Sabbath: Justice and Mercy in the Old Testament – 1
Read for This Week’s Study: Exod. 22:21-23, Exod. 23:2-9, Amos 8:4-7, Isa. 1:13-17, Isa. 58:1-14, Acts 20:35.
Memory Text: “He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous. The LORD watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow”(Psalm 146:7-9, NIV).
Image © Lars Justinen Goodsalt.com
Years ago, on a cold day in New York City, a 10-year-old boy, barefoot and shivering, peered in the window of a shoe store. A woman came to the boy and asked why he was looking so earnestly in the window; he said that he was asking God to give him a pair of shoes. The woman took him by the hand into the store. She asked the clerk to bring six pairs of socks; she also requested a basin of water and a towel. Taking the lad to the back of the store, she removed her gloves, washed his feet, and dried them with the towel. The clerk returned with the socks. The woman placed a pair on the boy’s feet and then bought him a pair of shoes. She patted his head and asked him if he felt more comfortable now. As she turned to go, the astonished lad took her hand and tearfully asked, “Are you God’s wife?”.
That little boy spoke more truth than he realized. God’s church is His bride, His wife. His character is expressed in the memory verse. As transformed members of His church, we must reflect that character. If we are truly His, we will passionately care about and provide for the poor and the powerless.
* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 16.
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A good reason we come together as a church is that according to studies there are 4 main types of temperament and these 4 are further divide into 4 each making a total of 16 different types. This is why Paul lists so many different spiritual gifts in 1 Cor 12. Some are teachers and others care for the needy, some are preachers and others care for the lonely.
Together as a group we can fulfil the many aspects of Jesus mission.
Amen
Amen
Shirley,A good point in 1 Cor. 12. A plan that inspiration from the Apostle Paul was given. These Spiritual gifts are necessary to help in every God given need. The sad part is those gifts are left vacant in many places by those that could readily fill that need, but choose not to.
With that many temperaments, we are bound to clash. So our prayer on our way to S.S. and Church should be: give me Lord the mind of Jesus, make me holy as He is. May I prove I've been with Jesus who is all my righteousness. Then humility and selflessness over rides the temperament clashes that get in the way of haromny, which is essential in sharing our faith, and caring for others. Yes, with 1 or 4 gifts, God accepts us equally. Reminds me back in ceremonial times, before Christ died on the cross, turtle doves were just as acceptable to God as a lamb, if appropriate.
Amen.Thanks for you insight.
Can you Shirley kindly, outline the four principles and their division futher as you give their references?
Thank you.
Hi Isaiah, In Rev 4:6-8 we see four living creatures around the throne praising God. They are a lion, an ox, a man and a flying eagle.
The lion is bold and likes adventure, like missionaries
The ox is strong and stable and supports the church structure
The flying eagle sees the big picture, studies theory & theology
The man cares about people, is involved in the humanities
Mathew - is like the ox - concerned to show Jesus as the Messiah
Mark (Peter) - is like the lion - all about action
Luke is like the flying eagle - showing the whole truth
John is like the man - all about people and love
The four main groups are divided into four more groups of those who have the characteristics of the main group but differ depending on, among other things, the following:
reserved or expressive
softhearted or tough minded
So depending on your temperament you will be suited to different areas of the Great Commission, that is why I suggest that we need to discover what part of the body we each are, then we will know what function to fulfill.
Wow!
Praise Our LORD GOD JESUS CHRIST for insight!
Bless YOU Ms. Shirley.
This is amazing. Thank you very much for the insight.
2 sam 14:14. Those spiritual gifts are god's ways to save his people we must use our gifts very well
Just as Jesus came to serve, and said "come unto me those who are heavy laden and I will give you rest", we are now His hands, feet, mouth; to serve, provide and use our gifts to reach the needy.
This quarters's Sabbath School lesson theme has arrived, I believe, by divine appointment. With the situation occurring in our nation, the United States, today, what an opportune time for the church to practice what Jesus taught by standing up for those who are viewed as least in society.
With the number of African American's who have been killed in questionable circumstances by the police, and the community feeling under siege, will the church pretend as if these situations are not happening, even as twelve policemen were attacked and five murdered?
what about the oppression and abuse of the poor, of women, of minorities in the countries and communities where we live? Who speaks up for them? Does preaching the 3 Angels message preclude speaking up on behalf of the oppressed and disadvantaged? I do not think so. Why should these people join our churches if we ignore their suffering?
Is God's church concerned about social justice, which includes, looking out for the poor and the oppressed or are we content to allow only those who do not have the presence of God in their lives and thinking to lead the cry on behalf of the least of these?
Change starts with me and you. The best thing is that you know what to do, be on the frontline. The world owes you nothing but you owe the world love; God's love
Hi Eddie. I agree with you when you said change starts with me and you. I think that is a problem that a lot of people face. Every test in our lives makes us bitter or better. The choice is ours whether we become victims or victorious. We can always ask God to help us change. God bless you.
Grace, there is no shortage of injustices and mistreatments. However this is not original either. We have just recently covered the details of someone far less deserving of the headline news than we see nearly on a daily basis. Jesus was not a politician. Did Jesus suffer mistreatment and injustice? And for all the right reasons? We cannot ignore the story of the cross. Hatred is not the answer for many of the questions. We do not always get what we think we deserve.
Paul: I and Grace just feel that the church needs to take a more active stand for any and all injustices. Back in the 1960s, the church fed the hungry (in the church not in the street), and watched over the fatherless children, all while standing up for any injustices; I feel like the church doesn't believe in doing that nowadays. What is wrong with the church joining, and/or becoming leaders in this or any other cause for mercy and justice(God knows that this cause could use a few God sent leaders right now)? And if your church has already fulfilled this week's Sabbath lesson, showing mercy and justice to the stranger, the widow, and the fatherless child, then be a Leader and show/teach the rest of us how to do the same. But something tells me that your church, just like mine, has not quite gotten there yet; but I could be wrong. And as brothers and sisters in Christ, let's try to reframe from using any words that would be contrary to mercy and justice, let's use the word "Love" more.
Toni, one of my pet peeves is change. I have to accommodate a continual barrage of change. Not from need, but mostly for the sake of change alone. I can't live in the past which is distasteful, but will never happen again. Human beings have a way of being individual. That will never change either. Could this be a better world? probably not till Jesus returns. Can improvements be made? Yes, but as I posted, it will be on an individual level. The church is not a treasure trove of injustices, but for those that look to the streets, more answers can found there than in the pews.
Shirley kindly list the four types of temperament and there subdivisions
Hi Amos, please see my reply to Isaiah.
Grace, I fully concur with your sentiments expressed above. A church that fails to speak out against injustice is a church that has failed to execute its mission and I believe it will, in time, become irrelevant and lose its value.
In Psalm 10: 17 - 18 we read, "You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted, You encourage them and You listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror."
The Advenist church in my country, South Africa, insulated itself and kept quiet about the ravages of apartheid whilst the Catholic, Anglican, Methodist and other churches spoke out against the evil system. For years my church dismissed the published instances of gross human rights violations as exaggerations for the sake of cheap newspaper headlines. It displayed willful blindness and deafness to the anguish and painful tears of the oppressed black majority. It claimed to maintain a separation stance between the State and Church. Archbishop Emmeritus Desmond Tutu, a resilient and brave victim of injustice, stated, "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor...." Quite clearly silence is endorsement. It came as no surprise that the great legend of modern times, Nelson Mandela, refused to grace occasions he was invited to by the Adventist Church in South Africa.
The Bible is very clear about what we should do with injustice - Jeremiah 22:3 - 5; Micah 6: 8; Leviticus 19:15; Zephaniah 3:5; Lamentations 3:34 - 36 etc. The church cannot and must not remain silent in the face of injustice. The church must make its voice heard and call injustice by its proper name!
Dr. What did you do as an individual? Maybe the church and you just kept quite quiet? Although this was wrong. Let us now forgive and learn to do justice to the world.
What did Jesus do about the Roman oppressors in His day? Did he speak out?
Or did go about doing good and showing them by his actions the right way to live.
Jesus didn't try to change society but to change people.
In the OT texts you quoted the LORD is telling His people how to act within their society.
Remember what Jesus said: Render unto Cesar things that are his and to God the things that are His.
What about Paul's instructions in Romans 13:1-7 about be subject to the governing authorities and not resisting them?
I agree where there is injustice we should not approve of it but how we show our disapproval should be guided by the Word and Jesus example, more importantly we should let the Holy Spirit work through the Spiritual Gifts He gives us to minister to those who are oppressed.
Or yes true as the saying divided we fall hence important to be unite in the lord
It is important to note as we study this topic that justice and mercy are divine characteristics, therefore the practice of these virtues among God's people will be the outflow of a heart and mind that is being transformed by God's love. Jesus Christ commanded us "to love one another as I have loved you" and in so doing we will demonstrate to all that we are his disciples. (John 13:34-35) We must ask ourselves, "Are we loving each other? Do we weep with the ones who are weeping? How compassionate are we? What am I doing to help with the problems in my community(church and neighborhood)?
The church is God's appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world. From the beginning it has been God's plan that through His church shall be reflected to the world His fullness and His sufficiency. The members of the church, those whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light, are to show forth His glory. {AA 9.1}
I would like to respond to Paul's comment that there is no shortage of injustices in the world. That is a very true statement, but even more so highlights the reasons the church was called, if we believe this week's lesson, to respond to these injustices with the practical Christian gospel.
Jesus had strong words for those of us who ignore the plight of the suffering. I was hungry and you did not feed me, I was naked and you did not clothe me, I was in prison and you did not visit me. I can almost hear Jesus saying, you were oppressed and abused, looked down on by society, and you thought it was none of your concern.
The church cannot end racism, injustice, and violence that takes place within communities. At the core, we all know it is a sin problem. We can, however, let the world know that Jesus cares about those unjustly treated, and who are victims of all types of prejudice and discrimination. We cannot allow the world to co-opt the message of justice and equality because they do so, often with terrible consequences (Dallas).
We might not be comfortable having to accept this, but racism and injustice exists in our world and it has terrible effects on peoples and communities. We can and must bring a voice of hope and restoration in lives and relationships to our communities, and it begins with acknowledging our neighbor's pain. When we do so with the love of God that knows no race or class, or gender boundaries, we diffuse hate, and we exalt Jesus Christ.
Our church has a sad history of neglect of social justice that wreak havoc in the lives of others. Our silence during the civil rights struggles in the United States was deafening. We are still indicted by some in our community for our silence. Silence can be deadly. Think of all the acts of genocide around the world, and imagine if God's people, Christians everywhere had stood up.
It is cold comfort to a family whose daughter watched her father gunned down by the police to say, there is no shortage of injustice, and can I tell you about the Sabbath.
I am proud of the North American Division for putting out a statement, one which was read in our church, to our young people, last Sabbath. You have idea what that meant to Seventh Day Adventists of color. We are United in Christ.
Am I getting from these blogs that the Seventh Day Adventist church should join these movements that walk the streets with signs and cries that denigrate the police? Apartheid was a government run policy. It was bad. Maybe the church could have done more. But in these United States, the problem we have is the proliferation of crime in certain communities. We as followers of Christ should go to these areas to show them a better way. Demonstrating, stopping traffic, yelling and screaming at people who do not agree with you, I do not see this as helpful.
There are plenty of practical ways to protest other than street demonstration. Demonstrations rely on crowd mentality and that often goes horribly wrong. Giving the needy and oppressed a voice in the face of injustice is more than the work of a day or two of street demonstration. There is a need to raise the issues in a more considered longer lasting form.
My own work for environmental issues is essentially a decades long effort to educate the local community about the value of preserving the biodiversity of the area. It is the quiet work in the background that has the most effect. That does not absolve us from speaking up where it is necessary, but I agree that we should avoid "crowd politics".
How different would the world, or America, look today, if the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s has not occurred (which looked very "similar" to last week's demonstrations)? I'm not saying that the church or every church member should join these demonstrations. What I am saying is that our church should be doing more to show mercy and to help with injustice of any kinds, anywhere. Paul, as the saying goes "Those who forget their history are bound to repeat it".
Also, different issues called for different (peaceful) actions for each scenario. I can't remember the exact social issue that occurred in my town about 3 years, but it was major enough the city's mayor called for all the clergy to meet with the him to work on a plan, which my then Pastor (an SDA pastor) responded to the call and participated with other local clergy to at least hear what the local government had to say. I don't know if our local conference knew that my Pastor was participating in that movement; or if not, what their stand would have been, or what was the outcome. My opinion is that it should be an individual decision to participate in whatever peaceful movement that you feel is worthy of your time; and no one should JUDGE you for doing so.
The church did make a statement, and I'm happy they did. However, I think that most of us in this blog still believe that the church need to do more to show mercy and justice to the oppressed in our local communities and in the world, not just showing them that we keep the Sabbath holy. As someone on Talk Radio last week said, "if you don't want to be out there demonstrating, you individually can help by donating food or water, or work behind the sides".
As individual that love the Lord first, let's all encourage our families and our churches to do MORE to help the oppressed, the poor, the widowed, and the fatherless children among us, without JUDING them. Except for the grace of God, that could be my (or our) life situation.
injustice anywhere is threat to justice everywhere.Should we wait until the church is singled out and attacked before we start to talk out and resist injustice? Does separation of church and state mean that the church should turn a blind eye to wrongs committed by the state and its leaders? Why was John the Baptist beheaded? Because he spoke out against wrong committed by the head of state. Where are the John the Baptist's in our church today?
Patrick, has the Holy Spirit led you to rebuke someone of their sin? Did Jesus come to condemn(John 3:17)? What did Jesus send the apostles out to do? What did Paul do with his hearing before the various rulers? Did he speak out against their injustices? Didn't he lift up Jesus as the crucified and risen Savior for all sinners?
We can't lose our mission by thinking to make this world better. We have the Gospel of Christ that offers the next world, and the need to find it in this life. The injustices will cease in those who "repent and believe the Gospel".
Patrick, I don't recall John the Baptist preaching against the Roman government. It seems to me he addressed only the professed people of God.
Perhaps that should be a lesson for us. Before we start calling out the secular government regarding injustices, perhaps we should make sure that our church government is aligned with God's will.
Christ Himself uttered not a word about injustices of the Roman government. But shortly before He was crucified, he pointed out the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders to ensure that the common people would not look up to them as examples of spiritual piety.
How does God fulfill the deeds described in our memory verse? Through those who are filled with His Spirit and reflect His love to others. This is the purpose of everyone who takes the Name of Jesus. Every soul that takes Jesus' yoke upon them will become His Witnesses.
God chooses to reach humanity through humanity, and both are benefited.