You are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink. – Deuteronomy 2:6

Today's Scripture Reading (January 3, 2022): Deuteronomy 2

I have an acquaintance, a person of some celebrity, who seems to expect others to pay his way. It is not that he doesn't have enough money to pay the bills, but he seems to feel it is the least that others can do to be in his presence. And when he dines alone, he usually chooses places where he knows his meal will be at the expense of the establishment. To be honest, every time someone agrees to pay for my meal, it is the image of this friend that comes to mind. And it makes me cautious about who it is that I allow to pay my way.

The problem that I have with my friend's expectation that others pay for his meals is that the behavior seems to indicate a lack of respect for the other. It is a way of stressing that he is important, and the rest of us are not. I understand that that might not be the intended message, but it is likely the one received by those who come into contact with him.

The biblical message of justice is one that cares for the weak among us. Micah gives us these instructions directly from the throne of God.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).

Justice and mercy have everything to do with how we treat those who are weaker than us. And it is encoded into the Law of Moses.

Do not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this.

When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I command you to do this (Deuteronomy 24:17-22).

As the journey through the wilderness began, God gave them very specific instructions. They were going to have to pass through the land that belonged to other countries. Seir was inhabited by cousins of Israel, the descendants of Esau the brother of Jacob. Like the area of Seir, some of them belonged to nations that were weaker than Israel.

Israel could have used their power to take what it wanted. In fact, that was exactly what the descendants of Esau expected them to do. But God made it clear that that would not be just. Doing things because you can, either because of raw power, position, or celebrity, takes advantage of the weak and violates God's idea of acting justly and loving mercy.

Our character is often revealed by how we treat those who are less than us in some way, whether it is weaker, poorer, or even less popular. If we are to be the people of character that God designed us to be, we will encourage them and not just someone who takes advantage of them.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 3