2 Kings 4 

We continue with the same passage concerning the alternative economy. We need to concentrate on the widow who is a person incapable of sustaining herself by natural means. 

The Old Testament law states many times that the nation must care for the orphan, widow and Levite. The attitude that God wants to transmit is a attitude of dignified welfare under God.

Unfortunately here in the UK the factor of welfare is being demonized. This is that those who depend on the State for a handicap of some sort are seen as lazy and irresponsible. I believe the Bible teaches us to care financially for this group. And this story in 2Kings4 symbolizes exactly the point.  The widow is cared for prophetically. 

The orphan too because the sons would have seen their mother perish in this situation. They were about to be sold as slaves too. 

The Levite is a man who is separated to the Lord. He is to serve the Tabernacle and has been commanded by the Lord to serve and has no capacity to earn his living. The nation is commanded to respect and care for the Levite. Many times. 

The wording used to define the Levite is the same God uses in Ephesians 4 to define the New Testament Levites. God called some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. They are to act in a priestly role ministering to the  Lord and to receive the Word from the Lord so that the “Tabernacle of David ” would be sustained spiritually. 

Unfortunately the devil has used tradition to narrow down the ministry to pastoral. Deception and non acceptance of the other ministry gifts means that the maintenance of God’s call to His Levites has been cut by lack of vision and Biblical Revelation. Also the “work ethic ” of the world has entered the Church. 

In Ezra we see the priests searching for the Levites to serve in the new Temple and found them in the fields. When asked why they were there they respond that they needed bread. Tilling fields and working as the rest of the nation was prohibited by the Word of the Lord to minister to Him through the maintenance of the Tabernacle. 

How much more today that God has vocationed people to care for His House. However the saints have failed to sanctify the ministry and honour it. And as it is by making ministers work the quality of ministry suffers and the local vision suffers. So in failing to sanctify the ministry they are profaning what is holy. God will not move plainly in such places. 

To enter into the Kingdom Economy we must have the people in their rightful places so that financial blessing can flow. 

The vocationed is called out to be called to the Lord. And if God calls for full time service we must honour the Levitical ministry in our midst. 

If we cannot honour and care for the widow, the orphan and the Levite we will not be cared for in the seasons ahead. For we have grieved the Lord. 

Each widow has been incapacitated by her loss, orphan has been incapacitated by losing his parents so cannot feed and clothe himself. The Levite is called just to minister to God. We need to recognise that the Levites loss in being able to produce by natural means is gain by commanding gain for the nation by spiritual means.

May we adjust our attitude and our structure to enter the Kingdom Economy; which cares for the widow, the orphan and the Levite. Q