We are in chapter twenty-two of Exodus with our word for today. עָנָה be bowed down, be wretched, afflicted, emaciated, be crouched, hunched up. It is used 79 times in the Old Testament. We find our word used in the sense of being put in a vulnerable position. A good example of this is what the rulers of the Philistines wanted to do to Samson. Judges 16:5-6, 19 The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and לְעַנֹּת֑וֹ subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.” So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and לְעַנּוֹתֶֽךָ subdued.” … After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began לְעַנּוֹת֔וֹ to subdue him. And his strength left him. This idea of a vulnerable position like Samson put himself in is the sense of how our word is used in our chapter today. Exodus 22:22-24 You shall not תְעַנּֽוּן mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If עַנֵּ֥ה תְעַנֶּ֖ה [our word is used twice but only translated once. It is the infinitive and the verb so literally to mistreat your mistreating. This is for emphasis] you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless. Now that is very strong. God doesn’t want us to even think about this because of what he will do to defend those who are in a vulnerable position. We see this throughout the Bible the evil that is done to others God allows this same evil to come back on them. This Proverb says it well. Proverbs 26:27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.
What amazes me is God’s heart in allowing us to suffer the consequences of our own sin. He loves us and wants us back close to himself. What is interesting with Samson is that even with his own freewill action to sin God still used it to bring glory to himself and accomplish his purpose. We see God using our word to bring his people to repentance. Lamentations 3:31-33 For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring עִנָּה֙ affliction or grief to anyone… Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord. Nahum 1:12 Though I have אֲעַנֵּ֖ךְ afflicted you, I will afflict you no more. God’s heart is not to afflict us because he loves us but he can use the consequences of our sin to bring us back to him. Psalm 119:71 It was good for me to be עֻנֵּ֑יתִיafflicted so that I might learn your decrees. Psalm 119:107 I am severely נַעֲנֵ֥יתִיafflicted; give me life, O LORD, according to your word! I will close with the reason why God is able to bring us back to himself because he sent his own son into the world to save us and pay the price. He was afflicted and mistreated so we could be forgiven. Here is the prediction of Jesus saving work on the cross. Isaiah 53:4, 7 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, וּמְעֻנֶּֽה and afflicted… He was oppressed and נַעֲנֶה֮ afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
