24 Days to Reflect on God's Heart for RedemptionSample

God's heart for the fatherless

Moses chose to set themes of slavery and prosperity in stark contrast of each other to frame his final instructions to the people of Israel as they prepared to cross over into the Promised Land.

Many of us have not had the experience of being owned by another human being. We haven’t experienced what it feels like to be treated like we’re less than human. We may not know what it is like to serve the needs of another every waking moment of every day of our lives under harsh treatment, brutality, and abuse. For the children of Israel, slavery was a very recent memory.

They had just escaped from slavery by the might hand of the Lord. They were still poor, full of anticipation of reaching the Promised Land and its blessings, which would allow them to turn their backs to poverty. But would these redeemed slaves be able to remember their roots once in the Promised Land?

While slavery may feel like a stranger, prosperity is not so much so. The Promised Land was a place where the children of slaves were going to be free. Free to pursue their dreams, hopes, and aspirations. Our nation, with all its faults and shortcomings, is sort of that kind of place. We live in contrast to those who live on less than a dollar a day for survival. So Moses’ words to those living in the land of plenty may actually be a good word to those of us who have lived a life of privilege.

What is God’s heart for the fatherless in the global village? Moses gives us a bird’s eye view to the heart of God for the fatherless, the alien, and the widow in the instructions he leaves for the next generation poised to enter the Promised Land. He issues a call to justice, a call to generosity, and a call to redemption as a reflection of God’s concern not to exploit those in difficult circumstances and to protect the poor, the fatherless, and the widow.

Above all, Moses wanted to remind the next generation about their history and their future. He hoped the theme of redemption would not leave their memories when they became landowners, wealthy, and in positions of privilege and power.

How should we steward our own history and future and prosperity as we consider the least of these in our global village? Wherever we have an opportunity to shine hope into the lives of the least of these, we apply our hands and feet in redemptive ways to catch up to what God is doing on the planet.

Reflection questions:

• How far back do you have to go in your family history to find poverty, economic distress, fatherless children, struggling widows, or immigrants?
• Name three hot spots in the world today whose conditions have produced widows, vulnerable children, and people migrating to save their own lives. How should we respond?
• How would you respond to Moses’ call to justice, generosity, and redemption?