Week 3: Stories of Virtue
Ruth
Ruth got married! …and then her husband died, along with his brother and father. Ruth was left with her new sister in law, Orpah, and her mother in law, Naomi. Naomi told both girls to go back home because they were now without husbands and she was without any more sons for them to marry. Orpah went back home but Ruth chose to stay with Naomi. They traveled to Bethlehem and stayed with a relative named Boaz. Ruth went to work without necessarily being given permission to and she harvested the leftover barley. Boaz was impressed with the work she had done and told his workers to let her glean what was left and to leave her alone.
Naomi tells Ruth to put herself at the feet of Boaz, in hopes that he’ll marry her. A life without a husband was not necessarily a kind life for women. Ruth did what Naomi told her and while it seemed Boaz was a little surprised, he praised her for how virtuous she was. He promised to marry her by purchasing the land that once belonged to her husband. Don’t forget that the Savior is a descendant of Ruth’s bloodline. Her virtue, her loyalty and her hard work, were critical for God’s plan to unfold the way it needed to.
Esther
The orphan Esther was chosen to be the wife of Ahasuerus because of her great virtue. She “obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins (Esther 2:17)”. But that isn’t the virtue that she’s known for most often. Esther’s surrogate father Mordecai angered one of the King’s higher ups, Haman. He wouldn’t bow to him and for that reason, Haman weaseled a deal with the King to kill all of the Jews and place a large deposit into the kingdom’s coffers.
Esther was a Jew and like the other Jews, she was terrified. Terrified what this meant for her people and for the death that was coming her way. Mordecai asked her to plead with the King on their people’s behalf. She couldn’t enter the King’s court without being invited, if she did, she could be killed just for that. Esther asked for them to fast for her, to give her strength and the guidance of God.
Luckily, Esther was so loved by her husband that she was able to enter the court without issue. What I love about this is that Esther didn’t air the issue in front of everyone but instead, she invited the King and Haman to a private dinner. She does what she was asked to by her people and pleads for their lives. The King reverses the decree laid out by Haman and the Jews are saved. Esther was brave to risk her life and the life of her people. She was brave to reveal to her husband that she was a Jew when he didn’t know that before. Esther did what was right, even when it would have been easier for her to remain silent.
Scriptures to Study: Esther, Ruth, Genesis 29, Genesis 30, Genesis 35
Journal Questions:
- Who is another great example of biblical virtue in the scriptures?
- How can you be more brave like Esther?
- Where in your life could you put more trust in God?