The Cry of the Orphan
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2 peter 3 10-15
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.
Protected Classes
Protected classes represent specific vulnerable groups made up of orphans, widows, aliens/strangers and the poor, which are found within both ot and nt society. The Bible offers protection and provision for these groups so that they are not taken advantage of by those who are more powerful.
Concept Summary
Both the ot and the nt speak of vulnerable groups in society, who are often mistreated and taken advantage of because they are not able to defend themselves. These include orphans (יָתוֹם, yātôm), widows (אַלְמָנָה,ʾalmānâ), foreigners (גֵּר, gēr), the weak or needy, and the poor. The ot uses three interchangeable Hebrew terms to speak of the poor (עָנִי, ʿānî; דַּל, dal; and אֶבְיוֹן, ʾebyôn).
Theological Overview
The entire Bible is mindful of the danger that individuals within various vulnerable groups face in society (Isa 1:23; Acts 6:1)
23 Your rulers are rebels, partners with thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow’s case does not come before them.
1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.
, and it seeks to safeguard them by instituting both laws against their mistreatment (Exod 22:21; Prov 23:10) and laws for providing for their needs (Deut 24:19–21; Jas 1:27).
27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
The various groups are often listed together in instructions found in both the ot and the nt: grouping orphans (ὀρφανός, orphanos) and widows (χήρα, chēra; Jas 1:27); sojourners with orphans and widows (גֵּר, gēr; יָתוֹם, yātôm; אַלְמָנָה,ʾalmānâ; Deut 10:18; Jer 22:3);
18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.
3 This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.
and the poor (עָנִי, ʿānî) with the sojourner (gēr; Lev 19:10). The Bible also presents God as the special representative of these groups, both attending to their cries for help (Exod 22:23) and performing justice on their behalf (Psa 68:6).
The ot seeks to make sure that orphans (yātôm), widows (ʾalmānâ), and sojourners (gēr) are included in Israel’s community worship (Deut 16:11; Lev 17:8). One of the reasons that the ot gives for its strict laws in support of the sojourner within Israel is because the Israelites were sojourners in Egypt (Exod 23:9; Lev 19:34). God’s compassionate dealing with Israel during their years sojourning in Egypt was meant to be a model for how Israelites should treat the vulnerable sojourners found within their own borders later.
Old Testament
יָתוֹם (yātôm). n. masc. orphan, fatherless. Refers to a child who is without parents.
The situation of being a yātôm was presented in the ot as a precarious, dangerous, and vulnerable position within the community. Therefore, the Mosaic law gave specific statutes for their protection and provision (Exod 22:21; Deut 24:19–21) and curses for those who oppressed them (Deut 27:19), and it sought to preserve a place for them within the worshiping community of Israel (Deut 16:11–14). These laws and accompanying curses were echoed by the prophets (Jer 22:3; Zech 7:10) and wisdom teaching (Psa 82:3; Prov 23:10). Despite such laws, orphans were still often taken advantage of (Isa 10:2; Mal 3:5), and they usually lacked defenders. However, God is often presented as the special defender and protector of orphans (Deut 10:18; Psa 68:6).
Orphan. Word coming from a Hebrew root meaning “to be alone” or “bereaved,” often rendered as “fatherless.” The idea describes any person who is without legal standing in the covenant community of Israel, who is unprotected or needy, and who is especially exposed to oppression, as well as one bereft of one or both earthly parents (cf. Lam 5:3).
children have always been victimized by evil. Demons and men controlled by them.
Subjected and abused
21 “ ‘Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molek, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.
Sacrificed to demons
When entering the Promised Land the people were warned -
31 You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.
9 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.
16 They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped Baal. 17 They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.
1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. 2 He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and also made idols for worshiping the Baals. 3 He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and sacrificed his children in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. 4 He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.
this eventually led to the destruction of the temple and the conquering and dispersing of God’s children to pagan nations.
Today, God has not changed, and neither has sinful man.
Can you imagine the pain and anguish mothers and fathers felt when Pharoah of Egypt commanded the Jewish babies born to be drowned in the river?
Can you imagine the terrible heartbreak parents experienced when Herod commanded all the baby boys two years and younger to be killed?
Yes, you and I can imagine it because it is happening in our world today.
65 Million plus babies have been murdered in their mothers womb.
In this country, Portales becomes a ghost town every three days.
Transition
The new movie sound of freedom.
Another facet of how wickedness works in the world is has been thrust upon us. A reminder that the enemy is still seeking to destroy the weak among us.
I wish we could go back to the good ol’ days!
In this world of sin, there have been no good days as the enemy roaming like a lion has always done his work.
HAVE A SOBER VIEW OF REALITY
Christians have never been loved by the world.
18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.
A satanist testimony
No political party is trustworthy
The Franklin Coverup
The news report
Why the bad news? Shouldn’t we come to be encouraged and feel good?
And ignore the cry of the orphan? Ignore the fact that this is going on in our own back yard?
PVille sex slave trailer park
Drugs/sex corruption here in Portales
Be insecure with what this world has to offer
Be secure in Christ as your only hope, only provider, and most precious treasure
Know what the battle is, who the enemy is targeting, how to be and do the most to combat evil in the world today.
The battle is not against flesh and blood
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
YOU MEAN WE CAN’T GET REVENGE?
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
The Church is most formidable when it bows its knee in prayer
a. Trinity House of Prayer - Community, nation, world
i. Sunday evening at 4 in the Chapel
at 5 in the main auditorium
ii. Tuesday evening, 7:30-8:30 pm
Thursday’s spanish prayer watch.
16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
29 The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
Praying Saints is the light that pushes back the darkness, salt that stings, yet cleanses the wounds of sin, brings the world good deeds that does not use for sordid gain.
Fight in the spirit friends!
HOW COULD GOD BE ALL POWERFUL, ALL KNOWING, ALL PRESENT WHILE EVIL DESTROYS THE INNOCENT AMONG US?
There are many questions we will not know completely. However, the Bible does give us insight into what is going on.
3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Hear the cry of the orphan!
Pray for the world around you
Preach the gospel to save sinners and see the completion of all things.
Win the lost!!!