OpenTheo

Q&A#7 Ruth the Moabitess and the Moabite Women of Nehemiah

Alastair Roberts

Q&A#7 Ruth the Moabitess and the Moabite Women of Nehemiah

May 20, 2018
Alastair Roberts
Alastair Roberts

Today's Question: Having recently read both Ruth and Nehemiah, I was struck by the very different ways they relate to the recurring entanglement of Moabite women and Israelite men. Nehemiah seems to replay the old story, whereas Ruth seems to invert it (the faithful pagan woman, redeemed that she might birth the future redeemer). Do you have any thoughts on this or on the related issue of how David and Jesus were admitted into the congregation of Israel in spite of Moabite ancestry?

Leave your own questions in the comments, on my blog, or on my Curious Cat account.

http://alastairadversaria.com/

https://curiouscat.me/zugzwanged

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditCopy Link

Transcript

More on OpenTheo

Can You Provide Verifiable, Non-Religious Evidence That a Supernatural Jesus Existed?
Can You Provide Verifiable, Non-Religious Evidence That a Supernatural Jesus Existed?
#STRask
November 10, 2025
Question about providing verifiable, non-religious evidence that a supernatural Jesus existed.   * I am an atheist and militantly anti-god-belief. Ho
How Do We Advocate for Christian Policy Without Making the Government Interfere in Every Area of Life?
How Do We Advocate for Christian Policy Without Making the Government Interfere in Every Area of Life?
#STRask
November 20, 2025
Questions about how to advocate for Christian policy without making the government interfere in every area of life, and the differences between the mo
Why Does the Bible Teach You How to Be a Proper Slave Owner?
Why Does the Bible Teach You How to Be a Proper Slave Owner?
#STRask
November 13, 2025
Question about why it seems like the Bible teaches you how to be a proper slave owner rather than than saying, “Stop it. Give them freedom.”   * It s
Brian Miller: Fine-Tuning and the Multiverse Theory
Brian Miller: Fine-Tuning and the Multiverse Theory
Knight & Rose Show
March 7, 2026
Wintery Knight and guest host Terrell Clemmons welcome Dr. Brian Miller to discuss the the evidence for fine-tuning in physics and cosmology and the m
Does God Really Need a “Pound of Flesh” to Forgive Sins?
Does God Really Need a “Pound of Flesh” to Forgive Sins?
#STRask
January 12, 2026
Questions about how to answer the challenge that God doesn’t need a “pound of flesh” to forgive sins but can simply forgive, and whether the claim in
Is It a Sin to Feel Let Down by God?
Is It a Sin to Feel Let Down by God?
#STRask
November 6, 2025
Questions about whether it’s a sin to feel let down by God and whether it would be easier to have a personal relationship with a rock than with a God
When I Can’t Stop Thinking About Something, Is That God Speaking?
When I Can’t Stop Thinking About Something, Is That God Speaking?
#STRask
December 1, 2025
Questions about whether having a recurring thought is an indication God is speaking to you, what to say to someone who says they sinned because “God t
Did God Create Us So He Wouldn’t Be Alone?
Did God Create Us So He Wouldn’t Be Alone?
#STRask
November 3, 2025
Questions about whether God created us so he wouldn’t be alone, what he had before us, and a comparison between the Muslim view of God and the Christi
Why Are So Many Christians Condemning LGB People Just Because of How They Love?
Why Are So Many Christians Condemning LGB People Just Because of How They Love?
#STRask
January 15, 2026
Questions about Christians condemning LGB people just because of how they love, how God can expect someone to be celibate when others are free to marr
Is It Possible There’s a Being That’s Greater Than God?
Is It Possible There’s a Being That’s Greater Than God?
#STRask
February 5, 2026
Questions about whether it’s possible there’s a being that’s greater than God and that’s outside of God’s comprehension and omniscience, and how to ex
The Making of the American Mind with Matthew Spalding
The Making of the American Mind with Matthew Spalding
Life and Books and Everything
February 2, 2026
The United States is unique in how much attention it pays to its founding, its founders, and its founding documents. Arguably, the most famous and mos
The Man on the Middle Cross with Alistair Begg
The Man on the Middle Cross with Alistair Begg
Life and Books and Everything
November 10, 2025
If you haven’t seen the viral clip, go see it right now. In this episode, Kevin talks to Alistair about the preaching clip he didn’t intend to give, h
Why Do We Say Someone Was Saved on a Particular Date If It Was Part of an Eternal Plan?
Why Do We Say Someone Was Saved on a Particular Date If It Was Part of an Eternal Plan?
#STRask
November 24, 2025
Questions about why we say someone was saved on a particular date if it was part of an eternal plan, the Roman Catholic view of the gospel vs. the Bib
The Heidelberg Catechism with R. Scott Clark
The Heidelberg Catechism with R. Scott Clark
Life and Books and Everything
November 3, 2025
You may not think you need 1,000 pages on the Heidelberg Catechism, but you do! R. Scott Clark, professor at Westminster Seminary California, has writ
How Do You Justify Calling Jesus the Messiah?
How Do You Justify Calling Jesus the Messiah?
#STRask
December 18, 2025
Questions about how one can justify calling Jesus the Messiah when he didn’t fulfill the Hebrew messianic prophecies, and whether the reason for the v