Bystander
I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his descendants begging bread. Psalm 37:25 NASB
Not seen – Perhaps David was senile or maybe he suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. No matter what the excuse, his claim is preposterous. Is there any person alive who hasn’t seen the righteous forsaken? Just open the paper. Turn on the news. Look around you. Righteousness is not a welcomed commodity in the world.
Jonathan Sacks helps us clear up this apparent contradiction. It’s true that the Hebrew verb is ra’a. It does mean, “to see.” But its metaphorical sense extends to regard, perceive, feel, understand, enjoy” and “learn.” It is used to describe the act of the prophet receiving God’s message. For our purposes, this verb also can describe the act of acceptance. And this is the aspect that Sacks elucidates. “‘To see’ here means ‘to stand still and watch’. The verse should thus be translated, ‘I was young and now am old, but I never merely stood still and watched while the righteous was forsaken or his children begged from bread.’”[1]
Ah, this changes things. The insight of the verse is moved from merely passive observation to active involvement. Yes, the righteous are abused, neglected, persecuted and forsaken, but not on my watch. I never just stood by and did nothing! When I saw God’s people in trouble, I did something about it.
People often come to me with troubles. Health concerns, loss of job, grief in the family, loneliness, misunderstandings, despair—the righteous are forsaken and they feel it. But they shouldn’t. You and I are our brothers’ keepers. We are called to action. James tells us not to wait until we are asked. If you see the need, get going! Do what you can. Now! Don’t let the mistranslation of this verse become an excuse for pushing the burden back on God. He put you here to take charge. He counts on you to express His compassion. There is no one else capable of doing the job He has assigned to you in the opportunities he has arranged for you. If you do not put your hand forward, then the translators will be right and the verses will be a contradiction of great magnitude. Men will read what David claims and laugh in the face of the Lord. The world will not be restored.
There are no bystanders in the Kingdom. Someone needs your help right now.
So why are you sitting?
Topical Index: see, ra’a, righteous, bystander, Psalm 37:25
[1]Jonathan Sacks, To Heal a Fractured World, p. 58 citing the work of Feuerstein
Not on my watch! Love it.
What if I have been placed in this neighborhood, in this city, in this very place with the relationships that I have been given to do good and extend the hand of a good, good Father to all that bear His image as He provides opportunity?
And what if this doesn’t just mean money; what about time, encouragement, kindness, cutting the grass, prayer? Could that mean that I need to invest my very life towards this?
I better get up off it then; this is a target rich environment and we have much to offer; we have been given much; we have been shown the Way.
How should we then live?
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So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. Gal 6:10
Amen David Watkins to all you all said ! And certainly to Skip for interpreting this scipture that has been so mis-interpreted.–judie
Saved To Serve
~ NOW (when?) you* ARE the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it ~ (1 Corinthians 12.27)
If (NO,- “since”) we ARE the Body..
Why aren’t His arms reaching?
Why aren’t His hands healing?
Why aren’t His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren’t His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a Way?
There is a Way..
-by grace
-through faith
-unto good works
~ through love serve one another.. (Galatians 5.13)
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/If-We-Are-The-Body-lyrics-Casting-Crowns/617D1B30E33F493848256E9C000DB757
When we realize we have been designated as the caregiver for someone don’t assume that they see you in this roll. Some who are in poor health can be very caustic at times and very critical of your attempts to be of help. If you desire to learn patience and humility, this is the job you need to apply for, although most don’t apply. It is thrust upon them.
John, a good observation. This reminds me of 1 Peter 4:9, where we are told to be hospitable, without grumbling. It’s easy to feed someone, bathe someone, listen to someone, who is grateful for all that, and who says so. It’s not so easy to do all that for someone who expresses no gratitude whatsoever. It’s easy to feel good about yourself as a doer of good works. It’s not so easy to have the wind knocked out of your sails. Here comes the grumbling! All of a sudden this doing of good works isn’t as easy as it looks.
Thank you, Skip, for some much-needed clarification.
THE WORLD IS STACKED
Wouldn’t this tie in with James, who wrote about true religion as being the practice of not letting the world taint our motives or alter our trajectory, so as to be always in the right position to take up the cause of justice; which, in this world, usually means to stick up for the oppressed underdogs? In this world, the weak are invariably the ones without the backup and support of family and the power in that family associated with, so often, the inherent advantage the world invests in, well, bluntly; men. There. I spit it out.
Interesting to me that men, in particular, seem to come packaged with the understanding that to agree to love someone is to sign on to the protection of that someone. To protect their bodies, their interests, their hearts, and also, to cover for their weakness and mistakes. Equally interesting to me is to see a world that is ever seeking to get a leg up at the expense of all those weaker, or those that can be made weaker by taking advantage of them. And that those folks who are without the challenging protection of another potential power source – another man (usually), just look like sitting ducks. I am talking about the widows and orphans; those who have no man to stand in front of what their gender represents to the world, as well as those who are suffering from a lack of the power a father should have invested in his children through his teaching, and his advantage that he should have been able to gain in the world (both in power as the world sees it, as well as resources), as well as through his support as a strong shoulder to lean on; a shining knight on a white horse, ready to ride to the defense against anyone who is even thinking about messing with his children and his woman. That kind of man.
Yes, I am being biased today. Sorry, men. But to me, James is speaking to you. Us women and orphans are already there; with our backs and our sympathies already up against each other, we KNOW why we should reach out to others who are always at the potential edge of injustice; others who lack a power broker in this world. We know why we should stick together. We have already learned. And I am also speaking for the men who are suffering for the lack of a father to have passed down his teaching, strength and resources, too. You are no less an orphan. I am not just talking about physical needs, either. I think I am also talking about spiritual needs, too. It is possible to be a spiritual widow or orphan, too. These are no less eligible for help or a spiritual handout; someone who has discerned a spiritual weakness in someone because they do not enjoy the advantages of already being Betrothed to the Beloved, or an adoptee of Abba. Whoops. I guess I just included the rest of the folks on Planet Earth!
There is a Father in heaven Who is waiting to reach out through His Body to everyone who is eligible for justice; those who are either not willing to fight back for ‘their’ rights against a dog-eat-dog world because they are practitioners of righteousness (those in the Body), or those who are at a disadvantage to begin with. I’m talking about those widows and orphans again, I guess. To the Body, those widows and orphans must be supposed to look like proxy family to the Head of the Family. So I guess that would mean anybody in a ditch by virtue of widowhood or orphanhood should not only be regarded as a neighbor, but a brother or sister. Boy, the Family sure is huge! Must be time for Loaves And Fishes!
THE KINGDOM IS AT HAND!
Jesus wasn’t just sayin’.
The reality that defines the kingdom is the
new reality that defines the Truth in us.
That Truth is right here, right now. In you. In me.
It was here in Abraham when God told him to go.
God tells you and me the same. Just go. Just do.
Expose the kingdom that’s living out through you
wherever you go. Whatever you do.
“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said,
“out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” Jn7:38
Much earlier, His Word spoke to His people in Exodus 9:16.
“But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may
show My power in you, and that My name may be declared
in all the earth.”
The same Word. The same message. Centuries in the making.
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do,
do all to the glory of God.” 1 Cor 10:31
Let’s “go”!
I’m really struggling with this. My Assembly has been burned many times by helping those who feel they are entitled to money to pay for their oil heat, medical bills. They send someone to these people’s homes to help them “budget”. When they can’t budget, the help stops. When they do budget, yet still need money, they stop giving from the compassion fund because in the leadership’s mind they have been given enough. But the leadership does not understand that the money only goes so far. Sometimes it is medical bills, another month it is cavities…two jobs is not enough. From my perpsective, it is easy to help those working..So how or do we help those who are making poor choices with their money and time? Do we enable them? Do we walk alongside them? For how long?
All good questions Brenda. Our assembly has had very similar conversations lately with no concrete resolutions. It becomes very sticky when you begin to see the “help” quickly turn into “enabling”.
This is actually a big problem. I wonder if Skip would dig some more into his well of First Century sources and help us understand those first communities of believers. I see with the story of Ananias and Sapphira that there was some sort of requirement that things be pooled and held in common. This would also go a long way toward synching with my understanding of how love works, in that there is give-and-take. If nothing else, gratitude is more than thank you. It is a similar commitment to lining up toward the same goal. I see this when I notice that in a lot of ancient cultures, there was a LOT of significance to the act of inviting someone to share food, say. It wasn’t done for everyone. Water, yes. Food, hmm. Also, help is often proffered, and likewise refused, in the sense that you understand that if you accept the help, you are obligating yourself to certain expectations. I mean, I have never gotten in the food stamp line, grace of God, but this idea that if you are a ‘Christian’ anyone can expect to be able to do a bunch of one-way noshing off of you has gotten me in a bunch of trouble. After I graduated with my degree in a Twelve-Step Program, a few more of my light bulbs came on. I realized that it was, specifically, my ‘Christian’ training, and even more, how I got treated in that community, that taught me how to be a first-class co-dependent. I think this conversation needs to be continued.
I posted a rather long post on this, and it appeared to go. But today getting back to check things out, and there is no sign of it. Any ideas of what happened? Thanks this 81 year old lady, LaVaye
unfortunately, I don’t know. Seems it did not go through. Sorry.
In this life we will have tribulations. John 16:33Amplified Bible (AMP)
33 I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]
8. We are hedged in (pressed) on every side [troubled and oppressed in every way], but not cramped or crushed; we suffer embarrassments and are perplexed and unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair; 9 We are pursued (persecuted and hard driven), but not deserted [to stand alone]; we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destroyed; 2Cor.4:8-9 AMP
Hebrews 13:5 “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Psalms 37:28, For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. “They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;”
As we go through life we may encounter various trials and hardships. We may perceive these experiences as a forsaken place. Our heavenly Father has an agenda that includes his people maturing and being conformed into the image of Christ. Whenever I see something that is seemingly contradictory to God’s
Holy Word…I remind myself there must be something more than meets the eye. God alone knows. We
see an individual and think they are sheep when in reality they are goats, wheat and they’re tares. Perhaps
God is humbling them. There are so many variables. One thing is for Certainty God does not and will never
ever forsake His child. Yes man may forsake you but God cannot lie He will never forsake His children.
We must understand that our thoughts are no where near His thoughts and we cannot ever interpret circumstances and pain as abandonment.
1Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. 1Peter 4