25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud,
but he keeps the widow’s boundaries intact. Proverbs 15
Proverbs 15 tells us that there are people whom the Lord opposes because of their pride, the sin He hates most. On the other hand He defends the weak, the widows who have no one to fight for them and protect them. Many times in the scriptures we read of God’s warnings not to take advantage of the widows and the weak ones in society.
23 Your rulers are rebels,
companions with thieves;
they all love bribes
and chase after gifts.
They do not defend the cause of the fatherless;
the widow’s case does not come before them. Isaiah 1
In the opening verses of Isaiah the Lord draws specific attention to the actions of the rulers of Israel and their failure to defend the orphans and widows. He is watching over the weakest members of society and how they’re being treated by those in power. This verse speaks powerfully to many leaders today who are living for their own selfish desires and failing to care for those in need. God saw it then and He sees it just as clearly now.
1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labour in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain.
2 In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat –
for he grants sleep to[a] those he loves. Psalm 127
- Psalm 127:2 Or eat – / for while they sleep he provides for
Men’s best efforts without God will not last. Many think their building will not be pulled down, they’ve put their best efforts into it and it will endure, but when we build without the Lord we build in vain. It’s interesting that God’s promises often include future generations.
11 The Lord swore an oath to David,
a sure oath he will not revoke:
‘One of your own descendants
I will place on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant
and the statutes I teach them,
then their sons shall sit
on your throne for ever and ever.’ Psalm 132
God wants to prosper the work of our hands and He wants Godly offspring who know Him and will walk with Him. There are mighty generational blessings for families who continue to walk with the Lord, e.g. the faithful Recabites in Jeremiah 35. God saw they remained obedient to their ancestor’s commands and rewarded their faithfulness far into the future.
When we build with the Lord’s help, He blesses us now and on into the future. The message is simple, invite God into everything we do and He will sustain it.
May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.