The Redeemers and their Counterparts

In both of the previous posts was the story of Esther and Mordacai. First, Mordacai was Esther's kinsman redeemer, by raising her as his own child when her parents died. Then Esther became a kinswoman redeemer for Mordacai and all of the Israelites. Though the name of God is never mentioned in the book of Esther, we can still see how they were both following His instructions. Mordacai obeyed God's command to be a kinsman redeemer to his uncle's daughter. Esther fasted and prayed and asked Mordacai and some other Jews to do the same, so that she could discern God's will in the situation. Both people were seeking to know God's will, or to be in unity with him, and they worked together in order for God to use them to do amazing things.

In the story of Moses and Miriam, Miriam acted as a kinswoman redeemer to baby Moses. While the Bible does not tell of Miriam seeking God's will in this case, Exodus 15:20 says the Miriam was a prophetess, so we know that she heard from God. She acted as a kinswoman redeemer to baby Moses who would later act as a kinsman redeemer to all the people of Israel including his family. God used Miriam to protect Moses, so that Moses could live and God could later use him to lead all of the Israelites out of bondage.

In 1 Samuel 25, Abigail's husband Nabal hardened his heart when Abigail told him what she had done for him and all of their family and servants.

"But in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him so that he became as a stone." verse 37

God responded by killing Nabal. After he died, David heard about it and asked Abigail to be his wife. David thanked God for using Abigail in the way that He did.

When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be the LORD, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal and has kept back His servant from evil. The LORD has also returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head." verse 39

David recognized that Abigail had listened to the voice of God and that God had used her to be a voice of reason to David.

"Then David said to Abigail, "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me, and blessed be your discernment, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand." verse 33

David and Abigail found unity in listening to God's instructions.


Sarah is not mentioned in the passage that tells of Abraham being a kinsman redeemer for Lot, so I will discuss Abraham and Sarah in another post. They deserve a whole post of their own anyway as there are some beautiful pictures of unity found in their story.

Boaz and Ruth and Deborah and Barak deserve their own posts as well.