“Living the Gospel by Loving the Fatherless” has become the motto of Raleigh’s Place. It embodies our conviction to care for the fatherless in as many ways as possible. This conviction comes directly from Scripture itself, which has so much to say about the fatherless. We have compiled an exhaustive list of verses from the Bible that reference orphans or the fatherless. Please see the images below for those verses.
The Bible’s references to the fatherless are woven throughout both the Old and New Testaments (as seen above). Scripture reveals God’s deep concern for the fatherless. It also calls His people to reflect that concern in practical, compassionate ways. The call is clear: Christians ought to be Living the Gospel by Loving the Fatherless. Here’s an elaboration on some of the notable passages among the 30+ references, organized by themes:
1. God’s Justice and Provision for the Fatherless
- Exodus 22:22-24: “You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If 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.”
- God gives a direct command to protect orphans. He pays attention to their cries and intervenes when they are taken advantage of.
- Deuteronomy 10:18: “He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.”
- God is shown as actively involved in providing for and defending orphans. His actions here set an example for His people to follow.
- Psalm 68:5: “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.”
- God is Father to the fatherless. He loves them and protects them. His desire is for His people to share that same concern.
- Psalm 146:9: “The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.”
- This passage shows God as a protector and sustainer of the vulnerable. There is a stark contrast between His support for orphans and His resistance to those who act unjustly.
2. Commands to Care for the Fatherless as a Community Responsibility
- Deuteronomy 14:28-29: “At the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns. And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.”
- God establishes a system where a portion of resources is set aside for the fatherless. This emphasizes the responsibility of the community for their welfare.
- Deuteronomy 24:17-21: “You shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless, or take a widow’s garment in pledge, but you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this. When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over them again. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it afterward. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this.”
- The laws of gleaning instruct people to leave part of their harvest for the needy, including the fatherless. This demonstrates how everyday (and practical) actions can support the fatherless and other vulnerable members of the community.
- Job 29:11-12: “When the ear heard, it called me blessed, and when the eye saw, it approved, because I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to help him.”
- Job describes his own commitment to caring for the fatherless as part of his righteous character. This underscores how caring for the fatherless reflects God’s own righteousness.
3. Condemnation of Oppression Against the Fatherless
- Isaiah 1:17: “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.”
- Isaiah calls God’s people to actively seek justice on behalf of the fatherless. This shows that protecting their rights is an important part of righteous living.
- Jeremiah 22:3: “Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.”
- God commands through Jeremiah that His people must not exploit or harm the fatherless.
- Malachi 3:5: “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.”
- God condemns those who oppress the vulnerable. This highlights His commitment to hold oppressors accountable for harming the fatherless.
4. The Fatherless in the New Testament: Care as Part of Faith
- James 1:27: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”
- James overarching point is that true faith is always shown through faithful living. Specifically, he includes the care of the fatherless, the widow, and righteous living.
- John 14:18: “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
- While not about physical orphans, Jesus uses this image to convey that He will not abandon His followers. This highlights the spiritual dimension of God’s care, promising that all who belong to Him will experience His presence.
5. We are ALL Spiritually Fatherless: The Doctrine of Adoption
- Romans 8:15: “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!””
- Paul speaks of spiritual adoption, a process where believers become part of God’s family. This reflects God’s heart to bring the “fatherless” into His family, which is accomplished through the work of Christ alone.
- Ephesians 1:5: “He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will…”
- Adoption is central to the gospel. God models His own compassion for the fatherless by adopting believers into His family. This idea underscores the spiritual significance of caring for the fatherless.
- Galatians 4:4-7: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying “Abba! Father! So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”
- Paul’s language of adoption shows that God’s love reaches those without hope, bringing them into His family through Jesus.
Living the Gospel by Loving the Fatherless: A Biblical Call to Care for the Fatherless
These passages highlight a consistent theme: God has compassion for the fatherless and He commands His people to reflect that compassion in how they live. Whether in the Old Testament’s legal requirements or the New Testament’s call to active faith, the Bible teaches that living the gospel by loving the fatherless is close to God’s heart and is essential to a life of true faith.
As believers today, these passages invite us to consider how we might serve, protect, and love those without families or security, echoing God’s own care and compassion for them.