Affected by God's Word

In today’s Bible reading* we see that God’s people were affected by God’s Word.

When the book of Moses is read, the people learn that the Ammonites and Moabites were prohibited from entering the assembly of God (Deuteronomy 23:3) because of how they treated God’s people as they migrated into the Promised Land from Egypt. The Ammonites were the ones who hired Balaam in an effort to curse God’s people. However, Balaam listened to God and blessed God’s people instead.

As the people contemplated God’s prohibition of the Ammonites to enter the assembly of God, the people were deeply convicted of their sin. Nehemiah rebuked the Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. (Nehemiah 13:25) He saw that half of their children were well-versed in the language of the pagans, but couldn’t speak Hebrew. Nehemiah called out their hypocrisy; the people had forgotten their heritage and neglected their responsibility to raise their children in the knowledge of God and His ways. (Deuteronomy 6:7-9)

Application

The passage the people read concerning the Ammonites and Moabites being excluded from the assembly of God (Deuteronomy 23:3) didn’t just exclude the people. It excluded their children to the tenth generation from entering the assembly of God. That’s a long time!

However, you may remember that Ruth was a Moabite. (Ruth 1:4) Her great-grandson was King David. (Matthew 1:5–6)

Even though God pronounced judgment on the Moabite line, God was gracious and redeemed David’s (and Jesus’) bloodline. God is gracious to His covenant people!

God’s people can still be affected by God’s Word. Paul told Timothy that God’s Word is capable of transforming our lives so that we can be prepared to live Godly lives. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

* Chapters covered in today’s reading:
Nehemiah 11
Nehemiah 12
Nehemiah 13
Psalms 126

This devotional was originally published on October 1, 2021.

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