The Role of the Church in the Community

Justice and Mercy in the Old Testament: Part 1

Lesson #3 for July 16, 2016

Scriptures: [Exodus 22:21-23; 23:2-9; Amos 8:4-7; Isaiah 1:10-17; 58:1-14; Acts 20:35][1].

1.    This lesson will discuss various passages in the Old Testament in which God’s instructions to the Israelites described how He feels about orphans, widows, and foreigners. It will contrast Israel’s religious behavior with His instructions.

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?”-http://www.inspirationalstories.com/1/198.html.—As Quoted in Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide for Sabbath July 9.

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 [Psalm 146:7-9].[2]

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.—ibid. [Content in brackets is added.]

2.    As we know, God’s original plan for this earth was for all of us to be living in the Garden of Eden. But, when we committed sin, we were thrust out of the garden and forced to make our way outside in a sin-cursed world. That environment has turned into a place of greed, injustice, and cruelty. But, in God’s dealing with His children, social justice has been a part of His laws and ideals for His people. It has always been God’s plan for people to have their needs met, to flourish, and to have peace reign.

3.    Read [Exodus 22:21-23; 23:2-9; Leviticus 19:10; and Proverbs 14:31; 29:7][3]. In these verses, God makes it very clear how His people should treat orphans, widows, and foreigners. If the Israelites mistreated them, He threatened that “your wives will become widows, and your children will be fatherless.” He told them to be very careful not to pervert justice and not to show partiality. They were never to accept a bribe. When harvesting their crops, they were to leave whatever grapes or grain were left in the field for the poor. In some cultures today, it is not a sin to do such things; but, it is a sin to get caught!

4.    There are three types of “Sabbath rests” outlined in Scripture for the ancient Hebrews:

1.    There was the seventh-day Sabbath.

Read Exodus 20:8-11[4]. In these verses we have a description of the seventh-day Sabbath; the Israelites were told that the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to God. On that day no one was/is to work-neither you, your children, your slaves, your animals, nor the foreigners who live in your country.

2.    There was a seventh-year Sabbath.

Exodus 23:10-11 (GNB): 10 “For six years sow your field and gather in what it produces. 11But in the seventh year let it rest, and do not harvest anything that grows on it. The poor may eat what grows there, and the wild animals can have what is left. Do the same with your vineyards and your olive trees.”

Did everyone do that at the same time? Or, could one rotate his fields so that 1/7 of his fields or orchards could rest each year? God actually promised that He would care for those who practiced this “Sabbath year.” (Leviticus 25:1-7)[5]

3. Finally, there was the jubilee-year Sabbath.

Leviticus 25:10-17 (GNB): 10In this way you shall set the fiftieth year apart and proclaim freedom to all the inhabitants of the land. During this year all property that has been sold shall be restored to the original owner or his descendants, and anyone who has been sold as a slave shall return to his family. 11You shall not sow your fields or harvest the corn that grows by itself or gather the grapes in your unpruned vineyards. 12The whole year shall be sacred for you; you shall eat only what the fields produce of themselves. 13 In this year all property that has been sold shall be restored to its original owner. 14So when you sell land to your fellow-Israelite or buy land from him, do not deal unfairly. 15The price is to be fixed according to the number of years the land can produce crops before the next Year of Restoration. 16If there are many years, the price shall be higher, but if there are only a few years, the price shall be lower, because what is being sold is the number of crops the land can produce. 17Do not cheat a fellow-Israelite, but obey the LORD your God.

Were they allowed to cheat the foreigners? These regulations apparently applied only to Israelites. But, they were also to treat foreigners with dignity and respect. Remember that every family/tribe had its assigned territory.

Consider this from the Bible Study Guide.

1.    Instructions in keeping the seventh-day Sabbath included providing equal opportunity for everyone to rest, including servants, animals, and foreigners.

2.    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)[6].

3.    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. 185.2.—Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide for Sunday, July 10. Compare To Be Like Jesus 171.5.

5.    Clearly, God wanted justice to be done for the poor, the helpless, and the needy in society.

6.    Read Genesis 2:1-3[7]. Remember that our seventh-day is based on the rotation of our earth. We are not aware of any other planet that rotates exactly the same as we do. So, it would be only on this earth where we would have our particular seven-day cycle. Long before there was a single Hebrew or Jew, God made it clear that He rested on the Sabbath day and intended for all of His creation to stop working on that day. Furthermore, according to Exodus 23:12[8], we are to allow all those who work for us to rest on that day as well. Isaiah 66:22-23[9] makes it clear that God will continue to bless the Sabbath and worship on that day with us even in the new heavens and the new earth. There was no suggestion that worshipers on that day will be treated differently based on their social status or their wealth. Of course, we have no way to know how the Sabbath will be determined in heaven. If we will be worshiping together with people from all parts of the world and all periods of history since Adam and Eve, what will be the language of heaven? Or, will there be multiple languages used? Is there a heavenly language? Language is somewhat determined by culture. So, what will be the culture of heaven?

7.    God who is the Father of us all and has given us a universal Sabbath intends for us to consider all other human beings as our brothers and sisters.

8.    What should we learn from these three Sabbaths: 1) The seventh-day Sabbath, 2) The seventh-year Sabbath, and 3) The jubilee Sabbath? Are there lessons that are appropriate for Christians to learn from these Sabbaths? Could we practice some of the principles of these Sabbaths in our day? Clearly, God intended for these Sabbaths to be a great equalizer. It would make it more difficult for some to accumulate great amounts of wealth or land while others are dirt poor.

9.    Read Amos 8:4-7[10]. How many ways do people cheat others in our day? It is hard even to read these words. Merchants were devising all sorts of ways to cheat and abuse the poor people they were dealing with-even on God’s Sabbath. Would it be safe to set the prisoners free today?

10.    Read Proverbs 31:8-9[11]. Few of us spend time in public courts. But, can we fulfill the principles implied in these verses? Today, does our legal system guarantee fairness? Do we need to be aware of any abuses that are taking place around us and try to stop them? Of course, we ourselves must not be cheating customers, either rich or poor. How do we care for the needs of the poor in our day? What about their health care? What about criminals and drug addicts?

11.    Read Isaiah 1:10-17[12]. (Compare Ezekiel 16 and Matthew 10:14-15 and 11:20-24.)[13] Imagine a young prophet who was actually a member of the royal family, making his first major speech using words like those! There was no question in his mind but that true worship meant caring for widows and orphans and not just a round of meaningless ceremonies. What is the relationship between caring for widows and orphans and worshiping God?

12.    We often think of prophets as people who predicted events which were to happen in the future. Clearly, the Old Testament prophets we have looked at already were heavily focused as well on spiritual and moral reform and unselfish service to their fellow human beings. Can you imagine a worse kind of witness than being so busy “worshiping” God that one does not have time to help those in need? Would helping others be a kind of worship? If we were really following the biblical recommendations, the poor would be cared for by the local churches and not be some government program.

13.    Read Isaiah 58:1-12[14]. Near the end of his written ministry, Isaiah took up a similar theme. He stated in unequivocal words that the people around him were claiming to be worshiping God and that they were even pretending to enjoy doing it; but, in fact, what God wanted was for them to do what was right. No amount of spiritual worship could take the place of taking care of widows, orphans, and the poor. Were there a lot of widows and orphans because their husbands and fathers were killed in battle? Or, was it from diseases?

14.    How well are we doing at reaching out to the hungry, the afflicted, and the poor? Read Acts 20:35[15]. Have you ever had an experience in which you felt that “there is more happiness in giving than in receiving”? Why is that? Do we believe that? Does God touch our lives when we reach out to help others?

15.    We may have the most wonderful kind of religious talk and belief, and it may be based on Scriptures; but, if we are not carrying that belief into our daily practice, how does God feel about us? How are we as a people and as a church showing our Christian love by reaching out to others?

16.    Read Psalm 82:3-4[16]. Are we doing what God calls us to do in these verses?

One urban church is in a community plagued by gun violence. In 2011 the clear prophetic voice of its pastor rang out during an urban ministry congress in a large city. Here are sample thoughts found in his speech: “Christians must stop the death march!” Referring to the biblical story of when Jesus stopped the funeral train for the widow of Nain’s son (Luke 7:11-17), he explained how the church could not sit idly by while street violence escalated in their community. He asked his audience, “Are we simply a church that stands up to do eulogies? Is it not to ask God, ‘Why do You allow suffering?’ God says, ‘Why do you allow suffering?’ ’’-Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide for Thursday, July 14. [Italic type is in the original.]

17.    As members of our church, what opportunities do we have to serve the community? Some churches like the one I belong to actually have feeding programs. Working with several different churches, we manage to feed hundreds even thousands of people per week through a “pantry.” A majority of the people who are given food are men; it is easier for women who have children to get government aid. Why is that? Would volunteering in a pantry be a good way to witness for Jesus?

18.    Read Deuteronomy 24:10-22[17]. Notice in these verses that God made it very clear exactly how the Hebrews were to behave in certain situations. God did not leave them with the option of just doing what they thought was right. He reminded them that they had been slaves in Egypt.

19.    When we get to heaven, will we all be treated equally and fairly? Will there be rich and poor in heaven? Will there be any class distinctions? If we as Christians are hoping soon to go to heaven, would it be a good thing for us to practice heavenly principles even now? The seventh-day Sabbath was given to all mankind. When Christ died on the cross, He died for everyone.

When the mind of Christ becomes our mind, and His works our works, we shall be able to keep the fast described by the prophet Isaiah: “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens?” [Isaiah 58:6] Find out what the poor and suffering are in need of, and then, in love and tenderness, help them to courage and hope and confidence by sharing with them the good things that God has given you. Thus you will be doing the very work that the Lord means you to do. “Let the oppressed go free.” Do not rest until you break every yoke. It is not possible for you to neglect this and yet obey God.—Ellen G. White, Pacific Union Recorder, July 21, 1904 par. 1; The Medical Missionary, June 1, 1891 par. 3. [Content in brackets is added.]

20.    So, what could we do that would demonstrate tangible Christianity? Should we be giving money to those who stand on the street corners? In addition to paying our tithes and supporting our local church, should we reach out to other missionary projects we might hear about?

21.    The Seventh-day Adventist Church has always done much better at evangelizing the poor and needy than at reaching the wealthier classes. Is that evidence that we are doing what God has asked us to do? Should we be doing better at reaching out to the rich? Is it hard for the rich to feel any need?

22.    Why do you suppose there are so many references to the widows, orphans, needy, and poor in the Scriptures? Is that because there were so many of them? How many of the ancient Hebrews were subsistence farmers who depended day by day on what they could raise or get from their animals?

23.    Clearly, no matter how well we do, we will never be able to feed all of the world’s poor or meet all their needs. So, would it be better for us just to focus on evangelizing as many as possible so that Jesus can come quickly? Then, everyone’s needs would be met! Would you agree or disagree with that approach?

24.    That has always been a challenging question. People have gone overboard in both directions. Of course, we could never fully solve the world’s poverty problems. Apparently, God never intended for us to do so. Is it God’s plan that we evangelize by helping the poor? Are we also responsible for trying to reach the rich?

25.    Read Acts 20:35[18] again. Where did Paul get this quotation from Jesus which is not in any other material that we have available to us today. Was it in some written material that we no longer have? Or, did one of the disciples tell Paul about these words from Jesus?

26.    Read Matthew 25:40[19]. Do you really see the people in need-the poor and the hungry that you happen to come across-as if they were Jesus? Does that include the people standing on the corners of our streets or those in the parking lots asking for money and food? What about those who might come to ask for help from the Dorcas Society? Or, from a pantry? Or, even directly to the church?

In 1909 Ferdinand and Ana Stahl went as missionaries to the Peruvian Andes. Like many other Seventh-day Adventist missionaries, they started with the tried-and-true method of selling books door to door. The only problem was they were working among a 95-percent indigenous population kept in ignorance and poverty by a religious and political aristocracy. Most of the people couldn’t read the books that the Stahls were offering.

So, they changed their approach. They started clinics, markets, chapels, and the first coeducational school in the region. They helped break down racial, religious, and social barriers. Soon there were some two hundred schools dotting Lake Titicaca, with thousands of students enrolled in them.

The legacy of the Stahls has been profound. Many non-Seventh-day Adventist politicians, religious leaders, and educationalists acknowledge the tremendous social impact made by these Seventh-day Adventist missionaries. “In the face of severe injustice, suffering, and oppression,” writes Peruvian theologian Gustavo Gutierrez, “the Stahls identified with the poorest of the poor and incarnated the gospel in ways which profoundly impacted the spiritual, social, economic, and political life of the Peruvian highlands” (La Sierra University, “Stahl Center,” accessed June 9, 2015, http://lasierra.edu/stahl-center).-Adu/t Teacher’s Sabbath School Bible Study Guide, page 40.

27.    Having studied this lesson, how should we feel about getting involved in issues of social justice? Does that seem to you like it should be a priority? Is our Christianity more than just a formula for future salvation? Do we recognize a real responsibility to the poor and needy who live among us?

28.    Read Jeremiah 6:13-15[20]. Do the members of our churches seem more greedy for gain? Or, more concerned about the poor? Do we sometimes “pass by” those who are hurting or hungry as did the Levite and the priest in the story of the good Samaritan? Do we have “no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush.” (Jeremiah 6:15, NIV)

29.    What would lead God to say: “I hate your religious festivals; I cannot stand them”? (Amos 5:21, GNB) In Isaiah 58[21], we are told to loose the chains of injustice, set the oppressed free, feed the hungry, provide shelter and clothing to the naked. Are we doing that?

30.    In the days of Jesus, He accused the religious leaders of straining out gnats while swallowing camels. (See Matthew 23:24[22].) Are there any areas of our lives where Jesus might say something like that to us today? Are feeding the homeless and caring for the needy just an entering wedge to take the gospel to them so we can save their souls? Or, is there some spiritual calling in just meeting the physical needs of other human beings?

© 2016, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged.    Info@theox.org

1-Exodus 22:21 “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner; remember that you were foreigners in Egypt. 22 Do not mistreat any widow or orphan. 23 If you do, I, the LORD, will answer them when they cry out to me for help,

23:2 Do not follow the majority when they do wrong or when they give testimony that perverts justice. 3 Do not show partiality to a poor person at his trial.

4 “If you happen to see your enemy's cow or donkey running loose, take it back to him. 5 If his donkey has fallen under its load, help him get the donkey to its feet again; don't just walk off.

6 “Do not deny justice to a poor person when he appears in court. 7 Do not make false accusations, and do not put an innocent person to death, for I will condemn anyone who does such an evil thing. 8 Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe makes people blind to what is right and ruins the cause of those who are innocent.

9 “Do not mistreat a foreigner; you know how it feels to be a foreigner, because you were foreigners in Egypt.

Amos 8:4 Listen to this, you that trample on the needy and try to destroy the poor of the country. 5 You say to yourselves, “We can hardly wait for the holy days to be over so that we can sell our grain. When will the Sabbath end, so that we can start selling again? Then we can overcharge, use false measures, and fix the scales to cheat our customers. 6 We can sell worthless wheat at a high price. We'll find someone poor who can't pay his debts, not even the price of a pair of sandals, and we'll buy him as a slave.”

7 The LORD, the God of Israel, has sworn, “I will never forget their evil deeds.

Isaiah 1:10 Jerusalem, your rulers and your people are like those of Sodom and Gomorrah. Listen to what the LORD is saying to you. Pay attention to what our God is teaching you. 11 He says, “Do you think I want all these sacrifices you keep offering to me? I have had more than enough of the sheep you burn as sacrifices and of the fat of your fine animals. I am tired of the blood of bulls and sheep and goats. 12 Who asked you to bring me all this when you come to worship me? Who asked you to do all this tramping around in my Temple? 13 It's useless to bring your offerings. I am disgusted with the smell of the incense you burn. I cannot stand your New Moon Festivals, your Sabbaths, and your religious gatherings; they are all corrupted by your sins. 14 I hate your New Moon Festivals and holy days; they are a burden that I am tired of bearing.

15 “When you lift your hands in prayer, I will not look at you. No matter how much you pray, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with blood. 16 Wash yourselves clean. Stop all this evil that I see you doing. Yes, stop doing evil 17 and learn to do right. See that justice is done—help those who are oppressed, give orphans their rights, and defend widows.”

58:1 The LORD says, “Shout as loud as you can! Tell my people Israel about their sins! 2 They worship me every day, claiming that they are eager to know my ways and obey my laws. They say they want me to give them just laws and that they take pleasure in worshiping me.”

3 The people ask, “Why should we fast if the LORD never notices? Why should we go without food if he pays no attention?”

The LORD says to them, “The truth is that at the same time you fast, you pursue your own interests and oppress your workers. 4 Your fasting makes you violent, and you quarrel and fight. Do you think this kind of fasting will make me listen to your prayers? 5 When you fast, you make yourselves suffer; you bow your heads low like a blade of grass and spread out sackcloth and ashes to lie on. Is that what you call fasting? Do you think I will be pleased with that?

6 “The kind of fasting I want is this: Remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free. 7 Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor. Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives.

8 “Then my favor will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be quickly healed. I will always be with you to save you; my presence will protect you on every side. 9 When you pray, I will answer you. When you call to me, I will respond.

“If you put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil word; 10 if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon. 11 And I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things. I will keep you strong and well. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring of water that never goes dry. 12 Your people will rebuild what has long been in ruins, building again on the old foundations. You will be known as the people who rebuilt the walls, who restored the ruined houses.”

The Reward for Keeping the Sabbath

13 The LORD says, “If you treat the Sabbath as sacred and do not pursue your own interests on that day; if you value my holy day and honor it by not traveling, working, or talking idly on that day, 14 then you will find the joy that comes from serving me. I will make you honored all over the world, and you will enjoy the land I gave to your ancestor, Jacob. I, the LORD, have spoken.”

Acts 20:35 I have shown you in all things that by working hard in this way we must help the weak, remembering the words that the Lord Jesus himself said, ‘There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.’”

2-Psalm 146:7     he judges in favor of the oppressed

and gives food to the hungry.

The LORD sets prisoners free

8     and gives sight to the blind.

He lifts those who have fallen;

he loves his righteous people.

9 He protects the strangers who live in our land;

he helps widows and orphans,

but takes the wicked to their ruin.

3-Exodus 22:21 “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner; remember that you were foreigners in Egypt. 22 Do not mistreat any widow or orphan. 23 If you do, I, the LORD, will answer them when they cry out to me for help,

23:2 Do not follow the majority when they do wrong or when they give testimony that perverts justice. 3 Do not show partiality to a poor person at his trial.

4 “If you happen to see your enemy's cow or donkey running loose, take it back to him. 5 If his donkey has fallen under its load, help him get the donkey to its feet again; don't just walk off.

6 “Do not deny justice to a poor person when he appears in court. 7 Do not make false accusations, and do not put an innocent person to death, for I will condemn anyone who does such an evil thing. 8 Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe makes people blind to what is right and ruins the cause of those who are innocent.

9 “Do not mistreat a foreigner; you know how it feels to be a foreigner, because you were foreigners in Egypt.

Leviticus 19:10 Do not go back through your vineyard to gather the grapes that were missed or to pick up the grapes that have fallen; leave them for poor people and foreigners. I am the LORD your God.

Proverbs 14:31 If you oppress poor people, you insult the God who made them; but kindness shown to the poor is an act of worship.

29:7 A good person knows the rights of the poor, but wicked people cannot understand such things.

4-Exodus 20:8 “Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy. 9 You have six days in which to do your work, 10 but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me. On that day no one is to work—neither you, your children, your slaves, your animals, nor the foreigners who live in your country. 11 In six days I, the LORD, made the earth, the sky, the seas, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That is why I, the LORD, blessed the Sabbath and made it holy.

5-Leviticus 25:1 The LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai and commanded him 2 to give the following regulations to the people of Israel. When you enter the land that the LORD is giving you, you shall honor the LORD by not cultivating the land every seventh year. 3 You shall plant your fields, prune your vineyards, and gather your crops for six years. 4 But the seventh year is to be a year of complete rest for the land, a year dedicated to the LORD. Do not plant your fields or prune your vineyards. 5 Do not even harvest the grain that grows by itself without being planted, and do not gather the grapes from your unpruned vines; it is a year of complete rest for the land. 6 Although the land has not been cultivated during that year, it will provide food for you, your slaves, your hired men, the foreigners living with you, 7 your domestic animals, and the wild animals in your fields. Everything that it produces may be eaten.

6-Lev. 25:6 Although the land has not been cultivated during that year, it will provide food for you, your slaves, your hired men, the foreigners living with you, 7 your domestic animals, and the wild animals in your fields. Everything that it produces may be eaten.

7-Genesis 2:1 And so the whole universe was completed. 2 By the seventh day God finished what he had been doing and stopped working. 3 He blessed the seventh day and set it apart as a special day, because by that day he had completed his creation[a] and stopped working.

8-Exodus 23:12 “Work six days a week, but do no work on the seventh day, so that your slaves and the foreigners who work for you and even your animals can rest.

9-Isaiah 66:22 “Just as the new earth and the new heavens will endure by my power, so your descendants and your name will endure. 23 On every New Moon Festival and every Sabbath people of every nation will come to worship me here in Jerusalem,” says the LORD.

10-Amos 8:4 Listen to this, you that trample on the needy and try to destroy the poor of the country. 5 You say to yourselves, “We can hardly wait for the holy days to be over so that we can sell our grain. When will the Sabbath end, so that we can start selling again? Then we can overcharge, use false measures, and fix the scales to cheat our customers. 6 We can sell worthless wheat at a high price. We'll find someone poor who can't pay his debts, not even the price of a pair of sandals, and we'll buy him as a slave.”

7 The LORD, the God of Israel, has sworn, “I will never forget their evil deeds.

11-Proverbs 31:8 “Speak up for people who cannot speak for themselves. Protect the rights of all who are helpless. 9 Speak for them and be a righteous judge. Protect the rights of the poor and needy.”

12-Isaiah 1:10 Jerusalem, your rulers and your people are like those of Sodom and Gomorrah. Listen to what the LORD is saying to you. Pay attention to what our God is teaching you. 11 He says, “Do you think I want all these sacrifices you keep offering to me? I have had more than enough of the sheep you burn as sacrifices and of the fat of your fine animals. I am tired of the blood of bulls and sheep and goats. 12 Who asked you to bring me all this when you come to worship me? Who asked you to do all this tramping around in my Temple? 13 It's useless to bring your offerings. I am disgusted with the smell of the incense you burn. I cannot stand your New Moon Festivals, your Sabbaths, and your religious gatherings; they are all corrupted by your sins. 14 I hate your New Moon Festivals and holy days; they are a burden that I am tired of bearing.

15 “When you lift your hands in prayer, I will not look at you. No matter how much you pray, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with blood. 16 Wash yourselves clean. Stop all this evil that I see you doing. Yes, stop doing evil 17 and learn to do right. See that justice is done—help those who are oppressed, give orphans their rights, and defend widows.”

13-Ezekiel 16:1 The LORD spoke to me again. 2 “Mortal man,” he said, “point out to Jerusalem what disgusting things she has done. 3 Tell Jerusalem what the Sovereign LORD is saying to her:

“You were born in the land of Canaan. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite.[a] 4 When you were born, no one cut your umbilical cord or washed you[b] or rubbed you with salt or wrapped you in cloths. 5 No one took enough pity on you to do any of these things for you. When you were born, no one loved you. You were thrown out in an open field.

6 “Then I passed by and saw you squirming in your own blood. You were covered with blood, but I wouldn't let you die. 7 I made you grow like a healthy plant. You grew strong and tall and became a young woman.[c] Your breasts were well-formed, and your hair had grown, but you were naked.

8 “As I passed by again, I saw that the time had come for you to fall in love. I covered your naked body with my coat and promised to love you. Yes, I made a marriage covenant with you, and you became mine.” This is what the Sovereign LORD says.

9 “Then I took water and washed the blood off you. I rubbed olive oil on your skin. 10 I dressed you in embroidered gowns and gave you shoes of the best leather, a linen headband, and a silk cloak. 11 I put jewels on you—bracelets and necklaces. 12 I gave you a nose ring and earrings and a beautiful crown to wear. 13 You had ornaments of gold and silver, and you always wore clothes of embroidered linen and silk. You ate bread made from the best flour, and had honey and olive oil to eat. Your beauty was dazzling, and you became a queen. 14 You became famous in every nation for your perfect beauty, because I was the one who made you so lovely.” This is what the Sovereign LORD says.

15 “But you took advantage of your beauty and fame to sleep with everyone who came along.[d] 16 You used some of your clothes to decorate your places of worship, and just like a prostitute,[e] you gave yourself to everyone. 17 You took the silver and gold jewelry that I had given you, used it to make male images, and committed adultery with them. 18 You took the embroidered clothes I gave you and put them on the images, and you offered to the images the olive oil and incense I had given you. 19 I gave you food—the best flour, olive oil, and honey—but you offered it as a sacrifice to win the favor of idols.” This is what the Sovereign LORD says.

20 “Then you took the sons and the daughters you had borne me and offered them as sacrifices to idols. Wasn't it bad enough to be unfaithful to me, 21 without taking my children and sacrificing them to idols? 22 During your disgusting life as a prostitute you never once remembered your childhood—when you were naked, squirming in your own blood.”

Jerusalem's Life as a Prostitute

23 The Sovereign LORD said, “You are doomed! Doomed! You did all that evil, and then 24 by the side of every road you built places to worship idols and practice prostitution. 25 You dragged your beauty through the mud. You offered yourself to everyone who came by, and you were more of a prostitute every day. 26 You let your lustful neighbors, the Egyptians, go to bed with you, and you used your prostitution to make me angry.

27 “Now I have raised my hand to punish you and to take away your share of my blessing. I have handed you over to the Philistines, who hate you and are disgusted with your immoral actions.

28 “Because you were not satisfied by the others, you went running after the Assyrians. You were their prostitute, but they didn't satisfy you either. 29 You were also a prostitute for the Babylonians, that nation of merchants, but they didn't satisfy you either.”

30 This[f] is what the Sovereign LORD is saying: “You have done all this like a shameless prostitute. 31 On every street you built places to worship idols and practice prostitution. But you are not out for money like a common prostitute. 32 You are like a woman who commits adultery with strangers instead of loving her husband. 33 A prostitute is paid, but you gave presents to all your lovers and bribed them to come from everywhere to sleep with you. 34 You are a special kind of prostitute. No one forced you to become one. You didn't get paid; you paid them! Yes, you are different.”

God's Judgment on Jerusalem

35 Now then, Jerusalem, you whore! Hear what the LORD is saying.

36 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “You stripped off your clothes, and like a prostitute, you gave yourself to your lovers and to all your disgusting idols, and you killed your children as sacrifices to idols. 37 Because of this I will bring all your former lovers together—the ones you liked and the ones you hated. I will bring them around you in a circle, and then I will strip off your clothes and let them see you naked. 38 I will condemn you for adultery and murder, and in my anger and fury I will punish you with death. 39 I will put you in their power, and they will tear down the places where you engage in prostitution and worship idols. They will take away your clothes and jewels and leave you completely naked.

40 “They will stir up a crowd to stone you, and they will cut you to pieces with their swords. 41 They will burn your houses down and let crowds of women see your punishment. I will make you stop being a prostitute and make you stop giving gifts to your lovers. 42 Then my anger will be over, and I will be calm. I will not be angry or jealous any more. 43 You have forgotten how I treated you when you were young, and you have made me angry by all the things you did. That is why I have made you pay for them all. Why did you add sexual immorality to all the other disgusting things you did?” The Sovereign LORD has spoken.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

44 The LORD said, “People will use this proverb about you, Jerusalem: ‘Like mother, like daughter.’ 45 You really are your mother's daughter. She detested her husband and her children. You are like your sisters, who hated their husbands and their children. You and your sister cities had a Hittite mother and an Amorite[g] father.

46 “Your older sister, with her villages, is Samaria, in the north. Your younger sister, with her villages, is Sodom, in the south. 47 Were you satisfied to follow in their footsteps and copy their disgusting actions? No, in only a little while you were acting worse than they were in everything you did.

48 “As surely as I am the living God,” the Sovereign LORD says, “your sister Sodom and her villages never did the evil that you and your villages have done. 49 She and her daughters were proud because they had plenty to eat and lived in peace and quiet, but they did not take care of the poor and the underprivileged. 50 They were proud and stubborn and did the things that I hate, so I destroyed them, as you well know.

51 “Samaria did not sin half as much as you have. You have acted more disgustingly than she ever did. Your corruption makes your sisters look innocent by comparison. 52 And now you will have to endure your disgrace. Your sins are so much worse than those of your sisters that they look innocent beside you. Now blush and bear your shame, because you make your sisters look pure.”

Sodom and Samaria Will Be Restored

53 The LORD said to Jerusalem, “I will make them prosperous again—Sodom and her villages and Samaria and her villages. Yes, I will make you prosperous too. 54 You will be ashamed of yourself, and your disgrace will show your sisters how well-off they are. 55 They will become prosperous again, and you and your villages will also be restored. 56 Didn't you joke about Sodom in those days when you were proud 57 and before the evil you did had been exposed? Now you are just like her—a joke to the Edomites, the Philistines, and your other neighbors who hate you. 58 You must suffer for the obscene, disgusting things you have done.” The LORD has spoken.

A Covenant That Lasts Forever

59 The Sovereign LORD says, “I will treat you the way you deserve, because you ignored your promises and broke the covenant. 60 But I will honor the covenant I made with you when you were young, and I will make a covenant with you that will last forever. 61 You will remember how you have acted, and be ashamed of it when you get your older sister and your younger sister back. I will let them be like daughters to you, even though this was not part of my covenant with you. 62 I will renew my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the LORD. 63 I will forgive all the wrongs you have done, but you will remember them and be too ashamed to open your mouth.” The Sovereign LORD has spoken.

Matthew 10:14 And if some home or town will not welcome you or listen to you, then leave that place and shake the dust off your feet. 15 I assure you that on the Judgment Day God will show more mercy to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah than to the people of that town!

11:20 The people in the towns where Jesus had performed most of his miracles did not turn from their sins, so he reproached those towns. 21 “How terrible it will be for you, Chorazin! How terrible for you too, Bethsaida! If the miracles which were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have long ago put on sackcloth and sprinkled ashes on themselves, to show that they had turned from their sins! 22 I assure you that on the Judgment Day God will show more mercy to the people of Tyre and Sidon than to you! 23 And as for you, Capernaum! Did you want to lift yourself up to heaven? You will be thrown down to hell! If the miracles which were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would still be in existence today! 24 You can be sure that on the Judgment Day God will show more mercy to Sodom than to you!”

14-Isaiah 58:1 The LORD says, “Shout as loud as you can! Tell my people Israel about their sins! 2 They worship me every day, claiming that they are eager to know my ways and obey my laws. They say they want me to give them just laws and that they take pleasure in worshiping me.”

3 The people ask, “Why should we fast if the LORD never notices? Why should we go without food if he pays no attention?”

The LORD says to them, “The truth is that at the same time you fast, you pursue your own interests and oppress your workers. 4 Your fasting makes you violent, and you quarrel and fight. Do you think this kind of fasting will make me listen to your prayers? 5 When you fast, you make yourselves suffer; you bow your heads low like a blade of grass and spread out sackcloth and ashes to lie on. Is that what you call fasting? Do you think I will be pleased with that?

6 “The kind of fasting I want is this: Remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free. 7 Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor. Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives.

8 “Then my favor will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be quickly healed. I will always be with you to save you; my presence will protect you on every side. 9 When you pray, I will answer you. When you call to me, I will respond.

“If you put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil word; 10 if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon. 11 And I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things. I will keep you strong and well. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring of water that never goes dry. 12 Your people will rebuild what has long been in ruins, building again on the old foundations. You will be known as the people who rebuilt the walls, who restored the ruined houses.”

15-Acts 20:35 I have shown you in all things that by working hard in this way we must help the weak, remembering the words that the Lord Jesus himself said, ‘There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.’”

16-Psalm 82:3 Defend the rights of the poor and the orphans;

be fair to the needy and the helpless.

4 Rescue them from the power of evil people.

17-Deuteronomy 24:10 “When you lend someone something, do not go into his house to get the garment he is going to give you as security; 11 wait outside and let him bring it to you himself. 12 If he is poor, do not keep it overnight; 13 return it to him each evening, so that he can have it to sleep in. Then he will be grateful, and the LORD your God will be pleased with you.

14 “Do not cheat poor and needy hired servants, whether they are Israelites or foreigners living in one of your towns. 15 Each day before sunset pay them for that day's work; they need the money and have counted on getting it. If you do not pay them, they will cry out against you to the LORD, and you will be guilty of sin.

16 “Parents are not to be put to death for crimes committed by their children, and children are not to be put to death for crimes committed by their parents; people are to be put to death only for a crime they themselves have committed.

17 “Do not deprive foreigners and orphans of their rights; and do not take a widow's garment as security for a loan. 18 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God set you free; that is why I have given you this command.

19 “When you gather your crops and fail to bring in some of the grain that you have cut, do not go back for it; it is to be left for the foreigners, orphans, and widows, so that the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do. 20 When you have picked your olives once, do not go back and get those that are left; they are for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. 21 When you have gathered your grapes once, do not go back over the vines a second time; the grapes that are left are for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. 22 Never forget that you were slaves in Egypt; that is why I have given you this command.

18-Acts 20:35 I have shown you in all things that by working hard in this way we must help the weak, remembering the words that the Lord Jesus himself said, ‘There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.’”

19-Matthew 25:40 The King will reply, ‘I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these followers of mine, you did it for me!’

20-Jeremiah 6:13 Everyone, great and small, tries to make money dishonestly; even prophets and priests cheat the people. 14 They act as if my people's wounds were only scratches. ‘All is well,’ they say, when all is not well. 15 Were they ashamed because they did these disgusting things? No, they were not at all ashamed; they don't even know how to blush. And so they will fall as others have fallen; when I punish them, that will be the end of them. I, the LORD, have spoken.”

21-Isaiah 58:1 The LORD says, “Shout as loud as you can! Tell my people Israel about their sins! 2 They worship me every day, claiming that they are eager to know my ways and obey my laws. They say they want me to give them just laws and that they take pleasure in worshiping me.”

3 The people ask, “Why should we fast if the LORD never notices? Why should we go without food if he pays no attention?”

The LORD says to them, “The truth is that at the same time you fast, you pursue your own interests and oppress your workers. 4 Your fasting makes you violent, and you quarrel and fight. Do you think this kind of fasting will make me listen to your prayers? 5 When you fast, you make yourselves suffer; you bow your heads low like a blade of grass and spread out sackcloth and ashes to lie on. Is that what you call fasting? Do you think I will be pleased with that?

6 “The kind of fasting I want is this: Remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free. 7 Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor. Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives.

8 “Then my favor will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be quickly healed. I will always be with you to save you; my presence will protect you on every side. 9 When you pray, I will answer you. When you call to me, I will respond.

“If you put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil word; 10 if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon. 11 And I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things. I will keep you strong and well. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring of water that never goes dry. 12 Your people will rebuild what has long been in ruins, building again on the old foundations. You will be known as the people who rebuilt the walls, who restored the ruined houses.”

The Reward for Keeping the Sabbath

13 The LORD says, “If you treat the Sabbath as sacred and do not pursue your own interests on that day; if you value my holy day and honor it by not traveling, working, or talking idly on that day, 14 then you will find the joy that comes from serving me. I will make you honored all over the world, and you will enjoy the land I gave to your ancestor, Jacob. I, the LORD, have spoken.”

22-Matthew 23:24 Blind guides! You strain a fly out of your drink, but swallow a camel!

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