In this week’s Torah portion, Moshe speaks about those who may enter the congregation of God’s people. (Those who may join themselves with Israel.) He writes the following, ג לֹא-יָבֹא מַמְזֵר בִּקְהַל יְהוָֹה גַּם דּוֹר עֲשִֹירִי לֹא-יָבֹא לוֹ בִּקְהַל יְהוָֹה: ד לֹא-יָבֹא עַמּוֹנִי וּמוֹאָבִי בִּקְהַל יְהוָֹה גַּם דּוֹר עֲשִֹירִי לֹא-יָבֹא לָהֶם בִּקְהַל יְהוָֹה עַד-עוֹלָם: 23:3 ‘No Ammonite or Moabite shall enter the assembly of the Lord; none of their descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall ever enter the assembly of the Lord, 23:4 because they did not meet you with food and water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. (NASB), and ז לֹא-תִדְרֹשׁ שְׁלֹמָם וְטֹבָתָם כָּל-יָמֶיךָ לְעוֹלָם: ח לֹא-תְתַעֵב אֲדֹמִי כִּי אָחִיךָ הוּא לֹא-תְתַעֵב מִצְרִי כִּי-גֵר הָיִיתָ בְאַרְצוֹ: 23:7 ‘You shall not detest an Edomite, for he is your brother; you shall not detest an Egyptian, because you were an alien in his land. 23:8 ‘The sons of the third generation who are born to them may enter the assembly of the Lord. (NASB) These are very interesting comments regarding the Ammonite, the Moabite, the Edomite, and the Egyptian. Note that Ammon and Moab are the sons of Lot’s daughters. The reason for the exclusion of Ammon and Moab was due to their behavior towards God’s people, and their lack of hospitality coupled to seeking their complete destruction through sin. Rambam on Devarim / Deuteronomy 23:5 states “It seems to me that the verse distances these two brothers [i.e., Ammon and Moab, from the Kahal] because Abraham performed gemilut chasadim on their behalf, in that he saved their parents from captivity, and in Abraham’s merit they were sent from the destruction of Sodom. Thus, they were obligated themselves to act for Israel’s benefit, but instead they acted wickedly.” Note the reasons why the Lord God had Moshe record these things. They apply to us today! The majority of Church theology today rejects much of the Tanach (Old Testament) as not being relevant saying this is certainly not for the Gentile church. The theological claim is that the Old Testament was under a different dispensation where God acted differently and where He was only concerned with the people of Israel, while Jesus brought in a new dispensation where the church replaces Israel and takes on its role. This theology runs deep within the hearts and minds of God’s people today where most do not concern themselves with the significance of this theological error…