Ruth 1:1-18 You may have noticed that immigration is in the news. That’s because it’s a major political issue in this election season. Nevertheless, most of us are descendants of immigrants, whether our ancestors came in colonial days or more recently. When it comes to the Bible, there are numerous immigration stories that might speak to our situation. Consider this confession in Deuteronomy about Abraham: “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor, he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous.” (Deut. 26:5). This morning we hear the story of Naomi, her husband Elimelech, and two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, who migrated to Moab when famine hit their homeland in Israel. While the family resided in Moab, they added to their family two Moabite women who became the wives of Naomi’s sons. Unfortunately, all the men in her life died. Nevertheless, Naomi’s daughters-in-law remained loyal to her. One ...
Sermons of a Disciples Preacher Ministering in Troy, Michigan