Ruth as an Example of God's Grace

Reading in Neh 13.1, this morning, in which it says that, as they were reading the book of Moses, they read that the Ammonite and Moabite should not come into the congregation of God forever. Ruth was a Moabite, what gives?

It seems pretty clear that the prohibition was for the Moabites as a people, not as individuals. So you have God in essence cursing a people, but then we see him paving the way for individuals to be accepted into the congregation of God. This is grace in action. Ruth was accepted by grace, even though she was a Moabite. I take this to mean that any other Moabite who left their (false) god and turned to the true and living God would be accepted as well.

The God of Heaven, He Will Prosper Us

Nehemiah's words to Sanballat, Geshem, and Tobiah when they opposed his plans to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in Neh 2.20. Nehemiah's courage and trust really stand out here. He's presiding over a relatively huge city with walls that have been destroyed and are nothing more than rubble. The task is so big it's almost incomprehensible. He has influential men who oppose him, and he speaks by faith when he says that the God of heaven will prosper us. He is now out on a limb where, if God doesn't come through, at best he will look foolish, at worst he might be in grave physical danger. Such is the nature of faith.

Result of story. Nehemiah's faith is vindicated. The God of heaven, he DOES prosper Nehemiah and those who have come back to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

Faith wouldn't be faith if we could see exactly what God is going to do or how he is going to come through. Nehemiah's statement is made based on what he knew about God's character.

Thy Servants; Thy People; They Great Power; Thy Strong Hand

I like how Nehemiah prays to the Lord using four possessive pronouns in Nehemiah 1.10. It's not like he is pointing out something that the Lord doesn't know; it's that the Lord wants us to point these things out; he wants us to, in essence, hold him to his character. This is a good thing.

It's like Nehemiah says: "Remember Lord, we are talking about your people and your servants who you bought back with your great power using your strong hand. Surely you don't want to lose what you have bought back."

The result of Nehemiah's great prayer recorded here? God uses his great power and strong hand to bring his servants and his people back to the land from which God himself exiled them 70 years before. It's an amazing prayer and an amazing answer to prayer.