Signs of the Season

Dennis Tuuri

Outline: The Book of Ruth The Coming of the King Sermon Outline for Dec. 18, 4th Sunday in Advent, 2005, Anno Domini, by Pastor Dennis R. Tuuri Introduction – The Final Week of Advent and the O Antiphons (Next Page) Another Love Story of a King and His Bride I. Midnight at the Oasis ( Ch. 3) Love in the Temple – The Reversal of Winglessness Wing – 2:12 ; 3:9 Yahweh-Boaz/Jesus-Ruth/Church/Christian The Threshing Floor, Boaz and the Temple (2 Chr. 3:1 1 Kings 7:21 ) II. Hesed and Chance – The Reversal of Emptiness (Chapter 2) Hesed – 2:20 (see also 1:8; 3:10 ) Chanced – 2:3 Emptiness – 1:21 ; 3:17 A Famine in Breadland and Fruitland (1:1,2) Bethlehem-Moab-Bethlehem; Egypt-Wildnerness-Canaan; Garden-East-Garden/City III. The Coming of the King and Bride - The Reversal of Ladlessness (Chapters 1, 4) Lad – 1:5; 4:16 Elimelech , Judah , Jachin and Boaz From Judges to Kings - The King at Shilo Conclusion No Lads Empty Yahweh’s Wing Boaz’ Wing Not Empty Lad The Coming of the Second Adam Kinsman-Redeemer Ruth 1:16,17 The Seven O Antiphons and O Come, O come Emmanuel ( S apientia) O Wisdom, O holy Word of God (Sir. 24:3), you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care (Wisd. of Sol. 8:1). Come and show your people the way to salvation (Isa. 40:3–5a). O come, Thou Wisdom from on high ,Who orderest all things mightily; To us the path of knowledge show, And teach us in her ways to go. ( A donai) O sacred Lord of ancient Israel (Exod. 6:2–3), who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush (Exod. 3:2), who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain: come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free (Exod. 6:6). O come, O come, great Lord of might, Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height In ancient times once gave the law In cloud and majesty and awe. ( R adix Jesse) O Root of Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples (Isa. 11:10 ; Rom. 15:12 ); kings stand silent in your presence (Isa. 5:15 ); the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid (Hab. 2:3; Heb. 10:37 ). O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree, An ensign of Thy people be; Before Thee rulers silent fall; All peoples on Thy mercy call. ( C lavis David) O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel, controlling at your will the gate of heaven (Is. 22:22; Rev. 3:7): come, break down the prison walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; and lead your captive people into freedom (Is. 42:7; Ps. 107:14;Lk 1:79). O come, Thou Key of David, come, And open wide our heavenly home; Make safe the way that leads on high, And close the path to misery. ( O riens) O Day-Spring (Isa. 58:8), splendor of eternal light (Heb. 1:3), sun of justice (Mal. 4:2): come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death (Luke 1:78–79; Isa. 9:2). O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer Our spirits by Thine advent here; Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death’s dark shadows put to flight. ( R ex Gentium) O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart (Hag. 2:8); O Keystone (Isa. 28:16) of the mighty arch of man (Eph. 2:14 ): come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust (Gen. 2:7). O come, Desire of nations, bind In one the hearts of all mankind; Bid Thou our sad divisions cease, And be Thyself our King of Peace. ( E mmanuel) O Emmanuel (Isa. 7:14, 8:8), king and lawgiver (Isa. 33:22), desire of the nations (Gen. 49:10), Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God. O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear. ERO CRAS “Tomorrow, I will be (come).” Questions from Ruth for Young Hearers 1. There are ___ ___ ___ ___ weeks of Advent. 2.Like the Song of Songs, the book of Ruth is a ___ ___ ___ ___ story. 3. Like the Song of Songs, Ruth is a book about a ___ ___ ___ ___. 4. Like a bird’s ___ ___ ___ ___ on her chick, God’s care is over us. 5. Ruth and Boaz talk at a ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ floor. 6. Like Passover, this meeting happened at ___ ___ ___ ___ ___. 7. The ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ was built on a threshing floor. 8. One of the two pillars at the Temple was named ___ ___ ___ ___. 9.Hesed is a Hebrew word meaning ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___. 10. God showed his hesed to Ruth through ___ ___ ___ ___. 11. Some people show God’s love to others with their Christmas ___ ___ ___ ___ ___. 12. ___ ___ ___ controls everything, even luck or chance! 13. The words “wing,” “lad” and “___ ___ ___ ___ ___” are each used only twice in the book. 14. Like a Christmas stocking, Naomi goes from being empty to being ___ ___ ___ empty. 15. “ Bethlehem ” means house of ___ ___ ___ ___ ___. 16. Like this book, Christmas is about the coming of a ___ ___ ___. 17. You should ___ ___ ___ ___ a King, especially one who loves you!