*Ruth, a Moabite Woman*

There were thousands of girls in Israel when Boaz, the great-grandfather of King David, was single. Yet, none of them were fortunate enough to become the bride of Boaz, a wealthy and God-fearing man. The lineage of Boaz would carry a king whose kingdom shall never end—Jesus Christ.

Deuteronomy 23:3-4 states:
“An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation, their descendants shall not enter into the assembly of the Lord forever, because they did not meet you with food and water on the way when you came forth out of Egypt, and because they hired Balaam, son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, against you to curse you.”

If the Moabites are considered enemies of the Israelites and prohibited from entering God’s presence, why did God allow Ruth, a Moabite woman, to marry Boaz and become part of Jesus Christ’s family? I understand that she was the widow of Mahlon and left everything to accompany her mother-in-law, Naomi, to the foreign land of Israel.

One might question, “Why would God choose a Moabite woman instead of an Israelite?” It feels similar to giving property to the son of an enemy. This question often arises in my heart—why does God choose non-believers or those who are not born into Christianity and use them mightily, while some born Christians do not actively serve Him?

God is a mysterious and wonderful Lord. The Israelites often neglected to seek His will or sacrifice for Him, while Ruth, the Moabite woman, left her homeland and family behind, willingly accepting a life of singlehood to care for her mother-in-law. Everything she did was driven by her desire to know the true God, and for this reason, God chose her over Israelite women.

Sometimes, those born into Christianity may think they already possess Jesus and therefore do not feel the need to seek Him actively. A similar attitude was observed among Israelite women. In contrast, a foreign woman became the great-grandmother of King David while many native women remained spiritually unfulfilled.

Ultimately, our actions and cooperation with the Lord shape our destinies. It is not solely God’s will but our willingness to engage with Him that determines what happens in our lives.