Practical Expositions on the Whole Books of Ruth and Esther by George Lawson.
Quality expositions of Ruth are very scarce. This one by George Lawson was highly esteemed by C. H. Spurgeon, who wrote: ''Intended for the general reader. The discourses are as spiritual and unaffected as their excellent author.'' Dr. John Brown, in commending all of Lawson’s books, says that, ''he has rendered subjects, apparently barren, full of instruction'' (Commenting and Commentaries).
These remarks equally apply to this exposition of Ruth by Lawson.
''And she happened to come on a part of the field of Boaz.'' (2:3). ''she happened'' to come into the field of Boaz, who was to become her husband, and through him she would become one of the mothers of our Lord. ''It is plain that divine Providence was her conductor to the field of Boaz. Nothing is accidental to God. When the lot is cast into the lap, its disposal is of the Lord. We are ever in His hand.
In Lawson’s Exposition of Esther, on 2:3, ''may gather together every beautiful virgin to Shushan the palace.'' he remarks: ''This advice appears us very strange and barbarous. Must the king engross all the beauty of his dominion, by taking to himself . . . all the beautiful young women'' in his 127 provinces? But such selfishness marked the despotic rulers of that age, to take the life of a thousand women and barricade them in his harem, never to enjoy the role God gave them. So callous was this king, that he granted the lives of multitudes of Jews to Haman, that he might avenge himself on one Jew.
Though Esther was the queen, it would have seemed impossible for her to reverse Haman’s plot. Yet, in God’s providence, she at the risk of her life, said, ''If I perish, I perish.'' Her counterplot was to bring Haman before the king when she made her plea. Though her trust must be in her God, little could she have expected for Haman to make her desire to come true, and this by simply falling on her couch with her. The king thought Haman was trying to ravish his queen, so Haman was hanged on the gallows which he had built for Mordecai. Then wonder of wonders, Mordecai was appointed over all the king’s affairs. What more proof could be asked of the providential care of God for His people? This entire book was written to witness it to us.
Lawson was a Scotch preacher of the late eighteenth century. In a century of mass apostasy from the true gospel was rampant, he proved loyal and true to God by adhering closely to the written word, counting it infallible as to faith and practice.
