God, looks for a righteous and receptive heart even among a Moabite or an Ammonite
Nehemiah 2:10, Jeremiah 48:3-4, Nehemiah 13:2,13
In the book of Nehemiah we read of Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite. A Horonite was person from a city of Moab. Again, we discover the Moabites and the Ammonites seeking the downfall of Israel. Sanballat used every trick in the book to discourage Nehemiah and his group in their work including mockery, threats, attacks, and blackmail all of which proved to no avail. Sanballat tried to lure Nehemiah into an ungodly alliance just as Moab had done on previous occasions. Fortunately, Nehemiah saw through the scheme and would not even meet with the enemy. When this did not work the Moabites tried to tempt Nehemiah to sin by entering the temple in the hope the Lord would judge Nehemiah as he had the people of Israel, but this too did not work. The war was not really over for Nehemiah because just when it appeared that Moab would fail in their seduction, we read that quite a few Israelites married Moabites and Ammonites. In Nehemiah 3:13,23 this mixed multitude degraded the value of the Lord’s people so that many of them could not speak the language of Israel but adopted the language and customs of the Moabites and Ammonites as stated in Nehemiah 13:24 To appreciate the story of Ruth we really have to understand the magnitude of hatred that both the Moabites and the Ammonites had for the Israelites. It was a lifelong opposition. Overcoming that was almost like a betrayal of the family that you grew up in, a betrayal of her heritage making the story of Ruth all the more appropriate and poignant to the issue of redemption. God, however, looks for a righteous and receptive heart even in a Moabite or an Ammonite who had been completely banned from the congregation. God recognizes and honors that heart, even when it comes from a culture of the most idolatrous, hateful enemies Israel had ever known. Redemption truly is available for everyone and that is the story of Ruth. What does this scripture tell you about God? What does this scripture tell you about man? Since this is God’s word what changes do I need to make in my life? Whom am I going tell or share with?
- Read Dan 12.1; thank the Lord that the great warring arch-angel Michael that watches over Israel.
- Call forth for angelic assistance to protect that nation against all the hidden agendas to destroy her. The Lord has always protected His people, He will not fail to protect them again. Amen.
- Proclaim Psalm 83 over Israel in this season and Isa 49. From the womb of time, the Lord already marked and called this nation for His own purpose. His purposes must continue to be fulfilled and His will done in the face of so much contrariness from the nations all around. Even in this season, the Lord will rescue Israel and scatter all her enemies for His own name’s sake.