Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Deuteronomy 26: The Least Of These

There are many places in Deuteronomy where we notice seeming contrasts between the Covenants.  The God of wrath in the Old Testament becomes the Lord of mercy in the New.  Yet Deuteronomy 26 reminds us that there are also many linking fibers between the two Testaments, not least of which is God's manifest concern for those disenfranchised by society.

In the Gospels, Jesus highlights the need to minister to "the least of these."  Consider the people revealed as close to God's heart in this section of Deuteronomy:

"A wandering Aramean was my ancestor" (vs. 5).  The nomad spoken of here is Jacob, who wandered during his life on earth, ending up in Egypt.

"an alien, few in number" (vs. 5).  The story of the nation of Israel started out small, like a mustard seed, before it grew into a tree.  They began as a family.

"the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us" (vs. 6).  The people were oppressed and in servitude.  God didn't love them because they were powerful, for they were powerless.

"the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression" (vs. 7).  Crying out to God because of their plight, the people were heard and delivered.

"giving it to the Levites, the aliens, the orphans, and the widows, so that they may eat their fill" (vs. 12).  Foreseeing a time when Israel will be established in the Promised Land, God is intent that they not forget their humble beginnings, but instead remember and provide for the poor and powerless in their midst.

Biblical religion has never been about cozying up to the strong and taking care of the powerful.  Rather, it is as James writes, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world" (James 1:27).


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