Key Text: The poor shall never cease out of the land; therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to the poor, and to thy needy, in thy land (Deuteronomy 15:11).
Moses gave the Israelites specific instructions for living in the Promised Land, which included guidelines for worship, dietary restrictions, avoiding idolatry, and treatment of the less fortunate. In other words, those rules (the Mosaic code of civil and religious laws) would govern them and touch every area of their lives.
At the end of every seven years the people were granted release of their debts. However, a foreigner who stayed temporarily in the land was still responsible to pay his debts. God provided the roadmap to reduce or eradicate poverty in the land, “for the Lord will greatly bless you in the land” v 4. The fullness of that blessing would be contingent on the completeness of Israel’s obedience. The attitude of the Israelites toward the poor in their community was to be one of warmth and generosity. It is important to note that disobedience toward the Lord meant that there would always be poor people in the land of Israel. Jesus repeated this truth in the Gospel of Matthew. If the debt enters default, an alternative repayment of servitude would substitute for that repayment. The Hebrew slave would serve his master for six years following the sale, with freedom being declared in the seventh year. When a slave had completed his time of service, his former owner was to make ample provisions for him so that he would not begin his state of new freedom in destitution.
Concern for the needy is based on the concept that men are a “Brotherhood Under God.” Christianity emphasizes that all men are brothers and the needy, called “children of the Lord,” are of the one God. Jesus identified himself with the poor: “For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink (Matthew 25:42)…As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me v 40. Poverty is a vexing problem of history, it makes for class struggles, ideological and political conflicts, and even revolutions. The solution seems to be religiously-based and lies in unreserved service to God, an act of mercy, lovingkindness, and justice. AMEN!
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