Which other scriptures emphasize God's concern for widows and orphans? Psalm 146:9—God’s Protective Care “The LORD protects the foreigners; He sustains the fatherless and widow, but He frustrates the ways of the wicked.” (Psalm 146:9) Scripture states this literally and without exaggeration: God Himself steps in to sustain those society so easily forgets. The remainder of His Word reinforces that conviction from Genesis through Revelation. Foundations in the Law: Israel’s Covenant Responsibilities • Exodus 22:22-24—“You must not mistreat any widow or orphan. If you do mistreat them and they cry out to Me, I will surely hear their cry; My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows, and your children fatherless.” • Deuteronomy 10:17-18—“He executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and He loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing.” • Deuteronomy 24:17, 19-21—Commands to guard justice, leave grain, olives, and grapes for “the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow.” • Deuteronomy 26:12—The “third-year tithe” specifically earmarked for Levites, foreigners, fatherless, and widows. Songs and Proverbs: Worship that Remembers the Helpless • Psalm 10:14—“You are the helper of the fatherless.” • Psalm 68:5—“A father of the fatherless and a defender of the widows is God in His holy habitation.” • Proverbs 15:25—“The LORD tears down the house of the proud, but He protects the boundaries of the widow.” Prophets: Warnings and Calls to Repentance • Isaiah 1:17—“Learn to do right; seek justice, correct the oppressor; defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.” • Isaiah 10:1-2—Woe to rulers who “make widows their prey and rob the fatherless.” • Jeremiah 7:6-7—Oppressing widow or orphan blocks God’s blessing on the land. • Zechariah 7:10—“Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor.” • Malachi 3:5—The Lord comes in swift judgment “against oppressors of the widows and the fatherless.” In Christ and the Early Church: Compassion Made Visible • Mark 12:38-40—Jesus condemns religious leaders who “defraud widows of their houses.” • Luke 7:12-15—Jesus raises a widow’s only son, restoring both life and livelihood. • Acts 6:1-3—The church appoints Spirit-filled servants to ensure widows receive daily food. • 1 Timothy 5:3-4—“Honor the widows who are truly widows,” outlining practical family and church care. • James 1:27—“Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” Living It Out Today The same God who spoke these words still rules. His literal promise to sustain widows and orphans now becomes our marching orders: • See them the way He does—precious and protected. • Share resources intentionally, just as Israel left sheaves and as the early church organized daily aid. • Speak up and act whenever systems exploit or forget them, knowing the Judge of all the earth hears every cry. |
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