Anglican Bible study – STUDY 42 For October 16, 2022 : Topic – Equity
THEME: THE LORD GOD AND THE REIGN OF PEACE
SUB THEME: Evidence of godly rule-3
TOPIC: Equity
TEXTS: 1Kings 3:16-28
MEMORY VERSE: 1Kings 3:25 “And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.”
AIMS:
i. to torchlight the biblical context of equity
ii. to expose the dangers in a lopsided rule of citizens.
INTRODUCTION
“Equity” simply means, the quality of being fair and impartial. Unfortunately, we live in a world where inequality in judgment, job-provisions, wealth sharing and security of citizens prevails. Most destruction and oppression are targeted at the poor and ordinary folks in the world. However, the texts today show some rulers in the Bible who judged and ruled with equity. Do we still have such rulers in the contemporary world, who will prefer loyalty and humility of a foreign slave to the pride of a citizen queen? Can we still find a ruler who will prefer to judge the pronouncement of the best friend in the interest of a gateman in his palace? Our study guide will beam more light on these.
STUDY GUIDE
1. What is equity? And how do you explain it in the context of today’s study text? (1Kings 3:25-27)
2. Let us study Esth 6:10 and justify the impartial compensation of King Ahasuerus to Mordecai against his love for Haman. Compare Haman as a Personal Assistant to a governor with Mordecai as a gateman in a governor’s office, visualize the judgment with the contemporary political judgment of issues.
3. Critically examine the action of Apostle Peter in Gal 2:11-13 and air your view in relation to the issue of ethnic bias in our contemporary world.
4a. In a nation where appointment into political position is lopsided, critically discuss the fate of an ‘Esther’ (a slave but qualified to be a queen) and the possibility of replacing a ‘Vashti’ (an indigene and incumbent queen).
4b. In what ways can the celebration of mediocrity at the expense of meritorious excellence affect the growth of a nation?
CONCLUSION
With so much oppression, suffering, social injustice, denial of rights and privileges by correctional institutions and so much contention, discord and uprisings, lack of basic human rights, systemic racism, police brutality, a broken criminal justice system, unequal access to healthcare and religious oppression, injustices that are in dire need of attention in order to ensure freedom, justice, and equality for all citizens; the only and final hope we have is in God who Himself can raise godly rulers with an empathetic heart for justice and equity.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: If I were in a political office, will equity be my watchword?