Assignment 6: Prophets and Social Justice

8th century prophets taught many great lessons from God. One of the most important ones that the prophets put a large amount of emphasis on was the concept of social justice. They criticized the wealthy and powerful, pointing out their bad treatment of the poor and needy. This is evidence that God wants us to live in a just and pure society. We are all equals in God’s sight; we were all made in his image. We should reach out to the needy, not use them for our own selfish advantage. Jesus even said “blessed are the poor”. This also has implications for the “proper” worship of God. We must act a certain way to be acceptable in God’s sight to have a proper relationship with the Lord. If a prophet appeared in today’s American society, they would probably find a problem in the application of social justice in our daily lives. As a country we have no concern for social justice. Of course there are good people that have a heart for the needy, but the hopelessness of the poor in our society is still a huge problem. For example, driving down Ambler Street, right by campus, one can see many homeless people standing on the street corners panhandling for money. The fact that these people must resort to that as a means of living is very sad. Although, there are many charities and resources that have been created for the needy, there is still an unspoken social system that puts these people at the bottom of the social chain. I believe that God is unhappy with our society right now, because we have become very individualistic and materialistic. Our society teaches us that we should strive to be on top, and that the ultimate goal in life is having the most money and popularity. The saying that most people live by in our modern society is “it’s a dog eat dog world”. This is untrue in God’s sight; he wants us to help others before ourselves and to store our treasures in heaven, not in this world. The powerful and wealthy are held in a higher respect. Everyone strives to be wealthy and successful in life. We should remember the emphasis that Jesus placed on loving others: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35) "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward in heaven will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men." (Luke 6:35)
It is important to note that the Israelites rejected the teachings of 8th century prophets, and in return God let the Israelites get defeated and put into exile. This shows the importance of listening to God’s words, especially regarding social justice and the treatment of others.