Leave Some Harvest for the Alien, Orphan, and Widow
Scripture Passage: Deuteronomy 24: 1-22 (NASB)
1 “When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out from his house, 2 and she leaves his house and goes and becomes another man’s wife, 3 and if the latter husband turns against her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her to be his wife, 4 then her former husband who sent her away is not allowed to take her again to be his wife, since she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance.
5 “When a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out with the army nor be charged with any duty; he shall be free at home one year and shall give happiness to his wife whom he has taken.
6 “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 or 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.
SUMMARY
Moses instructs the Israelites how to care for those who are underprivileged in society. First, he tells them that if a man divorces his wife and she becomes another man's wife, he can never take her back even if she divorced again or becomes widowed. Next, he talks about loaning money to those who have little means. A cloak, which was a necessity for the poor to stay warm, was used to pledge to the lender. The lender was not to enter into the house and take the pledge, but was to receive it and then bring it back before sundown. Then, Moses instructs that hired servants shall not be oppressed and be paid on time since their livelihood depends on it. These laws applied to everyone whether they were Israelites or not. Finally, he tells them to leave some of the harvest for the widows, orphans, and aliens in their land. The Israelites were to remember where they came from and that they were once slaves who were saved by God.
MEDITATION & REFLECTION
I felt touched when I read the specific ways the Israelites were instructed to be considerate towards their neighbors in need. It showed me that although God has so much power, He cared about the details when it came to treating those who had so little. It didn't matter if they were poor, different, or socially alienated. God has a tender heart for those in need. Verse 18 – "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." – reminded me that it's easy to forget that I came from a place of brokenness and sin. During seasons of plenty, my heart can become arrogant and carefree. I embrace the blessings God gives me, but sometimes don't think to use it to be gracious and help those who are struggling. It's easy to forget the times God has been faithful and delivered me out of bad seasons in my life. It's easy to be indifferent over the struggles of others. It's challenging to love people who are distant, disagreeable, and incapable of loving back.
APPLICATION
I've been so focused on taking care of my own comfort. Especially when we've been going through a period of division and isolation, I feel like my heart has had a tendency to be more closed and anxious these days. Being anxious and uncertain about the future has made me cling onto my selfish needs and not think so much about others. I want my heart to be open and considerate towards those who are marginalized, lost, and abandoned. I will also take some time today to really remember how God has taken me out of hardships in my life, write them down, and give thanks to the Lord.
PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for being merciful and loving. You are so good to me and I am cared for by you. Lord I repent for closing my heart when it came to helping those in need in my community. I rebuke the feeling of indifference and ask that you give me a tender and giving heart. Give me the capacity to love more. Help me to always remember your goodness and how you saved me. Help me honor others and love especially those who are harder to love. Thank you for your faithfulness, in Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Please share your personal meditations on this Scripture passage with the HolyWave community in the comments section below. (We reserve the right to moderate comments.)