5 There was a Jew living in the safest place in Susa. He was from the tribe of Benjamin. His name was Mordecai. He was the son of Jair. Jair was the son of Shimei. Shimei was the son of Kish. 6 Nebuchadnezzar had forced Mordecai to leave Jerusalem. He was among the prisoners who were carried off along with Jehoiachin. Jehoiachin had been king of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylonia. 7 Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah. He had brought her up in his own home. She didn’t have a father or mother. Hadassah was also called Esther. She was very beautiful. Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. He had done it when her father and mother died. 8 After the king’s order and law were announced, many virgins were brought to the safest place in Susa. Hegai was put in charge of them. Esther was also taken to the king’s palace. She was put under the control of Hegai. He was in charge of the place where the virgins stayed. 9 Esther pleased him. He showed her his favor. Right away he provided her with her beauty care and special food. He appointed seven female attendants to help her. They were chosen from the king’s palace. He moved her and her attendants into the best part of the place where the virgins stayed. 10 Esther hadn’t told anyone who her people were. She hadn’t talked about her family. That’s because Mordecai had told her not to. 11 Mordecai tried to find out how Esther was getting along. He wanted to know what was happening to her. So he walked back and forth near the courtyard by the place where the virgins stayed. He did it every day.

We don’t really know anything about Esther’s personality, was she adventurous and outgoing or cautious and quiet? Either way I imagine that the succession of changes that occur in this passage took some getting used to. One day you wake up in what was probably a modest dwelling, living as an exile in a foreign land and help keep house for your guardian. The next day you wake up in the palace complex and start a process of preparing to be ‘tried’ to see if you would make a good queen …. I’m sure Mordecai’s visits and the knowledge that he was looking out for her were of great encouragement and comfort – he was someone who knew her true identity and her history.

I’m thankful that God never allows us to experience things beyond what we can bear, and that He helps us through life, positioning people around us to encourage and comfort us.

God please help me to recognise the Mordecais’ you’ve put in my world, and to see where I can be a Mordecai for someone else. Amen.

Written by Beth Waugh

10 On the seventh day Xerxes was in a good mood because he had drunk a lot of wine. So he gave a command to the seven officials who served him. They were Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carcas. 11 He told them to bring Queen Vashti to him. He wanted her to come wearing her royal crown. He wanted to show off her beauty to the people and nobles. She was lovely to look at. 12 The attendants told Queen Vashti what the king had ordered her to do. But she refused to come. So the king became very angry. In fact, he burned with anger. 13 It was the king’s practice to ask advice from those who knew a lot about matters of law and fairness. So he spoke with the wise men who were supposed to understand what was going on at that time. 14 They were the men who were closest to the king. They were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memucan. They were the seven nobles of Persia and Media. They were the king’s special advisers. In fact, they were the most important men in the kingdom. 15 “You know the law,” the king said. “What should I do to Queen Vashti? She hasn’t obeyed my command. The officials told her what I ordered her to do, didn’t they?” 16 Then Memucan gave a reply to the king and the nobles. He said, “Queen Vashti has done what is wrong. But she didn’t do it only against you, King Xerxes. She did it also against all of the nobles. And she did it against the people in all of the territories you rule over. 17 “All of the women will hear about what the queen has done. Then they will look down on their husbands. They’ll say, ‘King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought to him. But she wouldn’t come.’ 18 Starting today, the leading women in Persia and Media who have heard about the queen’s actions will act in the same way. They’ll disobey all of your nobles, just as she disobeyed you. They won’t have any respect for their husbands. They won’t honor them. 19 “So if it pleases you, send out a royal order. Let it be written down in the laws of Persia and Media. They can never be changed. Let the royal order say that Vashti can never see you again. Also let her position as queen be given to someone who is better than she is. 20 “And let your order be announced all through your entire kingdom. Then all of the other women will have respect for their husbands from the least important of them to the most important.” 21 The king and his nobles were pleased with that advice. So he did what Memucan had suggested. 22 He sent messages out to every territory in the kingdom. He sent them to each territory in its own writing. He sent them to every nation in its own language. The messages announced in each nation’s language that every man should rule over his own family.

At the beginning of this story of Esther, we see in Queen Vashti a very different kind of woman to Esther. When the King summoned Queen Vashti, she had the audacity to ignore the command of her King.

For whatever reason, Queen Vashti thought herself above the commands of the King. Her independence was short-lived, however, as her rebellion cost her everything when she was thrown out of the palace.

As part of my allegiance to King Jesus, I have been given a royal inheritance – the Bible calls believers a “royal priesthood”. I need to be reminded, however, that I am neither equal to nor above my King. Absolute respect and obedience is required and there are dire consequences for pride and an independent spirit.

As we will read later in this book, Esther’s humility and obedience is a stark contrast to Vashti’s arrogance and independence. May I live in the place of humbly serving King Jesus, not thinking of myself more highly than I ought.

Written by Shelley Witt

13 So Boaz got married to Ruth. She became his wife. Then he made love to her. The Lord blessed her so that she became pregnant. And she had a son. 14 The women said to Naomi, “We praise the Lord. Today he has provided a family protector for you. May this child become famous all over Israel! 15 He will make your life new again. He’ll take care of you when you are old. He’s the son of your very own daughter-in-law. She loves you. She is better to you than seven sons.” 16 Then Naomi put the child on her lap and took care of him. 17 The women who were living there said, “Naomi has a son.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David. 18 Here is the family line of Perez. Perez was the father of Hezron. 19 Hezron was the father of Ram. Ram was the father of Amminadab. 20 Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon. 21 Salmon was the father of Boaz. Boaz was the father of Obed. 22 Obed was the father of Jesse. And Jesse was the father of David.

This passage gets me excited! Not because of the love making but because of where it fits in the history of humanity!

Ruth and Naomi were on death’s door, living as widows with no means for income. Ruth was within her rights to leave her mother-in-law Naomi, but she stayed and attached herself to the fate of Naomi and entrusted herself to the God of Naomi.

I may feel confused or lost, but I can attach myself to God’s people, throw my lot in with them, even when I am unsure of where I am going. In doing so their blessing becomes my blessing, their clarity my clarity. I become more aware of the goodness of God in the community of God’s people.

Ruth is grafted into God’s people and over time received blessing, provision and clarity – we see the culmination of this here.She would become the grandmother of the greatest king ever to rule in Israel, King David, and she would be an ancestor in the human blood line of Jesus Christ.

“Lord I am not an island, I throw my lot in and acknowledge that without your people I will wither and die. I am attached to the body of Christ – the Church. I suffer with the Church and rejoice with the Church. Ultimately I will live forever with the Church and our Saviour! Amen”

Written by Andrew Mellor

4 Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there. The family protector he had talked about came by. Then Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend. Sit down.” So the man went over and sat down. 2 Boaz brought ten of the elders of the town together. He said, “Sit down here.” So they did. 3 Then he spoke to the family protector. He said, “Naomi has come back from Moab. She’s selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4 I thought I should bring the matter to your attention. I suggest that you buy the land while those who are sitting here and the elders of my people are looking on as witnesses. “If you are willing to buy it back, do it. But if you aren’t, tell me. Then I’ll know. No one has the right to buy it back except you. And I’m next in line.” “I’ll buy it,” he said. 5 Then Boaz said, “When you buy the land from Naomi and Ruth, who is from Moab, you must get married to Ruth. She’s the dead man’s widow. So you must take her as your wife. His name must stay with his property.” 6 When the family protector heard that, he said, “Then I can’t buy the land. If I did, I might put my own property in danger. So you buy it. I can’t do it.”

V1. Boaz went to the town gate and took a seat there.

I like Boaz. He has family business to attend to – so he goes straight to it – positioning himself at the town gate – where the town people pass by, positioning himself for success in his family business.He has promised Ruth he will sort things out for her future – and he immediately puts it at the top of his agenda. There is no mention of anything else Boaz does after he speaks to Ruth – except this.

I live in a culture where it is easy to put family business lower down on the agenda than it belongs. For me – family business is God’s business. They are not in opposition. Just as it was for Boaz – his commitment to Ruth was part of God’s plan.

I want to do what I say I will do, when I say I will do it. I want to position myself where I need to be. I want to sort out things that need to be sorted out in order to move forward. I need your help to do this. Thank you for hearing me and answering me today.

Written by Ps. Linda Quinn

3 One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi spoke to her. She said, “My daughter, shouldn’t I try to find a secure place for you? Shouldn’t you have peace and rest? Shouldn’t I find a home where things will go well with you? 2 You have been with the female servants of Boaz. He’s a relative of ours. Tonight he’ll be separating the straw from his barley on the threshing floor. 3 “So wash yourself. Put on some perfume. And put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor. But don’t let Boaz know you are there. Wait until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 Notice where he lies down. Then go over and uncover his feet. Lie down there. He’ll tell you what to do.” 5 “I’ll do everything you say,” Ruth answered.

This is one of those passages where it’s tricky to work out what to say. It may mean more than is appropriate to talk about in such a blog – we don’t really understand some of the ways they approached matchmaking. However, we can look at Ruth and how she approached life to see what we can learn.

Ruth was committed to supporting Naomi, her mother in law. She had come with Naomi from her home to be with her in Naomi’s home. That’s a big deal. Naomi tried to talk her out of it a number of times. Ruth held true to what she believed she was to do.

In this passage Naomi is trying to look after Ruth in return (and herself). Ruth again stays true to what she believes. She trusts Naomi to know what is appropriate and good for her.  She doesn’t argue or question. I find her approach amazing – going to parties is not my favourite thing and putting myself in risky situations is also something I struggle with. But Ruth trusted that Naomi knew what was needed and was looking to help provide a future for Ruth.

We have times when we struggle to do what God has asked us to do. Sometimes we don’t want to do whatever it is, sometimes we are scared, sometimes we just think we heard wrong. But look at Ruth’s response – I’ll do it!!

Lord help us to learn from You what the plan for our life should be. Help us to choose to stick with that plan even when it gets tricky. Help us to be willing to follow You, to choose to believe that You are for us more than we can possibly imagine and You are trustworthy.

Written by Therese Manning