Good day! I’m Duane Matz and this is Today’s Living Word:

 

Isa 10:1 "Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, Who write misfortune, Which they have prescribed  2 To rob the needy of justice, And to take what is right from the poor of My people, That widows may be their prey, And that they may rob the fatherless.

 

“Woe!” Grief to those who decree unrighteous decrees. Grief comes to us in many forms doesn’t it? Mostly from the loss of loved ones, or loved things. Here we see that it will come to those who rewrite the laws of God concerning justice for the needy, treatment of the poor, widows, and the fatherless.

 

Knowing that “judgment begins in the house of God,” (1 Pet 4:17,) and according to  Isa 10:12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work (read that corrective punishment) on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, (His church)  that He will say, "I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks."

 

First the church, then the civil government.

 

So we in the church need to ask ourselves, are we rewriting or ignoring God’s laws concerning treatment of the less fortunate?

It certainly was a problem in the church during Jesus’ time on earth and He confronted the leaders on it! In Mt 15:3-6 we read, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?  4 "For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' 5 "But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God" -- 6 'then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.

 

And in  Mr 12:38-40, “Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces,  39 "the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, 40 "who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation."

 

So we in the church need to take a continual long and hard look at our treatment of the needy, widows, and orphans in our midst. Do we wink at the sins of the wealthy and ignore the needs of the poor? Do we stay away from controversial topics like abortion for fear of uprooting the money tree? If so, we have a problem, and if not corrected…..woe is on the way.

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word.