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Bible Study: Loving God, loving others


NASHVILLE (BP) – This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with Lifeway Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, Lifeway publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.

This week’s Bible study is adapted from the Explore the Bible curriculum.

Bible Passages: Exodus 22:21-27; Leviticus 19:9-10

Discussion Questions:

  • What act of generosity have you witnessed recently?
  • How can we use the resources God has given us to uphold the dignity and value of others?
  • What opportunities exist to minister to vulnerable people in your community?

Food for thought:

Parents are excited to hear their child’s first words, especially when those first words are Mama or Daddy. Not all words, though, cause elation. Seemingly, children soon learn two other words they say with much conviction. The first is No! The second is Mine! Nobody has to teach children to be selfish; instead, we have to teach them to share.

God intended His people to bear His image in the promised land. Faithfully obeying His commands and the related stipulations would distinguish them as His people. The Hebrew word for exploited means to treat others wrongly or even violently. Oppress means to squeeze or crush. The two words together convey pressure and pain.

After four centuries as slaves, the Israelites were no longer resident aliens. Yet God instructed them to avoid abusing or oppressing the aliens living among them. God also focused on another vulnerable group: widows and orphans. They lacked the protection of a husband/father, so they usually were poor and depended on charity. The message in these verses is that all people are worthy of protection and deserve to be treated with dignity, compassion and care. That’s because all people are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27).

Lending and borrowing were common practices in the ancient world. The Israelites considered it noble to lend to a fellow Israelite who was in need. In time though, people learned they could profit by lending to others with interest. God did not forbid all interest — only among Israelites (see Deuteronomy 23:19-20).

Refusing to charge interest kept the lender’s heart from being greedy. His motive was to help his needy neighbor, not financial gain. God’s instruction included a note: if a cloak was taken as collateral, it must be returned before sunset.

A cloak was a large, single piece of cloth worn over a person’s head. This was often the only article of clothing a poor person owned, except for a loincloth. They would wear it during the day and use it at night to stay warm. Holding a cloak as collateral humiliated them and made them even more vulnerable. The destitute person could cry out to God, just as the Israelites had done in Egypt. God promised to listen to their cry for help.

God’s instruction, given to Moses who then told the Israelites, included specific directives about harvesting grain. Grain was harvested in Israel for a few weeks beginning in the middle of April. During the harvest, reapers cut the grain. Harvesters gathered the stalks into sheaves. God instructed His people to leave gleanings in the field. The poor people could then pick up what was left behind. This allowed the needy to maintain their dignity by working for their food, rather than receiving a handout. God gave similar instructions for harvesting grapes. Such actions affirmed God’s goodness as the “Lord your God.”

These passages remind us we cannot divorce our relationship with God from how we treat people. The two are inextricably linked; one always affects the other. The New Testament likewise makes this connection (Matthew 5:23-24; 1 John 4:20).

Israelites understood the connection. They knew all of life reflects a person’s relationship with God and is thus related to worship. Worship was not something they did once a week. All of life was an expression of worship. Thus, treating others well was – and is – essential to maintaining a strong relationship with God.

Explore the Bible

Explore the Bible is an ongoing Bible study curriculum that helps groups dig into the key truths of each Bible book, while keeping the group on pace to study through the Bible books in a systematic way. More information can be found at Lifeway.com/ExploreTheBible.

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  • Staff/Lifeway Christian Resources