Friday: Further Thought – Ruth and Esther
Daily Lesson for Friday 13th of June 2025
Further Thought: “The First King of Israel,” Pages 605, 606, in Patriarchs and Prophets.
Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
“Satan will arouse indignation against the minority who refuse to accept popular customs and traditions. Men of position and reputation will join with the lawless and the vile to take counsel against the people of God. Wealth, genius, education, will combine to cover them with contempt. Persecuting rulers, ministers, and church members will conspire against them. With voice and pen, by boasts, threats, and ridicule, they will seek to overthrow their faith. By false representations and angry appeals, men will stir up the passions of the people. Not having a ‘Thus saith the Scriptures’ to bring against the advocates of the Bible Sabbath, they will resort to oppressive enactments to supply the lack. To secure popularity and patronage, legislators will yield to the demand for Sunday laws. But those who fear God, cannot accept an institution that violates a precept of the Decalogue. On this battlefield will be fought the last great conflict in the controversy between truth and error. And we are not left in doubt as to the issue. Today, as in the days of Esther and Mordecai, the Lord will vindicate His truth and His people.”—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, Pages 605, 606.
Discussion Questions
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“Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely." 1 Corinthians 13:12
So many evil things that happen have no explanation or even justifications nor do they make sense! Since the fall, life has continued delivering very painful blows, striking us so hard from unexpected angles in form of endless afflictions of all sorts and magnitudes leaving speechless, crippled and confused.
God has created each day and moment with purpose. Sometimes we see things imperfectly, some seasons may not bring enough clarity of God's concealed work in us. Let us make peace that It is not in every situation we may see God's mind; or share his perspective.. With every “why” we need God most.
Our willing to call upon His name during good or bad times helps to finally see the entire picture. When worried about why, let us remember we may never have all the answers and until then, let us lay our pain, frustration, anger, suffering and hardship in God's capable hands and trust Him ultimately.
We rather like stories about people who suffer tribulation and persecution for their faith. And the final conflict involving apocalyptic persecution by people not of our faith has always been part of our story. I remember as a kid being told all sorts of stories about persecution and even reading the storied of the Waldenses and Huguenots as part of the Missionary Volunteers program. I was scared spitless. I remember sleeping under the bed because if "they came at midnight: they would look into my room and see it empty and leave me alone.
Now 70 years later, I have not been persecuted. I have been inconvenienced a couple of times; ridiculed a little bit but largely ignored for my beliefs. The couple of times I have had Sabbath conflicts have been met rather graciously by those who have asked me to do something. And I guess that for most of our readers, it has been much the same.
At the same time, I have seen folk lose their faith and disappear over the horizon from our influence. I have seen others who have been seduced by "worldly pleasure", or who have become impatient and bored waiting for the Lord to come.
A long time ago I realised that "waiting for the apocalytic end time events was largely a waste of time, and that the notion of "occupying til I come" is really what the Gospel is all about. I am not denying the second coming, but waiting for it, should not be considered an option. If the Christian story in meaningful, it is meant to be lived now, irrespective of when Jesus comes.
Computers used to have a one track mind. My first computer would sit on my desk doing nothing until I gave it instructions. Then it would do what I asked and wait for the next instruction. In those days computers sat around for long periods of time doing nothing. Nowadays, computers are busy doing things all the time. They interrupt what they are doing to receive instructions and follow them. But for the rest of the time there are processing working on all sorts of tasks such as keeping up to date, and checking for viral intrusion.
In a sense, we should be like computers, busy with the process of sharing the Gospel, and not just waiting for the Lord to come.
My grandson came over this morning. He is 20 and in the process of educating for life. What should I tell him? Get ready for persecution, or live the Gospel to the fullest?
God has a Plan for each one of us. And because He knows us well, out of His mercy, He'll show us the way if we ask Him. Sometimes, hardships are God's best method to help us change. Let us keep holding on to His love towards us, because He is love.