What other scriptures address the exploitation and devaluation of human life? Joel 3:3—The Grievous Trade “They cast lots for My people; they bartered a boy for a prostitute and sold a girl for wine to drink.” What the verse shows • Human beings treated as currency • A direct affront to God’s ownership of every life • A picture of callous indifference that invites God’s judgment (see vv. 4–8) God’s Unchanging Verdict Against Exploitation • Exodus 21:16 — “He who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or the victim is found in his hands, must surely be put to death.” • Deuteronomy 24:7 — “If a man is caught kidnapping a fellow Israelite and treating or selling him as a slave, the kidnapper must die.” • Deuteronomy 27:19 — “Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow.” • Amos 2:6-7 — “They sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals… they deny justice to the oppressed.” • Proverbs 14:31 — “He who oppresses the poor taunts their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors Him.” • Isaiah 58:6 — “Is not this the fast I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness… to set the oppressed free?” • James 5:4 — “The wages you failed to pay the workmen… are crying out against you.” • Revelation 18:11-13 — Babylon’s fall is mourned because her trade even trafficked “slaves—that is, human souls.” Why Every Life Matters • Genesis 1:27 — “God created man in His own image.” Image-bearing confers dignity that cannot be priced. • Leviticus 19:18 — “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Exploitation is the exact opposite. • Micah 6:8 — “Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly.” Justice and mercy safeguard the vulnerable. • Proverbs 31:8-9 — “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves… defend the rights of the needy.” • Psalm 82:3-4 — “Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless… rescue the oppressed.” Christ and the Church’s Mandate • Luke 4:18 — Jesus proclaims “freedom to the captives… release to the oppressed.” • Matthew 25:40 — Serving “the least of these” is serving Christ Himself. • Galatians 3:28 — In Christ every social boundary is nullified; worth is equal at the foot of the cross. • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 — Believers are “bought at a price”; no one else has the right to buy or sell them. • Romans 12:10 — “Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.” Exploitation is replaced by sacrificial honor. Living It Out • Reject any cultural norm that treats people as commodities—whether laborers, unborn children, or the aging. • Use influence and resources to defend those who cannot defend themselves. • Measure economic choices by more than profit; evaluate whether they uphold or diminish human dignity. • Let the certainty of God’s judgment (Joel 3:4-8) sober and motivate faithful action today. |
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