The Lakeland evening telegram., 1920-04-24
Sunday School
Lesson

es in fact, the whole book. 1t is one |
of the most beautiful love stories ever |
written-between two books of war
and lawlessness. Because of lack or
space I'll not deal with the book as
to its part of the Bible, but from an
evangelistic point.
"A certain man (verse u of Beth
lehem house of bread) went
to sojourn in Moab" He went be-
cause of famine-of bread-and he
took his wife and two sons with him.
Moab was a heather land. They re-
mained there until the husband and ,
two sons died.
Sometime after this Naomi heard
that the famine was over and she
starts back home and her two daugh-
ters with her. They go all right
part of the way and then Naomi seeks
to send them back to their gods. With
Orpha she succeeded but Ruth-as
railroad men put it-she fell down,
and she went with her all the way
and the result was that she became
the great grandmother Of David
(Math. 1:5) and her blood flowed
through the body of Jesus; but poor
Crpha, we never hear of her again.
The whole city was greatly moved
when they saw Naomi back again, and
it was the beginning of barley harvest
| (verse 22).
Now let us spiritualize this whole
thing.
Bethlehem is type Of what the
church is to the Christian and Moab
is type of the world-its goddess
ness-to the Christian, so when a
Christian goes back into the world
from the church we call them back
sliLders. And that's what they were.
A bad job, indeed, for a man to drag
his family from the church back into
the world!
Well, they stayed there until her
husband and sons were deed. Their
are three classes of backsliders in the
Bible, and we get all three Of them
in this story. The three men are one
class Naomi is second and Orpah is
the third
In 1st Cor. 3:15, we see God deal
ing with the first class In Luke
15:11 to 80 we see his dealing with
the second and in Heb. 6:1 to 6 we
see the fearful dealing with the third.
Let me ask my reader what class, if
either, he is in. There is a lot Of
other scripture dealing with all class
es but enough to teach the awful loss
in back sliding.
Now, back to Naomi.
1t was against the law for her boys
to marry those girls and that is whJ
she tried so hard to send them back,
She could stand the whole program.
in Moab, but she did mt want the
church to know about it, so she'd send
them back. Does my reader see his
orb er picture in this. Such conduct
is sure to send away those whom they
should take to Jesus.
Naomi was backslider, but even
at that Ruth said by her conduct that
Naomi was better than any Of her
people and she wanted to both live
and die with her and her people,-or
lin the church with Gods people.
Now verse IS: When Naomi saw that
Ruth was steadfast she left off per
suading." Sure, you see, some say
no in manner that sounds like yes.
young wife went with her husband
to a dance-not to dance-because
she was Christian, sitting behind
the stove, and one came up so full of
glee and asked:
why aren't you dancing?"
Her answer was: Il don't know
how
"Oh, well. III show you.
And soon she was on the floo..
whereas, if she'd answered as Ruth,
"Oh, I've something so much better
that I'd not spit on the best dance the
devil ever made.
The beginning of the barley harvest
was just on at their arrival verse %,
beg to say, to the great joy of my
soul, that l, too, struck barley har-
vest when l was converted; found the
house of bread and what is still more,
that was thirty yeass ago last No
| vember, and the harvest is still on
and the best of it it is still ahead
The whole city Church verse 49,
was moved when she came How
\ the church is moved when a soul Is
truly converted. And in heaven a
\ shout goes up because not only soul
\ is saved but another worker on God 5
/ side. Loved ones who have been il
Il and of our homes are in that throng
Il Don't they shout when they see us
H coming, and who more than our own
H blessed Savior.
Now verse 10: They went until
II they came to Bethlehem.
Il Poor Ohpah didn't do that. Oh. how
\ many start, but for some cause theG
I don't go through. And sure they miss
H salvation outright, but some fail in
\ not giving God the glory See Jer
H 1916: Give glory to the Lord your
H God before he cause darkness and
\ before your feet stumble upon the
n dark mountains, and, while you look
I for light, he turn it into the shadow
II OF death or make it gross darkness
Il Our God gave bis son. His son gave
himself and he gave the Holy Spirit
Let no one think he shall have the
II joy of salvation if he does not wit
II ness to all he has. Luke 1871. Jesus
\ asked for the nine who were cleansed
4 and did not come back to thank him
II A Christian does not need 10 steal or
Il cuss to serve the devil, but just keep
II still. Yes, l know some of you will
\ talk about the hypocrite, but, look
| out there may be one walking under
your hat Psa. 1912. The word says,
Let the redeemed of the Lord say
So"