Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about the books of Ruth and Esther, as well as Proverbs chapters 10 to 18.

What does it mean to be Jewish, or part of any meaningful group? The stories of Ruth and Esther are perspectives on this, both celebrated for what they can show us about faith, courage, loss and redemption, but differing in emphasis and perhaps what people might conclude from them.

Esther’s story was shared when Jewish people were scattered across the ancient world and needed reminding and encouraging about their shared identity and specialness. Others posed threats to their existence, but they could still prevail and thrive as a people, and remember this in the annual celebration of Purim.

Ruth’s story has a different perspective on the role of outsiders, demonstrating how a foreigner who shared the Jewish values of loyalty and love could find themselves grafted into the family tree. What happened with Ruth would lead to descendants King David, who would show what closeness to God looked like in worship, and Jesus, who would bring God’s kingdom close enough for everyone to grasp.

Can engaging with these stories, along with the Proverbs, highlight where we might be struggling with fear, loss or division between people, and encourage us to seek God’s perspective?

The next part of our boxset will look at the book 1 Samuel, chapters 1 to 20. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.