The title to this blog exactly describes how I felt after reading a passage from a book called "When Helping Hurts: How to alleviate poverty without hurting the poor.... and yourself" By: Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert
I'm going to type out the part of the book that really woke me up so you can understand what I'm talking about. One of the opening questions in the chapter was "For what specific sin(s) was Old Testament Israel sent into captivity?" Before you read the excerpt, really try to answer the question for yourself.
You'll first have to read Isaiah 1:10-13, 16b-17 and 58:1-3, 5-10 (it's listed below), then read the following paragraphs from the book. I hope it impacts you as much as it did me.
(On a side note, I recommend reading this book. I've only read the first few chapters, but it's already fantastic)
" 'Listen to the Lord, you leaders of “Sodom.” Listen to the law of our God, people of “Gomorrah.” “What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?”says the Lord. “I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony? Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me! As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting—they are all sinful and false. I want no more of your pious meetings.Get your sins out of my sight.....Give up your evil ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.'(Isaiah 1:10-13, 16b-17)
'Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Shout aloud! Don’t be timid.Tell my people Israel of their sins! Yet they act so pious!They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about me. They act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God. They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me.‘We have fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves and you don’t even notice it! “I will tell you why!” I respond. “It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast you keep oppressing your workers...... You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind.You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the Lord? “No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help. Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.Then when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply. “Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors! Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.' (Isaiah 58:1-3, 5-10)
Why was Israel sent into captivity? Many of us have a picture in our minds of the Israelites getting out of bed every morning and running off to the nearest shrine to worship idols. Indeed, numerous passages in the Old Testament indicates that idolatry was a problem in Israel. But these passages give a broader picture. Here Israel appears to be characterized by personal piety and outward expressions of formal religion: worshipping, offering sacrifices, celebrating religious holidays, fasting, and praying. Translate this into the modern era, and we might say these folks were faithfully going to church each Sunday, attending midweek prayer meeting, going on the annual church retreat, and singing contemporary praise music. But God was disgusted with them, going as far as to call them 'Sodom and Gomorrah'!
Why was God so displeased? Both passages emphasize that God was furious over Israel's failure to care for the poor and the oppressed. He wanted His people to 'loose the chains of injustice,' and not just go to church on Sunday. He wanted His people to 'clothe the naked,' and not just attend midweek prayer meeting. He wanted His people to 'spend themselves on behalf of the hungry,' and not just sing praise music.
Personal piety and formal worship are essential to the Christian life, but they must lead to lives that 'act justly and love mercy' (Mic.6:8)" (p.39-41)
If that didn't get you, maybe this will.....
"Economic historians have found that for most of human history there was little economic growth and relatively low economic inequality. As a result, the year 1820, after thousands of years of human development, the average income per person in the richest countries were only about 4 times higher than the average income per person in the poorest countries. Then the Industrial Revolution hit, causing unprecedented economic growth in a handful of countries but leaving the rest of the world behind. As a result, while the average American lives on more than ninety dollars per day, approximately one billion people live on less than one dollar per day and 2.6 billion- 40 percent of the world's population- live on less than two dollars per day. If God's people in both the Old Testament and New Testaments were concern for the poor during eras of relative economic equality, what are we to conclude about God's desire for the North American church today? 'If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?'"(p.42)
Now can you relate to my blog title?
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