Your people shall be my people and your God my God.
//The book of Ruth is such a sweet little story, and this speech by Ruth
is such an inspiring example of love. As Naomi heads back from Moab to
the land of Israel, she instructs her daughter-in-law Ruth to turn back,
go back to Moab. Ruth says, “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to
turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And
wherever you lodge, I will lodge.” But Ruth doesn’t stop there. She
continues, “Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God.”
But
if other scripture is to be believed, Ruth could not have said these
words, except in ignorance. Naomi could never have accepted them. No
such thing should have been possible. The book of Deuteronomy is clear
on the subject:
"An
Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the LORD; even to
the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of
the LORD forever, because they did not meet you with bread and water on
the road when you came out of Egypt” –Deuteronomy 23:3-4
Supposing
this story of Ruth and Naomi were true, can you begin to imagine the
heartache Naomi would feel as she led Ruth back to a land that she
believed could never accept her? Supposing this story were true, then
what changed when they arrived back in Israel: the Law or the Lord?
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