94 SESSION LifeWay

Transcription

1 94 SESSION 2

2 What would you have a hard time living without? QUESTION 1 #BSFLpoor BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 95

3 THE POINT Demonstrate God s heart for the poor. THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE I d become so used to seeing them that I no longer noticed them. And I know I m not alone. My blind spot? I didn t see the poor. To be fair, the city where I live has one of the highest homeless populations in our country. For me, however, I discovered the issue went deeper. I d been reading the Bible with blinders on wherever it deals with topics concerning the poor. Somehow I d skipped right over the many passages that deal with the disadvantaged. I ve always given my tithe to my local church and for the last 25 years, I ve given proportionally far above my tithe. I felt like I was doing great until I was challenged to read the Bible with fresh eyes and look for all the commands and references to the poor, the orphan, and the widow. Somewhere along the line my heart had become insensitive and giving a few dollars to individuals or contributing through my church became a substitute for heartfelt generosity. In the words of Deuteronomy 15, I was being hardhearted and tightfisted. This passage in Deuteronomy also shows me the other side of giving the blessing of being generous to those in need. Let s consider how we can help others in need and in the process, demonstrate the very heart of God. 96 SESSION 2

4 WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? Deuteronomy 15:7-11 (HCSB) 7 If there is a poor person among you, one of your brothers within any of your gates in the land the Lord your God is giving you, you must not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. 8 Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him enough for whatever need he has. 9 Be careful that there isn t this wicked thought in your heart, The seventh year, the year of canceling debts, is near, and you are stingy toward your poor brother and give him nothing. He will cry out to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty. Key Words The year of canceling debts (v. 9) God commanded Israel to let their fields lie fallow every seven years (Exodus 23:10-11; Leviticus 25:1-7). Deuteronomy 15 added the command to forgive debts of fellow Israelites on those occasions. Bless (v. 10) The Hebrew refers to divine favor bestowed on a person for righteous behavior. In Deuteronomy 15:10, God promised blessings upon the person who gave generously to the needy. 10 Give to him, and don t have a stingy heart when you give, and because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you do. 11 For there will never cease to be poor people in the land; that is why I am commanding you, You must willingly open your hand to your afflicted and poor brother in your land. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 97

5 THE POINT Demonstrate God s heart for the poor. Deuteronomy 15:7-9 As God convicted my heart and I began to read Scripture with fresh eyes, whole sections of the Bible came alive for me. God s concern for orphans struck a chord in me. Up until this time, my family had supported orphans through some good ministries, but to be honest, we did so in order to teach our kids about helping others. Beyond that, orphans were definitely not on my heart or reflected in my finances. As the 15th chapter of Deuteronomy opens, Moses spoke about the sabbatical year (sometimes referred to as the year of release). This sabbatical year was also spoken of in Exodus 23:10-11 and Leviticus 25:1-22 where God commanded the people to give the land a sabbatical (a rest) from growing crops every seven years. One of the reasons the Lord gave for doing this was so that the poor could eat from the land in the sabbatical year (Exodus 23:11). In Deuteronomy 15, Moses introduced a new command related to the sabbatical year: every seven years the Israelites were to cancel all debts. Not only were they to take a break from growing crops, every seven years they were to release others from the bondage of debt. After Moses had given the command to cancel all debt in the sabbatical year, he turned his focus toward the poor and appealed to the hearts of his fellow Israelites. Verses 7-8 are pretty straightforward. If there is a poor person among you, one of your brothers within any of your gates in the land the LORD your God is giving you, you must not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him enough for whatever need he has. Moses pointed out the two big issues when it comes to generosity toward the poor. 1. Generosity is a heart issue. 2. Generosity is a hand issue. How is generosity toward the poor both a heart issue and a hand issue? QUESTION 2 98 SESSION 2

6 The heart has everything to do with attitude and the hand has everything to do with action. The heart is about belief and the hand is about behavior. Because God knew what some Israelites might be tempted to do, He gave a stern warning in verse 9: Be careful that there isn t this wicked thought in your heart, The seventh year, the year of canceling debts, is near, and you are stingy toward your poor brother and give him nothing. He will cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty. This kind of thinking reveals a manipulative heart and the Lord considers it a wicked thought. What factors should we consider when looking to help the poor? QUESTION 3 HEART AND HAND Below are several practical consequences of poverty around the world today. Circle two or three consequences that move you to compassion or anger. Hunger Disease Human trafficking Illiteracy Malnutrition Orphans Homelessness Addiction Drug trafficking What s one action you can take to begin combatting these consequences in your community through the practice of generosity? BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 99

7 THE POINT Demonstrate God s heart for the poor. Deuteronomy 15:10-11 God didn t call Israel to do the bare minimum. He didn t tell them to just meet the need or give the least amount they could afford. He called the Israelites to the high standard of generosity. This principle should be even more tangible and powerful for us who follow Christ. We have personally experienced God s lavish generosity toward us in the coming of Jesus; our natural response should be to extend that same generosity to others. Notice the promise attached to the command of generosity. Moses said God will bless us in everything we do. These truths are repeated throughout the Bible. For example, James 5:1-6 gives a strong warning to those who are rich. God is not opposed to wealth, but He is opposed to the misuse and abuse of wealth. That is why James exposed the shadowy side of wealth and rebuked it. James also described critical ways we are to use our wealth: 1. Don t hoard your money. James warns against hoarding wealth, money, and clothes. This is about what you do with the stuff you ve accumulated. Why is it important to be generous even if we know we probably won t be paid back? QUESTION SESSION 2

8 2. Don t waste your money. James reprimanded those who have lived in luxury and selfindulgence. This is about how we spend the money we have. When we live indulgently, we are being excessive, wasteful, and self-gratifying. 3. Be generous with your money. The key antidote to hoarding and self-indulgent living is generosity. This is about how we use our resources to bless others and, thus, bring God s blessing into our lives. True fulfillment and joy come from giving. Earlier, I told you that I had a blind spot and a heart problem when it came to the poor. I didn t solve this blind spot by waiting until it went away and then becoming generous. Instead, the solution was for me to simply act on where I wanted my heart to be. I started giving to orphans through a friend s ministry that I knew well and trusted deeply. As I gave, I read the reports of how my giving was being used. After a few years my wife, Theresa, and I went to Zimbabwe to visit the homes and orphans we had been supporting. We stood in amazement at how God used our gifts and money to change lives both spiritually and physically. In addition to giving money, what are other ways to help the poor? QUESTION 5 BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 101

9 8 ParentLife November 2013 THE POINT Demonstrate God s heart for the poor. LIVE IT OUT How can we respond to the needs of the poor and underprivileged? ]] Take inventory of your heart and finances. Do you tend to hoard or waste your money, time, and possessions? Are you financially able to give to spontaneous needs? ]] Make an effort in the coming days to seek out the poor and underprivileged in your community. Consider looking where you don t typically look and going where you don t typically go. ]] Investigate organizations that work to reverse systemic poverty. Choose one and commit to give of your time, money, or possessions. Consider making this a regular part of your budget and schedule. When my money and time were directed to the poor, my heart, attitude, and actions toward them changed as well. When we allow Him to, God helps us lose the blind spot toward the poor. Hearts for Haiti Hearts for HAITI By Andrew Greer In 2004, Audio Adrenaline was at the height of a storied career. The popular Christian rock band was awarded its first of two GRAMMYs, adding to a tally of accolades including 17 number-one radio songs, an armful of Dove Awards, nationwide arena tours, and an RIAA gold certified record. In 2004, Audio Adrenaline was at the height of a storied career. The popular Christian rock band was awarded its first of two GRAMMYs, adding to a tally of accolades including 17 number-one radio songs, an armful of Dove Awards, nationwide arena tours, and an RIAA gold certified record. To continue reading Hearts for Haiti from Parent Life magazine, visit BibleStudiesforLife.com/articles. 102 SESSION 2

10 My group's prayer requests My thoughts 103