SERMON: "Caring for the Fatherless" (Exodus 22:22–24)
Caring for the Fatherless (Exodus
22:22–24)
Series: Topical Text:
Exodus
22:22–24
By: Shaun Marksbury Date: October
8, 2023
Venue: Living Water Baptist Church Occasion: AM Service
I.
Introduction
Many of you, like me, have been watching a
growing crisis of fatherlessness in this country. The common statistics I’m seeing is that
fatherlessness is one of the leading indicators that a child will grow up in
poverty, have poor grades, suffer mental distress, engage in drug usage, and
become incarcerated. Having worked with
the local sheriff’s department as a chaplain, I can confirm that the most
common characteristic I saw with incarcerated men was fatherlessness. This, more than ethnicity or economic status,
seemed to unite many of the jailed — with many of the men themselves having
children outside the jail walls.
According to the CDC, as of this year, the
percent of all births to unmarried women has risen to 40.0%.[1] Some of that, of course, is due to the number
of children unwed mothers have with various men. The whole picture here includes men who refuse
to commit to marriage and women who believe their children are most benefited
without the corrupting and even abusive presence of these fathers. And, as we’ve noted before, some women are
simply choosing it’s better to be single mothers and to never marry.
There are also times, of course, where both
parents are out of the picture (due to death, incarceration, abandonment, or a
court determination of parental unfitness).
With that, the number of orphans are on the rise. As one journal article notes, “More than
400,000 children are in the United States foster care system; approximately
107,000 children of these children are available for adoption.”[2] The American public has stepped up to try to
alleviate this problem, consistently adopting between 118,000 and 125,000
children per year since the 1980s,[3]
but this is still an ongoing problem, especially with so many more avoiding
traditional family structures today.
The lack of a cohesive family structure,
especially lacking the father in the home, affects children in multifaceted
ways. According to Fathers in the Field,[4] half
of our children grow up without a biological father in the home, and children from
fatherless families account for:
- 63%
of youth suicides
- 71%
of pregnant teenagers
- 90%
of runaway or homeless kids
- 85%
of youth sitting in prisons
- 71%
of high school dropouts
- 75%
of teens in drug treatment
We can understand, then, part of the reason
God has such detailed laws for His people in Scripture. If everyone continues to do what is right in
their own eyes, as they did in the Book of Judges, our society cannot continue
to survive. If the Lord had not
intervened in Israel’s history when the people went astray, then there would
have been no hope for the people to have survived until the coming Messiah.
So, through Moses, the Lord gave the people
clear commandments to shape and structure their society in a God-honoring
way. In this chapter, He gives case laws
to help the children of Israel see how the Ten Commandments applied in various
situations. While we’re not under the
Law in the same way today, this passage helps us to see what practical holiness
looks like amongst God’s people.
In this passage, we see a command to protect
the most vulnerable in society, and we’ll note three truths here pertaining to
the fatherless. First, God calls His
people to protect the fatherless.
Second, God hears the cry of the fatherless. Third, God punishes those who harm the
fatherless.
II.
First, God calls His people to protect the
fatherless (v. 22)
You
shall not afflict any widow or orphan.
This is a big point, and I’m going to spend
most of our time here. Let’s start by
considering the terminology here. First,
the widow, of course, is a wife who has lost her husband. Unfortunately, in addition to dealing with
the loss of her love, she has also lost provision and protection. There were no 401ks, life insurance policies,
social security payouts, or retirement plans back then. A widow without family was especially at risk
in the world. We’ll talk more about
these risks in just a moment.
Let’s consider next the term orphan. The Hebrew term is yātôm, and the Greek translation of that is orphanos. While the term can most often today refer to the
loss of both parents, in the ancient world, it also referred to the loss of
just a father. As one Bible dictionary
notes, “There is no clear case where it means the loss of both parents. The Scriptures devote considerable attention
to the widow and orphan, and the idea is that the child is fatherless.”[5] As
such, the biblical understanding of the term “orphan” is fatherless, one who has lost a father due to war or some tragedy.
If
that is the case, then both the child (or children) and the mother are a
protected class. As another Bible
encyclopedia notes, “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.”[6] As
such, God gives biblical commands to protect the defenseless.
Why
are they defenseless? The father
provided for and protected the family (how novel!). However, again, children and even women often
lacked legal standing in court or “in the gate” (cf. Job 31:21). With the father gone, a widow and her
children lost provision and were at risk in the community of loss of property
(Ps. 109:10; Prov. 23:10; Lam. 5:2–3) and of livelihood (Prov. 23:10; Job 24:3). The fatherless would be forced to beg (Ps.
109:9–10), may become bartered as property (Job 6:27), or even murdered (Psa.
94:6).
So,
again, God commanded His people to protect the orphan. We see it here, stated in the negative, “You
shall not afflict any widow or orphan.”
Understand that this isn’t a command only to avoid an action, but an
implicit command to do good. For
instance, Exodus 20:14 commands, “You shall not commit adultery,” but in the
sense of the command to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Rom. 13:9) — it’s a
command to love our spouses, to leave and to cleave to one’s wife (Gen. 2:24). The commands of Scripture have both a
positive and a negative application.
So,
the command against afflicting the fatherless must include a command to protect the fatherless, for the lack of protecting them would lead to their
exploitation. This is something that the
prophet Isaiah noted in Isaiah 1:17: “Learn to do good; seek justice, reprove
the ruthless, defend the orphan [or ‘fatherless’], plead for the widow.” Likewise, Zechariah says, “Dispense
true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; and do
not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not
devise evil in your hearts against one another” (Zech. 7:9–10). We see the positive and negative together.
This isn’t just in the Old Testament,
either. The prominent use of this term in
the New Testament is in James 1:27 — “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight
of our God and Father is this: to
visit orphans and widows in their distress, and
to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
James continues in 2:15–16 — “If a brother or sister is without clothing
and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed
and be filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?” Our help should be practical and necessary.
Another reference of note is Acts 6:1, where
there is concern that Christian widows are being ignored. The church takes steps in that chapter to
correct this oversight through the appointing of deacons. Later on, Paul will write, “Honor widows who
are widows indeed” (1 Tim. 5:3), meaning that the church should determine whether
someone has outside means of provision and then provide needed assistance.
Of course, the church historically has
helped both the orphan and the widow. In
fact, it was the Christian worldview which brought about care for the orphaned
and abandoned children in the Roman Empire.
As one article notes, “The early Christian church did attempt to care
for abandoned children and adults who were sick or aged.”[7] In many cases, those children were adopted
into Christian families.
For a quick survey of the literature, we
could first consider this in early second century writings. As one dictionary notes, “St. Ignatius (Ep. ad. Smyrn. cap. vi.) mentions it as
one of the marks of the heterodox that ‘they care not for the widow, the
orphan, or the distressed.’ Again and
again in the Apostolical Constitutions
exhortations are given concerning them to the bishop to protect them, to
individual Christians to remember them in their charity and, if possible, to
adopt them.”[8] Later on, in the fourth century, Constantine appointed
endowments for orphans to which he also contributed. [9] A church cleric would serve as a guardian of
orphans as noted in the Council of Chalcedon in the fifth century, heading
orphanages and hospitals. [10] In Constantinople, the priest serving as the
public guardian of orphans was an orphanotrophus.[11] This work continued through the Middle
Ages. Often, “monasteries and convents
accepted abandoned children,”[12] and
they continued to receive care throughout the Reformation period.
It should be no surprise then that the term
“orphanage” is Christian in origin. It may
have originated with Cotton Mather in the early 1700s, who wrote of the need as
an act of divine providence; “Need for such care was caused by the terrible
conditions of the Industrial Revolution when parents were thrown into debtors’
prisons and children were forced to work in crude factories, leaving many
children without homes or parents.”[13] Later, C. H. Spurgeon, with a gift in hand
from a church member, opened the Stockwell Orphanage in 1867; one article
describes it as such:
By the end of 1867, four boys’ houses had
been opened at Stockwell, followed during the 1880s by five houses for girls.
Located on the Clapham Road, south of the River Thames, the row of boys’ houses
faced a similar row of girls’ houses across an area of lawns and open play
areas. Both the boys’ and girls’ institutions aimed to provide for the “free
and gratuitous residence, maintenance, clothing, instruction, and education of
destitute, fatherless children.”[14]
This is a very brief overview. There have been reams of material from
Christians on this matter. Orphanages
became a sign of Christian witness, planted around the world in countries
lacking adequate care for the fatherless.
Obviously, they also appeared here during the colonial period, like George
Whitefield’s Bethesda (“House of Mercy”), still standing in Savannah, Georgia. This was a unique work amongst believers.
However, the state increasingly took on this
care. Institutions rarely stay true to
their founding vision, and abuses began to be apparent over time. As more individuals with competing ideas
become involved in a work, it changes over time, and sometimes for the worse,
as was happening in the United States.
As such, in 1909, the White House held a conference
on children under Theodore Roosevelt. As
one article notes, “The conference decided that the child’s own home was the
best place for the child to be. This
became the early beginning of the deinstitutionalization of dependent
children.”[15] That’s not a bad decision, as Christians originally
fostered and adopted orphans. As others
have noted, “Children raised in foster families and especially by relatives
fare better developmentally than children raised in even the best orphanages.”[16] The state decided to help single mothers to
raise their children through welfare.
With the state taking a more active role in
this issue, the church in the United States began to focus its efforts
elsewhere. It’s been noted over time
that more welfare from the state has resulted in a different kind of
dependance, where some families decide that it is more fiscally beneficial to
avoid marriage. What began as a help
became an incentive for wrongdoing without the oversight of Christian
ministries.
There still has been much success, but
that’s only because some Christians continued caring about orphans — Barna
reports that Christians are more than twice as likely to adopt than the general
population in the United States.[17] Yet, other ministries draw the interest of
Christians, and one wonders if we could do more, like just coming alongside
widows we know and help the fatherless.
If the church decides this is the responsibility of the state, we will
have abandoned the mission field on our doorstep.
We must beware. The Lord hears the cry of the fatherless, as
we note next.
III.
Second, God hears the cry of the fatherless (v.
23)
If
you afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his
cry;
There numerous examples in Scripture of the
fatherless, like Lot (Gen. 11:27–28) and Esther (Esther 2:7). There are also many examples of God seeking
to protect the property claims and inheritances of the fatherless. For instance, He commanded the community to
meet their immediate material needs, telling laborers to leave extra sheafs of
the field, leftover olives, and grapes on the vine so the widow and the
fatherless would “come and eat and be satisfied” (Deut. 24:19–22, 29). He commanded that they also receive of the
third-year tithes (26:12–13). In this
way, they would have plenty of provision.
He sees the need of the orphan. Of course, there are needs beyond the material,
as the fatherless suffer bereavement and other issues. There will be feelings of abandonment, grief,
fear, anger, and loneliness. When a child’s
biological father still lives in places unknown, the child will also experience
self-doubt, wondering why his father chose to reject him.
With this comes developmental issues, as the
child may experiences some stunting of growth.
Because the fatherless may not mature properly in dealing with their
emotional issues, they may look for male approval in the wrong ways. A boy, for instance, may be angry and desire
to prove himself to others, engaging in dangerous activities. This can lead to the kinds of statistics we
considered already.
The orphan must hear the hope of the Lord. The Lord says, “If you afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will
surely hear his cry.” The Lord recognizes
our loneliness, saying of Adam, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will
make him a helper suitable for him” (Gen. 2:18). If a child loses one or both parents, the
Lord sees and hears, especially if someone takes advantage of one of these
little ones.
He promises us His presence. He is a “father of the fatherless and a judge
for the widows” (Psa. 68:5). He is “near
to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psa. 34:18). In the New Testament, Jesus says, “I will not
leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18). This gives us the sense of His heart on the
matter, providing a helper for His people.
That’s a precious promise, one that results with the sending of the Holy
Spirit as our constant guide and companion.
He certainly cares for the orphan!
He not only promises to be there, but to
provide a defense. The Lord defends even
when no one else does (cf. 2 Tim. 4:16–17).
He commands, “Do not move the ancient boundary or go into the fields of
the fatherless, for their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their case against
you” (Prov. 23:10–11). Those who take
advantage of the orphan will find the Lord as their defender.
God provides, as well. Scripture says, “You have been the helper of
the orphan” (Psa. 10:14). Later in the
Book of Psalms, we read, “He supports the fatherless and the widow” (Psa.
146:9). He is a “father of the
fatherless and a judge for the widows” (Psa. 68:5). He will ensure that their material needs are
met.
Finally, the Lord also provides salvation. The orphan may feel as though he has offended
God to deserve such a plight in life.
The truth is that, while the orphan isn’t a greater sinner than anyone
else (Luke 13:2), all have fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). However, God offers the same gospel hope to
the orphan as anyone else, as Hosea notes: “For in You the orphan finds mercy”
(Hosea 14:3). The orphan isn’t unwanted
by God; instead, God offers the orphan mercy and forgiveness for his sins!
This is all because God does hears the cry
of the fatherless. He hears whether it
be for spiritual or physical salvation — the Lord will work in some way. Of course, this is also a warning, which is
abundantly clear in our final point:
IV.
Third, God punishes those who harm the
fatherless
and
My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives
shall become widows and your children fatherless.
God knows what the wicked do. So, He says in Malachi 3:5, “Then I will draw
near to you for judgment,” singling out “those who oppress … the widow and the
orphan.” He even promises His people
here that their children will experience fatherlessness if they don’t care for
the orphans as He commands. Certainly
Jesus’s words in Luke 17:2 are applicable: “It would be better for him if a
millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that
he would cause one of these little ones to stumble.” The Lord takes note and will punish the
evildoer.
Sadly, what we see in our country is
increasing fatherlessness, and the lack of our masculine leadership is a sign
of God’s judgement (Isa. 3:4, 12).
Zechariah 10:2–3 speaks of this, noting that the people “wander like sheep, they are afflicted, because there is
no shepherd. My anger is kindled against
the shepherds, and I will punish the male goats; for the Lord of hosts has
visited His flock, the house of Judah, and will make them like His majestic
horse in battle.” The leaders were
leading the people astray, so the Lord confused the people with contrary
information, promising to punish the “male goats” or the men leading the
people.
Yet, He gives hope that He can still lead
the people, making the fighting men mighty for war despite the problems of
those men they look up to. Sometimes He
will do that through other people who can raise the fatherless up into true
manhood. He can provide surrogates,
father-figures, who will fulfill the task, teaching the proper disposition of
manhood.
V.
Conclusion
We don’t just have a crisis of
fatherlessness today, we have a crisis of masculinity. Men should protect and provide for their
families, but they’ve gone absent. It’s
easy for us to sit back and say people should just make better choices. If, however, we’re open to the work of the
Lord, He may use us to help some of the hurt lives around us.
Children in these unfortunate situations
lack the spiritual care that comes uniquely though the church. So, what can we do to help? First, we have to know what God’s Word
commands, and we have to ask the Lord to shape our hearts according to His
will. If He says we should care for the
plight of the defenseless and we don’t, we need to repent and seek Him for that
grace. We can’t blame the children, for
instance, for the sins of the parents; we need to instead cultivate a heart of
compassion by His grace.
Second, we should seek to care and comfort
the fatherless we know. We need
Christians who will prayerfully consider the mission field in front of us. It may be that the Lord is leading you to
engage in tangible displays of the gospel, opening your home to foster care and
even adoption. It may also be that you
can become a male role model through our new ministry here, Fathers in the
Field. If that is not quite where the
Lord is leading, then it may be to support this church and specifically, this
new effort to reach out.
Those statistics I shared at the beginning
can be distressing. However, it’s one
thing to decry the darkness — its another to turn on a light. Let’s be open to the Lord’s leading on this
issue.
[1] “Unmarried Childbearing,” https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/unmarried-childbearing.htm
[2] John M. Yeats, “The Biblical Model of Adoption,” Journal of Discipleship & Family
Ministry Volume 2 2, no. 1 (2012): 13.
[3] Ibid.
[4] “The Cycle of Destruction,” https://www.fathersinthefield.com/resources/fathers-in-the-field-statistics/. These stats
are drawn from data sources including the US Dept Of Health & Human
Services, the Center for Disease Control, the US Justice Dept, the TX Dept of
Corrections, and the National Principals Association.
[5] D. Miall Edwards, The
International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, 1915, 1–5, 2202.
[6] Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, Baker encyclopedia of the Bible, 1988,
2, 1595.
[7] S. Skarsten, Baker Encyclopedia of Psychology & Counseling, 1999, 525.
[8] Charles Edward Hammond, A Dictionary of Christian Antiquities,
1875–1880, I & II, 1527–1528.
[9] Ibid., 1528.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Skarsten.
[13] A. Scott Moreau, Harold Netland, and
Charles van Engen, Evangelical Dictionary
of World Missions, 2000, 712.
[14] Ian F. Shaw, “Caring for Children,” Christian History Magazine-Issue 29: Charles
Spurgeon: England’s “Prince of Preachers” (1991).
[15] Skarsten, 525–526.
[16] Roger Olson, “How to Help Orphans,” Christianity Today 53, no. 1 (2009): 63.
[17] “5 Things You Need to Know About Adoption,” Nov. 4,
2013, https://www.barna.com/research/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-adoption/.