Ruth 1:16-17 And Ruth said, Urge me not to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts me from you.
We have come a long way with Ruth in the few passages of this first chapter. As a quick review and a bridge to this evening, let us recap a few of the truths that we have seen together in the commitment of Ruth to Naomi, her mother-in-law, and to Naomi’s God and to Naomi’s people. We have seen the solidarity of her love for Naomi. Ruth’s constancy shines throughout this book. We see that she makes wise choices, the greatest of which was choosing Jehovah as her God. 
Ruth took The Lord God Almighty has her God. She set aside and counted as worthless all the gods of the Moabites. She set her heart on the God that had been given expression by Naomi. For ten years, her involvement with Naomi, and apparently Naomi’s faithfulness to God, had produced a longing for more that could not be dismayed. 
In taking Jehovah as her God, she also took God’s people as her own people. She forsook all the attachments to her old life and clung to the new life that she had in Yahweh. Ruth’s choice was an entire choice for God. She did not attempt to serve both her old gods and her new God. She did not try to serve two masters by combining some beliefs of each into a universal package of political correctness. No, she set her heart absolutely and fully upon the Lord God Almighty, Alone. This is the very plan of God for all who will call upon His name. He even went to the tremendous degree of including this gentile woman, whose heart was set up Him, into the very lineage of Jesus Christ.
Ruth accepted the lot of the Hebrews. She was steadfast in her choice after God and His people. We need to accept the people of God as our own people and the lot of His people as our lot. As the world attacks and attempts to defame the name of Christ, so should we be set in our hearts that we, His Church, will be the target of that anger, hostility, and violent upheaval. Please know this and accept the truth that we are counted to suffer together for His name’s sake as we are told by Peter in 1 Peter 5:8-10 Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset — rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you. 
It is in that suffering together that we grow into Christ and into one another. Ruth and Naomi’s relationship deepened more and more as together, they struggled through want and poverty. We also looked to the fact that we are to remember our young people in the Lord. Those of us who have been through the workings and dealings of God should be a support, a comfort, and a steadfast pillar of the love of God for each young Christian, of whatever age. We need to live the fact of Rom 8:28 We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose. And Phil 1:6 And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. 	These must not be just statements made just because they sound like they are appropriate. They must be the lives that we live together as the Body of Christ. These truths are not just to know in our minds, or even in our hearts, but to be the very element of our every step on this earth. Our lives must be a beacon of our assurance and confidence in God. This happens only as we go through the hardships and trials which prove the faithfulness, the comforting ministry, the steadfastness, the grace, the mercy, the divine protection, the righteousness, the holiness the strength, the omniscience, the love and the Lordship of Our God Almighty. As we live in the tremendous reality and surety of these promises, so can we encourage and pray earnestly after the same development in our fellow believers in Christ. 
Just as we seek after the growth into the living relationship with Christ for our young Christians so must we already see them in the reality of that truth and honor them as fellow partakers in Christ. There is no place to ridicule them, to discourage them, to belittle them or in any wise to ignore them. Scripture has much to say about the fact that we are all bound together in the plan of God’s so Great Love, whether Jew or gentile, male or female, young or old, we are seen in Christ Jesus and must see each other from that heavenly perspective.
Gen 22:18 And in your Seed [Christ] shall all the nations of the earth be blessed and [by Him] bless themselves, because you have heard and obeyed My voice.
Gen 28:14 And your offspring shall be as [countless as] the dust or sand of the ground, and you shall spread abroad to the west and the east and the north and the south; and by you and your Offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed and bless themselves. 
That blessing is our oneness in Christ Jesus as His Body of believers, as the Church, His Perfect bride. It is a oneness with each other in Jesus Christ.It is as we live as Ruth did, in singleness of heart. In setting aside everything else and taking, whole-heartedly the mantle of God’s people, that we will see the same incorporation into Christ’s lineage as proved true of Ruth. Consider the fact of Christ’s Lordship over all. Ruth was put into the direct lineage of King David. We, however, have been brought into the immediate family of God in Christ Jesus. We have been made partakers of all that God the Father has always stated in the blessing of Christ’s Lordship over everything.
Ps 22:27+28 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall bow down and worship before You, For the kingship and the kingdom are the Lord's, and He is the ruler over the nations. 
Ps 86:9 All nations whom You have made shall come and fall down before You, O Lord; and they shall glorify Your name. 
Isa 9:2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great Light; those who dwelt in the land of intense darkness and the shadow of death, upon them has the Light shined. 
That light is Christ
Christ the servant
Christ the Beloved Son
The Holy Spirit upon Christ
Isa 42:1, 6+7 BEHOLD MY Servant, Whom I uphold, My elect in Whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice and right and reveal truth to the nations. 
We have that some Holy Spirit upon us to show forth the righteousness, the spiritual vision, the spiritual vision, the spiritual liberty, the spiritual life our Divine Keeper
- I the Lord have called You [the Messiah] for a righteous purpose and in righteousness; I will take You by the hand and will keep You; I will give You for a covenant to the people [Israel], for a light to the nations [Gentiles], To open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those who sit in darkness from the prison. 
In Christ we have our strength, our hope, our salvation, our redemption, our life.
Isa 49:6+7 He says, It is too light a thing that you should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors [of the judgments] of Israel; I will also give you for a light to the nations, that My salvation may extend to the end of the earth. Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, Israel's Holy One, to him whom man rejects and despises, to him whom the nations abhor, to the servant of rulers: Kings shall see you and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, because of the Lord, Who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, Who has chosen you. 
With our eyes and our hearts open unto God, we are enabled to see what is true already. Christ exalted, Christ glorified, Christ as King, Christ over all the domain of creation, Christ reigning for eternity.
Dan 7:13+14 I saw in the night visions, and behold, on the clouds of the heavens came One like a Son of man, and He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And there was given Him [the Messiah] dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and His kingdom is one which shall not be destroyed. 
Then consider the fact that God is the One Who has chosen us unto Himself. There is no merit on our part. There is nothing that we can claim as a reason for God’s including us together in Christ. He Alone knows why He chose us from among all the peoples of the earth. He Alone has set us apart unto Himself in Christ Jesus. He Alone is the Supreme and Almighty God Who opened His tremendous and incomprehensible heart of Love unto and into us. It is His grace Alone that has called us into fellowship with Him and with each other in Him.
Hos 2:23 And I will sow her for Myself anew in the land, and I will have love, pity, and mercy for her who had not obtained love, pity, and mercy; and I will say to those who were not My people, You are My people, and they shall say, You are my God! 
	1 Peter 2:9+10 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God's] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light… Once you were not a people [at all], but now you are God's people; once you were unpitied, but now you are pitied and have received mercy.
Mal 1:11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting My name shall be great among the nations, and in every place incense shall be offered to My name, and indeed a pure offering; for My name shall be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. 
Eph 3:5+6 [This mystery] was never disclosed to human beings in past generations as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles (consecrated messengers) and prophets by the [Holy] Spirit. [It is this:] that the Gentiles are now to be fellow heirs [with the Jews], members of the same body and joint partakers [sharing] in the same divine promise in Christ through [their acceptance of] the glad tidings (the Gospel).
Acts 13:47-49 For so the Lord has charged us, saying, I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles (the heathen), that you may bring [eternal] salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth. … And when the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified (praised and gave thanks for) the Word of God; and as many as were destined (appointed and ordained) to eternal life believed (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Jesus as the Christ and their Savior). And so the Word of the Lord [concerning eternal salvation through Christ] scattered and spread throughout the whole region. 
Acts 15:7-9 And after there had been a long debate, Peter got up and said to them, Brethren, you know that quite a while ago God made a choice or selection from among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the message of the Gospel [concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God] and believe (credit and place their confidence in it). And God, Who is acquainted with and understands the heart, bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit as He also did to us; And He made no difference between us and them, but cleansed their hearts by faith (by a strong and welcome conviction that Jesus is the Messiah, through Whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God). 
Rom 9:24+25 Even including ourselves whom He has called, not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles (heathen)? Just as He says in Hosea, Those who were not My people I will call My people, and her who was not beloved [I will call] My beloved.
God’s Word is sure
It is filled with the mercy of God, the praise of God, worship of God, rejoicing in God, spiritual joy in God, the divine protection and administration of God, and the sovereignty of God.
 Rom 15:8-12 For I tell you that Christ (the Messiah) became a servant and a minister to the circumcised (the Jews) in order to show God's truthfulness and honesty by confirming (verifying) the promises [given] to our fathers, And [also in order] that the Gentiles (nations) might glorify God for His mercy [not covenanted] to them. As it is written, Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles and sing praises to Your name. … Again it is said, Rejoice (exult), O Gentiles, along with His [own] people; … And again, Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise Him! … And further Isaiah says, There shall be a Sprout from the Root of Jesse, He Who rises to rule over the Gentiles; in Him shall the Gentiles hope. 
Gal 3:14 To the end that through [their receiving] Christ Jesus, the blessing [promised] to Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, so that we through faith might [all] receive [the realization of] the promise of the [Holy] Spirit. 
Then, as in the case of Ruth, her placement into the Royal lineage of David, so are we put into the royal lineage of the Son of Man, Jesus Christ. While David’s reign was limited geographically and ended with his death, Christ’s reign is eternal and over every kindred, tribe and nation, both in the heaven and on the earth. 
Rev 11:15 The seventh angel then blew [his] trumpet, and there were mighty voices in heaven, shouting, The dominion (kingdom, sovereignty, rule) of the world has now come into the possession and become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ (the Messiah), and He shall reign forever and ever (for the eternities of the eternities)! 
Rev 15:4 Who shall not reverence and glorify Your name, O Lord [giving You honor and praise in worship]? For You only are holy. All the nations shall come and pay homage and adoration to You, for Your just judgments (Your righteous sentences and deeds) have been made known and displayed.
Isa 45:22+23 Look to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself, the word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness and shall not return, that unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear [allegiance].
We close this evening with Phil 2:9-11 in which we see Christ exalted, Christ’s wonderful name, Christ worshipped, and Christ’s Lordship and the recognition by all of what we know now in our worship unto our Lord Jesus Christ being the means by which God, Father, Son, and Spirit will be glorified forever and forever.
Phil 2:9-11 Therefore [because He stooped so low] God has highly exalted Him and has freely bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, That in (at) the name of Jesus every knee should (must) bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, And every tongue [frankly and openly] confess and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

And Ruth said, Urge me not to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God…