“No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord, even to the tenth generation. None of them may enter the assembly of the Lord forever” (Deuteronomy 23:3 ESV).
The law was clear: no Moabite could enter the assembly of the Lord. The Moabites had a history of opposing Israel, particularly when they refused to offer help and instead sought to curse God’s people through Balaam (Deut 23:4-5; Numbers 22-24). This law seemed to exclude any Moabite permanently.
Yet, in the book of Ruth, we see an incredible exception. Ruth, a Moabite woman, left her homeland and declared her loyalty to the God of Israel (Ruth 1:16-17). When she arrived in Bethlehem as a poor widow, she found grace in the eyes of Boaz, a kinsman-redeemer who chose to redeem her (Ruth 4:9-10). Not only was she accepted into the community, but she also became the great-grandmother of King David (Ruth 4:21-22), and ultimately part of the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5).
Ruth’s story is a powerful picture of God’s grace. By the law, she was excluded, but through faith and redemption, she was accepted into God’s family. The same is true for us. Because of our sin, we were separated from God, outside the assembly of His people (Ephesians 2:12). But just as Ruth found favor with Boaz, we have found grace in Jesus, our greater Redeemer. By faith in Him, we are no longer outsiders but children of God (Ephesians 2:13, 19).
If God could bring a Moabite woman into the lineage of Christ, how much more can He redeem and use us for His purposes? No one is too far from His grace. Today, let’s rejoice in the redemption we have received and share this good news with others who may feel unworthy or distant from God.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your incredible grace that welcomes the outsider. Just as Ruth was accepted and redeemed, You have brought us into Your family through Jesus. Help us to live in gratitude for this grace and extend it to others. Let us reflect the kindness and redemption we have received in Christ. In Jesus’ name, amen.
“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Luke 10:23-24 ESV).
Jesus told His disciples that they were blessed because they were privileged to see and hear that which their forefathers had long awaited. The coming of the Messiah had been prophesied since the Garden when God spoke to the serpent saying that the woman’s “Seed shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Gen. 3:15). For centuries, people of faith looked forward to the coming of Messiah, yet they didn’t see it. As the author of Hebrews wrote, “All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it” (Heb. 11:13). The disciples were seeing and hearing what generations had longed for, namely, Jesus the Messiah.
For those of us today that have placed our faith in Jesus, our longing is already fulfilled, but not yet. For the Lord has opened our spiritual eyes and ears, and we already have the Spirit of Christ with us and in us. Yet, our bodies long for the day when our “faith shall be made sight,” becoming like Jesus and seeing Him “as He really is” (1 John 3:2).
PRAYER: Dear Father, our longings are fulfilled in Your Son, yet we groan for the redemption of our bodies, when we shall be like Him. Fill us afresh with Your Spirit. Strengthen us for the journey that we might always bring glory to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
“Yes, always use honest weights and measures, so that you may enjoy a long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you” (Deuteronomy 25:15 NLT).
God told Moses to teach the people of Israel to establish and maintain a standard of weights and measures, so that their nation would endure. God said that those who used dishonest weights and measures were behaving unrighteously and were an abomination to Him.
Having fair weights and measures establishes trust, so that a nation’s economy prospers. It reduces the possibility of enmity between buyers and sellers. And perhaps most importantly, it protects the poor, who are most often the victims of dishonest schemes.
The U.S. has a governmental office called “The Office of Weights and Measures” that promotes uniformity in weights and measures laws, regulations, and standards to achieve equity between buyers and sellers in the marketplace. This office works to make sure that we get the gallon of gas or milk, or the pound of sugar or bacon, for which we paid.
Perhaps Jesus had this law in view when on the Monday of Passion Week, he “overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves” (Mark 11:15). For the moneychangers were notorious for charging an exorbitant fee for exchanging foreign monies for the Temple shekel. And those selling doves were especially despicable, for they were profiting off of the poor. For the Torah taught that anyone who could not afford a lamb was to bring two doves as a burnt offering for sin (cf. Lev. 5:7). This is why Jesus said, “You have turned my house, which was meant for prayer, into a den of thieves” (cf. Mark 11:17).
God cares about fairness in the marketplace. God cares about how you do business.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we are thankful that You led our nation’s forefathers to establish fairness in the marketplace. We are thankful for America today, yet we ask You to watch over our economy and especially our small business owners. Some may think that You are against business, but Your Word shows that in fact, You are quite interested and care that we run our businesses fairly and honestly. We also pray for the poor in our nation today, that You would watch over them and empower us to be care for them in Your name. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Jesus sent out 72 disciples two by two to preach the gospel in every town and place he was about to go. He prepared them to understand that some people would accept their message and some would reject it. The main thing was to know that ultimately they were accepting or rejecting Christ. Even more significantly, anyone who rejected Christ, would be rejecting God. For accepting Christ Jesus is the only way to be accepted by God.
Those who love the approval of others, fear rejection. This is one reason many don’t share the good news about Jesus. They’re afraid of rejection. For if the hearer rejects the message, the messenger feels rejected too. Yet, for those who love the acceptance and approval of God, sharing the gospel is foremost.
As those whom Jesus has commissioned to bear witness of Him to others, we can overcome our fear of rejection by recognizing that they’re really responding to Him.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we confess that we are often silent before others concerning the gospel. We may be in too much a hurry, or too concerned about what others may think, when we should always be ready to share your gospel. Forgive us and renew our strength to tell others about Jesus. We love you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Jesus told His disciples that they were blessed because they were privileged to see and hear that which their forefathers had long awaited. The coming of the Messiah had been prophesied since the Garden when God spoke to the serpent saying that the woman’s “Seed shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Gen. 3:15). For centuries, people of faith looked forward to the coming of Messiah, yet they didn’t see it. As the author of Hebrews wrote, “All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it” (Heb. 11:13). The disciples were seeing and hearing what generations had longed for, namely, Jesus the Messiah.
For those of us today that have placed our faith in Jesus, our longing is already fulfilled, but not yet. For the Lord has opened our spiritual eyes and ears, and we already have the Spirit of Christ with us and in us. Yet, our bodies long for the day when our “faith shall be made sight,” becoming like Jesus and seeing Him “as He really is” (1 John 3:2).
PRAYER: Dear Father, our longings are fulfilled in Your Son, yet we groan for the redemption of our bodies, when we shall be like Him. Fill us afresh with Your Spirit. Strengthen us for the journey that we might always bring glory to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
God told Moses to teach the people of Israel to establish and maintain a standard of weights and measures, so that their nation would endure. God said that those who used dishonest weights and measures were behaving unrighteously and were an abomination to Him.
Having fair weights and measures establishes trust, so that a nation’s economy prospers. It reduces the possibility of enmity between buyers and sellers. And perhaps most importantly, it protects the poor, who are most often the victims of dishonest schemes.
The U.S. has a governmental office called “The Office of Weights and Measures” that promotes uniformity in weights and measures laws, regulations, and standards to achieve equity between buyers and sellers in the marketplace. This office works to make sure that we get the gallon of gas or milk, or the pound of sugar or bacon, that we paid for.
Perhaps Jesus had this law in view when on the Monday of Passion Week, he “overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves” (Mark 11:15). For the moneychangers were notorious for charging an exorbitant fee for exchanging foreign monies for the Temple shekel. And those selling doves were especially despicable, for they were profiting off of the poor. For the Torah taught that anyone who could not afford a lamb was to bring two doves as a burnt offering for sin (cf. Lev. 5:7). This is why Jesus said, “You have turned my house, which was meant for prayer, into a den of thieves” (cf. Mark 11:17).
God cares about fairness in the marketplace. God cares about how you do business.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we are thankful that You led our nation’s forefathers to establish fairness in the marketplace. We are thankful for America today, yet we ask You to watch over our economy and especially our small business owners. Some may think that You are against business, but Your Word shows that in fact, You are quite interested and care that we run our businesses fairly and honestly. We also pray for the poor in our nation today, that You would watch over them and empower us to be care for them in Your name. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Jesus sent out 72 disciples two by two to preach the gospel in every town and place he was about to go. He prepared them to understand that some people would accept their message and some would reject it. The main thing was to know that ultimately they were accepting or rejecting Christ. Even more significantly, anyone who rejected Christ, would be rejecting God. For accepting Christ Jesus is the only way to be accepted by God.
For those who love the acceptance and approval of man, sharing the gospel is feared. For if the hearer rejects the message, they might reject the messenger too. Yet, for those who love the acceptance and approval of God, sharing the gospel is foremost.
In the end, the most important question is: “How have we responded to Jesus?”
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we confess that we are often silent before others concerning the gospel. We may be in too much a hurry, or too concerned about what others may think, when we should always be ready to share your gospel. Forgive us and renew our strength to tell others about Jesus. We love you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Jesus told His disciples that they were blessed because they were privileged to see and hear that which their forefathers had long awaited. The coming of the Messiah had been prophesied since the Garden when God spoke to the serpent saying that the woman’s “Seed shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Gen. 3:15). For centuries, people of faith looked forward to the coming of Messiah, yet they didn’t see it. As the author of Hebrews wrote, “All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it” (Heb. 11:13). The disciples were seeing and hearing what generations had longed for, namely, Jesus the Messiah.
For those of us today that have placed our faith in Jesus, our longing is already fulfilled, but not yet. For the Lord has opened our spiritual eyes and ears, and we already have the Spirit of Christ with us and in us. Yet, our bodies long for the day when our “faith shall be made sight,” becoming like Jesus and seeing Him “as He really is” (1 John 3:2).
The one whose word and deed is marked by wisdom and diligence will be “satisfied with good” and receive appropriate “recompense.” Yet, when has the world seen such a one? In truth, the Lord Jesus is the only One who has demonstrated both word and deed in perfect balance and beauty.
As regards word, even the temple guards sent to arrest Jesus reported, “Never has anyone spoken like this man!” (John 7:46).
And as regards deed, the multitude who witnessed Jesus causing the deaf to hear and the mute to speak, were astonished and said, “He has done all things well!” (Mark 7:37).
Those who would be truly “satisfied,” and receive a desirable “recompense,” will trust in Christ’s word and work, rather than their own. As the apostle Paul wrote, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col. 3:17).
“Who is my neighbor?” Asked the legal expert of Jesus. He asked this question seeking to “justify himself.” For the law is so perfect in its demand, who can keep it? Therefore, the lawyer sought a loophole or a limitation to the law in order to satisfy it. However, Jesus did not allow for a legal accommodation. Instead, he told a parable of three travelers passing by a man in need. The first two were experts in the law of Moses, yet failed to love their neighbor by stopping to help. The third man, a Samaritan, one hated by the Jews as a half-breed and certainly not a legal expert, he actually stopped to help the injured man. The parable surely hit the mark. It is not enough to know the law. One must do it. And since the lawyer must’ve realized the impossibility of keeping the law, perhaps he recognized his need for a Savior to rescue him from the sin that he couldn’t overcome. Because the truth is, both he and we are the ones in the ditch that needs someone to show us mercy.