9.7.25 ~ Kindness and Reward

Good morning!

Kindness. In our Western culture, gratitude lasts about as long as a thank you card. But in the Torah, God remembers acts of kindness for generations. Yesterday’s Torah portion, Ki Teitze, shows us how God blessed some nations and rejected others, not only because of their sins, but because of how they treated his people centuries earlier.

As we learned in our studies this last week, there are 31 topics and 74 Commandments in Ki Teitze… That’s a boatload. But, as we found out in yesterday's zoom call they can all be summed up in one word: honor

Within those honorable commandments there is a very curious set of instructions that inquiring minds want to know about. In Deuteronomy 23:4–9 the Lord commanded Israel to perpetually forbid the ammonites and the Moabites from joining themselves to Israel. He even goes so far as to say:

"You shall not seek their peace or their prosperity forever” (Deut. 23:4–9)

However, he tells them they shall not abhor either the Edomites or the Egyptians. Huh? It doesn’t seem to make any sense. Why does God tell the children of Israel, not to hate the Edomite and the Egyptians, but establish a permanent admonition against allowing the Ammonites and Moabites into their ranks? Inquiring minds want to know.

First, our Torah portion gives reasons there to shun the ammonites in Deuteronomy 23:4.

"Because they did not meet you with bread and with water on the way when you came out of Egypt" (Deut. 23:4)

How so? The Ammonites refused hospitality to Israel when they left Egypt, even though Israel asked them permission to peacefully pass through their land, and the story is given to us in Deuteronomy chapter 2. Regarding the Moabites, it says.

"Because they hired against Balaam the son of Beor. from Petor of Mesopotamia to curse you (Deuteronomy 23:4)

Their king schemed against Israel by hiring Balaam, a Midianite, to curse them. Eventually Balaam gave up but not before he devised a plan that successfully lured Israel into sexual immorality and idolatry, resulting in a Plague that killed 24,000 Israelites (Num. 25).

While the sin of Moab seems obvious and deserving of the Lord‘s anger, it doesn’t appear the ammonites are as deserving of his wrath, especially when the Edomites committed the same offense back in numbers chapter 20. How do we resolve this seemingly random choice of favoritism? And what can we learn from it? That’s the most important thing.

We need to consider a couple of things. As we know, the Ammonites, the Moabites, and the Edomites are all distant relatives of Israel. The Ammonites and the Moabites are descendants of Abraham‘s nephew Lot as a result of his inappropriate relationship with his daughters (Gen. 19). Whereas the Edomites are the descendants of Esau, Jacob's brother. The Egyptians, however, are in an entirely different manner, with no relationship to Abraham at all.

What is the common thread that pulls this altogether? For one, God promised to bless the offspring of Abraham, but not the offspring of Lot (Gen.12:1-3). Also the Ammonites and Moabites being descendants of Lot, could not have survived with that Israel since Lot owed his very life to Abraham (Gen. 14, 19).

Therefore, the Ammonites and Moabites should have remembered the kindness of Abraham and treated his offspring with kindness as well. But what about Egypt? Egypt doesn’t have any biological relationship with Abraham. However, Egypt bestowed a great kindness on Abraham‘s children when their lives were in danger. They welcomed them into Egypt during the great famine and treated them with respect, (Gen. 44-50); at least for a season. Therefore, the Lord remembered their kindness and promised to bless them as well.

"The Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the Lord and perform them… In that day, Israel will be the third with Egypt in Syria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the Lord of host has blessed saying blessed to be Egypt, my people, and the area of the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance" (Isaiah 19:21, 24–25)

In our modern thinking, we tend to think from a very egocentric and limited perspective. We are inclined to only be concerned about what has happened to ourselves rather than what has happened to our ancestors. The culture in the Middle East and Asia, however, has a consciousness that extends over multiple generations. This is the perspective of the God of Israel as well therefore, we do well to imitate his trait of remembering and repaying any debt of gratitude incurred by our family. Just as the Lord remembers how people treat his children and blesses them accordingly, even generations later, we should be mindful of those who bless us and our family and return Their kindness as well. We should be passing on a culture of gratitude to our descendants. Does this help our understanding of Yeshua's judgment and reward in Matthew 25:31-46? Maybe there's something more to this "spiritual stuff" than just our inherent theological and denominational positions :-)

As you head into this first day of the week with the fall feast season approaching rapidly, let’s ask ourselves a question: What acts of kindness have been done for your parents and grandparents by others, and how can you return that kindness? What acts of kindness have you been shown to you by others that your children need to know about? And finally, what acts of kindness will you do today and everyday?

Happy 1st day of the week!

Shalom,
Alan

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