How To End Your Sermon Series On The Book Of Ruth!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the way Pastor Edward Donnelly ended his sermon series on the book of Ruth:

The book begins with famine; it ends with riches. 

It begins with sorrow; it ends with joy. 

It begins with loneliness; it ends with a family. 

It begins with despair; it ends with hope. 

It begins with an end; and it ends with a beginning. 

It begins with death; it ends with life. 

It begins with a widow; it ends with a [wife and] mother. 

It begins with a corpse; it ends with a baby. 

It begins in Moab; and it ends in Bethlehem. 

Marvelously written book. 

And it is the redeemer. It is the redeemer who changes the beginning into the end. And the end of the book is a little baby born in Bethlehem. And so the whole book leads and points to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is in Him that God's purposes are found. 

It is Christ Who brings us from famine to riches. 

It is Christ Who leads us from sorrow to joy. 

It is Christ Who takes us from loneliness and brings us into the family of God. 

It is Christ Who delivers us from despair and gives us hope. 

It is Christ Who saves us from death and gives us everlasting life. 

In Him alone is our hope. 

Do you know this Redeemer? Have you called on Him as Ruth called on Boaz? Have you received His grace. If you have not, you're nearing the end of your happiness. If you have, your happiness is just beginning. Amen.

Sinclair Ferguson's ending is powerful as well:

There is no suggestion in this book that there is anything in this world that could conceivably compensate for those losses. The author is not saying to us, “Now she was happy all the day and the memories of pain and grief were healed forever.” No, what he’s saying to us is that the LORD brought to her the fullness of His gracious restoration. But not the end of the pains and the sorrows of this life. And perhaps that’s where we ought to end our studies in this great book. By the recognition that the blessings God gives to His children, the restoration He brings to His people, the fullness that He gives to us in Jesus Christ is a fullness that restores us to the joy of fellowship with God and gives us indications of the glorious purposes of God. It’s never a fullness that explains ultimately and finally all the mysteries of God’s providence in our lives. Because you see the truth about Naomi’s life was – it could never have been long enough for her to see what God was really planning to do through the griefs and the pains and the sorrows she’d experienced in Moab . . . in Naomi’s life, out of Naomi’s darkness, in Naomi’s sorrow, He was planning to bring Ruth into His kingdom, to bring Ruth to Boaz, to bring Obed to the birth, to bring David to the throne, and to bring ultimately great King David’s greater Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to the manger in Bethlehem, to the cross at Calvary, and to the throne of God in glory as the great Kinsman Redeemer and Savior of His people . . . the final answer to our final needs can be found only in the final Kinsman Redeemer, our Savior Jesus Christ . . . the ultimate explanation of the mysteries, the pains, the tragedies, the darkness, the sorrow of life – “My God, what are you doing? Life is so bitter!” says Naomi. The answer is this: I’m working in you in order that Jesus Christ may fully and finally be your Savior. And we need therefore to look beyond even the blessings that He gives to us to the Savior, the Kinsman Redeemer, Who was born in Bethlehem in order to bring us the fullness of God’s grace. My dear friends, in the face of this exquisite story, don’t you want to trust Him?

To learn more about the great Triune God, the God-Man, Jesus Christ, and His glorious Gospel message and everlasting Kingship, please watch American Gospel: Christ Alone. You can watch the full documentary here with a free, 3 day trial.

Helpful Resources On The Book Of Ruth

1. Sermons on Ruth by John Piper

2. Sermons on Ruth by Mark Dever

3. Sermons on Ruth on Monergism

4. Commentary on Ruth by Precept Austin

5. Top Five Commentaries on Ruth by Ligonier Ministries

6. Best Commentaries on Ruth by Tim Challies

7. Love Story: A Study In Ruth by David Platt