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Exodus 22 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
I am most struck by verses 22 and 25 in this chapter. God has, from the beginning, always had special feelings toward the orphaned, the widowed, and the poor. If anyone wanted to set up God’s wrath against themselves, it would be to offend those who had no one. In this way, we see that God is the defender of the weak. He is a stronghold for those who are afflicted. In the end, he delivers those who are oppressed and cry out to Him. I believe this wholeheartedly.
When Jesus came as God in the flesh, he echoed this same attitude.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:3-12 NASB
Humility is the trait we see so often in those who have nothing. This would be the requirement for the heart in order to really see and know God at a spiritual level. It’s not that those who were fortunate in life could not see God, but that the meek and poor in spirit could more readily cry out to God because they had nothing else to lean on. This was the case with the rich, young ruler as he walked away sad that Jesus wanted him to give away everything he owned.
Wealth and prosperity can be a stumbling block for spiritual growth and, in my opinion, this is why so many in western culture are nominal Christians. In times of struggle, we find a new strength in the Lord. So, blessed are those who have been given much in life and still are willing to part with all of it for His glory!
It brings me great joy to be reminded that God sees those who are poor and afflicted. Not so much (or exclusively) poor materially, but those who are spiritually bankrupt as well. This attitude assumes that we can do nothing on our own and desperately need a Savior to rescue us. God uses the things of this world to shame the proud and rescue the humble. We must remember that this is what His desire is for our souls.