Page 11 F. Widows and Orphans

Are they a special case????

                As I read the Bible and look at passages that have to do with widows and orphans, it seems to me that the Lord places them in the same category as the poor and afflicted.  Take a look at these passages and see if you don’t agree.  What’s God’s attitude toward widows and orphans and how do you think they should be treated?

• Deut 10:17-18 _____________________________________________

• James 1:26-27 _____________________________________________

• Acts 6:1-3 ________________________________________________

• Ps 146:9 __________________________________________________

• Prov 15:25 ________________________________________________

• Is 1:16-17 ________________________________________________

• Luke 7:12-15 ______________________________________________

• Jer 5:28-29 ________________________________________________

• Ps 10:14 __________________________________________________
• Tim 5:3 _________________________________________________

Now look at the passages shown below.  I think our management manual has more to say, or at least as much to say about how we should NOT treat widows and orphans as it does about how we should treat them.  What do you think?  There’s definitely some explicit instruction.

What will happen to you  if you treat widows and orphans poorly?  Go back and reread these last few passages.  Sounds serious to me.

1. Ex 22:20-24 _______________________________________________

2. Deut 27:19 ________________________________________________

3. Math 23:14 _______________________________________________

4. Mark 12:38-40 _____________________________________________

5. Luke 20:45-21:4 ___________________________________________

6. Mal 3:5-6 _________________________________________________

7. Job 22:9-11 _______________________________________________

8. Zech 7:8-14 _______________________________________________

It sounds to me like we had better take care of the widows.  Do you agree?

☐ Agree  ☐ Disagree  ☐ Can’t make up my mind

Should ALL widows expect special care?

☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Depends on the circumstances ☐ Don’t Know

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How should we treat widows and orphans

Deut 10:17-19 For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality, nor take a bribe. He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing. So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. NAS

James 1:26-27 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. NAS

Acts 6:1-3 Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. And the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. “But select from among you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. NAS

Ps 146:9 The LORD protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow; But He thwarts the way of the wicked. NAS

Prov 15:25 The LORD will tear down the house of the proud, But He will establish the boundary of the widow. NAS

Isa 1:16-17 “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless; Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow. NAS

Luke 7:12-15 Now as He approached the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, “Do not weep.” And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise!”  And the dead man sat up, and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother. NAS

Jer 5:28-29 ‘They are fat, they are sleek, They also excel in deeds of wickedness; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the orphan, that they may prosper; And they do not defend the rights of the poor. ‘Shall I not punish these people?’ declares the LORD,’ On a nation such as this Shall I not avenge Myself?’ NAS

Ps 10:14 Thou hast seen it, for Thou hast beheld mischief and vexation to take it into Thy hand. The unfortunate commits himself to Thee; Thou hast been the helper of the orphan. NAS

1 Tim 5:3 Honor widows who are widows indeed; NAS

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HOW NOT TO TREAT WIDOWS

Ex 22:20-24 “He who sacrifices to any god, other than to the LORD alone, shall be utterly destroyed. And you shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. If you afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry; and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless. NAS

Isa 10:1-2 Woe to those who enact evil statutes, And to those who constantly record unjust decisions, So as to deprive the needy of justice, And rob the poor of My people of their rights, In order that widows may be their spoil, And that they may plunder the orphans. NAS

Deut 27:19 ‘Cursed is he who distorts the justice due an alien, orphan, and widow.’ And all the people shall say,’ Amen.’ NAS

Matt 23:14 [“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, even while for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you shall receive greater condemnation.] NAS

Mark 12:38-40 And in His teaching He was saying: “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues, and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation. ” NAS

Luke 20:45-21:4 And while all the people were listening, He said to the disciples, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues, and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation. ” 

Luke 21:1-4 And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a certain poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on. ”  NAS

Mal 3:5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien, and do not fear Me,” says the LORD of hosts. NAS

Job 22:9-11 “You have sent widows away empty, And the strength of the orphans has been crushed. “Therefore snares surround you, And sudden dread terrifies you, Or darkness, so that you cannot see, And an abundance of water covers you. NAS

Jer 22:2-3 ‘Thus says the LORD, “Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place. NAS

Zech 7:8-14 Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah saying, “Thus has the LORD of hosts said, ‘Dispense true justice, and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’ “But they refused to pay attention, and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. “And they made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the LORD of hosts. “And it came about that just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen,” says the LORD of hosts; “but I scattered them with a storm wind among all the nations whom they have not known. Thus the land is desolated behind them, so that no one went back and forth, for they made the pleasant land desolate.” NAS