Please open your Bibles this morning once again to the book of Ruth, beginning in your pew Bible on page 282. This morning we'll be considering verses 7-14. I'll begin reading in verse 6. Let us hear this as the Word of God. Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, Go return each of you to her mother's house. May the Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find rest each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them and lifted up their voices and wept. And they said to her, no, we will return with you to your people. But Naomi said, turn back my daughters, why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me. And they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. Thus saith the Lord. Let's ask His blessing this morning. O Lord, as we come before your word, we come desiring that you would instruct us according to your truth. O Father, we come needing a word for our souls. We have come this day into your house to hear you speak. Speak to us now, O Lord, as your word has been read. You have spoken. Speak further, Father, in the preaching. Anoint your servant that he may speak your truth and be with your people that they may have hearts to receive it. We ask it in Jesus' name, Amen. Well, as we return to this passage this morning, you remember last week we considered verses 6 and 7, the beginning of verse 7, and we spoke about how the afflictions suffered in Moab and the news of mercy's abounding in Bethlehem worked in tandem in Naomi's life to make her ready and willing to leave Moab and return to Judah. Well, this morning we read as we pick up this passage in our exposition in verse seven, we read that as Naomi begins the journey homeward, she's not alone. She is accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, Ruth, which in the end, of course, clings to Naomi as her own daughter. But then Orpah, who eventually returns to Moab after Naomi's, had opened her eyes to the prospects which awaited her in Judah if she went on. So, this morning we're going to focus just on Orpah. We'll trace both of these dear ladies through this passage, but then we'll follow Orpah at the end and, Lord willing, next week we will follow Ruth. Because there's more here than meets the eye. This is not just a story of Orpah preferring Moab to Bethlehem. It is essentially a story of how Orpah preferred the gods of Moab to the God of Israel. It's a story of Orpah preferring the world to heaven. And therefore, it's a story that about all of those, about the many, maybe in our own experience and certainly throughout the history of the world, the many who began following Christ with determination, only to abandon ship at the first storm. Once they realized that the cost of a life of Christian discipleship was so great, they decided to abandon the path of self-denial and return to the glitter of the world. And so it's really with this larger story in mind that we want to trace Orpah's steps because our Lord has told us that the way is narrow and few there be that find it. Few there be who endure to the end and be saved. There are many who begin. Christ had a crowd following Him. He even in John 6 had many disciples following after Him. And yet, after his hard teaching in John 6, we are told that many turned away and could go no further, which is when Christ, of course, turned to Peter and the others. Will you too go away? We'll come back to that passage actually next week, because Peter's response, of course, is to the Lord. Lord, whom shall we go? You alone have the words of eternal life. So, this is something we need to reckon with. The Lord has said that the way is narrow. How narrow is it? Apparently, it's too narrow for Orpah. And that's why Christ tells us, as we read already in Luke 14, Christ tells us to count the cost of following Him. Because as 2 Peter 2.21 says, It would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness, than after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them." In the end, greater is the judgment of God upon those who have walked the path with the people of God and for a time, but then turned back, than it will be upon those who never walked that path. That's why the five virgins who were shown to not have enough oil are called foolish. Why foolish? They were on the path, they were with the others, but they were fools to not count the cost and bring enough oil. Orpah proves to be a fool as well. So, we want to consider this. The story of Orpah has three parts to it. Very simply, you can see this in your outline. First of all, she begins the journey. Secondly, she is forced to examine her resolve. And then thirdly, she reveals her heart. So, look at verse 7. We're told, of course, that Naomi sets out for Judah, and we hear nothing of her daughter's-in-law trying to dissuade her from this journey. Nor do we read of anything from Naomi trying to persuade them to accompany her. Instead, we're simply told, both in verse 6 and in verse 7, we're told that when Naomi arose to depart, they simply arose with her and departed with her. Now, for Naomi, this is a decision, as we learned before, which arose from the gracious work of God upon her heart. Moab was embittered to her by affliction. And Israel was endeared to her by the news of God's mercy and grace for her there. And so, we're not surprised to see Naomi at this point arising and departing. In fact, we wonder why she didn't leave sooner. Certainly, many of these afflictions would not have happened had she left earlier, had she never come, of course. But it is a surprise to see Orpah and Ruth arising and departing, setting out with Naomi. After all, they're not Israelites. There's no promise of anything for them in Bethlehem. Their parents are still alive and well, and they're still young enough to remarry and have children, to have a family. It makes no sense at all for them to leave with Naomi because the relationship they had with her has been dissolved by death. They're no longer bound to this lady. She was their mother-in-law, but no further in a legal sense. And on top of that, of course, Naomi is poor and destitute. She has nothing. And there is nothing in which they could hope to share once she comes back to Bethlehem. What awaits her? Fields in which she shall glean. She has nothing. And so, there's really nothing drawing her. There's no riches. There's no great estate. There's nothing that should draw them to follow her, and yet they do. And so the fact that they arise and depart with her testifies of the great love that they had for their mother-in-law and, of course, the great love which she had borne toward them over the years that they had been together. If they were willing to leave their own mothers and go with Naomi, it can only mean that they loved her as their own mothers and that she treated them as her own daughters. And this is a point we shouldn't pass by too quickly. Because the rarity of this kind of a relationship among the people of God is shameful. The rarity of this devotion and love. How do, how often do our relationships with our in-laws lack Christian virtue? And in all honesty, who gets the brunt of most of our jokes but the mother-in-law? And yet, look at this relationship. We should take this exhortation from verse 7. Let mothers-in-law imitate the kindness and the affection of Naomi. But yet, daughters-in-law, let daughters-in-law, let sons-in-law imitate the devotion and the love of Orpah and Ruth to Naomi. Because who knows what might be worked in the Kingdom of Christ by the love shown to in-laws and the love received from in-laws. Let's face it. What was it at this point that really drew Ruth to the people of God, the God of Israel, the land of Israel? What was it? Certainly, as we will see, it is the Spirit of God above all else. But what was the testimony? that Ruth had to endear God and Israel to her. It wasn't the Bible, a prophet, a priest, the ordinances, the tabernacle. It was Naomi. Naomi, her Christian virtue, her love, her compassion, her Christ-likeness endeared God to Ruth. So, let us follow the example in this relationship and see what God will do. And so, Orpah and Ruth, like Naomi, were simply told they dropped everything. And they began this long walk to Bethlehem. But after, we're told, not far, we are not told how far, but after they had accompanied her a distance, it would seem farther than kindness can explain. We walk our guests to the door and bid them farewell. We walk them maybe to their cars and wave them goodbye. It would seem that this kind of kindness has accompanied Orpah and Ruth as they walk with Naomi some distance, maybe to the borders of Moab, maybe just beyond. But it's at this point, whenever it is, that walking finally in the book gives way to talking, when Naomi appeals to them to go back, go back to their own mothers, and she commends them. to the care and the provision of the Lord God. Look at verses 8 and 9. Naomi's appeal consists of two things, an exhortation and a prayer. And her exhortation is just this, that they return each of them to their mother's home. Now, at this point, some have censured Naomi for this, saying that it was wrong for her to direct these young ladies back to idolatrous Moab. She should have encouraged him to flee the idolatry of their homeland and to come to Israel and to place their faith in the Lord God Jehovah. But I believe such a judgment misjudges Naomi and therefore misses and fails to see how commendable her conduct is at this point. I'll try to show you. Look at her exhortation, her exhortation that they go back. really arises from three concerns, I think. First of all, there is her concern that they owed their mothers more love and devotion than they owed their mother-in-law, especially when that tie was no longer established by a marriage. Why should they make such a sacrifice as this for her to leave everything and to be sojourners in a foreign land? Why would they do this? They should return to their father's headship. They should return to their mother's care. Secondly, there's a practical concern for their outward Welfare. It would be better for them to go back to their mothers and look to be married again rather than to come into Israel and share the widowhood and the poverty that awaited Naomi. And third, there's her concern to test the sincerity of their resolve to come with her to Judah. Because if they're only coming to Bethlehem for her, then they will live quickly to regret their decision. And they'll only turn back later. They'll only turn back to their shame after they've been there a few months, maybe a few weeks, maybe a year or two. They will turn back in shame. In shame to themselves, in shame to Naomi, in shame to their parents and their relatives. Now they come wandering back. I told you you should have never gone, they'll tell them. Think of all that would happen. And so, there is this desire on Naomi, on Naomi's part, to test the sincerity. They're resolved to go with me. How resolved are they? Do they really understand what they're doing? She wants to put this to the test. So Naomi knows that she thinks about it. She knows that they've not thought through the implications and the consequences of coming with her. And so she's compelled to lay it out in technicolor so that they might be well informed of what awaits them should they press on with her to Bethlehem. So I think in this, Naomi is wise. She is wise to put them to the test and see how willing they are to embrace her people as their people and her land and her God, when it includes her future as a widow. Have you really thought about this? But then joined to this exhortation that they return is a prayer, a prayer that she offers up to God on their behalf. And this prayer has two parts. Look at verses eight and then nine. In verse eight, she prays. that the Lord God might deal as kindly with them as they have dealt with her and the dead, which means, of course, her two sons. Secondly, verse nine, she prays more specifically that the Lord might give them rest in the home of a second husband. There's four things in this prayer which I think further evidence her commendable conduct. First of all, notice that she essentially directs these ladies to look to the God of Israel for their blessings. There's no mention of Chemosh here, the God of Moab. There's no mention of going back to the gods of Moab and find your refuge in those gods which are just as good as my God over in Israel. No. She prays and directs them in this prayer to look to the Lord God. Blessings come from Him and Him alone. And so it is a confession of the Lord alone as God. If they are to find blessings, it will only be from him, she is saying. Secondly, she reveals a confidence that God would recompense them for their kindness toward her, that God would be the merciful rewarder of the kindness that they have shown and the love they have shown their spousal and their filial love, which they have shown to their husbands before they passed. And of course, to Naomi as a mother in law. Thirdly, she reveals a confidence that God's grace could reach them in Moab. And I think that is very significant because what is she is saying? She is saying just as God's grace came to her when she was in the fields of Moab, so she is confident in this prayer that if they seek refuge in the Lord God, even if they are in Moab, God will come to them in grace. None has ever sought the Lord God in vain. So she is confident that He would bless them even there and that He would care for them. And number four, she reveals a confidence not only that marriage is a blessing from the Lord, even second marriages when lawful, but that God would bless them to marry again. She prays that they would have rest in the home of a husband. because the troubles that have come upon them has, as she says in verse 13, it's been her fault. Why should they suffer? Why should they suffer for my sins? They have suffered so much already. Lord, bless them. Give them rest in the home of their husbands. And so she's confident of that. And so you can see this appeal, I think, is commendable if we understand it and not to be censured. But then look at their response. Look at verses 9 and 10. First of all, in verse 9 we're told, that they all lifted up their voices and they wept. So again, this reveals their great affection for Naomi. Their hearts broke at the thought of leaving her. But then secondly, this affection gives way to their resolution now. It comes out. Nothing has been set up to this point as to their resolution. But now in verse 10, they are resolved. They said, no, but we will return with you to your people. They were unshaken by her appeal, and they both, Orpah and Ruth, both passionately expressed their resolve to forsake their mother to be with their mother-in-law, to forsake their people to be with her people. But it's at this point that Naomi is even more concerned. Because notice what they said. We will go with you to be with your people. What are you looking for from my people? What are they really after? What are these young ladies really expecting? Have they really attached themselves to God? Or are they looking for something else? And so, at this point, Naomi is concerned that they're following her for the wrong reasons. She's concerned that they're following her in hopes of her providing them with some livelihood and provision in Bethlehem, some future, a future worth embracing, a future worth leaving what they have in Moab. She's concerned that they have not counted the cost of making her people their people. She's concerned that they don't realize that her people are the people of God. which means that the only thing she can offer them is that for which she is returning. And that is the protection, the provision, and the promise of God. If that's enough for them, then they can come. But if it's not enough for them, then let it be known now. Turn back now and go no further. So, in verses 11-13, Naomi does what Christ did in Mark chapter 10, which I read earlier. Naomi does what Christ did with the rich young ruler, and she calls them to count the cost of joining themselves to her people, her land, her God. She presses them to examine their resolve, whether their affection is only for her and what they hope she can do for them, or whether they're willing to join themselves. to God under whose wings she is now seeking refuge in repentance. And so in verse 11, she says, turn back, my daughters. Why will you go with me? She calls them to an account. Why? And then verse 12, turn back, my daughters, go your way. And she gives them now these reasons why they mustn't come with her. if they're hoping that she can provide for them. Now, look at what she says. She has no more sons for them to marry. Secondly, she's too old to have a husband. And thirdly, even if she were to have a husband this night and conceive this night, would they wait until he was grown and able to marry them? Would they not themselves then be beyond the age of childbearing? In other words, she's trying to make it very clear there is nothing she can do for them that they should come back to Judah to receive. So she says, turn back my daughters. Now, some have asked at this point, well, Naomi knew very well of the law of the kinsman redeemer. Naomi knew that if a husband dies. The brother of that dead husband had the responsibility to bring forth children at God's blessing, of course, bring forth children to that widow that the firstborn might take on the deceased husband's name and his name might not be erased. Gone out of Israel. So, she knows of this law. This is a law that God has established in Israel. It's upon this law that Boaz redeems Ruth and marries Ruth in place of her husband, Machlon. So, Boaz has The responsibility to do that, and he does so, and this is how Ruth is brought into the line of the Israel people, and indeed, into Jesus' own line. So, Naomi knew of this law of the kinsman-redeemer, and this law would make it possible, very possible, for them to marry in Bethlehem and to have a family. But notice, in this passage, she does not mention it. Why not? Wouldn't that have been an encouragement? Wouldn't that have been a reason for them to stay the journey? Why doesn't she mention it? It's because of this. It's because the Lord's yoke will prove unbearable to that heart that only set out to follow Him for carnal reasons. In other words, it would almost be manipulation to make all of these grand promises and woo them by these promises which she cannot keep on her own. and woo them to Israel, and then they come. None of them are fulfilled. They cannot come for these things. They cannot come for these reasons. If they're coming back to Judah, it mustn't be for Judah's land. Judah just went through a famine. Moab still had plenty. It mustn't be for Judah's land. It mustn't be for Judah's people. It mustn't be for Judah's husbands or families. It must only be for Israel's God. If they're coming back for these other reasons, they will fall short in their expectations. It must be out of a desire to commit themselves to God and to entrust themselves to what it means to belong to God's people and live in God's land. What does it mean to come under the care of God's wings? It may mean widowhood for the rest of their days. It may not mean marriage. It may not mean children. It may mean a trial and suffering and hardship until the day that they die. It may mean that. Would you then still come? You remember when the man comes to say to Christ, the young man, I will follow you wherever you go. At that point, we would say, Christ should have said, well, let's go. But instead, what does the Lord Jesus say? Foxes have holes. Birds of the air have nests. The Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. Will you still come? The young man would go no further. If that's what it means, if that's how hard it is, I'm not coming. I expected better. Well, if these young ladies expect something along these lines, then it's better to turn back. What are their motives? Naomi doesn't know. Naomi would test to save them hardship. She would love for them to cling to her God. She would love for them to take a hold of her coattail as it says in the Scriptures, it says, Are you a Jew? I will follow you. She would love that. She would love for them to flee the idolatry of Moab. And if that's their motivation, then nothing she says will put them off the journey. If that's not their motivation, been laying out the reality, the cost of discipleship will turn them back. Look at verse 13. Here, Naomi summarizes her argument to these young ladies when she says, it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me. We could spend a lot of time here. What Naomi is saying is that it grieves her that her sins have already caused them so much suffering. It grieves her. This is important. This verse is very important. Because it tells us that we have interpreted the previous verses correctly. Understanding the suffering in Moab as being God's chastisement against Naomi and her family because of their wandering away from Him in Israel. Understanding these afflictions in Moab to be God's chastisement in order to bring her back. Naomi here makes this confession and acknowledgement. The Lord's hand has been against me. afflicted me in Moab. The Lord has done it because I sinned against Him when I left Israel." Verse 13 provides the key that assures us that what we have said so far about the previous verses in the last few sermons has been correct. But what she is saying to these ladies is that if they don't turn back now, they've already suffered under the chastisement that was brought upon them because of her sins. But if they don't turn back now, then they'll be forced to live with her under the further consequence, the bitter consequence and end result of her sins. And that is that they'll be reduced with her to a life of widowhood. That's what she expects. They should not expect anything more. If they go with her, they will live with her. They will be gleaners in the field. And that's all they should expect. If that's enough, then come. If it's not enough, then shouldn't you go home? Well, this brings us then to verse 14, the effect of Naomi's speech. At first, of course, both Orpah and Ruth are much affected by her words because the verse says again that they again lift up their voices and they wept. Their hearts were broken at her words. But notice. Sooner or later. The gospel of Jesus Christ always makes a division. Jesus says, I have come to bring a sword to put mother against daughter, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law. The gospel of Jesus Christ makes a division. And at the end of the days, Christ will divide between the sheep and the goats. Sooner or later, the cost of following Christ is too great for those who are only attached to Him outwardly, externally, by profession, not by heart. Sooner or later, the chaff is separated from the germ. And that's what happens here. Naomi's candid speech has revealed the hearts of her daughters-in-law, causing the one to turn back and causing the other, of course, to press on. You will not put me off." So let us look at Orpah and follow her to the end. We're told in the verse here that Orpah kisses her mother-in-law. What does this testify? But one more testimony, one more evidence that she really does love Naomi. She really does love her. But it was a kiss goodbye. because she did not love her enough to embrace her future under the wings of the God of Israel. She did not love her enough to forsake what she considered to be better prospects for her in Moab. What does this tell us now as we think back upon Orpah and what we have seen of her up to this point? This tells us that for all her tears, for all her hugs, for all her resolve, for all her speech, Orpah loved her land. her people, her gods, more than Naomi's land, Naomi's people, and Naomi's God. Orpah preferred sin to suffering, hardship. Orpah preferred worldly contentment to religious sacrifice and devotion. Orpah was invited here by Naomi even as she pushed her away. It was an inviting. Inviting her to come under the wings of God's covenant if she will. But she feared the loss of the world. And therefore, in the end, Orpah proved to be just as her name, which means stiff-necked. Now, there are two points of application I wish to press upon you as we have come to the end of Orpah. There are two lessons to learn from this young lady. There are more. But we'll leave with these two. First of all, despite Orpah's exemplary morality, despite her exemplary affection for her mother-in-law, Orpah forever stands before us in Scripture as a fool because she did not count the cost of discipleship. She had a bold and a zealous beginning as so many do in the Christian life. She left Moab with much haste, dropped everything, with resolve, with determination. She was going to Judah. But when she learned that such a move would cost her all the pleasures of the world, her resolve simply failed her. When she learned that all Naomi could guarantee her was protection and provision under God's wings, that wasn't enough for her. And she turned back to Moab considering the cost of leaving Moab too great and the gain of going to Judah too little. So, the obvious question comes to us then. Her story presses upon us this question this morning. Have you counted the cost of discipleship? Have you soberly weighed what it cost you to join yourself to Christ, to His church, to His cause, to His Word? What it cost to set out for heaven. Have you weighed this? The way of a Christian is a narrow way. There is no elbow room for you to carry your sins and the world with you. You see, Orpah is one who set out in the path of discipleship with the world on her back and her idols in her hands. But the way was too narrow, too straight and strict. God calls us to love Him with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength and we cannot embrace anything or anyone else. Jesus said, by comparison, we are to hate father and mother and sister and brother and child and even our own life if we're going to be His disciple. It all must go. The way is too narrow. We can only come to Christ crawling upon our knees in repentance and humility. And we cannot carry things with us. So, have you seriously considered this? This is the question that comes to us today. Because if you haven't considered, and if you haven't counted the cost of discipleship, then you are in grave danger of turning back. Maybe today. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe in another year or two. All it's going to take is that one temptation, the lure of the world, when it is just right, when it is just sweet enough, you will turn back. Or maybe an affliction so great as this was for Orpah, an affliction so great that you're unwilling to let go of the world, and so you turn back. If you have not counted the cost, then sooner or later you will find yourself simply unwilling to go on any further. And you remember the verse I read at the beginning. It will be worse, 2 Peter 2.21 says, for those who set out to follow Christ and then turned out of the way than it would be for those who never set out. That is why Jesus said, I came not to call the righteous, the self-righteous, but sinners to repentance. That's why Jesus says the prostitutes and tax collectors and sinners get into heaven ahead of you. He told the Pharisees, why? Because they put their feet in the path of God and embrace and bring with them their own self-righteousness. They are treading a mill, going nowhere, and yet it is the prostitute, the tax collector and the sinner who comes to God. Have mercy on me, a sinner. You remember the story of the two who went into the temple. The one, I thank you, I'm not like other men. And he began to list his good works that proved his own righteousness. He needed not the righteousness of Christ. He had his own, thank you. The other knelt down far away, beat his breast. God, be merciful to me. Not daring to look up. Not daring to draw near. How could he? And yet, who went home justified? It is worse for those who begin and bring all their goods with them than for those who never set out. And why is it? It is because Hebrews 6 tells us it is impossible to restore such people by repentance once they turn out of the way. Because by what gospel can you draw him back who was there and turned his back on the gospel you preach? How can you preach Jesus? What is the preaching of Jesus to the one who can tell you what Jesus says? and yet has turned his back. If he turns his back upon the gospel of Jesus Christ, then what good news can you bring to him calling him back to salvation? Calling him to embrace the Lord Jesus Christ. You preach Jesus. He said, I already tried Him. You call him to repentance. You tell him of the love of God. And he will tell you that was not enough once. It won't be enough again. It is impossible to restore such people by repentance. Because they have turned their backs on the very gospel that they need. So this morning, let us deal soberly with our hearts and let us see that we understand the cost of discipleship, what it means to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us be sure that we know that discipleship costs everything. I was compelled to include this quote this morning from J.C. Ryle. I don't believe it can be said any better than he once said it. Ryle said there are enemies to be overcome. Speaking of the cost of discipleship, there are enemies to be overcome. There are battles to be fought. There are sacrifices to be made. There is an Egypt to be forsaken, a wilderness to be passed through, a cross to be carried, a race to run. Conversion isn't putting a man into an armchair and taking him easily to heaven. It's the beginning of a mighty conflict in which it costs much to win the victory. And that's not salvation by works, mind you. It's salvation by grace. But it costs everything to follow Christ. Self-righteousness must be abandoned. Sins must be crucified. Ease must be given up. And the world must be renounced if we shall follow Christ. And if we don't deal soberly with our hearts about the cost of following Christ, then we are in great danger not only of turning back, we are in great danger of being deceived by a cheap Christianity that costs nothing. And by an easy discipleship that knows nothing of Christ's cross. And we read it in Luke 14. What does Christ teach us there? But that a Christianity which costs nothing is worth nothing. And a discipleship that knows nothing of the cross of Christ will know nothing of the crown of Christ. There is that which passes for Christianity out there today. Easy. Cheap. It is not hard to find. But why would you embrace such a thing that leads nowhere? So, let us learn from Orpah's foolishness. Let us heed the warning of Christ. And let us be honest with ourselves this morning about the cost of discipleship. But as we do, as we do, my friends, let us never lose sight of the gracious promise of discipleship, that it is God who works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure. And let us never lose sight of the gracious reward of discipleship, that there is a crown of righteousness laid up in heaven for all who fight the good fight, finish the race and keep the faith. You see, what is discipleship? It is really not our traversing anything, is it? It is our being carried along by God's grace. This is discipleship. It is God wrought in us. A second application this morning, and then I'll close. Orpah's resolve to go to Judah looked no different than Ruth's in the beginning. You could not tell them apart. Naomi certainly could not. She pressed them both. It wasn't until they were put to a trial, put to the test. You see, they both walked the same path. They cried the same tears. They cried out with one voice. But when her resolve threatened the comforts of the world upon which her heart was really set, she could go no further. And what does this teach us this morning? That a love for the world will keep you from following God. Because a love for the world keeps us from receiving the truth of God into our hearts. It causes us to treat the gospel of life and death as a light thing. It causes us to regard the gospel of Jesus Christ as a message that we can take or leave as we please. causes us to treat the gospel message as that which has little bearing on this life and no bearing at all on the life to come. In Matthew 22, when Jesus makes a comparison between the kingdom of heaven and a wedding made ready for guests, he points out How their love for the world made them simply disinterested in the feast that had been prepared for them by the king. Verses two to five says the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. The King, of course, is God the Father. The Son for whom the wedding feast has been put together is God the Son. And the servants sent out are gospel ministers like myself and prophets who have gone out ahead of us, calling all who were invited, which is all of you, to come. But what does Jesus say? They would not come. The invitation was there. Again, He sent other servants saying, tell those who are invited, see, I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered and everything is ready. You need do nothing this morning. Come to the wedding feast. Come to Christ, He is saying. But they paid no attention. And they went off, one to his farm, another to his business. Every manner of excuse necessary. You see, when we love the world, we pay little attention to the gospel of Jesus Christ and we will perish under the weight of the world's plenty. And further, a love for the world will also pull us off the path of righteousness even after we have gone some distance in it. And we see this in Orpah. Think of the progress that Judas made in the way And yet, when the world offered him his heart's desire, he forsook the path and he returned to the world under his true colors. And what progress did Demas make? Demas was called, my fellow worker, by the Apostle Paul. And yet, what does Paul say in 2 Timothy 4, verse 10? But Demas has deserted me. Now why? Why would Demas desert the Apostle Paul? What would pull him off so promising a path? What could entice Demas to forsake the path of righteousness? The path of life and peace and grace and heaven? What of all things could pull him off? Paul tells us it was because he was in love with this present world. And so like Judas, like Orpah, Like the rich young ruler, Demas cared more for this life than the life to come. More for his body than for his soul. More for earthly comforts than heavenly sacrifices. More for sin than suffering. And so, lovers of this world, the point is made here in Orpah's example, lovers of this world may go far in Christianity. They are never truly converted. If they were converted, they would not have gone out of the way, John says. If they were of us, they would not have gone out from us. The fact that they've gone out from us proves that they were never of us. If Orpah was truly regenerated by the Spirit of God as Ruth is, which we will see, Orpah would not have been turned out of the way. Nothing could have called her to forsake the path. The fact that Orpah turns away, though she looked as much of a Christian as Ruth did in the beginning, proves where her heart always was. Her mouth and her heart did not agree. And so, lovers of this world may go far in Christianity externally, but their love for the world will sooner or later grow weary of that path which leads them perpetually in the opposite direction of where their hearts are, which is what happened to Orpah. Her heart was never with God. Her heart was in Moab, and the longer, the farther she went from Moab, and the more it became clear that what she was hoping to get wasn't in Israel. Her heart compelled her to turn back. She was without willingness. And so, lovers of the world eventually forsake the path of truth. Regardless of any great profession and accomplishments in the Christian life and way, they turn back. They forsake the path of righteousness. They reveal their true love. They reveal their preferred company. They reveal their heart's desires. They reveal their loyalties. They reveal their carnal appetites after all. So therefore, in closing this morning, just two points. Don't be shaken by people turning out of the way of heaven. Don't be disturbed. Don't yourselves be shaken by people who show themselves to be in love with this present world. Because what does Jesus say? Many join the crowd on the road to Zion. Many! You will meet a great company in this world, traversing the path to Zion. But while there are many who may walk the path, those in whom a true work of grace has occurred will be seen when the trials come to be few. Christ said in Matthew 10, 22, only those who endure to the end shall be saved. So take heed in your own hearts this morning. Take heed of a love of the world. John 2.15, 1 John 2.15 says, those who love the world do not have the love of the Father in them. And what does that mean? But what Christ says in Matthew 6.24, if you do not hate worldliness enough to forsake it, it's because you don't love God enough to follow Him. We cannot have both as Orpah tried. We cannot have both as Judas and Demas tried. We will find it to be just so. If you will love the one, you must hate the other, Jesus said. So, in light of Orpah's return to Moab this morning, let us look to the Lord, not to ourselves. After all that I have said, I mean not that we look to ourselves. Let us look to the Lord this morning. that He would work in us a wholehearted desire to renounce all that we have and follow Christ. And let us look to the Lord and seek His face, that He would fill our hearts with such a love for the Lord Jesus Christ, His house, His word, His people, that there will be no room in our hearts at all. for other lovers, for a love for this world, which is so dangerous as Orpah shows us. Let us turn our backs upon all things and follow only Christ. Amen.