The poor, idolatry, and the threat of judgment
Within the contexts of the blended OT citation, our attention is drawn to the presence of the poor and vulnerable. There are direct references to the poor in the fused Exodus 23:20/Malachi 3:1 component of citation. In fact preceding the Exodus 23:20 referent we are, for the first time, introduced to the vulnerable trio, the widow, orphan, and alien/stranger and their relationship to the fabric of society as part of the land-laws (e.g., social, economic).
You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. If you afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry; and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless. If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest. If you ever take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, you are to return it to him before the sun sets, for that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his body. What else shall he sleep in? And it shall come about that when he cries out to Me, I will hear him, for I am gracious (Ex 22:21-27).
We also learn the poor are not to be given deference in matters of law just because they are needy (v 3), but also You shall not pervert the justice due to your needy brother in his dispute (v 6) or oppress a stranger (v 9). Then in 23:11, the basis for the seventh year rest is so that the needy of your people may eat.
Moving to the Malachi 3 referent we also see “the poor” as we are confronted with the harsh realities of God’s judgment on those who oppress the vulnerable trio: Then I will draw near to you for judgment…against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien… (Malachi 3:5).
Although there is no direct mention of “the poor” in the Isaiah 40 context, we should not overlook the concept of Yahweh’s kingship and the imagery of the coming Victor (vv 3, 9). This Victor-king who comes in might (v 10) is also likened to a Shepherd (v 11).
Behold, the Lord GOD will come with might,
With His arm ruling for Him
Behold, His reward is with Him
And His recompense before Him.
Like a shepherd He will tend His flock,
In His arm He will gather the lambs
And carry them in His bosom;
He will gently lead the nursing ewes (Isa 40:10-11).
The beneficent shepherd-king described in ancient Near Eastern texts suggests some degree of correspondence between Yahweh as Shepherd and the care of the powerless, a task given by the gods to the king.
The issue of idolatry also makes a strong appearance in the OT contexts of Mark’s “foundational” citation:
You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God (Ex 20:3-5b).
He who sacrifices to any god, other than to the LORD alone, shall be utterly destroyed (Ex 22:20).
Now concerning everything which I have said to you, be on your guard; and do not mention the name of other gods, nor let them be heard from your mouth (Ex 23:13)
You shall not worship their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their deeds; but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their sacred pillars in pieces (Ex 23:24).
You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods. They shall not live in your land, because they will make you sin against Me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you (23:32-33).As for the idol, a craftsman casts it,
A goldsmith plates it with gold,
And a silversmith fashions chains of silver.
He who is too impoverished for such an offering
Selects a tree that does not rot;
He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman
To prepare an idol that will not totter (Isa 40:19-20).
In Malachi there is only one direct reference to idolatry: Judah is rebuked for profaning the sanctuary of the Lord which He loves and has married the daughter of a foreign god (Mal 2:11). However, the segment on profane sacrifices and polluted offerings (1:7-12) consists of idolatrous attitudes and practices of temple priests. Meanwhile the Mal 3:1 element of the citation contains judgment language appropriate for the idolatrous practices of temple leadership (Mal 3:2-4). The references to “sorcerers” and “those who swear falsely” are also related to idolatry (Mal 3:5).
What is of interest and overlooked, is that the poor and the issue of idolatry are associated in the Exodus/Malachi contexts. In the Exodus context laws and stipulations are given to prepare Israel for living “in the land” (20ff). Interestingly, in the midst of a series land-requisites and social ordinances that culminates in a warning against idolatry (23:32-33), there is a caution against afflicting the stranger, widow, and orphan trio.
He who sacrifices to any god, other than to the LORD alone, shall be utterly destroyed. You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. If you afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry; and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless. If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest (Ex 22:20-25).
The juxtaposition here is significant, for the issue of idolatry (You shall not have any gods before Me, 22:22) is intimately connected to how the world is to work relationally and socio-economically (cf. 21:1ff), with an emphasis on social responsibilities toward the vulnerable and the poor. The association suggests that a form of idolatry is the marginalization or disregard of the vulnerable and poor.
The Wasted Evangelism thread 1, I1, II1, II2, II3, III1…
Posted by Chip Anderson at 05:15 AM. Filed under: In the Margins • Gemara (expository notes) • Wasted Evangelism • "Wasted Evangelism" (Mark 4) paper •
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