RELIGIOUS PRETENSIONS

Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek Me daily, And delight to know My ways, As a nation that did righteousness, And did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in approaching God” (Isaiah 58:1-2). Isaiah’s work as a prophet involved calling the people of God back to true righteousness. The children of Israel were in trouble spiritually. They were being taken into captivity by a foreign power. What was their trouble? Interestingly, Israel was full of themselves. Isaiah condemned their hypocrisy, pride, and false piety. Yes, Israel was careful about exhibiting the correct forms of worship; their rituals were carefully observed. Outwardly, it appeared that all was well with their lives and with their relationship to Jehovah. But all was not well with Israel and their neighbors. God’s people had disregarded the need to show love for their neighbors and concern for the needy. We might ask: “Well, weren’t their neighbors really ungodly people—people who were in opposition to God?” That is true. But Israel was even neglecting their duties toward each other! Isaiah castigated them severely. His alarm was loud and clear. Your values are wrong! You are asleep spiritually. Your excuses will be removed. The Jews thought they had been doing what God wanted to them to do. Day after day they expressed concern about God’s will. They delighted in seeking direction from God for their lives. How could they live lives of justice, they asked? Their practices, their wishes, their forms of worship was correct (Isaiah 58:4-5). Because their outward expressions of service were well-known, then surely God would be pleased with them. Or, so they thought. “Why have we fasted, they say, and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice? “In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers” (Isaiah 58:3). Fasting was authorized only on one day—the day of atonement (Leviticus 16). In time, on their own initiative, Israel added other days of fasting—four other times to remember the destruction of Jerusalem (read Zechariah 7-8). What fasts is Isaiah talking about? It is clear that Israel wanted God to pay attention to the fact that they were fasting. They added this “religious activity” to what God had commanded of them. Yes, God saw times when they denied themselves food and water. Surely, God would be proud to have them as His people! God did not view Israel’s displays of piety the same way Israel viewed their actions. “We have fasted; look at us!” God says: Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins.” The question is why did God say this? Randy Harshbarger

STREET CHILDREN IN ETHIOPIA

Because I know something about the situation in Ethiopia, I will use that country as a way of beginning this article. It is estimated that there are 100,000 “street children” in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. These are children who have been abandoned by their parents; many have run away from oppressive situations; some are orphans because their parents died from AIDS; many have migrated to Addis in order to have at least a small chance of surviving.  There are over twelve million orphans in sub-Saharan Africa as a result of the HIV/AIDS crises. One billion people in Africa live below the subsistence level.“Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14). The OT set the precedent for providing care for the fatherless. “When you have finished laying aside all the tithe of your increase in the third year-the year of tithing-and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your gates and be filled” (Deut. 26:12).

I use these facts to ask the question: What is our responsibility toward the orphan, the widow, the deprived. Do Christians have an obligation to those who labor in the clutches of poverty and oppression? It seems clear that followers of Jesus were concerned about those marginalized persons of the 1st century. Jesus responded to the harshness of His disciples concerning little children by saying:

The Law of Moses gave specific focus to those who were economically deprived. “And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the LORD your God” (Lev. 19:10; 14:21). Being poor did not mean special favoritism; it did mean that the poor were not to be avoided; God did not avoid the poor; neither did God’s people. “He who despises his neighbor, sins; But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he” (Proverbs 14:21; Psalm 41:1; 34:6).

Widows and orphans are frequently the target of injustice. The Bible calls for social justice. This was a frequent theme of the prophets. “Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, Who oppress the poor, Who crush the needy, Who say to your husbands, “Bring wine, let us drink!” (Amos 4:1). Rulers and others in positions of leadership were responsible for making sure right was done for all citizens. God said it is wrong to exploit others. “It is a joy for the just to do justice, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity” (Proverbs 21:15).

How would we go about beginning to tackle the ills of society (assuming we believe you should have a part in such)? How can we move beyond religious ritualism to a true display of Christianity? What can we do to demonstrate the reality of our faith? How do we begin to take responsibility for those who stand in need of our help?

Randy Harshbarger