Ezekiel 16:48-50 says, “48 As I live,” declares YHVH Elohim, “Sodom, your sister and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done. 49 Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. 50 Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them when I saw it.” The sin that actually led them to the abominations that we know of was not taking care of the poor and needy.  If we can understand this, it will help us to remain within the body rather than being removed from the body. YHVH has a system within His kingdom set up to take care of the poor and needy.  This can be found in Deuteronomy 26:13 and it is actually called the sacred portion.

Proverbs 29:7 says,  “The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor, the wicked does not understand such concern.” An aspect of righteousness is connected to being concerned for the poor. 

Psalm 41:1-3 says,  “​1 How blessed is he who considers the helpless; YHVH will deliver him in a day of trouble. 2 YHVH will protect him and keep him alive, and he shall be called blessed upon the earth; and do not give him over to the desire of his enemies. 3 YHVH will sustain him upon his sickbed; in his illness, You restore him to health.” Nothing but promises for the one who does these things!!

Proverbs 31:8-9 says, “8  Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the unfortunate. 9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.”

We will now read from a section out of Job 29 where Job is recalling his glorious past.  For those who may not be very familiar with the book of Job, he goes through much testing and trial and lost it all, but was then restored in the fullest glory when he did not turn His heart away and deny YHVH.  He withstood the tests in faith and was re-established!! We will read verses 7-16.

7 “When I went out to the gate of the city, when I took my seat in the square,

8 The young men saw me and hid themselves, and the old men arose and stood.

9 “The princes stopped talking and put their hands on their mouths;

10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to their palate.

11 “For when the ear heard, it called me blessed, and when the eye saw, it gave witness of me,

12 Because I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the orphan who had no helper.

13 “The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.

14 “I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a turban.

15 “I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame.

16 “I was a father to the needy, and I investigated the case which I did not know.

May we obtain the Spirit of Understanding so that we can receive and respond to the heart of the Father concerning those in need and thereby avoid the wickedness of Sodom and her sisters.

Have a blessed and shalom filled day!!

Tammy

Courtesy of
River of Life Tabernacle
Tammy McLendon
Great peace have they who love Your law. Psalm 119:165a