Who Are Widows?

Acts 6: 1: And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

In order to understand something of God's grace at work in this passage it is helpful to understand how our Lord's instruction concerning the care of widows is a figure of how the Lord ministers to the believer.

Widows are a figure of those on whom God has mercy which collectively make up his bride, the church. According to God's word a true widow is one who is without a spouse. One who has no strength to be her own provider nor has family to provide. We were widows indeed in our flesh. No husband, no children, no way to provide for ourselves. Every sinner saved by grace in God's Son--those who collectively make up the church of God--is typified in the widow within the church.

Like that one, chosen, sought-out widow from among all those widows in Sarepta, the Son of God came to particular widows, where we live in this sin-cursed world. He found us alone where we pined away in sin like a poor widow sits in the cold, empty, darkness of her lonely room. He turned on the light of understanding with His Light. Believing him, we cried out as the daughter of Zion cries out Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach. Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens. We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows. We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us (Lamentations 5:1-4.)

We had been taken advantage of by deceivers who prey upon the weak. All our funds were stolen, yet he visited us and sent the oppressor running. The law of the Lord God expressly commands that orphans and widows be not afflicted by anyone into sacrificing unto any god, save unto the Lord only (Exo 22: 20-24.) But as Satan preyed upon Eve, the weapon of our predator was the affliction of exalting the sinner into thinking he can save himself. The deceiver's motive is the filthy gain of filling their belly and imagining righteousness by glorying in another's flesh. Oh, they may visit with temporal gifts but the yoke which God forbids is turning his people to the flesh by using his very word, like the Pharisees who looked into the law of God and taught the only thing they knew--the letter. But listen believer, at the will of the Father, God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ took the full responsibility and won the victory of the vain deceiver that yoked us in bondage. He crushed the serpents head at Calvary.

Our Lord found us widowed in the tattered, filthy dress of robbery and oppression, of self and sin, and robed us in the finest garments that only the blood of Christ can purchase. Like the poorest widow our cupboards were bare and we starved for hunger, yet he spread a table before us of milk and honey, of wine and bread, and a feast of fat things. We had no family, no husband, no children, and thought we had no kinsmen--oh, but we had a near Kinsmen in our Redeemer. He brought us into his household. Revealed that he is our Husband, his inheritance is our inheritance, his father our father, his family our family. He introduced us to a host of sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, so that we shall never be lonesome or worried again. He turned our sorrow into great joy. And for the believer, who was once a poor widow and altogether without, the Lord Jesus Christ never stops visiting us in gracious love and kindness, no matter how we may fall into despondency.

When we behold that all God's word gets its glory from Christ and is given for the glory of Christ then a privilege of providing for widows becomes full of priceless riches, of mercy and grace, and love that goes beyond all comprehension. Now we can read this passage and learn that in every line we may behold how the Lord provides for sinners saved by grace.

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SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH Of Princeton, New Jersey

LOCATION & TELEPHONE
Rocky Hill Firehouse, 2nd floor
150 Washington Street, Rocky Hill, NJ, 08553
Pastor's Telephone: 615-513-4464

SCHEDULE OF SERVICES
Sunday 10 AM Bible Class
11 AM Morning Worship
Thursday 7:00 PM Mid-week Service
(The first Sunday of each month, morning worship begins at 10am followed by observing the Lord's Table. Afterwards we have lunch together.)