Deuteronomy 16:11-14 shows how God provided for widows so that they were not excluded instead, they enjoyed full participation in the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles. In line with this, God commanded that the nation of Israel care for widows, being diligent to not isolate them or take advantage of their vulnerability.

He cared for his widowed mother (John 19:25-17), he raised from the dead the son of the widow of Nain and returned him to his mother (Luke 7:11-17), and, in the spirit of the prophets, condemned those who took advantage of widows (Matthew 23:24). He is righteous and protects them for he is “a father of the fatherless, a defender of widows. He is profoundly concerned for her, together with the stranger and the fatherless. Why? The Defender of Widowsįundamentally, God is the kind of God who keeps a careful eye on the widow.

There are about eighty direct references to widows in the Scriptures. Whether you read Moses and the prophets, the Psalms and the Proverbs of Solomon, the four Gospels, or the book of Acts and the letters to the churches in the New Testament, you will not be able to read far without the subject of widows coming up. I soon discovered that there were very few books written about caring for widows but was taken aback by how much the Bible said about them. Called to care for widows in my own congregation, I began to study the Scriptures. I spoke at a gathering of ministers on public praying and mentioned widows among those who were often neglected in the prayers and ministry of the church. Much earlier in my ministry, I began to include widows in the public prayers of the church where I was the pastor.

Help widows and orphans bible verse