God has a plan for both individuals as well as nations. However, the two are not always tied together. In scripture we can see how individuals can get trapped on both sides of how a nation responds to God. Many times, individuals’ obedience to God will lead to the prosperity of the nation (Pr 11:10). We also see that many times the righteous may undergo consequences of a nation’s judgment (Ec 8:14). Yet God promises to look out for righteous individuals (Ps 1:6, 11:7; Pr 12:7; Is 3:10; Mt 13:43). God always seems to put the actions of individuals above the actions of nations. Let’s examine a few examples.

When Joshua first led the Israelites across the Jordan River into their Promised Land of Canaan, the city of Jericho was the first city they attacked. God stated the city was slated for total annihilation: no individual, livestock, or plunder was to be taken – all was to be dedicated to God (Js 6:18-21). Yet, Rahab and her family were saved because of her actions and belief (Js 6:23, 25). She knew God was above all other gods and would make Israel prosper no matter what (Js 2:10-11). Because of her response to Him, God rewarded her faith (Js 6:25). She became the great, great grandmother of King David (Mt 1:5-6).

Another example was Ruth. Moab was a country between Edom and the tribe of Reuben on the eastern side of the Jordan River. The people of Moab were descendants of Lot, a nephew of Abraham (Gn 19:30-38). When the Israelites were heading to Canaan, the king of Moab refused to let them pass through their land (Jd 11:17). Later, another king of Moab made Israel subject to him, but Israel later made Moab subject to them through the leadership of the judge Ehud (Jd 3:12-30). Moabites and Israelites became enemies (Jd 3:28). Yet, because of Ruth’s devotion to Naomi, her mother-in-law, and her devotion to God (Ru 1:16-17), she, too, was saved and blessed by God (Ru 4:13-22): she became the grandmother to King David (Mt 1:5-6).

A third example was Asenath. She was the daughter of an Egyptian priest of On (also known as Heliopolis). She was given to Joseph as a wife by Pharaoh himself (Gn 41:45). While scripture is silent as to her conversion, it is likely she did because as the book of Exodus opens, Joseph’s descendant are already incorporated into the lives of the other children of Israel. Although Ephraim and Manasseh were half Egyptian, their descendants were considered Israeli by the rest of the Israelites as well as by future Pharaohs. Both Ephraim and Manasseh became two of the larger tribes within the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

A fourth example were the Gibeonites. These were Amorite descendants (Hivites) who God had told Joshua to have annihilated (Js 3:10) as the Israelites took possession of the Promised Land of Canaan (Js 9:24). The Gibeonites pretended to be from a far country, wanted to worship the God of Israel, and asked Joshua to make a covenant with them (Js 9:6-15). While the Gibeonites deceived Joshua and the Israelite leaders into making a covenant with them, Joshua still honored the covenant and made them servants to the Levites (Js 9:23). They and their descendants hewed wood and drew water for service of the tabernacle, and later for the temple (Js 9:27). In order to perform duties of worship, they would have had to become proselytes and their males circumcised (Gn 17:11-14; Ex 12:48-49). God also honored this covenant and King David later had to repay retribution for the Gibeonites who King Saul had put to death (2Sa 21:1). The Gibeonites later became the temple servants (1Ch 9:2) and some even returned to Jerusalem from Babylonian exile with Zerubbabel (Er 2:43) and Ezra (Er 8:20) to continue in this service. They also helped Nehemiah repair the city’s wall (Ne 3:26) and they were incorporated into Jewish society (Ne 11:3). Although those in the beginning may not have been devoted proselytes, God honored future generations that became devoted to Him.

From these examples, we see that while God has plans for nations, an individual’s response to God is primary. This may be a different view than you’ve had of God before, but doesn’t it show how loving God really is to us? Aren’t you glad you serve a God like that?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

The idea that God has a principle of inclusion for everyone may be a surprise to some, but it only prevails if it is a taught principle. So far, we’ve seen how God started with the inclusion of a nation into his overarching plan for the world. Then we saw how Israel’s leaders extended this idea to Rahab and her family when they destroyed Jericho. Today, we’ll see how an Israelite did the same for a foreigner. This demonstrates the progression from nation to leaders to citizens. Yet, it is a two-way street. Inclusion has to not only be offered but be accepted.

Maybe it was because the girl was beautiful, or maybe because Boaz was from a family whose mother had been extended this offer of inclusion and he understood his life was blessed because of it. Or, maybe it was a combination of both. Either way, Boaz extended this offer of inclusion to a foreigner. His deed not only benefited him and his family, but also his nation, as well as the entire world.

It’s not an unfamiliar story. Elimelek and his wife, Naomi, and his two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, left Judah and went to Moab because of a famine (Ru 1:1-2). Elimelek felt this move was best for his family as he tried to provide for them. Yet, they stayed far longer than they had originally expected. Likely, because his sons married and had jobs there. At any rate, they decided to stay. Family was more important than where they lived, or so they thought. But hardship came. Elimelek died, as did both Mahlon and Kilion a decade later (Ru 1:4-5). Not all at once, of course, but bit by bit, Naomi’s heart was torn, piece by piece. In the end, she found herself the foreigner living among people and customs that were not hers. It had been tolerable when she had family, but now . . . now all she had was sorrow. While she did have her daughters-in-law, survival of women alone living in a man’s world was difficult. When she heard the famine was lifted in Judah, she decided to return (Ru 1:6).

At first, her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, stated they would return with her. Evidently, the three of them got along well. Yet, these were young girls. Naomi knew they would be better able to find new husbands from their own people than from those who would now be foreigners to them. Naomi therefore begged them to stay and remarry (Ru 1:8-9). Orpah eventually relented and stayed, but Ruth begged Naomi to allow her to travel back with her. Ruth’s response has become probably the most noted feature of the book of Ruth and has become a quote often used in weddings to show devotion and commitment: Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely if even death separates you and me (Ru 1:8-9). That’s a great sentiment and a story in and of itself. Yet, it is a side story to the main story of this book.

The return was timed perfectly. It was the barley harvest (Ru 1:22) around Pesach (Passover). Shortly after that would be the wheat harvest (Ru 2:23) around Shavuot (Pentecost). Levitical law required farmers to not reap the edges of their field so the poor and widows could glean and thereby provide for themselves (Lv 19:9). And as fate would have it, and probably Naomi’s planning, and, of course, God’s divine providence, Ruth gleaned in Boaz’s field. Boaz was a relative of Naomi, and Boaz did not let this fact, or her beauty, escape him. Naomi helped Ruth to maintain Boaz’s interest and over a short time capture his heart. Boaz was determined to marry her (Ru 3:11). Yet, there was a closer relative to Naomi that would have first rights to become the kinsman redeemer, one would take over the care of the family and its inheritance (Ru 3:12). Law also required this person to provide an heir to the dead if the family was without children (Dt 25:5). Since Ruth’s husband, Mahlon, had died without an heir, it would be the responsibility of the kinsman redeemer to marry Ruth. This relative already had a family and did not want this responsibility, so he passed and allowed Boaz to be the kinsman redeemer for Naomi and Ruth (Ru 4:6-10). They were married and had a son, Obed, who became the grandfather to King David (Ru 13-16).

The wedding of Boaz and Ruth occurred on or very near Shavuot. I find this apropos as Ruth, the Moabitess, the foreigner, was incorporated into Israel, God’s chosen nation. This is a beautiful picture of inclusion. This time, it was on a personal level and demonstrated to everyone how such a concept should be incorporated into all families within Israel. Inclusion was a way to spread the news of who God is and his character of love for everyone. 

This example, of course, did not mean inclusion had to be only by marriage. Yet, it indicates how foreigners were not the enemy but the potential of revealing God to the world. By not showing animosity to foreigners, but sticking to their commitment to God and his Law, they would still be able to be the ambassadors God wanted them to be. With such an attitude, they could bring the knowledge of God to everyone. Sadly, that was not what happened. Yet, it is an example even for us today. Others are not our enemy, but the means and potential to share God and his character to them. Everyone needs God. First, they just need the attitude of inclusion.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens