Sunday: Mercy and Justice: Earmarks of God’s People
Even in early Israel, social justice was very much a part of God’s laws and His ideal for His people. Social justice is God’s original intention for human society: a world in which basic needs are met, people flourish, and peace reigns.
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
Read the following verses and summarize what they say about mercy and justice, or what is sometimes called “social justice.” Exod. 22:21-23, Exod. 23:2-9, Lev. 19:10, Prov. 14:31, Prov. 29:7.
Mercy and justice are also highlighted in the Sabbath laws given to ancient Israel. God outlined three types of Sabbaths.
How is the idea of mercy and justice reflected in each of these Sabbaths? Exod. 20:8-10; Exod. 23:10-11; Lev. 25:8-55.
- Instructions in keeping the seventh-day Sabbath included providing equal opportunity for everyone to rest, including servants, animals, and foreigners.
- Every seven years, the Sabbath year was a time for canceling debts, for showing concern for the poor, and for freeing slaves. God instructed His people to include the animals in the benefits of the Sabbath year (see Lev. 25:6-7).
- The year of jubilee came on the fiftieth year, after seven Sabbath years. Property that was sold was restored to the original owner; debts were forgiven; and prisoners and slaves were set free. Jubilee was an equalizer of society, a reboot to give everyone an opportunity to begin anew. It was a “safeguard . . . against the extremes of either wealth or want.” – Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 185.
Here, in the very fabric of Hebrew society, we can see how justice and mercy worked together in favor of the less fortunate in society.
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Mercy and Justice are not admired characteristics in our society today. We only have to look at the amount of sins that have developed over the centuries and the reasons for it, to understand why. Is help on the way? If so how and when? Are immediate changes likely?
pls are these Sabbath laws still binding on us?
Your question implies that we have to keep Sabbath in order for something good to happen to us. In the context of this weeks lesson I prefer to look at the Sabbath as a great gift from God that we can share with others. If we selfishly keep Sabbath with the idea that by keeping we are satisfying the requirements for salvation, then our motivation is entirely wrong. The Sabbath was meant to be shared with one another, with our visitors, our employees, and our acquaintances. I prefer to look at the Sabbath, not as something that is binding but is inviting.
The question is: How do we make the Sabbath inviting to our unchurched friends?
Amen and amen Maurice! You have struck a strong nerve there! Praise God for the rest that the sabbath is, in essence, all about! Focussing on the application of the principles revealed in God's Law is the most critical thing lest we focus on the mere letter of the law and forget about the spirit of the law.
So in principle to answer Ayuba's question, What are the principles which we glean from those sabbatical laws? In my humble view, those principles still apply:
1. Caring of the poor;
2. Making provisions for bad debts cancellation;
3. Giving the land a chance to recover - I don't have a strong agricultural background, but I think this is a concept that still works today; however I see that it was also done to help provide for the less fortunate. So the main principle here seems to be finding a way to also provide for the poor by allowing them to partake of some of our produce. Perhaps someone can be able to shed more time? Perhaps the Spirit of prophecy can add more light as well.
4. Amnesty for prisoners is also something that is happening today. We are also called upon to 'loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and let the oppressed go free, and that we should break every yoke...' (see more in Isa. 58 especially verse 6 and 7. We are promised a great reward in verse 8 for doing these things. May God help us! Amen!
Ayuba Titus,
the time of the Sabbath laws relating to the Jubilee - when slaves were freed, debts were canceled, and the land was allowed to rest - has passed away. Those laws are not binding now. In a sense their application would be advantageous, but in todays society such laws would not be workable.
The same thing can be said for the laws regarding the Sabbath year (which occurred every 7 years). Those laws are no longer current, no longer binding. The land was to be given rest. But I think a mistaken view has been represented in this page, where it says that debts were canceled, and slaves were freed, every 7 years. I understand that those things were to be done every 50 years, not every 7 years.
Kindly Mr. Stewart, may you illustrate the 50years you are talking about, and not 7 as stated, bearing in mind that 7 means wholeness.
with my findings, Exept for sabbath laws found in exodus 20:8-10 which is partially followed due to our iniquities,the sabbath laws in exo 23:10-11 and exo 25:8-55 are not followed.
The Sabbath is given to us from creation, God specifically said to REMEMBER the Sabbath to keep it holy. To keep it holy, we can follow Christ's example by caring for the sick, feeding the hungry, visiting the prisons and caring for the poor and needy. It is giving of yourself and not elevating yourself, because your life is a gift from God.
Maurice,
Part of what we as SDAs should be doing while we focus on keeping the Sabbath holy, is to bear in mind Mark 3:4.
Sometimes the best invitation we can extend is to help someone in need on Sabbath.
I agree that helping people on Sabbath is the best approach for "keeping the Sabbath holy". Focusing on keeping the Sabbath holy becomes all about me and not about others.
One of the Bible texts referred to in this page (Ex 23:3), about not showing favoritism to the poor simply because they are poor, is a wonderful (and necessary) balancing element. We cannot afford to ignore the poor, but neither can we afford to pervert justice in their favor.
Sometimes in a dispute, the Christian may be tempted to side with the poor, simply because the poor person appears to be an "under-dog". But in matters of justice we must be careful to apply strict impartiality. If we are led by a false sense of sympathy, based on nothing better than appearances [and sentimental feelings,] we become the kind of "judge" that dishonors God's name.
is a challenging topic thz week hw to share our daily food to others nd care for the needy. but let the Holy Spirit to be upon us nd God to help us.
From the introduction of the lesson we learn that we as the church are God's bride. Now what does a bride or a wife do on a day to day basis? She cooks wholesome meals fro the husband and the children,she dresses them in fresh and clean clothing, she cares for the sickly among the until he is back to good health,she barely has time for herself because she is more concerned about the well being of her family, she helps with homework and so much more.
Likewise, we are to be to the world. The sick should find prayers, care and remedies in our homes, the hungry should find wholesome meals, the foreigner should never be homeless, those who are weary and oppressed are supposed to be strengthened by our daily prayers for them.
Basically we should barely have time for selfish, tedious activities because we are the wife of the Master Himself.Daily we witness oppression of the masses, xenophobic attacks and so on, that is where justice and mercy is needed. That is where God wants us to be hands on even though it may cost our lives.
Indeed, God s government was overflowing with mercy and justice. But there are two aspects that i have not fully understood.
1. Is there a contradiction in Lev 25; was the land owner supposed to eat from the produce of the fallow land or not in the 7 year? verse 5, 'What grows of its own accord of your harvest you shall not reap, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine, for it is a year of rest for the land. 6 And the sabbath produce of the land shall -be food for you, for you, - your )male and female servants, your hired man, and the stranger who dwells with you, 7 for your livestock and the beasts that are in your land—all its produce shall be for food.'
2, the lesson writer says '
Every seven years, the Sabbath year was a time for canceling debts, for showing concern for the poor, and for freeing slaves.' Was this for the seventh or the Jubilee year? Is there a scriptural reference to support the lesson writer?
While i am not very cleat about how some of the principles, there are great lessons to be taken from them I wonder how these wonderful principles could be practically in corporated into our lives today; influencing the way we treat the less privikedged, our domedtic helpers and di forth. May God help us to be like him.
Khustang, no contradiction the translation is somewhat lacking though.
This link covers the Biblical texts and applications in Israel.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shmita
Mercy and justice is based on God's Law, and in these actions, the law is magnified. It is the action of doing to others as we would wish done to ourselves in their circumstances. It will often require a sacrifice on our part, and foregoing needless self-gratification. The mind of Jesus was demonstrated in such service to others.
God is a servant to His creation, and in our sphere of influence the Spirit-filled will serve others as well. This is worshiping God "in Spirit and in truth".