When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands. When thou beatest thine olive tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt: therefore I command thee to do this thing(Deut. 24:19-22).
Just 40 years prior, the nation of Israel had been more conceptual than factual. God’s people had lived as a bondman in the land of Egypt. They had been slaves occupying the lowest levels of society and driven hard at the hands of their masters, each day a painful struggle for survival. As they stood on the cusp of a new life, the Lord urged them never to forget the humble beginnings from which He had brought them. But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee thence: therefore I command thee to do this thing (Deut. 24:18). The land they were entering into was rich and fertile, but He cautioned them against allowing themselves to become so accustomed to comfort that they forgot what it meant to be poor and in need.
In an agrarian society, those without land or those who lacked the resources or manpower to sow and tend to crops, such as the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, were at a distinct disadvantage. The provisions set out by the Lord were simple and straightforward, designed in such a way as to provide both sustenance and dignity to those in need. The Lord’s command to His people not to strip their fields, trees, and vines clean at every harvest placed very little hardship on the landowners. Although it may have cut somewhat into their final profit margin, the bulk of their harvest was always safely processed for their own use. For those to whom they opened their lands for gleaning afterward, however, it offered a unique opportunity to work to meet their own needs, and it very well might have made the difference between life and death.
Although most of us no longer draw our resources directly from the land on which we live, the needy are still with us, and we still have ‘fields’ of resources from which we are called to compassionately and creatively share. God desires us to do more than simply donate and walk away. How much richer might all of our lives be if we took the time to actively engage those less fortunate than ourselves? How many futures might be brightened if we found a way to work together with them to meet their needs in a long-term, ultimately self-sustainable way? And what might we ourselves gain if we opened our hearts wide and allowed Christ’s love for our fellow man to shine through without reluctance or hesitation?
But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth(I John 3:17-18).
Thought for Today: Ask yourself whom you truly work for: yourself, the world, or God.
Christ Revealed: Through the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt and Pharaoh (Deut. 26:8). Our Lord Jesus Christ . . . gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world (Gal. 1:3-4).
Word Studies: 24:3 hate = dislike; 24:4 abomination = detestable; 24:10 pledge = a loan, security; 24:12 not sleep with his pledge = not keep it overnight; 24:15 hire = wages; 24:18 bondman = slave; 25:1 controversy = dispute; unto judgment = to court; 25:4 treadeth = crushes.
Pray For Staff:Ryan McCrary • Government Officials: Rep. Russ Fulcher (ID), Rep. Jodey Arrington (TX) • Country: Tajikistan (8,051,512) Central Asia • Major Languages: Tajik, Russian • Restricted Religious Freedom • 90% Muslim; 10% Other • Prayer Suggestion: Rejoice that our Savior was born (Luke 2:11).
Optional Reading:Luke 24