Don’t worship God with one hand while mocking mankind with the other; He won’t bless that.
Exploiting widows, orphans and other vulnerable people
Throughout the Old Testament, there are many commands not to exploit widows, orphans, or others who have little means to protect themselves.
In Exodus 22: 22-24, God specifically condemns the oppression of widows and fatherless children: “You shall not oppress a widow or an orphan. If you do oppress them, and they cry at all to me, I will surely hear their cry. Then my anger will burn, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall become widows.”
Additionally, the Bible commands the Israelites to fairly treat foreigners and others who might be vulnerable. All these verses indicate that taking advantage of the weak is completely against God’s character.
Oppressing or mocking the poor
Proverbs 14: 31 draws a direct line between how you treat the poor and how you treat God. The verse says that whoever “mocks the poor disobeys his Maker,” but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
Over and over again in the Bible we see the vulnerable treated with dignity and respect. To look down on someone because they are poor is not just rude, it’s sin.
Bearing false witness and stirring things up
In Proverbs 6: 16-19 we read another list of things that the Lord hates. Among them are lying, bearing false witness, and causing discord in a community by stirring things up.
Slander and gossip tear down others and ruin relationships. The Bible shows that deliberately causing rifts between people goes against God’s very being.
Hardness of heart toward compassion
In Mark 3: 5 we see Jesus becoming angry because people criticized Him for healing a man on the Sabbath. He was also saddened by their hardness of heart.
They were so stuck in their ways that they couldn’t understand needing to help someone. Hardness of heart is painted here as quite detrimental to our spiritual lives when it stops us from being compassionate.
Religious pride and hypocrisy
Jesus fiercely attacked religious hypocrisy. Matthew 23 rails against religious leaders who appeared righteous but didn’t practice justice, mercy and faithfulness.
Religious practice wasn’t the issue, Jesus objected to the contrast between their behavior and godly character. A facade of religious devotion can’t ever replace true integrity and a compassionate spirit.
Withholding wages from workers
James 5: 4 compares withholding workers wages to striking them. It says “The wages you paid workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.”
The Old Testament also commands employers to pay their workers their wages, and pay them promptly. Plus, retaining someone’s wages intentionally is seen as a serious justice issue.
Causing vulnerable believers to stumble
Jesus warns in Matthew 18: 6 that causing one of His “little ones” who believe on Him to stumble is severely punishable. He says they should be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around their neck.
Jesus is talking about His followers and those who are vulnerable in their walk with Christ. Abusing someone’s trust or influence to push them toward sin is treated with grave concern.
Betraying a marriage covenant
Malachi 2: 13-16 is a verse that clearly condemns adultery. The scripture points out God’s presence as a witness between a married couple. It also talks about marriage as a covenant.
Notice how it highlights that external displays of devotion don’t excuse betraying your spouse. Indeed, faithfulness to one’s spouse was seen as spiritually significant by those who penned the Bible.
Using dishonest weights and deceptive business practices
Dishonest business practices are condemned throughout Scripture. Proverbs 11: 1 says that dishonest scales are abhorrent to the LORD, while Deuteronomy 25:13-16 forbids a man from having two different sets of weights and measures in order to gain unjustly.
It was possible for sellers to swindle shoppers by tampering with their scales. The Bible is clear that acquiring wealth by intentionally deceiving others is not honorable just because it takes place in the context of business.
Worshiping without doing what is right
In Isaiah 1: 11–17 we see people who worship God but continue to oppress others. They offer sacrifices and pray, but God was angry because they wouldn’t change their actions.
God commanded them to “Do what is right, seek justice. Bring justice to the oppressed.”
Plain and simple, worshiping God isn’t much good if we consciously oppress others. Let’s allow our worship to be reflected in how we treat others.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
Like our content? Be sure to follow us.
11 ways God forgives us that many people overlook
God forgives people in ways that are much stranger and also more generous than the standard ‘say sorry and move on’ version most people expect.
