We just celebrated the feast of Shavuot (Feast of Weeks), and traditionally during Shavuot we read the book of Ruth. In it we find the well known words Ruth speaks to her mother in law Naomi:

But Ruth said, ‘Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.’
Ruth 1:16

Most people read these words simply as a beautiful moment of loyalty between Ruth and Naomi. And it truly is. However, it is also much deeper than that. Ruth, a Moabite woman from the nations, chose not only to remain with Naomi, but also to fully identify herself with the God of Israel and with the people of Israel.

What is important to understand is that this was not a new idea that suddenly appeared in the book of Ruth. Already in the wilderness, while Israel was still journeying through the desert, God gave this instruction through Moses:

If an alien sojourns among you and observes the Passover to the LORD, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its ordinance, so he shall do; you shall have one statute, both for the alien and for the native of the land
Numbers 9:14

From the very beginning, there was already a place for those from the nations who desired to join themselves to the God of Israel. The foreigner was not called to replace Israel, and Israel was not called to disappear among the nations. Throughout the Scriptures we see God revealing Himself through Israel while also drawing people from the nations to Himself.

That is why the words of Zechariah are so powerful:

“Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” declares the LORD. “Many nations will join themselves to the LORD in that day and will become My people…”
Zechariah 2:10-11

This theme continues into the New Covenant through Yeshua the Messiah. Through His sacrifice, God opened the way for people from the nations to become partakers together in His covenant promises. Sha’ul (the Apostle Paul) describes this in Romans using the picture of an olive tree:

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree…
Romans 11:17

It is important to notice carefully what Sha’ul says. The nations are not described as replacing the olive tree. They are grafted into it. The root remains the same. The covenants remain the same. The God of Israel remains the same.

For much of history, many tried to disconnect believers from the roots of their faith, while at the same time separating God from Israel and Jerusalem. Yet from Genesis to Revelation, the story remains deeply connected to the people, the land, and covenant through which God revealed Himself.

In many ways, we are living through a very unusual generation. At the same time that hatred toward Israel and the Jewish people continues growing across much of the world, there is also a growing hunger among many believers from the nations to reconnect to the God of Israel and to the roots of their faith.

I see this often when meeting believers from many different nations. While much of the world grows increasingly hostile toward Israel, there are also many sincere believers who are standing with Israel, praying for Israel, studying the Scriptures more deeply, and recognizing that the story of the Bible did not begin disconnected from the Jewish people.

That tension is difficult to ignore.

On one hand, Israel and Jerusalem are constantly at the center of criticism, political pressure, and controversy. On the other hand, more people from the nations are opening the Bible and rediscovering the same connection that Ruth understood long ago when she declared, “Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.”

At the same time, Scripture also makes clear that this calling was never meant to produce arrogance or pride. Anyone who reads the Bible honestly sees how often God rebuked and disciplined Israel when the people walked away from Him. Covenant always carries responsibility.

Yet despite Israel’s failures, God remains faithful. That is why Zechariah also declares:

The LORD will possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.
Zechariah 2:12

Right in the middle of these passages we also read the words Moses declared whenever the Ark would set out:

Rise up, O LORD! And let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You.
Numbers 10:35

The Ark represented the presence of God dwelling among His people. Israel’s survival was never only about military strength or human ability. Again and again throughout history, the Jewish people survived situations that should have destroyed them completely. They have not remained without suffering, failure, exile, or painful seasons of discipline. However, through it all, God has remained faithful to His covenant purposes.

I believe the final words from Zechariah may be some of the most important for the times we are living in today:

Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD; for He is aroused from His holy habitation.
Zechariah 2:13

We live in a generation where people speak quickly, react quickly, and form opinions quickly, often before taking the time to stop, examine, and seek truth. Perhaps that is why these words from Zechariah matter so much right now. Before speaking, reacting, accusing, or rushing to conclusions, we sometimes need to stop long enough to remember that God is still moving through history, still faithful to His Word, and still drawing people from every nation to Himself through the Messiah of Israel.

Shabbat Shalom,
Moran