Isaiah 30:18: Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!
The frequent usage of the words “grace” and “mercy” in Christendom have diminished the richness and the meaning of these incredible gifts from God. “Grace” is unmerited favour and the love of God towards us. Grace showers us with blessings that we are not worthy to receive. “Mercy” is the compassion of God that withholds the punishment that we deserve. The pages of the scriptures ooze with grace and mercy of God.
Ruth came from a corrupt bloodline of incest, idolatry and immorality. The Moabites were the descendants of the first daughter of Lot through incestuous origin. They worshipped Chemosh and practiced child sacrifice that was detestable to the Lord. Further, the king of Moab, Balak hired the sorcerer Balaam to curse the children of God while they passed through the land. Since the witchdoctor could not curse a generation that the Lord had blessed, he sowed an evil counsel to entice the Israelite men into adultery, revelry and idol worship. The disobedience made them step out of the grace of God and His protective canopy. Hence, there was an ordinance in the law of Moses – No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the LORD; none of their descendants, even to the tenth generation, may ever enter the assembly of the LORD (Deuteronomy 23:3).
However, when Ruth came under the umbrella of grace by turning her back to the pagan practices and detestable worship – grace trumped over the law. She became the great-grandmother of King David and appears in the genealogy of King Jesus.
God’s Grace trumps over the Law:
- Background: We might not have an elite heritage or a prestigious background but the grace calls us a chosen generation and a royal priesthood.
- Bloodline: We don’t choose our bloodline but when we choose to be born-again, grace brings us into the bloodline of Jesus.
- Blessings: Under the canopy of God’s grace and mercy, we receive blessings we do not deserve and are saved from the condemnation we do deserve.
“The law might condemn us but God’s grace accepts and mercy forgives us”.
Prayer: Holy Father, how can I thank you enough for your grace and mercy. Amen
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