Ruth the Moabitess.
It's quite something to look back in our genealogy and see who is there.
One of my family members has gone back to the 1700's and made up our family tree. It's an education to read it.
Go back in Christ's earthly lineage and up pops a Moabite, a member of a desert tribe, not an Israelite: someone who shouldn't be there.
But let us remember that we are dealing with God and HIS prerogative to choose.
Ruth the Moabitess has a whole book written about her. (The Book of Ruth). You need to read it and see how God is able to bring good things out of bad, overrule in the world of men when He so chooses, write a love-story in the midst of ruin, cause a member of a heathen tribe to be adopted into the family of God and cause another chapter to be written in the Redemption Story because lonely young widow still believed that God had a purpose for her life.
Ruth, you get the gold medal for your unquenchable hope.
Jubilate.
Ian ....... P.S. No breakfasts for a week. I'm in Dallas.
Here is a lady who was used to save her nation from extermination.
We might call it a planned "holocaust" of the Jews in the days of the Babylon captivity.
The megolamaniac who conspired to unleash the massacre was Haman, the chief Vizier in the King's court.
The lady who was used to thwart his mad scheme, Queen Esther.
Not only was she a woman of great beauty, she was also possessed of both wisdom and courage.
Hearing of Haman's plan to assault her people, she took her life in her hands and broke the protocol of the Persian Court by approaching the King without prior permission.
To do so was a capital offence but Esther's response was :
"If I perish, I perish."
Her words have been recorded and passed down through history.
Her faith and courage carried the day. The villain was hung, the Jews were saved and Esther became the favoured wife of the King.
Amazing things happen when you simply obey God.
Queen Esther you get the gold for your prudence and courage.
Jubilate.
Ian
History has demonstated time and again that when men fail to rise to the challenge God will raise up a woman to accomplish the task.
Deborah, in the Book of Judges, was just such a lady.
When Israel had been dispossessed of their land by invading heathen tribes, and the men were cowering in their foxholes, Deborah called for Barak a local leader.
The scene is delightful. The Bible says that Deborah was sitting under a palm tree and when Barack arrived she told him to blow his trumpet, gather his men and God would sweep the enemy from the land.
Barack's faith rose but only so far. He said.
"O.K. I'll do that but only if you come with me."
"That being the case," said Deborah, "I'll go but the honor of slaying the enemy leader, Sisera, will go to a woman and not to you."
And so it was. The battle ended with a lady called Jael finishing off Sisera with blow to his head in her tent.
A woman under a palm tree with Word of God. Another woman with her mallet to end the campaign.
Two gold medals. One for leadership and the other for surpassing courage.
Jubilate.
Ian
