Provide for the Poor

"Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the Lord your God." -Leviticus 19.9-10

These last two posts have hit on social issues, and this one seems to be heading along the same lines. With this I want to point out that I am merely following the Biblical text and sharing what God is revealing to me. It is my desire to communicate His will and character in order to help make holy people. And so with that being said, Leviticus 19.9-10.

God is teaching His people not simply what to do in the moment, while they journey in the wilderness, He is also preparing them for how to live in the land. In Egypt they were slaves, they had nothing. But now they are free and in Canaan they will have land of their own. They will work the land, planting crops, and when the time comes they will harvest them. But when they go to harvest their crops they are not to collect all of them. The aren't to reap the entire field, but to leave the very corners there. When the bulk of the crop has been brought in, they aren't to go back over the field and pick up all of the good stuff that was missed the first time.

When they come to the vineyard they aren't to pick up all the fruit that has fallen off of the vine. They aren't to take every usable cluster of grapes. Instead they are to leave this behind in the field intentionally for those who are needy, or strangers in the land. This is sort of God's welfare system.

I have no problem with helping the needy. I remember a couple years ago around Christmas seeing a story on the news about a single mom in Chicago that was working a couple jobs and still struggling to provide healthy meals for her kids and buy a few Christmas gifts. I have no problem helping people like her, people who are trying but simply can't do it on their own. These are the people that welfare is for. What I do have a problem with is people who do nothing but collect welfare, while I work my tail off so they don't have to.

God's system does not approve of this. In the new Testament we will see that it says if a man doesn't work, he doesn't eat (2 Thessalonians 3.10). This system set out in Leviticus 19 required work from the needy. Those with the land weren't to collect the crops, bundle it up, and deliver it. They were to leave it in the fields so they needy could go and collect it. God didn't create us to be lazy, and He doesn't permit it among His people.

Men, are you working? Maybe you aren't making enough and you need help, and that is ok. There is no shame in that. I've been in that situation before. My wife and I were going through some rough times financially due to unemployment and underemployment. We were trying our hardest, but still struggling. I got to the point where I had no where to go and I ended up asking a couple church people we had met in our time of ministry for help (I hated having to do it) but they came through for us, and gave us more than we needed. Another time we faced the issue of losing a vehicle we were still paying on. This time one of the pastors at church told us about the help that might be available for us, and again, godly church people came through and helped us. If you are working and trying, there is no shame in asking for, and accepting, help. Sadly, we as men don't like to do that.

Maybe you aren't in the position of need. Maybe you fall into the category of the land owner. What are you doing to help the poor and the needy? I realize what the world is like. When I was at the church people would call and ask for money all the time. One time I had the same guy call twice, a couple of months apart, and give me the exact same story, almost word for word, about needing help. We can't help everyone, at least I can't, so how do we tell those who really need it from those with good sob story who are simply looking to make some easy money? I think we look to God for guidance and simply do what He leads us to.

Are you willing to leave some of what you've worked so hard for "out in the field" so that the needy, who are willing to work, can survive? Are you willing to provide for the poor?

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor