what happened next…
In verses 8 & 9 we find that Ruth….
1. was given direction
2. received protection and
3. found favor
And then in verse 10, look at what Ruth does…she bowed down. She showed humility and she acknowledged the favor that she received.
And from that, we see in verses 11 & 12… Ruth is unbelievably BLESSED!!!
Ruth then shares her blessing with Naomi, which is the food she received and what she had gleaned…she was able to take home.
Reading on further we find that Naomi brings confirmation specifically in vs. 20.
Glory to God!!!!
Ruth is receiving favor and preferential treatment from the kinsmen redeemer. Glory to God!!!
As we come into Chapter 3, in verse 1 Naomi makes a declaration. She in essence tells Ruth that she is going to make sure that Ruth prospers. She is going to see to it.
Then Naomi proceeds to give Ruth even further directions. Look at the trust that Ruth had in Naomi (v. 5)
We need to seek out sisters who we can trust. Not women who set out to compete with you or sabotage your plans. Be prayerful as you do this and God will definitely show you who you can trust and who you cannot.
The directions that Naomi gave to Ruth in this chapter were directions of worship. The two women had moved from being hopeless to hopeful. God had brought them to a new level. When you recognize that He has brought you from hopeless to hopeful, you can’t help but worship!!!
Boaz is a man in the book of Ruth, but he represents God. And God responds to worship. Naomi taught Ruth how to worship. And as Ruth worshipped she made a declarative statement. When Boaz asked her who she was in v. 9, her response was “I am Ruth, your maidservant”. This was a declaration of what her choice was. She chose to be the maidservant of Boaz.
And isn’t that true of what God wants from us. He wants us to make Him our choice and to serve Him!!!
By Naomi teaching Ruth about worship, she was in fact serving as Ruth’s bridesmaid.
The purpose behind why a bride needs a bridesmaid is that the bridesmaid is to serve the bride as she passes from one season of her life to another. And low and behold…this is just what Naomi did for Ruth. Ruth was getting ready to go from being a widow to receiving her kinsman redeemer. Glory To God!!!
Read Titus 2:3-5 and 7-8:
My sisters, this is what God wants us to impart to one another. God wants us to impart…
1. Godly counsel
2. Wisdom for living
3. Positive role models
Let’s go back to Chapter 3 in the Book of Ruth. After Ruth did all that Naomi said to do…we see in v. 18, that it is time to just sit and wait. Like the song says, “Be Still And Know That I Am God.”
After we have done all that we can do…it is time to just sit and wait….wait for God to work some things out!
Isaiah 40:31 says:
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”(KJV)
So Naomi and Ruth waited.
But look at what is happening while they are waiting. In Chapter 4, Boaz has an interesting conversation with another kinsman who is actually nearer in relationship to Naomi then Boaz is. He gives this man the opportunity to redeem these women, and it appears that he almost gives up him own right to do that very thing.
But Thanks Be To God!!!
Nothing can stop the plan and will of God. For when you are chosen…You are chosen. Ruth and Boaz were destined to enter Holy Matrimony and they did! Then they had a child that was nursed by Naomi. This is the very lineage that the ruling dynasty of Israel comes from, which began David and ends with Jesus.
It was God’s will that Naomi mentor Ruth. Now, what if Naomi had not mentored Ruth? She would not have received the blessing that God had for her. She would have had to pay a price for her disobedience. When God has someone hook up with you and He tells you to mentor them…do as He tells you. Be obedient for your blessing is tied up to their blessing.
These 2 women were a package deal.
1. Ruth stuck with Naomi; Naomi accepted this.
2. Ruth stepped out; God gave the plan to Naomi
3. Ruth followed Naomi’s instructions; Naomi taught Ruth about worship
4. Ruth received favor; Ruth and Naomi were both redeemed!!!
Naomi helped Ruth get dressed for her wedding and it blessed them both.
