Deuteronomy Instructs Us to Help Foreigners, Orphans, and Widows
In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses reminds God’s people that when they’re harvesting a field to not pick it clean, to leave some of the produce for others. This includes foreigners, orphans, and widows (Deuteronomy 24:19).
Help Foreigners Orphans and Widows
Moses’s words reiterate the same command that we read twice in the book of Leviticus (Leviticus 19:9-10 and Leviticus 23:22). It’s good for Moses to remind the people of this command.
They’ve been in the desert for forty years and not planted or harvested.
Soon that will change. He’s telling them their harvest won’t just be for them, but it’s also to help poor people, specifically to help foreigners, orphans, and widows.
Ruth Gleans Grain
Let’s fast forward a few centuries to Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi. Ruth and Naomi are both widows. Ruth is also a foreigner. When they return to Israel, they’re poor. Dirt poor.
Aside from each other, they have no
family. They have no means for support. They have no money. What do they do?
Ruth goes out in the fields to glean grain, to pick up what the harvesters left behind or overlooked.
This wouldn’t have been possible had the landowners not followed Moses’s command to leave some of the harvest behind for the foreigners, orphans, and widows so they can glean.
Even though this is an act of
generosity on the part of the farmers, notice that Ruth does need to work to
get her free food. She must glean grain from the field, working and sweating
behind the day laborers.
For Ruth and Naomi, their story ends
happily. Ruth gets married again and this time she has a child. Ruth’s husband
also takes care of his mother-in-law, Naomi. They no longer need to worry about
their day-to-day survival.
But not all poor people are so fortunate. They must continue to glean from the fields and rely on the generosity of others.
How Can We Apply This Principle Today?
Today, few of us are farmers to leave food in the fields for people to glean. Yet that does not remove the responsibility from us to help the foreigners, orphans, and widows who are destitute and have no food. What can we do to help them?
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Not Taking Responsibility for Our Actions Goes Way Back
We often shake our heads in dismay over people who refuse to admit when they have done something wrong. Instead they want to blame others. They refuse to take responsibility for their mistakes.
This is not a new development. Even Moses, who spoke to God face-to-face, had this problem.
Moses blames the people for what he did wrong.
Here’s his story.
Moses’s Failure
After Moses leads God’s people out
of Egypt into the desert, they’re thirsty. They clamor for water. God tells
Moses to go to a rock and speak to it. Then water will pour out of it for the
people to drink.
Moses does go to the rock, and he does speak to it, but he also whacks it with his staff—something God didn’t tell him to do. God sees this as a lack of trust on Moses’s part.
Because of Moses’s failure to completely obey God, he won’t let Moses enter the promised land (Numbers 20:2-12).
This seems a bit harsh, but that’s what God determined.
Moses Blames the People
Fast forward about forty years. God’s people are ready to enter the land he promised to give them. Moses has them ready to take the territory. They’re poised to move forward, camping at its border.
Moses then recaps what’s happened over the past four decades. He reminds them about their journey and reiterates some of the laws God gave them.
Then he tells them he won’t be
going with them. Instead Joshua will lead them. Joshua will realize what Moses
had hoped for, what he worked hard to achieve for forty years.
Moses is bitter over this. But instead of admitting he disobeyed God, that he sinned, he shifts the blame. He blames the people for his failure. He says, “It’s because of you, that God is angry with me” (Deuteronomy 3:26).
Yup, that’s right. Moses blames the
people for his mistake.
Blaming Others
Of course, playing the blame game didn’t start with Moses. It goes way back to the Garden of Eden. After Adam and Eve committed the first sin by disobeying God, their second sin was trying to shift blame.
Adam blamed Eve instead of admitting his own error, and Eve blamed the serpent instead of assuming responsibility for her role in committing the first sin.
Blaming other people for our actions is a moral shortcoming that is the result of sin. Failing to take responsibility for what we have done and pretend that someone else is at fault is another sin.
Repenting so that we may follow Jesus acknowledges our sin, our mistakes, our failures. To repent is to regret what we have done, to be sorry. But we can’t truly repent when we blame others for our mistakes.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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Many people in the Bible question God. These aren’t fringe malcontents. They’re some of our favorite Bible characters and, I suspect, some of God’s favorite people too.
They include Job, Abraham, Moses, David, Mary, and even Jesus.
I can’t recall a single verse where God strikes someone dead or punishes them because they question him.
Yes, Lots wife turns into a pillar of salt because she wants to return to her old way of living (Genesis 19:26). And Ananias and Sapphira are struck down dead because they lie to God (Acts 5:1-10).
In the book of Job, God permits Satan to torment Job. In rapid succession, Satan strips everything from Job: his possessions, his children, and his health. Job wants to give up.
Throughout the book, he asks God a string of accusatory questions. “Why?” he repeatedly asks (Job 3:11-23 and many more).
When God decides to destroy the city of Sodom, he lets Abraham know about his plans. Abraham questions God’s decision, wondering if God isn’t overreacting.
The dialogue between Abraham’s questions and God’s answers ping-pong back and forth in excruciating detail.
I lose my patience just reading the passage, yet God is patient with Abraham and seems to honor his ongoing inquiries (Genesis 18:23-33)
Moses Questions God
Moses is also comfortable asking God questions. One time, God is fed up with his chosen people. He wants to wipe them out. Then he’ll start over with Moses. He offers to make Moses into a great nation.
Instead of accepting God’s generous offer, Moses pushes back.
He challenges God’s decision. He asks God an impertinent question. Amazingly, God listens, and he relents. He doesn’t destroy the people, all because Moses intervenes and questions God (Exodus 32:11-14).
David Questions God
David, a man after God’s own heart, asks God a lot of questions. Just read through David’s writings in the book of Psalms. In many respects these serve as his prayer journal.
In his writing, it seems David alternates between unabashed praise of God and asking unrestrained questions of despair (Psalm 2:1, Psalm 10:1, Psalm 10:13, and many more).
One more is most significant. David asks, “God, why have you ditched me?” (Psalm 22:1).
Mary Questions God
God sends an angel with incredible news to young Mary. He says she’ll give birth to the Messiah who the people are waiting for.
Her first response is a question. “How can this happen since I’m a virgin?” Though she directs her question to the angel, it’s really meant for God.
When the angel explains that the Holy Spirit will supernaturally impregnate her, Mary accepts this. “May it be so” (Luke 1:34-38).
Jesus Questions God
Even Jesus questions his heavenly Father. It’s hard to believe, but that’s what happens. Just before his detractors execute him, Jesus prays.
In his prayer, his question is formed as an imperative: “Don’t make me die, but if you insist, I will” (Mark 14:36).
What? This is why Jesus came: to die for us so we could be made right with Papa. So why would he request a last-minute reprieve? I don’t know, but he did.
Then as he’s dying in excruciating pain on the cross, he asks the most horrific question of all. Just as David asked centuries earlier, prophetically foreshadowing the life of Jesus, he asks, “God, why have you ditched me?” (Mark 15:34).
Yes, after this painful question, Jesus does die. But death doesn’t have the last word. Jesus overcomes death and lives anew, just as he and Papa planned from the beginning.
To Question God is Okay
Just like Lot’s wife, turning from God and returning to our old way of life deserves punishment. So does lying to God’s Holy Spirit as Ananias and Sapphira did.
But based on the above examples from the Bible, we see that when God’s children question him, he’s patient and doesn’t punish them.
And if we’re in relationship with him, I don’t think he’ll punish us to question him either. In fact, I think he rather enjoys it.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
The Egyptians fear the mushrooming population of the enslaved Israelites. They command all the Israelite baby boys be thrown into the Nile River.
However, one mother sees something special in her baby and hides him for several months.
When she can conceal him no longer, she does indeed put him in the Nile River, but not before protecting him in a watertight basket. Then she strategically places the basket where he might be found by a compassionate person.
Her daughter hides nearby to see what happens.
When Pharaoh’s daughter comes to the river to bathe, she discovers the baby and wants to keep him. The girl offers to find a woman to nurse the baby; she then goes and gets her mom.
Although the boy should have been killed, the Pharaoh’s daughter saves him and even pays his biological mother to care for him.
When the baby is weaned, his mother gives him back to Pharaoh’s daughter—who names him Moses.
This mother’s name is Jochebed and she has two other children, Aaron and Miriam.
Jochebed, like many moms, sees promise in her child and takes extraordinary measures to make sure he can reach his potential.
Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in e-book, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Hezekiah and Moses Plead with God for a Different Outcome
In Isaiah we read about King Hezekiah. The king is sick, and Isaiah comes to him with a dire message from God. Through Isaiah, God tells Hezekiah to put his affairs in order because his illness is fatal. Death looms.
Though few of us would welcome death, knowing when our end would occur might bring about a certain appreciation. This would give us an opportunity to say our goodbyes and get our estate organized for our heirs.
Hezekiah Prays and Cries to God
But Hezekiah doesn’t give God a heartfelt, or even a respectful, “Thanks for the heads up.”
Instead the king cries bitter tears and reminds God—as if God needed reminding—of his lifetime of faithfulness, devotion, and good living.
Guess what happens next?
God hears Hezekiah’s prayers and sees his tears. God changes his mind. Instead of sticking to the plan that the king’s end is near, God pledges to give him another fifteen years of life (Isaiah 38:1-5).
Moses Also Seeks God’s Favor
However, long before the reign of King Hezekiah, Moses and God have another interesting exchange. When God’s chosen people decide to worship a golden calf instead of him, God has enough.
He says he’ll destroy his people and start over with Moses to make a new nation.
If this happened to me, I’d bow my head in false humility and say something like, “As you wish.” But not Moses. Instead he tries to talk God out of it. Moses fights for the nation of Israel even though they don’t deserve it.
God listens to Moses’s reasoning and he relents from destroying his people as he had planned (Exodus 32:9-14).
God wants to do good things for us, and sometimes all we need to do is ask.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
In the book of Genesis, we meet Abraham. God takes a special interest in Abraham and gives him a bold promise. He pledges to make Abraham “into a great nation” (Genesis 12:2, NIV).
What makes this promise even more incredible is that Abraham is seventy-five years old and has no heirs.
It would seem that this great nation God has in mind will end with Abraham’s death.
Of course, God has a different plan. Miraculously Abraham and his wife Sarah have a child, Isaac, twenty-five years later, when Abraham is 100 years old. Through Isaac, God’s great nation will emerge.
Isaac has Jacob, also called Israel. Jacob has twelve sons, from which the twelve tribes of Israel will emerge. A great nation is born.
But before this happens, Jacob and his family travel to Egypt. They stick around too long and over many generations their growing group becomes oppressed and enslaved.
Four hundred years later Moses leads them out of Egypt to return to the land God originally pledged for Abraham and his family, the Promised Land. There the great nation will live.
However, this great nation almost gets derailed. The trip from Egypt to their future home in Canaan should only take a few days, two weeks tops.
Instead, the journey lasts forty years, because they’re not ready to receive what God has planned for them and because of their disobedience.
Discover What Moses Did When God Offered to Make Him into a Great Nation
At one point, God becomes exasperated with them and tells Moses what he wants to do. Because of the people’s ongoing disobedience and lack of faith, God has had enough. He threatens to strike them down and destroy them.
Then he’ll start over with Moses. He tells Moses, “I will make you into a nation even greater and stronger than they.”
If I were Moses, I’d jump at the chance. After all, these people—God’s chosen people—have caused nothing but frustration and dissension, complaining the whole time.
I’d be happy to be done with them. I’d be honored for God to arrange a do over, starting with me and my children.
Of course, Moses, a humble man—more humble than any other—turns down God’s generous offer. He begs for a second chance for these people who don’t deserve it. And God grants it.
In fact, he’ll give them many more chances in the centuries to come.
But what if Moses didn’t fight for his people and accepted the offer God gave him? Then instead of us talking about the children of Abraham, we’d be talking about the children of Moses.
It wouldn’t be the nation of Israel; it would be the nation of Moses or one of his sons.
Moses, however, is a wise leader. He doesn’t seek to promote himself. Instead he wants what’s best for those who he’s charged to lead—even though they don’t deserve it.
So, it is with God. Everything he gives us is something we don’t deserve.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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A Personal Essay About Encountering God, Prayer, and Hiding in a Prayer Tower
The afternoon assignment at a writers retreat is to take a walk and describe our observations. Leaving the rest of the group in search of some needed solitude, I come upon a sign that simply says, “Prayer Tower.” I can’t ignore the opportunity. Suddenly, my journey has added purpose.
I take a sharp left and begin my assent. A few steps, a landing, and then more stairs. Turn right, walk a bit, and climb some more, I wind my way up the hill.
There’s another landing and then a U-turn, followed by more walking and more stairs: fifty steps and counting; soon seventy-five gives way to one hundred.
What will I find? Am I climbing a stairway to heaven? One hundred and sixteen steps later, I reach my destination: a platform, presumably for prayer. A prayer tower. Panting, I pause to catch my breath.
The vista is grand, with the panorama of Lake Michigan, my favorite of the Great Lakes. I look west, with water as far as I can see; the far shore hides behind the horizon’s dip.
A few ships dot the distance before me. An occasional car announces its presence behind me. All around are tree-covered sand dunes, sprinkled with homes and a string of condominiums.
With winter giving way to spring, naked tree branches creak to a brisk breeze. The biting wind tightens the once warm skin of my face. Below me friends walk along the beach, next to the frigid waters with wind-swept waves.
Others, having grown tired or cold, are already retreating, seeking to recapture the warmth of inside.
The sight and sounds of birds, varieties mostly unknown to me, abound, too many to count. Gulls prevail with their plaintive caw, while a diligent woodpecker tap-tap-taps, either searching for food, forming a home, or seeking to attract a mate.
Gray skies, decorated with blustery clouds, complete the picture.
God’s nature surrounds me. His wind pushes against me. Only with commitment to my task do I stand firm against winter’s final onslaught. I stand in awe. I try to pray, but words allude me.
Why do I need to climb a prayer tower to pray, anyway?
In the Bible Moses ascends Mount Sinai and God’s glory descends. There he encounters God’s power (Exodus 24:15-18).
Jacob dreams of a stairway connecting earth with heaven. Angels traverse it; God stands at the top. Jacob proclaims this awesome place as God’s house and the gate into heaven (Genesis 28:12-17).
Although encouraging, these verses, do not confirm that I need elevation to better connect with the Almighty.
In a less reassuring instance, Moses—denied entry into the Promised Land because of one act of disobedience—is told to climb mount Nebo.
His mountain vantage doesn’t symbolize connection with God as much as punishment for sin and a lost reward.
Other biblical accounts point to elevation as a place of temptation.
From Leviticus to Amos, the “high places” (mentioned 59 times in the NIV) are usually a site for idol worship and heathen practices, providing an ongoing snare to God’s people, repeatedly distracting them from him.
Some kings remove the high places or at least try to diminish their use, only to have a future generation restore them.
The tower of Babel, intended as a monument that reaches up to the heavens isn’t an attempt to connect with God as much as an arrogant tribute to aggrandizement. God quickly ends their brash scheme (Genesis 11:3-9).
Balaam has his issues with altitude, as well. Although God prevents him from cursing Israel when atop various mountain vistas and thereby keeping him from earning the rich rewards he desires (Numbers 22-24), things don’t go well for Balaam.
Jesus likewise encounters temptation in high places, with Satan twice attempting to use an elevated vantage to derail Jesus from his mission. Fortunately for us, Jesus prevails, and the enemy retreats (Luke 4:1-13).
Based on my quick review of what the Bible records about elevated places, it seems a prayer tower may not be the ideal place to connect with God. Yet here it is, and I stand atop it, seeking to do just that.
From my hilltop perspective, I don’t just see nature and friends. I also spot remnants of other activities. Bottles, mostly broken, suggest this place of prayer gives way to revelry in the nighttime hours.
Other trash is more disparaging. I see that SB climbed a tree to carve his “forever” love to ND. I try to not consider the ramifications any further. Suddenly I don’t feel quite so close to God.
This prayer tower, this high place is as much hideout as haven.
Although I encounter God in the prayer tower, I pray little. But that’s okay. I can pray anytime, anywhere, and God hears me just fine.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
The Root Cause of Conflict is Our Egos, Even When We Hide Our Agenda by Citing Scripture
In Numbers 12 we see a story of sibling rivalry, one at a spiritual level.
Moses, the leader of the Israelites, is confronted by his sister, Miriam, aided by his brother, Aaron. The two pair up to oppose their younger brother, Moses, the guy who ran away for forty years and abandoned his people.
They had stuck around. They had suffered in Egypt while Moses had escaped.
Though Moses does return and lead the people, the older siblings, especially Miriam, wants greater recognition for the supporting role they play in this. Though her motivation is selfish, Miriam tries to make it spiritual.
She asserts that God speaks to her and Aaron, just as God does with Moses. Maybe God does; maybe God doesn’t. Though there could be some truth to her claim, the Bible says little to confirm this. We don’t know for sure.
At this point in the story, the Bible slips in a parenthetical note. It confirms the deep humility of Moses. The implication is that Moses makes no effort to defend himself or squash her uprising. He leaves it in God’s hands.
God reacts swiftly, putting Miriam (and Aaron) in their place and affirming Moses as his chosen leader.
We see this same type of conflict today with brothers and sisters opposing one another, in both their biological families and spiritual families, the church.
Though usually dressed in spiritual attire, these church conflicts are often (perhaps, always) about ego: selfish motives, greed, and pride. We want our way; we desire more power; we crave recognition.
Even when we quote verses and project pure motives, the reality is that we want to be right, which means we want to prove others wrong. It’s about ego.
Churches split over such conflicts. Christians even kill one another because of such polarized disagreements. Each time we harm the cause of Jesus.
While it would be great if God would take immediate action in today’s disputes, just as he did in the case of Miriam and Aaron versus Moses, he does not. I suspect he’s hoping we will learn from this and one day grow up.
I think the key is that we need to react like Moses, from a place of true humility.
Though our society dismisses the humble, a humble spirit pleases God. That should be our ultimate goal, especially in the face of conflict.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
The descendants of Jacob (Israel) are enslaved in Egypt. They are prolific and their captors fear their growing numbers.
To curb their population explosion the king of Egypt commands the midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, to kill every baby Hebrew boy as he is born.
They do not. They fear God more than the Egyptian king.
The king confronts them. This may seem like a great time for them to boldly stand up to the king, proclaim their fear of God, and be ready to die for their faith. Many others in the Bible do this. Daniel and Esther come to mind.
This would be a great time for Shiphrah and Puah to proclaim God to the king. Perhaps their likely execution will rally their people. Their martyrdom could spark a revolution.
They might inspire the Hebrews to rise up and ultimately escape. But they don’t do this. Instead they lie.
They claim they don’t arrive in time, that the Hebrew women give birth too quickly. Therefore they are unable to do what the king commanded.
How does God react? He does not criticize them for lying. He does not punish them for missing this opportunity to confront the tyranny of their oppressors. Instead he rewards them for their reverence to him: he blesses them with families of their own.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
In his letter to the Christians living in Rome, Paul talks about people who attempt to live life according to a bunch of religious rules, that is, the law.
The result is that God is disrespected, not so much by the people themselves, but by those on the outside looking in.
In short, others harbor contempt for God based on how his follower’s act.
However, this isn’t the first time this happens. Paul is actually quoting from the book of Isaiah. What Isaiah writes is not his words, but God’s. God complains that because of his people’s failures, he doesn’t receive respect from others.
In both cases, the word the Bible uses to describe this is blaspheme. Others blaspheme God because of the behavior of those who claim to follow him.
To blaspheme is to speak of God in an irreverent, impious manner; to disrespect, show contempt, dishonor, slander, or abuse him.
I fear we have learned nothing from Isaiah or from Paul. Today we still do the same thing. We claim to love God, yet too often our words or our actions cause those outside of our faith to shake their heads in derision.
They mock us and they disrespect God; he is blasphemed—because of us.
How do we do this?
We hate when we should love.
We act with malice to those deserving compassion.
We judge others even though we aren’t supposed to.
We reject people on the fringes of society, the very people Jesus embraces.
We are exclusive, even though God is inclusive.
Forgive us God, for our blasphemy. You deserve better.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.” Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.
