The Compassion of God

The Compassion of God
Words of Faith 1-10-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Exodus 22
[21] "Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.
[22] "Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. [23] If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. [24] My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.

The Lord calls His people to be compassionate people. Why? Verse 27 says, "For I am compassionate." If we want to be like God in character, we will grow in compassion toward powerless people.
There were three classes of people in the ancient world who required special protection and consideration-- aliens, widows, and orphans. God gave particular concern toward these people because of their fundamental vulnerability. He demanded that they not be oppressed. The punishment for hurting the powerless of society, mainly widows and orphans, was not a penalty from the people, but from God Himself-- "I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless."
Concern for foreigners or "aliens" was rooted in the memory that the Israelites were aliens in Egypt. The compassion of the Exodus was never to be forgotten. God is the ultimate protector of the weak-- whether the entire nation or the most vulnerable members of society. Persons who are not citizens could be subject to discrimination or abuse if special provision were not made for them.
It was also commanded that the people were not to take advantage of those without fathers or husbands because they were already without protection in that time. Mistreatment of widows or orphans would arouse God's anger, and the guilty parties would lose their lives. There were a variety of special provisions. Grain was to be left behind for widows and orphans during harvest, including the edges of fields (Deut. 24:19-21, Lev. 19:9-10). Compassion was built into the fabric of life.
How do we respond to this text? The issue of illegal aliens is a hot topic these days. Welfare and aid to the homeless are also difficult issues. The critical principle here is to show compassion to those who are powerless. So who are the powerless? The powerless may vary significantly in our modern world from the ancient world. Some things have changed drastically. For example, widows today are able to inherit, work and invest. There are various survivor benefits for both widows and "orphans." Much of the vulnerability that existed in the ancient world has been greatly lessened.
Many foreigners thrive in the free economies of the west. The main application would be not to take advantage of or discriminate against any of these groups. The treatment of illegal aliens remains a compassionate concern, even though it can be a complex legal matter.
Our task is to apply God's compassion principle in modern life. There are some who are not "powerless" who would like very much to live off of the efforts of others. This is not biblical. The Apostle Paul wrote, "...We gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat" (2 Thes. 3:10). But there are others who are genuinely powerless whom the Lord would not have us ignore. Some are homeless because of mental defects or dire circumstances. Some are unable to fend for themselves and need the support and advocacy of others who can be of influence.
It is critical that Christians not confuse popular political positions such that we miss the genuine call of God to lift up those who would be oppressed. It is interesting that while the Bible calls us to protect the holiness of God's people we are never called to "protect our way of life" in an economic sense from those who are genuinely powerless in this world. The Bible consistently calls us to trust the Lord as our provider and give generously and compassionately to those in genuine need.
How, then shall we live this day? Isn't that always the question? Perhaps the Apostle put it best. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (Col. 3:12).

Lord, may my heart reflect Your heart this day. May my life reflect Your compassion. May my decisions reflect Your mercy. May my actions reflect Your peace. In Jesus' name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2022 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.