Psalm 146:9

Psalm 146:9

The foreigner, the fatherless and the widow

In Deuteronomy 10:17-19 we read, “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.”

It was possible, in Old Testament times to live as a foreigner amongst the Jews and to become integrated into their culture and society. One of the most famous examples is Caleb who was a Kenezzite (Joshua 14:6), the Kenites were one of the clans of Edom, therefore not descendants of Jacob but of Esau. Caleb was one of the 12 spies, sent by Joshua to view the Promised Land, he became the leader of a tribe. Even harbouring refugees is good Biblical practice, (see Deuteronomy 23:15-16) although such people would be expected to live like their protectors and to fully adopt the Jewish culture and faith! 

The fatherless and widows could also have been outcasts in Jewish society but there were special rules for them also to allow them to be included and protected. That this was in the heart of the Lord is beyond doubt, such people must be embraced and allowed to live their lives as members of the family of Israel. The ones who should be excluded, ostracized and treated with disdain and disgust, were not the above but the wicked. Imagine how our society would look if we followed such rules!

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