God’s concern for the fatherless extends far deeper than we imagine. When we look at pictures of children who wait to be adopted, we fall in love with an image of what we think they will be like as part of our family. Once we have adopted them, we realize that they are full of needs and hurts and do not meet our expectations.

Our God knows these children perfectly and yet promises to be a father to fatherless (Psalm 68:5). What does He mean by this? Does He wonder about their behaviors and struggles? Does He see all that they put us through? And what about the adolescent adopted child who rebels?

This self-identifying statement about God mentions His concern for those who are not empowered to take care of themselves. It encompasses two aspects: (1) His providence, and (2) His protection. Now I will examine His protection.

His Protection

In this day of security alarms, police, and locks on everything, it is hard to picture a time when there was no one other than one’s family to protect them from attacks by outsiders. Can you imagine a world where only the survival of the fittest existed? Once the armies of Israel had disbanded after entering the promised land in order to take up their inheritances given them by Moses and Joshua, there was no effective standing force to continue to stand guard over the people. The call to anoint Saul was precipitated by the people’s desire to have a standing army to replace the militias which had been in place during the time of the judges.

Ruth becomes just such a person who is in need of protection, and her mother-in-law notes the character of Boaz by noting that Boaz will not allow Ruth to be assaulted while working in his field (Ruth 2:22). Our children have the same fears about outsiders taking advantage of them, and cloak these fears in acts designed to show their invincibility. Yet inside they long for someone who will offer them the protection that they desperately desire.

God promised to provide that protection to the fatherless from those who attack them. One way that He did so was through allowing them to be adopted by the kinsman-redeemer. This entitled them to civil protections. God’s reminder that He was the father to the fatherless was to remind those who would take advantage of the fatherless would end up answering to Him. We are called to reassure our adopted children of their security with us and that no one will be able to take them from our care.

No doubt God’s twin roles of provider and protector become the basis for His relationship to those who He had allowed to become fatherless.

Please offer any comments concerning this!