Sabbath School Lesson for June 7-13, 2025
Introduction of Lesson 11, Ruth and Esther
Memory Text: “So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter.” Esther 5:2 NKJV
It’s totally understandable why a study of women in the Bible might be helpful to our study of prophecy. God likens His church to a woman. As a matter of fact, two kinds of women are spoken of repeatedly in Revelation–one a pure, chaste woman (representing God’s true followers) and the other an adulterous prostitute (representing a false religious system, claiming to be God’s church, but in reality listening to and worshiping Satan).
Examining two particular women, Ruth and Esther, who have books named after them in the Bible, will help inform us of the proper response we must strive for as Christians who struggle to remain close to God in the perilous times of the end. Their thrilling stories contain powerful allusions, images, and symbols that will make many prophecies about the last days seem more alive and real.
In Esther’s case, a plot was developed by hate-filled, arrogant Haman to destroy Esther’s people, the Jews. Esther bravely came before the king to plead for their lives, proclaiming herself to be one of them. Sound familiar?
- Sunday: Famine in “The House of Bread”–There was a famine in Bethlehem, a town whose name meant “The House of Bread”.
- Monday: Ruth and Boaz–God had not forgotten Ruth and Naomi.
- Tuesday: Boaz as Redeemer–Boaz was a type of Christ and the gate of Bethlehem was a type of the judgment scene in Daniel 7.
- Wednesday: Haman and Satan–Haman’s lust for power and arrogant nature remind us of Satan.
- Thursday: For Such a Time as This–God will use His church to deliver warnings to the world and give hope to the last generation.
Sunday: Famine in “The House of Bread”
Many allusions can be drawn from the story of Ruth and Naomi, which occurred during the earliest period of Israel, when the judges ruled (Ruth 1:1). The famine in Bethlehem that sent Naomi’s family away to the land of Moab seems ironic with the name Bethlehem meaning “The House of Bread”. But, in Amos 8:11, we find in the last days that there will be a famine of hearing God’s word. Christ, the Bread of Life, will be difficult to find then as well.
Adam and Eve were told that of “every tree of the garden” they could eat freely (Genesis 2:16). They were given the task of taking care of the garden, of subduing it, a pleasant task to be sure. But after sin, “in the sweat of their brow” (Genesis 3:19), they would begin to experience the fallen world subduing them. Natural disasters, famines, and wars have consistently made our planet a place of tragedy for man and beast alike–shown in Ruth and Naomi’s personal episodes of loss and grief.
The story of Ruth is full of the power of kindness and love though. Her courage, despite her setbacks in life, helps us see that God’s love will triumph, too. Our Redeemer wants us to stay close to Him. Just as Ruth was invited to stay close to the gleaning fields of her kinsman Boaz, we are invited to tighten our hold on God, no matter what anguish and pain we may be experiencing in the world.
Verses and questions:
Ruth 1:1-5
- What personal losses did Naomi experience and how do we normally deal with such tragedies?
Genesis 2:16 and 3:19
- What kind of world did the Lord create for us, and why has it deteriorated into something so much more uncomfortable and unbearable today?
Monday: Ruth and Boaz
After so many personal losses, Naomi changed her name, which meant “pleasant”, to Mara, which meant “bitter” (Ruth 1:20). So devastated was she about her dismal life that it totally changed her feelings about herself and her future prospects.
It must have been some comfort to have her daughter-in-law Ruth by her side, but it wasn’t until she discovered that Boaz, a kinsman, might be interested in Ruth that her bitterness began to melt away and be replaced by welcome thoughts of hope again.
Boaz was indeed a type of Christ, in that He chose to be our kinsman too. Jesus was not just the Son of God, but often called Himself the Son of Man. Despite our spiritual poverty, God looks down on us with compassion and wants us as His bride, just as Boaz desired to marry Ruth. God easily identifies with our suffering, because He also suffered extreme grief and loss during His brief stay on earth.
Verses and questions:
Ruth 2:5-20
- Besides her beauty and the fact that she stood out as a foreigner, what was it about Ruth that Boaz noticed and found attractive (v. 11)?
- In what ways can we, as Christians today, show the same love and kindness to others, as portrayed in Ruth’s story?
- What can we do to stand out in our communities and draw them closer to God?
Matthew 12:8, Mark 8:31, Luke 22:22, and John 3:14
- Why did Jesus refer to Himself as the Son of Man on different occasions?
- Why is Jesus uniquely qualified to be called the Son of God and the Son of Man, and what does that mean to you personally?
Tuesday: Boaz as Redeemer
We may be familiar with the story of Ruth and Boaz, but perhaps have not paused long enough to consider who the “close relative” was that threatened their marriage. He must have represented Satan, who, after introducing sin here, claimed ownership of the earth by “walking back and forth” on it (Job 1:7). He also claimed the body of Moses when God resurrected him (Jude 1:9), and later was so bold with his claim as to tempt Jesus Himself when He was on the earth (Matthew 4:8-9).
Boaz, therefore, is seen even more clearly as a type of our Redeemer Jesus Christ. In the fourth chapter of Ruth, we find Boaz going to the gate of Bethlehem, a place where judgments were made. By exchanging sandals, Boaz was able to confirm his right to marry Ruth.
Daniel portrays a similar court scene in chapter 7 that confirms God’s ownership of His bride, the church. Christ paid the price for such a transfer, just as Boaz did for the right to marry Ruth. 1 Corinthians 6:20 says we were bought with a price. And it was a costly one, the life of our Lord and Savior.
Verses and questions:
Ruth 4:1-12, Daniel 7:13-14, 22, 26-27, and 1 Corinthians 6:20
- Why are judgments necessary to establish God’s right to save human beings?
- Who is being judged in these heavenly court scenes?
Wednesday: Haman and Satan
Although there is no direct mention of God in the entire book of Esther, it shouts to us as a description of the great controversy between good and evil–between God and Satan. Her story took place during the time of the Persian exile.
Compare the character of Haman with Lucifer. Both Lucifer and Haman had high positions and authority in the kingdom. But along with their civil power over others, they wanted to be worshiped and bowed down to as well. In Haman’s case, because Mordecai refused to bow down to his authority, all of his people, the Jews, would be killed.
God’s last-day people remind us of the population of Jews in Esther’s day. They will be scattered across the globe, will be seen as “lawbreakers”, and threatened with the death penalty for not bowing down to the combined authority of church and state that becomes a familiar tool of persecution.
Esther was the redeemer of her people in this story, using her claim to be one of them as the key argument for their release and escape from the death penalty. She was a mediator for her people, just as Jesus is now our mediator in God’s heavenly throne-room.
Verses and questions:
Esther 3:1-14, Revelation 12:17, and 13:15
- How does the description of the Jews in Esther 3:8 sound similar to God’s people in the last days?
Thursday: For Such a Time as This
Mordecai reminded his niece Esther that her favored position with the king was most likely providential. She was in the king’s court at just the right time to save her people, the Jews. God wasn’t specifically mentioned, but Esther surely knew the implications and truth of her uncle’s words about her timely influence(Esther 4:14).
The Jews had every reason to celebrate the escape from death that Queen Esther’s last-minute intercession had won for them. Her brave choice to speak up for her people won their deliverance from the fatal death penalty, instigated by Haman, the archenemy of God’s people.
The feast of Purim, which the Jews still celebrate, is a small foretaste of the heavenly feast waiting for God’s people to enjoy at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).
As the dismal 1,260 days of persecution during the Dark Ages came to a close in 1798, another “bride”, God’s faithful church, has come out of hiding to deliver God’s last day warning messages to a troubled world. The three angels’ messages in Revelation 14 remind us that the King of kings is on our side, Satan is not for us. We, like those in Esther’s story, must choose whom we believe and serve.
Verses and questions:
Esther 4:13-14, 5:1-3, and 9:20-28
- How does Esther’s story remind us of events in the last days?
- How can we best share necessary warnings in prophecy without provoking fear and panic?
Friday: Final Thoughts
Women have always been important to the plan of salvation. Tamar, Rahab, and Bathsheba were in the line of descendants that led to the Messiah. Other women mentioned in the Bible were Deborah, Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, and many others.
Ruth’s kindness stands out to us today. She lovingly stayed by her grieving mother-in-law, and humbly labored hard in the gleaning fields to provide for them. In the case of Esther, we are awed by her physical beauty and the fact that the king chose her above all the women in the kingdom.
These two women show us that God’s true church will consist of people whose faithful, obedient characters reflect God on the inside and outside, both in their thoughts and actions. His love and justice will prevail and the righteous will triumph in the end, just like the happy endings for these notable women.
Next Week: Precursors
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