When we meet someone new, what things we tell them about ourselves? Westerners may talk about their career, where they went to school, or where they grew up. Those from more traditional cultures may speak about who they’re married to, how many children they have, or their family heritage.
In Deut 10:17-18, we see God introducing himself. So what does God want his people to know about him? He begins in v. 17 by declaring that he is exceedingly powerful; ‘mighty and awesome’. Yet then he says something quite curious:
Deuteronomy 10:18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.
When God introduces himself, he declares a special interest in the widow, the orphan and the alien. In a world of subsistence farming, where welfare didn’t exist, and employment was rare, widows, orphans and aliens struggled to survive. Yet the Bible tells us God goes out of his way to advocate (defend the cause) of these disadvantages people groups.
As such, if Christians do not take a special interest in the poor, the marginalised and the oppressed, we are on a different page to God. It is difficult to overstate the importance of this. For a Christian to be ‘godly’, they must be taking a special interest in helping those in need. This includes things like (i) giving money to charity, (ii) getting our hands dirty in physically helping those in need, and (iii) advocating for political and social systems that best care for the marginalised of our society.
As with anything in life, we cannot do this well in our own strength. Yet we have a God who loves to draw near to those who seek him. So may we pray for the Spirit’s strength to help us take a special interest in the things God does; defending the cause of the poor, the marginalised and the oppressed.
