(Deuteronomy 24:6-22) “No one shall take a handmill or an upper millstone in pledge, for he would be taking a life in pledge.
7 “If a man is caught kidnapping any of his countrymen of the sons of Israel, and he deals with him violently or sells him, then that thief shall die; so you shall purge the evil from among you.
8 “Be careful against an infection of leprosy, that you diligently observe and do according to all that the Levitical priests teach you; as I have commanded them, so you shall be careful to do. 9 Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on the way as you came out of Egypt.
10 “When you make your neighbor a loan of any sort, you shall not enter his house to take his pledge. 11 You shall remain outside, and the man to whom you make the loan shall bring the pledge out to you. 12 If he is a poor man, you shall not sleep with his pledge. 13 When the sun goes down you shall surely return the pledge to him, that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you; and it will be righteousness for you before the Lord your God.
14 “You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your countrymen or one of your aliens who is in your land in your towns. 15 You shall give him his wages on his day before the sun sets, for he is poor and sets his heart on it; so that he will not cry against you to the Lord and it become sin in you.
16 “Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers; everyone shall be put to death for his own sin.
17 “You shall not pervert the justice due an alien or an orphan, nor take a widow’s garment in pledge. 18 But you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and that the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I am commanding you to do this thing.
19 “When you reap your harvest in your field and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow, in order that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat your olive tree, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow.
21 “When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not go over it again; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow. 22 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I am commanding you to do this thing.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
These verses seem random, but they are all about genuinely caring for people. Having just come out of a pandemic, hopefully we have learned to be respectful of the laws (even when the government doesn't get it completely right). And hopefully we have learned to be respectful of others, being careful so as not to put anyone in danger of getting sick because of us.
Sadly, kidnapping and selling people still happens today. Victims need to be rescued, and the criminals need to be brought to justice. Besides reporting any suspicious activity, we can pray for law and order to justly handle these cases, without partiality or prejudices. Understand that we are not the judge or jury, and vigilantism is wrong, especially since we are not the experts, and we might be misinformed. No one should have to pay for someone else's crime!
We certainly should make sure not to oppress or mistreat anyone. If someone has done work for us, we need to pay them on time. And even if something is legally ours, we should not be greedy, but leave something for the poor, weak and vulnerable. Even when the law is on our side, in certain circumstances, if no one is in danger, we can figure out ways to help people. We can ask for God's wisdom in every situation. As He has redeemed us from sin and death, so should we show mercy, grace and compassion.
In all of this, we are to love and not be fearful. As we fear the Lord and trust in His protection, we shouldn't unwisely be putting ourselves in danger, but we don't have to fear criminals and their activities. And as we fear the Lord and give to the poor, we don't have to fear that we will become poor. We might not become rich, but God will look after us. Remember - the LOVE of money is the root of all sorts of evil. So therefore, understand that in our relationship with the Lord, we will be spiritually rich, which is more valuable than anything this world could ever offer!
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