The theme for the 2017 Pepperdine Bible Lectures was Scrolls for a Robust Salvation, focusing on the Scrolls of the Megilloth. I admit that I knew nothing about these scrolls or their intention in the annual spiritual rhythms of Jewish life. The scrolls of Ruth, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Lamentations, and Song of Songs are the five Scrolls of the Megilloth, which are read at certain, dedicated times or festivals in the Jewish calendar. Their purpose is to remind us of God’s plan, God’s love, and His redemption/salvation. And they are read in the context of community to solidify those reminders.
As a part of the Spanish program on that Friday, I shared from the books (scrolls) of Ruth, Ecclesiastes, and Esther as they each remind us of God’s plan, God’s love, and His redemption: Ruth through relationships, Ecclesiastes through the thorns of wisdom (Ecc. 12:11), and Esther through difficult times.
Ruth and Naomi are an excellent example of Iron Rose Sisters. (There is even an entire ePetal study available for download that highlights this relationship.)
Salomon reminds us that words of wisdom can be like thorns, which we work on as iron sharpening iron, in community.
And Esther highlights six steps when we face a challenge: pray, fast, ask others to accompany you, submit (to God, to others, and to the circumstances), trust, and obey. Jesus did the same six things when He went to the cross...
Yesterday, the first day of the week, I hope you were able to gather in community and celebrate God’s plan, God’s love, and His redemption/salvation. Between today and tomorrow, I encourage you to pick one of the Scrolls of the Megilloth and read it through (the longest of those books is only 12 chapters). Look at it through the lens of God’s plan, God’s love and His redemption.
But that’s not all! In order to fulfill the context in which the scrolls were read and the focus for this month’s blog post, you must share with someone else what you have read, remembered or rediscovered.
And please share it with me as well, through this blog!
Finally, if you, or someone you know, would like to watch a video of those classes, or listen to the audio, they are each available on our website.