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.
Showing posts with label kinswoman redeemer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kinswoman redeemer. Show all posts
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Kinswoman Redeemer
In the last post, I explored who a kinsperson redeemer is and what he or she does. S/he is a near relative, who takes responsibility for redeeming a person from bondage or danger, possibly risking his/her own life in the process. S/he takes responsibility for an orphaned child and avenges the death of a loved one. Only in the case of marrying a relative's widow, of course, must the kinsman redeemer be a man.
In this post I will explore the stories of kinswoman redeemers.
In Exodus 2:1-9 is the story of baby Moses being placed in the river reeds and his sister Miriam watching over him until the Pharaoh's daughter finds him and adopts him. While Moses was not an orphan, due to the circumstances his parents were unable to care for him. Miriam took on the role of the kinswoman redeemer, being the closest relative who took responsibility for his life and watched over him until he was safe and was restored to his family.
In 1 Samuel 25 is the story of Nabal, Abigail and David. David sent his servants to request provisions from Nabal, but Nabal refused. So David took 400 men and prepared to fight Nabal. One of Nabal's servants told Nabal's wife Abigail what had happened and told her that David's men had been good to them while they worked in the fields. So Abigail gathered up bread, wine, figs, meat, raisins and grain and headed towards David's camp. She met them on the road, as they were coming towards her home, prepared for battle. Abigail interceded for her husband and begged David to put the blame on her. She begged him to take the gift she was offering as payment for her husband's folly.
When Abigail saw David, she hurried and dismounted from her donkey, and fell on her face before David and bowed herself to the ground. She fell at his feet and said, "On me [fn]alone, my lord, be the blame. And please let your maidservant speak [fn]to you, and listen to the words of your maidservant. "Please do not let my lord [fn]pay attention to this [fn]worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. [fn]Nabal is his name and folly is with him; but I your maidservant did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent. "Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, since the LORD has restrained you from [fn]shedding blood, and from [fn]avenging yourself by your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek evil against my lord, be as Nabal. "Now let this [fn]gift which your maidservant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who [fn]accompany my lord. "Please forgive the transgression of your maidservant; for the LORD will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the LORD, and evil will not be found in you all your days."
1 Samuel 25:22-28
She was completely innocent of the original transgression, knowing nothing of it until her servant told her. She then took it upon herself to redeem her husband and save his life as well as the lives of all their family and servants. Not only did she pay his debt, she asked that the blame be put onto her and asked that David forgive *her* transgression. That is a beautiful picture of our ultimate Redeemer, Yeshua.
In Judges 4 and 5 is the story of the prophetess and judge Deborah. The Israelites were being ruled by the king of Canaan and God told Deborah that he would hand the Canaanites over to her. She and Barak went into battle, Jael killed Sisera, and the Israelites were free again. In this case, Deborah was a kinswoman redeemer for all of the Israelites, including her family. She went into battle to rescue her family and people from bondage.
In the book of Esther, Mordaci told Esther that there was a decree that all of the Jews would be killed and reminded her that it included herself and her family. Esther 4:14
Esther risked her life to come before the king unsummoned so that she could invite him to a banquet. Esther 4:11 and 5:2
At the banquet he offered her anything she wanted and she asked only that the lives of her people and herself be spared. Esther 7:3-4
Esther risked her life to rescue the Jews, including her own family, from death. A true kinswoman redeemer.
In the next post, I will explore the unity presented in these stories.
In this post I will explore the stories of kinswoman redeemers.
In Exodus 2:1-9 is the story of baby Moses being placed in the river reeds and his sister Miriam watching over him until the Pharaoh's daughter finds him and adopts him. While Moses was not an orphan, due to the circumstances his parents were unable to care for him. Miriam took on the role of the kinswoman redeemer, being the closest relative who took responsibility for his life and watched over him until he was safe and was restored to his family.
In 1 Samuel 25 is the story of Nabal, Abigail and David. David sent his servants to request provisions from Nabal, but Nabal refused. So David took 400 men and prepared to fight Nabal. One of Nabal's servants told Nabal's wife Abigail what had happened and told her that David's men had been good to them while they worked in the fields. So Abigail gathered up bread, wine, figs, meat, raisins and grain and headed towards David's camp. She met them on the road, as they were coming towards her home, prepared for battle. Abigail interceded for her husband and begged David to put the blame on her. She begged him to take the gift she was offering as payment for her husband's folly.
When Abigail saw David, she hurried and dismounted from her donkey, and fell on her face before David and bowed herself to the ground. She fell at his feet and said, "On me [fn]alone, my lord, be the blame. And please let your maidservant speak [fn]to you, and listen to the words of your maidservant. "Please do not let my lord [fn]pay attention to this [fn]worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. [fn]Nabal is his name and folly is with him; but I your maidservant did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent. "Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, since the LORD has restrained you from [fn]shedding blood, and from [fn]avenging yourself by your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek evil against my lord, be as Nabal. "Now let this [fn]gift which your maidservant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who [fn]accompany my lord. "Please forgive the transgression of your maidservant; for the LORD will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the LORD, and evil will not be found in you all your days."
1 Samuel 25:22-28
She was completely innocent of the original transgression, knowing nothing of it until her servant told her. She then took it upon herself to redeem her husband and save his life as well as the lives of all their family and servants. Not only did she pay his debt, she asked that the blame be put onto her and asked that David forgive *her* transgression. That is a beautiful picture of our ultimate Redeemer, Yeshua.
In Judges 4 and 5 is the story of the prophetess and judge Deborah. The Israelites were being ruled by the king of Canaan and God told Deborah that he would hand the Canaanites over to her. She and Barak went into battle, Jael killed Sisera, and the Israelites were free again. In this case, Deborah was a kinswoman redeemer for all of the Israelites, including her family. She went into battle to rescue her family and people from bondage.
In the book of Esther, Mordaci told Esther that there was a decree that all of the Jews would be killed and reminded her that it included herself and her family. Esther 4:14
Esther risked her life to come before the king unsummoned so that she could invite him to a banquet. Esther 4:11 and 5:2
At the banquet he offered her anything she wanted and she asked only that the lives of her people and herself be spared. Esther 7:3-4
Esther risked her life to rescue the Jews, including her own family, from death. A true kinswoman redeemer.
In the next post, I will explore the unity presented in these stories.
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