Bible's Israel was just a moral paradigm!
Many people wrongly believe that the Hebrews mentioned in the Bible are a particular ethnic group
arbitrarily elected by God in order to become His chosen people [having special privileges as well as special
responsibilities]. How do we now that Bible's Israel was instead a paradigm for God's true people [those who
are humble and merciful]? We know it from the verse that goes on to say: "God is indeed good to Israel, to
the pure in heart"- Psalm 73:1.
Whom does the verse identify as being Israel? The pure in heart [those who are humble and merciful]! How
else do we know that Israel is composed of anyone willing to serve the God of Abraham [having mercy of
their suffering fellow human beings], regardless of his race? We know if from the verse that goes on to say:
"No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the Lord’s assembly; none of their descendants, even to the tenth
generation, may ever enter the Lord’s assembly"- Deut. 23:3.
Why were Moabites prevented from entering Israel's assembly? It was due to their lack of mercy, as is
written: "This is because they did not meet you with food and water on the journey after you came out of
Egypt"- Deut. 23:4. But the fact is that we later find a Moabite (Ruth) not only entering Israel's assembly, but
even becoming the ancestor of Israel greatest king (David).
How do we explain that a forbidden Moabite is allowed to enter Israel's Congregation, thereby becoming an
Israelite? We explain it by remembering that the Moabite was just a symbol for a person lacking mercy and
humility, while the Israelite represented the person having a pure heart filled with mercy and humility.
Thus, the moment Ruth decided to show mercy to her foreign [and recently] widowed mother-in-law
[remaing by her side, in order to provide for her safety and well being], in that very moment she stopped
representing a Moabite, and started to become a living representation of God's true Israel. As it is written:
“Everything you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband’s death has been fully reported to me:
how you left your father and mother and your native land, and how you came to a people you didn’t
previously know. May the Lord reward you for what you have done, and may you receive a full reward from
the Lord God of Israel..."- Ruth 2:11-12.
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«(AFTER) ALL HAS BEEN HEARD; THE END OF THE MATTER IS (THIS): “FEAR GOD [revere and
worship Him, knowing that He is (the Supreme Judge)], AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS, FOR THIS IS
THE WHOLE (PURPOSE) OF MAN [the full, original purpose of his creation, the object of God’s
providence, the root of character, the foundation of all happiness, the adjustment to all inharmonious
circumstances and conditions under the sun] and the whole [duty] for every man”»- Ecclesiastes 12:13
(Amplified Bible, Classic Edition).
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