Guarding the Vulnerable

[Thomas_muntzer]

There are three groups of people whom God protects with special zeal:
1. Widows.

2. Orphans.

3. Foreigners.

“God upholds the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and shows his love to the foreigner, giving them food and clothing” (Deuteronomy 10:18).

“The Lord watches over the foreigner, sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked” (Psalm 146:9).

“This is what the Lord says: ‘Do what is just and right; rescue the oppressed from the hand of the oppressor. Do not mistreat or oppress the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place’” (Jeremiah 22:3).
These three quotes belong to the Law (Torah), the Writings (Ketuvim), and the Prophets (Nevi'im). What is the point? This is an eternal commandment of the Lord, not part of a provisional religious ceremonial law under the Old Covenant (there are countless quotes I could have chosen, by the way).

Without a doubt, God loves the widow, the orphan, and the foreigner with great zeal.

In fact, the entire tithing system under the Old Covenant was instituted by God precisely to provide for the basic needs of these special groups (including the priests).

So, yes, there is a biblical theory of social justice, and it is this: a nation must protect with special care these vulnerable groups whom God zealously protects. This is not Marxism, nor socialism, nor any form of secular government: this is biblical justice.

—"Learn to do good; seek justice; correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead for the widow" (Isaiah 1:17).

"Learn to do good; seek justice; correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow" (Isaiah 1:17). “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Administer true justice, and show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor, nor plot evil against one another’” (Zechariah 7:9-10).

The Pharisees in Jesus’ time had twisted this divine commandment, interpreting it as an obligation to treat only fellow Jews well, but not applicable to non-Jews. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus dismantles their elitism and racism: our neighbor is even the “unclean Samaritan,” the one considered a foreigner and inferior to them.

Before our God, there is no distinction between persons (Romans 2:11): we are all bearers of the divine image. Thus, the spiritual and moral condition of a nation can be quite discerned by the way it treats these special groups. And just as there is a blessing for the nation that protects these groups, there is also divine judgment against those who exploit them.

—“Woe to those who enact unjust statutes and who constantly write oppressive decrees, to deprive the needy of justice, to rob the poor of my people of their rights, to make widows their prey and plunder the fatherless! What will you do on the day of punishment, when devastation comes from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your wealth?” (Isaiah 10:1-3)

[R7ehr]

My list would have said widows, orphans and the poor as top. I’d place poor as a higher category than foreigners. I imagine a wealthy foreigner doesn’t have a super special “top 3” privilege.

[JohnH]

Except we don’t follow the Old Testament law anymore.

[Bootstrap]

Except we don’t follow the Old Testament law anymore.

Matthew 25

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

The word for stranger is ξένος (xenos) - a foreigner or stranger. It's the same word that xenophobia comes from.

Hebrews 13:2

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

Ephesians 2:11–13

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth…
remember that at that time you were separate from Christ,
excluded from citizenship in Israel
and foreigners to the covenants of the promise,
without hope and without God in the world.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

1 Peter 2:10

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;
once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

[Bootstrap]

Except we don’t follow the Old Testament law anymore.

Luke 20:47

They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.

Mark 12:42–44

A poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins…
“Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.”

Luke 7:12–13

As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow… When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her.

James 1:27

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.

[Bootstrap]

Except we don’t follow the Old Testament law anymore.

2 Cor 3

Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

That seems to indicate that the Old Testament is still relevant, even if we are not subject to Old Testament law. And particularly the spirit of the law - I think that includes concern for the vulnerable.

The early Church certainly believed that.

[JohnH]

We aren’t to follow Old Testament law, period.

Those who argue OT verses as why Christians must support left wing views on immigration… well, the Bible teaches that if you break just one law, you are guilty of the whole law. So I wish such people the best in trying to earn their salvation via their own righteousness.

[MattY]

We are not under the Old Testament law any more, but these things are there for our learning and admonition. They show God's heart and reflect His eternal law, and we would do well to adjust our thinking and actions accordingly. I do not necessarily agree that "there is a blessing for the nation that protects these groups, there is also divine judgment against those who exploit them" because just as there is no true prosperity gospel for individuals, neither is there such a prosperity gospel for nations; these warnings of judgment and blessings were under the OT Mosaic covenant with Israel, a covenant which has ended and does not apply to other nations. I do agree that "the spiritual and moral condition of a nation can be quite discerned by the way it treats these special groups," and I would add children and the unborn to these groups as well.

[JohnH]

We are not under the Old Testament law any more, but these things are there for our learning and admonition. They show God's heart and reflect His eternal law, and we would do well to adjust our thinking and actions accordingly. I do not necessarily agree that "there is a blessing for the nation that protects these groups, there is also divine judgment against those who exploit them" because just as there is no true prosperity gospel for individuals, neither is there such a prosperity gospel for nations; these warnings of judgment and blessings were under the OT Mosaic covenant with Israel, a covenant which has ended and does not apply to other nations. I do agree that "the spiritual and moral condition of a nation can be quite discerned by the way it treats these special groups," and I would add children and the unborn to these groups as well.

Would you agree that the OT commandments not to marry foreign wives, and for anyone who has, to divorce them and cast them out, also shows God’s heart for how we should live today?

[JohnH]

This is true and the same should be said for people who verbally support Pro-life positions but don't have a lifestyle that lends visible support.

I don’t support murdering toddlers, elderly, political protesters, unborn babies, newborn babies, world leaders, or thieves.

How would you like me to show a lifestyle that lends “visible support” to my stance that I support not murdering toddlers, and the government harshly enforcing anti-toddler-murder with severe punishments?