God of the Poor, Needy and Oppressed

Why do should we help the poor, feed the hungry, cloth the naked, help the needy and oppressed in our society?

The answer lies in the person of the God that we believe in and serve, in His very character.

The God of the Bible tells us about Himself.

2 Key propositions

1. Our God is always at work to this very day. (John 5:17).He is a God who delights in exercising kindness, justice and righteousness in the earth. He is therefore, very concerned with the plight of the poor, needy, helpless and oppressed.

2. We who are his followers are expected to follow him and be like him. We are commanded to help those in need.

These propositions find their support in the Old Testament and in and through the person of the Lord Jesus.

I shall refer to many portions of scriptures which support both propositions and let them speak for themselves.

Very central is the fact that He is a God of righteousness and justice.

Jeremiah 9:23-24

This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength Or the rich man boasts of his riches,

But let him who boasts boast about this:

That he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight” declares the LORD.

Psalms 33:5

The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His unfailing love.

Psalms 89:14

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;

Love and faithfulness go before you.

Psalms 103:6

The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

He is very concerned about justice and righteousness. To do justice is to practice of what is right and just. Justice specifies what is right, not only as measured by a code of law, but also by what makes for right relationships as well as harmony and peace. The English term justice has a strong legal flavour. But the concept of justice in the Bible goes beyond the law courts to everyday life. The Bible speaks of “doing justice” whereas we speak of “getting justice”.

In that sense to aid the poor and needy is not just an act of charity, but an act of justice, doing what is right and just and promoting harmony and peace. It is referred to as distributive justice.

As early as in Genesis, God had required Abraham to do what is right and just. (righteousness and justice in NKJV). It is significant to note that the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham was conditional upon Abraham doing what is right and just.

Genesis 18:19

For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.

Proverb 21:3

To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.

Psalms 82:3-4

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked

Isa 1:17

Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

Zechariah 7:9-10

This is what the Lord Almighty says: Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.

Moving on,

Jeremiah 22:16 (scripture on what is equated as knowing God)

He defended the cause of the poor and needy and so all went well. “Is that not what it means to know me?” declares he LORD.

Psalms 146:7-9 ( one of the clearest scripture on helping poor, needy and oppressed)

He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.

The LORD sets prisoners free, the LORD gives sight to the blind,

the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous.

The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow,

But he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

Psalms 12:5

“Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise” says the LORD.“I will protect them from those who malign them.”

Psalms 35:10

My whole being will exclaim, “Who is like you, O LORD?

You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.”

Psalms 113:7-8

He raises the poor from dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;

He seats them with princes, and with the princes of their people.

Proverbs 19:17 ( God identifies himself with the poor)

He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.

Proverbs 22:9 (blessings)

A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.

Psalms 41:1

Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble

Proverbs 22:22 (warnings)

Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court.

Proverbs 21:13 ( warning)

If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.

Proverbs 31:20 ( proverb on the wise woman)

She opens her arms to the poor and extends her arms to the needy.

The heart and character of God is further seen in the emphasis he placed on certain groups of people considered disadvantaged and helpless, ie the orphans, widows and foreigners.

Psalms 68:5

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.

Lev 19:33-34

When an alien (foreigner) lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

(There are many other scriptures on widows, orphans and aliens)

The heart and character of God may be seen in the laws He gave to Israel

Beginning from the Old Testament, God revealed himself to Israel when He gave laws to prevent great inequality of wealth and to ensure that the physical needs of the poor are met.

In the Law, God set up certain structural requirements to prevent poverty and that promotes peace if obeyed, for example,

The Jubilee (Leviticus 25),

Every 50^th year, land to be returned to original owner and slaves released. The reason for the return of land is because the whole earth belongs to God and the Israelites only tenants.

Sabbatical year legislation (Exodus 23:10-11)

For 6 years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, but during the 7^th year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.

Cancellation of Debts (Deut 15)

Every 7 years. Should be no poor in the land. If there are poor, not to be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Be open handed and freely lend him what he needs.

Vs 7-11

If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be open handed and freely give to him whatever he needs. Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The 7^th year, the year for canceling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill toward your needy brother and give him nothing. He may then appeal to the Lord against you and you will be found guilty of sin. Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart ; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be open handed toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.

Tithings (Deuteronomy 14:28-29),

All the tithes at the end of the 3^rd year are for the Levites, aliens, fatherless and widows.

“At the end of every 3 years, bring all the tithes of that years produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands”.

Interest free loans (Lev.25:35-36),

Giving of interest free loans to countrymen who became poor

Gleanings from fields and orchards (Lev.23:22; Deut. 24:19-22)

.

When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the Lord your God. (Lev 23:22)

What happens to Israel is example for the other nations. The right of the people to have is subjected to the right of the poor to have their basic needs met. This was because the whole earth belongs to God himself.

How does the Lord feel when some have so much and some do not have at all? We can now have an idea how the Lord feels towards those in poverty, suffering injustice, under oppression, those helpless and cannot defend themselves.

And if we think , this is a non-christian. Do we help him? Does He care less for a person just because he is a non-Christian. No. God delights in showing His loving kindness to all His creation. God is active in the world. The whole world belongs to him. He is kind to the righteous and the wicked. He loves all of us when we were yet sinners. We were all fearfully and wonderfully made in our mother’s womb. He loves all therefore He cares for all.

God’s Dealings with cities and nation of Israel ( as seen in the Prophets)

The city of Sodom was judged partly because of its failure to aid the poor and needy.

Ezekiel 16:49

Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.

In Isaiah 58 God told the nation of Israel that they seem to be eager to draw near to Him. God told the nation of Israel what true fasting He is seeking for.

Isa 58:6-7

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

To loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke

To set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry

And to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-

When you see the naked to clothe him

And not to turn away from your own flesh and blood.

In Amos, God’s justice is seen when He passed judgment on the nation of Israel due partly to their terrible mistreatment of the poor.

Amos 2:6,7a)

This is what the Lord says:

For 3 sins of Israel, even for 4, I will not turn back my wrath

They sell the righteous for silver,

And the needy for a pair of sandals

They trample upon the head of the poor as upon the dust of the

ground and deny justice to the oppressed.

When Israel was oppressed in Egypt, God delivered them. When the Israelites oppressed their own, God turned against them and pronounced judgment on them. God refused to accept their worship and offerings. Here is what God said.

(Amos 5:21-24).

I hate, I despise your religious feast; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, and righteousness like a never-failing stream!

Micah is the prophet of the downtrodden and exploited people of the Judean society. He prophesied during a time of great social injustice and boldly opposes those who impose their power upon the poor and weak for selfish ends. This book emphasizes the integral relationship between true spirituality and social ethics.

Micah 6:8 –

‘He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.’

Micah 6:8 summarizes what God wants to see in His people: justice and equity tempered with mercy and compassion, as a result of a humble and obedient relationship to Him.

New Testament

In Jesus, we see the manifestation of who God is. Jesus said in John 5:19 that He can do nothing by Himself. He can only do what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

What did Jesus do?

His assignment was spelt out in clearly in Luke 4:18-19.

His mission was to preach good news to the poor and free the oppressed and heal the blind. The poor are the only group specifically singled out as recipients of Jesus’ gospel. Certainly the gospel He proclaimed was for all, but He was particularly concerned that the poor realize that His good news was for them. Jesus’ actual ministry corresponded to the words of Luke 4. He spent most of His time not among the rich and powerful in Jerusalem, but among the poor in the cultural and economic backwater of Galilee. He healed the sick and blind. He fed the hungry.

At the supreme moment of history when God took on human flesh, the God of Israel was still liberating the poor and oppressed and summoning his people to do the same. That is the central reason for the Christian concern for the poor.

We need to take note of some of the things that Jesus spoke on:

· Jesus told the Pharisees to give to the poor and not to neglect justice and the love of God. (Luke 11:41-42)

· The parable of the rich man and the beggar Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). The rich man did not go to hell because of his wealth but because of his failure to meet the needs of Lazarus. The rich man was pointed out as one who completely ignored and neglected the physical needs of poor Lazarus. He was totally indifferent to the poor man who was right in front of his eyes.

· In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus identified himself with the hungry, thirsty, homeless, naked, the sick and those in prison. He separated the obedient believers from pretenders and unbelievers. Those who failed to meet those needs ended up in eternal damnation. (from notes to these scriptures found in Life Application Bible (NIV) ). This parable describes acts of mercy we can do every day that does not depend on our wealth, ability or intelligence.

The real evidence of our belief/faith is the way we act.

(James 2:14-17)

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way faith itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

True faith will lead to action. Jesus demands our personal involvement in the caring for others.

· Perhaps the most comprehensive commandment on caring for others is the commandment to love our neighbour as set out in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) We are commanded to show mercy on those we come across who are in need. In fact in using a Samaritan as the hero, Jesus is teaching that we are to love others and meet their needs irrespective of their race, social standing, religious beliefs or any other factors.

Conclusion

Knowing now the character of God and His requirements and commandments, we, whether individually or corporately as a church, can no longer walk pass by the needs that we see. Let us heed the words of Jesus to the lawyer in the parable of the Good Samaritan “Go and do likewise”. Let us show mercy to those who are in need.

One final word, evangelism and good works must necessarily go together, the Great Commission together with the Great Commandment. We are to do good to others because we love them and because we truly love them we want them to be saved.