Widow

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“Those who have means and are willing, each according to his own choice, gives what he wills, and what is collected is deposited with the president. He provides for the orphans and widows, those who are in need on account of sickness or some other cause, those who are in bonds, strangers who are sojourning, and in a word he becomes the protector of all who are in need.” Justin Martyr, Apology, Chapter LXVII
  • "Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child."
"If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless." Exodus 22:22 - 24

In the old testament the word widow in Hebrew is almanah[1] AlefLamedMemNunHeh.

The word widowhood is almon [2] AlefLamedMemNun. The word AlefLamedMem by itself means to bind or make silent.[3]

A widow is not limited to a woman whose husband is dead, but it can refer to a family devastated by health or other physical issues. Often, the care and concern for the widow is extended to the orphan or the fatherless and the stranger (temporary inhabitant, a newcomer lacking inherited rights), and even the Levite.

In those days, the people would actually hold a lawful title to the land and all the power of the state remained with the people, for there were no kings. Such a government without rulers was not only unique but it took a unique kind of person.

The Levites were separate from the people, and therefore they were the called out or Church in the wilderness. As the church, they were separate from the state. They were not rulers either, but they shared the responsibility of government in a national system based on freewill choices and voluntarism.

There were obligations and duties imposed by God on the people and upon the Levites. These divine directives often lumped widows with the Levites who had been called out for a purpose, just as the early Church ministers were called out by Jesus and appointed for a purpose.

  • Deuteronomy 14:29 "And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which [are] within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest."

This sharing and freewill giving could consist of whatever you produced. You could turn it into something easier to transport, like money, but you were expected to be generous to the Levite within the gates as well as the widows and fatherless etc...

  • Deuteronomy 14:27 And the Levite that [is] within thy gates; thou shalt not forsake him; for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee. 28 At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up[4] within thy gates:

While Levites may be able to get by for three years without this charitable aid, a widow and the fatherless might die waiting for the bestowing of these freewill offerings. Is there a pattern to these directives understood by that early Church in the wilderness but lost in the interpretation of the ancient text by Pharisees and others?

This same grouping of widows and orphans with Levites is repeated concerning festivals in:

  • Deuteronomy 16:11 "And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow <0490>, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name there."
  • Deuteronomy 16:14 And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow <0490>, that are within thy gates.

How do you rejoice?

By giving a tribute to God.

  • Deuteronomy 16:10 And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the LORD thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give [unto the LORD thy God], according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:

How do you give a "tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand" to God?

Do the Levites, like the Apostles, belonged to God?[5]

If the Levites belong to God, then giving to them would be like giving to God.

And of course, you give this tribute to the representatives of God by your own freewill choice because you used to be in bondage where you had to pay such tribute to a government where the choice was not in your power.

  • Deuteronomy 16:12 "And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt: and thou shalt observe and do these statutes."

When they were set free from the government of Egypt and that bondage, they also lost the benefits such governments offer. In this Kingdom of God which passes from generation to generation, they had to supply those benefits and protections of government ... but by love rather than force, by freewill offerings rather than compelled taxes.

This is the same situation that the early Church contended with in their own daily ministration when the people were cast out of the temples of Herod and Rome.

There are some who think the role of the Levites has been done away with. But it is what the Levites became under the sophistry of men like the Pharisees that was done away with.

Bearing the Ark of the Covenant

Previously in Deuteronomy 10[6] there was reference to separating the Levites out to bear the ark of the covenant. But you do not need a whole tribe to carry a box or even set up a tent. Does bearing the ark have to do with bearing a responsibility?

The word bear was from the Hebrew nasa[7] which consists of the root letters NunShinAlef and can be translated lift up, bear, take, or carry but also forgive, accept, regard, exalt or respect. Was it their job to carry a box or to exalt the terms of the covenant? Was carrying the box only a symbol of a weightier matter?

The Hebrew word ark is ‘arown[8] which consists of the letters AlefReishVavNun. It does man a physical chest or box but the word comes from the word ‘arah[9], AlefReishHey, to pluck or gather. It is not just any box but the ark of the covenant. The word covenant was beriyth[10], BeitReishYodTav, and is also translated league and confederacy. One could say that they were to bear the ark of the league or confederacy.


  • Deuteronomy 26:12 When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow <0490>, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled; 13 Then thou shalt say before the LORD thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow <0490>, according to all thy commandments which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them:
  • Deuteronomy 27:19 "Cursed [be] he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen."


To bear the ark was grouped with the idea of "to stand before the LORD" and to stand was to be appointed.[11] To "minister" and "bless in his name" was to give the blessings of God which is the righteousness of God.

  • Deuteronomy 28:1 "And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe [and] to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. 3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. 5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. 6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out...."

None of these directives was suggesting that God would owe the Israelite salvation because of their works, for no people could follow the ways of love and forgiveness if God did not dwell in their hearts and minds. They were merely a description of the precepts and principles of God's Kingdom of Love.

New Testament Widow

Jesus expressed the same concern for the widow and needy of society which evidently the Pharisees failed to have.[12]

This is the same principle that John the Baptist and Jesus would preach years later and the ministers of the Church who were called out of Christ would be doing for years as they rightly divided the bread from house to house.

  • Acts 2:46 "And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."

One of the first controversies was the neglect of the widows and needy which we see in Acts 6. Seven men were appointed over that business to aid the ministers in that service. These were not the same people as the minister of tens. They had a different and specific purpose and mission of serving tables, although their mission compliments the overall goal of Deacons and Priests, as well as the purpose of congregations. That mission is to love and care for the people. These Seven men we see chosen by the people but appointed by the apostles are also seen in the Old Testament.[13]

In about AD 150, Justin Martyr, hoping to clear the misconceptions and prejudices surrounding Christianity, wrote the Emperor Antoninus Pius in defense of the Christian faith and allegiance to Christ:

"And those who have among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost." -Chapter LXVII, Weekly worship of the Christians, The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr
“Therefore, elect for yourselves bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord, men who are meek and not lovers of money, true and approved, for they also perform for you the ministry of the prophets and teachers.” 15:1
“And the wealthy among us help the needy ... and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need.” -Justin Martyr to Emperor Antoninus Pius (Ch. 65-67) explaining the Daily ministration of the Church which exemplifies the Christian conflict with Rome.

Justin would not trade his faith in Christ and His perfect law of liberty through that faith and charity for the benefits of Rome, because he knew that what they offered for his welfare was truly a snare of recompense.

Modern Christians readily apply for those benefits from men who call themselves benefactors, which is contrary to the Christ[14] in whom they say they believe. They simply take from their neighbors through the superhuman agency or agencies of their governments. These benefits of modern Rome[15], once refused by early Christians, are pervasive in modern denominations. Modern Christians remain oblivious to the fact they have more in common with the religion of ancient pagans, the Pharisees and the temples of Rome, than they have with the early Christian Church where people gathered.[16]

The point of all this is that there are two ways to take care of the needy of our society. There are two ways to practice and perform our duty to our fellow man. There are two religions in the world today. One is dependent upon freewill offerings of the people, for the people, and by the people, and the other is established by people electing men who call themselves benefactors but force the contributions of society by exercising authority one over the other. Both are forms of religion. One sets you free while the other may promise you liberty[17] yet leads many people away from truth and freedom.[18] Such covetous systems make the people merchandise[19] and collateral for debt[20] and human resources.[21]

There is need of repentance. We need to return to the ways of Christ and the early Church while remaining friends with the unrighteous Mammon. We the people must become the true Church and do as they did in Rome.

Paul and Timotheus, the servants[22] of Jesus Christ, to all the saints[23] in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops[24] and deacons: 2 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.


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Footnotes

  1. ↑ 0490 ^הנמלא^ AlefLamedMemNunHeh ‘almanah \@al-maw-naw’\@ from 0488 ןמָלְאַ ‘alman foresaken from 0481 םלַאָ ‘alam bind or dumb as in put to silence; a widow; n f; AV-widow 53, desolate house 1, desolate palace 1; 55 1) widow
  2. ↑ 0489 ^ןמלא^ ‘almon \@al-mone’\@ from 0481 as in 0488; n m; AV-widowhood 1; 1 1) widowhood
  3. ↑ 0481 ^םלא^ ‘alam \@aw-lam’\@ a primitive root; v; AV-dumb 7, put to silence 1, binding 1; 9 1) to bind 1a) (Niphal) 1a1) to be dumb 1a2) to be bound 1b) (Piel) binding (part.)
  4. ↑ h03240 yanach translated more than a dozen different ways including leave, set, bestowed, leave off etc,
  5. ↑ Numbers 3:12 And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;
    Numbers 3:45 Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD.
    Numbers 8:14 Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine.
  6. ↑ Deuteronomy 10:8 At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister unto him, and to bless in his name, unto this day.
  7. ↑ h05375 ^אשׂנ^ nasa’ \@naw-saw’\@ or ^הסנ^ nacah (#Ps 4:6) \@naw-saw’\@ a primitive root; v;
  8. ↑ 0727 ^ןורא^ ‘arown \@aw-rone’\@ or ^ןרא^ ‘aron \@aw-rone’\@ from 0717 (in the sense of gathering); n m; AV-ark 195, chest 6, coffin 1; 202 1) chest, ark 1a) money chest 1b) ark of the Covenant 2) (TWOT) coffin
  9. ↑ 0717 ^הרא^ ‘arah \@aw-raw’\@ a primitive root; v; AV-pluck 1, gather 1; 2 1) to pluck, gather 1a) (Qal) to pluck (grapes)
  10. ↑ h01285 ^תירב^ bᵉriyth \@ber-eeth’\@ from h01262 (in the sense of cutting [like 01254]); n f; AV-covenant 264, league 17, confederacy 1, confederate 1, confederate + 01167 1; 284 1) covenant, alliance, pledge 1a) between men
  11. ↑ h05975 ^דמע^ ‘amad ; AyinMemDeleth; AV-stood 171, stand 137, appointed 10, endure 8, remain 8,
  12. ↑ Matthew 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
    Mark 12:40 Which devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.
    Luke 20:47 Which devour widows’ houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.
  13. ↑ Ecclesiastes 11:2 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.
    Micah 5:5 And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.
  14. ↑ Luke 22:25-27 “And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.” Matthew 20:25, Mark 10:42.
  15. ↑ Rome vs US. Does history repeat itself because man does not repent? http://www.hisholychurch.org/news/articles/romeus.php
  16. ↑ “... all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, …. and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons.” -Justin Martyr, Apology, Chapter LXVII
  17. ↑ 2 Peter 2:1 “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”
  18. ↑ 2 Peter 2:2 “And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.”
  19. ↑ 2 Peter 2:3 “And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.”
  20. ↑ Not so Secure Socialism. Same old promise, Same old lie! Appeared first on NewsWithViews 8-1-10 http://www.hisholychurch.org/news/articles/notsecuress.php
  21. ↑ Employ vs Enslave, SS Video Series 7-10 7:28 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vuz-hFKM_Ts
  22. ↑ This word "servant" actually means a slave, bondman. This is an important status because you cannot charge a slave for doing what his master compells him to do.
    1401 ~δοῦλος~ doulos \@doo’-los\@ from 1210; n AV-servant 120, bond 6, bondman 1; 127
    1) a slave, bondman, man of servile condition
    1a) a slave
    1b) metaph., one who gives himself up to another’s will,
    those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men
    1c) devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests
    2) a servant, attendant
  23. ↑ The term saints actually had a meaning of being "Applied to persons as separated to God’s service:"
  24. ↑ 1985 ~ἐπίσκοπος~ episkopos \@ep-is’-kop-os\@ from 1909 and 4649 (in the sense of 1983); n m AV-bishop 6, overseer 1; 7
    1) an overseer
    1a) a man charged with the duty of seeing that things to be done by others are done rightly, any curator, guardian or superintendent
    1b) the superintendent, elder, pastor, or overseer of a Christian church; the NT uses the term bishop, overseers, 1985 pastors, 4166 elders, and presbyters 4245 interchangeably {#Ac 20:17,28 Eph 4:11 Tit 1:5,7 1Pe 5:1-4 etc.}


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