A lot of laws here for daily living. It's striking the detail and seeming minutia that the Lord Almighty gets into -- what to do about a goring bull, falling off a roof, escaped slaves, lending money and charging interest (basically it's a form of slavery that we're only to subject other nations to and not our own), maintaining fair measurements, marrying your sister-in-law, etc. It really underscores for me how much the Lord wanted us to live in peace with one another. He tried and tries His best to figure everything out for us so that we know exactly what to do in all cases. But for all this effort, He couldn't give us a step by step way. He had to send His son for us to follow in His way and in His steps.
I find the words of yesterday's reading in Proverbs about the poor echoed in today's reading. We have an obligation as God's people to the poor.
If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted and tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs. Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: "The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near," so that you do not show ill will toward your needy brother and give him nothing. He may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land. [Deut. 15:7-11]
I'm intrigued by the prayer of the poor man -- "He may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty in sin." Seems like he might have a direct line to God. Certainly there are few worldly possessions to interfere with his relationship with God. To have a poor man pray in your behalf, is there a special power in this? I believe there is. There is just in doing what needs to be done to inspire a poor man to pray the prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord. I want to inspire that prayer.
Today I've decided to go to McDonald's and get $50 worth of $5 gift certificates to hand out when approached on the streets in the coming days. Silly, laughable, ill-informed, too little. I know, I know. But I have faith that God will make something of it.
Ok, so if you refuse to honor the Levirate Law and preserve your family line by marrying your brother's wife if he dies childless, your family is to be known in Israel as "The Family of the Unsandaled." So what is our family known as? The Family of the Strangely Unlike Children? The Family Clothed by Goodwill, REI, Tractor Supply and Youth Event T-Shirts? The Family of Independent Thinkers Who Can't Agree on Where to Go for Vacation? How about your family?
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