Ruth and Esther - 250211

SPEAKER 1 Hello, I'm Clive Nash. Welcome to Let God Speak. The story of Ruth in the Bible is one loved by many. A widow, a foreigner, yet she found love in Boaz and became the ancestor of Jesus Christ. Consider Esther, a queen who took her life in her hands to save her people. Not only are these beautiful stories from the Old Testament, they can also teach us prophetic lessons today. I'll be back in a moment to introduce our panel. Well on our panel today we have John Kosmeier and Kate Kate Simpson. Good to have you with us today, John and Kate. SPEAKER 2 Thank you. SPEAKER 3 Thank you. SPEAKER 1 I'm looking forward to our discussion. But before we do that, let's begin with prayer. Our wonderful God, we thank you that you have given us stories from the Old Testament which serve as examples for us who are living in the last days. And as we study this topic today, we pray that the Holy Spirit will guide our minds and will also be present to bless all those who are watching or listening. and I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. SPEAKER 3 Amen. SPEAKER 1 Well, I'd like to begin by reading from the Book of Ruth, just a short book, but what an important book it is. And chapter 1 and verse 1 introduces us to the topic. Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife, and his two sons. Now, Kate, what is ironic about a famine in Bethlehem? SPEAKER 2 It was actually very ironic because Bethlehem means house of bread, so there's a famine in the house of bread. And I'll continue reading here in verse 2. It says, and the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Judah. And they came into the country of Moab and continued there. So here we have a man called Elimelech, and he's leading his family. We've got a husband, we've got two sons, and they're going to Moab because they heard there was bread there. And then in verse 3, there's a bit of a change of events here. It says, and Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left and her two sons. So there's bread and Moab, but now. SPEAKER 1 We have a widow with two sons. Now, John, did Naomi's two sons ever go back to Bethlehem? SPEAKER 3 No, they were not destined to see Bethlehem again, because here in verse 4 and 5 we read now, They took wives of the women of Moab; the name of one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth, and they dwelt there about ten years. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; that's a bit rough, isn't it? So the women, the woman survived her two sons and her husband. And here Naomi had a really bitter experience, but there was also a sweet side to it because she heard that Bethlehem had become Beth is house, Lechem is bread again, because the actual famine that had caused the problem had gone. And so now she started to think about going back. And when they got to the border, because Orpah and Ruth both went with her, when they got to the border she said, you, go back, I'll just go. and Ruth said to her, I am going with you wherever you go. And Orpah was the one that went back. But this is where the book of Ruth really kicks in now because the story only gets better from here. SPEAKER 1 Now Kate, when I think about the book of beginnings, Genesis, you know, this idea of famine seems such a contrast to the plenty of the Garden of Eden, doesn't it? It is. SPEAKER 2 We find, we'll read Genesis chapter 2 verse 16. It said, and the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat. So in the beginning we've got, you know, every tree freely eat, abundance, plenty. But then after the entrance of sin into the world, it was hard to grow food and hard to eat it. And sometimes there was enough food, sometimes there was famine. We might just turn over to chapter 3 verse 19, Genesis chapter 3 verse 19. which reads, this is God speaking. He says to Adam, In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wasst thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return. So this is confirming the idea, we've got the sweat of the brow here. It's hard to work and grow food sometimes. SPEAKER 1 Now John, I've got a question for you, back to the story of Ruth. Naomi, was dispossessed of her land. Land was very important to the people. And do you see anything symbolic in this experience that she had? SPEAKER 3 For all mankind. Because we also have been deprived of eternal life and the promised land through Adam's sin. But the good news is that one day Jesus, He will return and He will restore to us that which was lost and fruitfulness will once again nourish God's redeemed people. SPEAKER 1 Yeah, now names in the Bible often have importance. They have a meaning, a significance. Now for example, Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, meant my God is King. Marlon meant sickness, interestingly enough, as he was the one who passed away. But Kate, what about the word Naomi? Does that have a meaning? SPEAKER 2 It does indeed. We'll read Ruth chapter 1 verse 19 here. It says, so they too went until they came to Bethlehem. This is talking about Naomi and Ruth. And it came to pass when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi? And Naomi means pleasant. But Naomi replied actually in verse 20, we'll keep reading here, it says, and she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara, for the Almighty hath dealt bitterly with me. Mara means bitter. So in a way this is a miniature version of a bigger picture. This is our story we're seeing here. Because sin brought spiritual poverty to humanity. And when we come to God we find spiritual plenty here. Life is pleasant and not bitter when we come to God. We no longer have to feed on fallen grains and things left behind by the reapers like Ruth and Naomi did. We can come to the land of our kinsman redeemer which is Jesus Christ. this is Naomi's experience too, as we'll see when we continue on through this lesson. She had her bitterness turned to pleasantness again. SPEAKER 1 Now John, the lovely part about the story is that the rich landowner, Boaz, favours Ruth. And tell us how this kinsman-redeemer provision worked, John. SPEAKER 3 When we come to Ruth chapter 2, and read verse 20. Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, Blessed be he of the Lord who has not forsaken his kindness to the living and the dead. And Naomi said to her, this man is a relation of ours, one of our close relations. It had to be a man and it had to be a close relation and then he had the legal power to repurchase what had been lost and to set up, in this case, Ruth and Naomi again. And that's what a Redeemer does. They had to be qualified and then they could do what needed to be done. However, there was a snag in the works. SPEAKER 1 Well, my marginal reference for this close relative says our Redeemer, or Goel, Goel, Goel, I can't pronounce that one. I'll go to it just with the short version, Goel, I think. So, Ruth, this Kinsman Redeemer, it really foreshadowed the Redeemer to come, didn't it? The Messiah, Jesus Christ. So what was Boaz able to do potentially for these to poor widows? SPEAKER 2 Well because Boaz was a rich relative he could transform these poor widows lives from rags to riches practically. And yeah this is what Jesus does for us too as we were talking before. Jesus brings us out of our spiritual poverty to the riches of his grace. And I just want to read a short quote here from Acts of the Apostles page 341 which sums it up very beautifully. It says Jesus has been described as the one who was rich yet for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich. SPEAKER 1 John, how closely did Jesus identify himself with humanity? SPEAKER 3 When you look at the New Testament, there are a number of times there that we can't really understand it, but Jesus describes himself in the book of Matthew, and chapter 12 and verse 8, where he describes himself as for the Son of Man. And this is where Jesus becomes directly connected to mankind and again and again. SPEAKER 1 And again, the Son of God, not only the Son of God, but also the Son of Man. SPEAKER 3 Well, when you come to John chapter 3, that's where it opens it up even more. That's why it's always handy to have your Bible there so you can turn to it. John chapter 3:14, and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. And so here Jesus is not only the Son of God, and He was divine Himself, but He calls Himself the Son of Man. And this is where He is able to do the redeeming work that needed to be done for the salvation of mankind. And then in John chapter 20 in verse 17, we find that Jesus' Father is our Father too. And this is where Jesus becomes very much our kinsman because of the close relationship that there is between Jesus and God and Jesus and us. SPEAKER 1 So let's go back to the story of Ruth and Boaz, chapter 3 of Ruth. I'm going to read verses 6 and 7. So Ruth went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law instructed her. And after Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was cheerful, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain and she, that's Ruth, came softly. uncovered his feet and lay down. So Kate, what was Ruth really doing here? What was the intention of her actions? SPEAKER 2 It was actually a proposal for marriage. It's sort of an ancient custom that we don't see today. But we'll continue to read their conversation between Ruth and Boaz in verses 8 and 9 here. It says, and it came to pass at midnight that the man was afraid and turned himself; and behold, a woman lay at his feet. and he said, who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth, thine handmaid. Spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid, for thou art a near kinsman. So Ruth was claiming the right to be the wife of Boaz because he was her close relative. And this was for the purpose of raising up heirs of her late father-in-law Elimelech, her late husband Mahlon. And so Boaz replies with this proposition in verses 11 to 13, which we'll continue to read here. And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman. And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I. Tarrie this night, and it shall be in the morning, that he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman: well, let him do the kinsman's part; but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee. as the Lord liveth, lie down until the morning. So there's a little situation. Boaz is clearly admiring Ruth here, but there is actually a relative who's closer who has the first right to redeem. So we'll pause for a minute and we'll come back to the ending shortly. SPEAKER 1 Okay, well I'm just going to do a step aside here for a moment to the book of Job and John, I just want to read verses 6 and 7 of the first chapter. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord. And who should turn up but Satan. Satan came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, From where do you come? So Satan answered the Lord and said, From going to and fro on the earth and from walking back and forth on it. So what was Satan really claiming here, John? SPEAKER 3 Because of Adam's sin and Eve, Satan claimed the world as his own now. And when you go to the book of Matthew, chapter 4 and verse 8 and verse 9, Matthew chapter 4, verses 8 and 9, it says, Again, the devil took him, that's Jesus, up on an exceedingly high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And the devil said to Jesus, All these things I will give you if you fall down and worship me. What a claim to make. What a claim to make. And this is where he had problems because when you read the story, in Jude, which only has one chapter, and you go to verse 9 there. SPEAKER 2 Here. SPEAKER 3 It says, Yet Michael, that's Jesus Himself, the archangel, that's one of the roles of Christ, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against Him a reviling accusation, but said, the Lord rebuke you. And here is Jesus coming to raise Moses from the dead. And the devil says, uh-. And Jesus said, the Lord will rebuke you. And so this story was familiar to the Jews and Satan trembled at the power of Jesus resurrecting Moses because that was the first time that anyone had ever been raised from the dead. And so here we find the story of the Redeemer again and the work that Jesus did in the redemption of mankind. SPEAKER 1 Okay, so when I go to the story of Ruth and Boaz again in chapter four of Ruth says, Verse 1, now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, Come aside, friend, sit down here. So he came aside and sat down. So what was this, how does this typology of this story relate to Jesus, Kate? SPEAKER 2 Well, the closer relative was actually unable to be Ruth's kinsman redeemer. We see that later on in the chapter, which we won't read here, but it is later on there. But anyways, here we are at the gate of Bethlehem in verse 1. And this is actually where judgment took place. So we'll read verses 9 and 10 of the same chapter, Ruth chapter 4. It says, and Boaz said unto the elders and unto all the people, ye are witnesses this day that I have brought all that was Elimelech's and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's of the hand of Naomi. Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day. So we can see here that the people and the elders at the gate were witnesses that Boaz had claimed this inheritance and taken Ruth to be his wife. And now coincidentally the gate of Bethlehem was also where the Messiah would enter the world as our kinsman and redeemer. SPEAKER 1 That's a lovely point, isn't it? Yeah. SPEAKER 2 And as far as the place of judgment is concerned, Jesus paid the price for our redemption just as Boaz did for his bride. There's a quote from Desire of Ages here that I'll read as well from page 327. It says, so the work of redeeming us and our inheritance lost through sin fell upon Him, who was our near of kin unto us. It was to redeem us that He became our kinsman. Closer than father, mother, brother, friend or lover is the Lord our Savior. And there's just a final point here from Joyce Baldwin's commentary on Ruth in the New Bible Commentary, page 292, which says, the willingness of Boaz to undertake a costly duty foreshadowed that of the greater Redeemer who was to descend from him. So Boaz was a picture of Jesus here. SPEAKER 1 It's a lovely typology, isn't it, that's in this story here. Let's move on to the other character we want to consider today, and that's the character of Esther, the Persian queen, although she was a Hebrew origin, of course. And I'm going to read chapter 3 and verse 1, Esther chapter 3 and verse 1. After these things, King Ahazuris promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. So remember we're looking at these narratives to see what light they shed on last day events. What power, what did power do to Haman, John? SPEAKER 3 Clive, if you'd read on to verse 2, all the king's servants who were within the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow or pay homage. And here we find that Haman, when he was given that position, put his head back. and he stretched forward and everybody else had to bow down before him. And that reminds us of a verse in the book of Ezekiel, and verse 28, chapter 28 and verse 13 to 15. You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious stone was your covering. And then it lists all these precious stones, the workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day that you were created. You were the anointed cherub who covers. Verse 15, you were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created till iniquity was found in you. And here we have the same thing where the angel of God was in heaven and he was given all the power and he became proud. And this is a characteristic of the way people live. And as a result, Haman hated the Jews. He hated Mordecai. SPEAKER 1 And there was a- Mordecai was a Jew. Mordecai was a Jew. SPEAKER 3 Yeah, but he hated all the Jews. and he hated Mordecai who was also a Jew. Here is the contrast between Christ and Satan, because Mordecai, he was a good man. But we find. SPEAKER 1 And Haman was a bad man. SPEAKER 3 He was the bad man. SPEAKER 1 Yes. He was the villain in the story. SPEAKER 3 And so we have the same situation with Jesus Christ and the devil working with us. and he asked the king to give him permission to destroy all the Jews. SPEAKER 1 Yeah, so Kate, there's a parallel in the experience of Christianity here, isn't there, in this story? SPEAKER 2 There is. Haman had portrayed the Jews as different, not beneficial, which is kind of what John was talking about there. We'll read this in Esther chapter 3, verse 8. It says, and Haman said unto King Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of the kingdom, and their laws are diverse from all people, neither keep they the king's laws, therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them. So also, just jumping over to Revelation quickly, chapter 12, verse 13 and 14, we also see Satan persecuting the church here and indeed Jesus himself. There's some symbolic imagery. I'll just read Revelation 12:13-14, which says, and when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness into her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the face of the serpent. So then also in verse 17 here we see two characteristics of the people that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. This is the people that are being persecuted. And so, in the story of Queen Esther, she is the savior figure. She's the kinsman of Mordecai, and God works through her to redeem all the people. SPEAKER 1 And this is a theme that runs through our discussion today. We've got Ruth and Boaz, Boaz is the kinsman redeemer for her people in those days. And here we have Esther, who becomes a redeemer for her people. I'm going to read from Revelation chapter 13 now, the next chapter, and verse 15, where it says that He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. John, this is a bit like the attitude of Haman, isn't it? Don't you think? SPEAKER 3 Absolutely. Yes. However, if you go to John chapter 12 and read verse 31, we discover it's a false claim. Because here in verse 31 it says, Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And here Jesus is the one who does the saving. And this was true both in Boaz and also in Esther as well. And this is where Satan is not control of this world. SPEAKER 1 Yeah, now Kate, we need to get back to Esther. And when faced with extinction of the Jewish people, how did Mordecai challenge Esther? SPEAKER 2 We find these famous words in Esther chapter 4, verses 13 and 14, which read: Then Mordecai commanded to Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this. In the face of persecution, the faithful queen was called to stand up for her people. And she did. And we see the outcome of this in chapter 9 of Esther, verse 20 and 22. And Mordecai wrote these things and sent letters unto the Jews, that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far, to establish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same yearly, as the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, from mourning to a good day, that they should make them days of feasting and joy and of sending portions one to another and gifts to the poor. So there was a final outcome. The Jews were delivered because Esther stood. SPEAKER 1 Up for her faith. Thank you, Kate. As usual, John and Kate, the clock is against us. But I think in our day we can be like Queen Esther too, can't we? Who knows whether we have been called to the kingdom for such a time as this? Yeah, so thank you very much for contributing our discussion. My guests today were John Kosmeier and Kate Simpson, and my name is Clive Nash. You know, things worked out well for Ruth and Esther, but that is not always the case for us as individuals. Sabbath observance will be a testing time for God's remnant people in the last days. We shall be faced with alternatives: God's laws or man's laws. We do not know how quickly situations will change, but we can rely on our God who does not change. Let's keep our eyes on the ultimate outcome, even though present circumstances may be bad. the heavenly prize is sure. Well, we're glad you joined us today on Let God Speak. If you're blessed by this program, why not tell your friends? Spread the word around. Remember, all past programs plus teachers' notes are available on our website 3ABNaustralia.org.au. Email us if you wish on [email protected]. and that's the number 3 in both cases there. So we hope that you'll join us again next time and until then may God richly bless. 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