Tag: Poverty is Not Always a Choice - It Can be a Crime - Proverbs 13

Proverbs 13:23 (NASBStr)

Abundant food is in the fallow ground of the poor,

But it is swept away by injustice.

Proverbs 13:23

The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food,

but it is swept away through injustice.

Tag: Poverty is Not Always a Choice - It can be a Crime

There are many causes for “poor” in society.   Solomon addresses some of them in Proverbs.

1). For instance, God is the maker of the rich and poor:

Proverbs 22:2

The rich and the poor meet together;

the Lord is the maker of them all.

2). God also punished wickedness by removing wealth and needs:

Proverbs 13:25

The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite,

but the belly of the wicked suffers want.

Proverbs 10:2-3

Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit,

but righteousness delivers from death.

The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry,

but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

3).  Being lazy and unfocused can cause someone to be poor:

Proverbs 28:19

Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread,

but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.

4). But, as we see above, in Proverbs 13:23 someone can be poor because of a lack of justice.   In this proverb we see that the poor has, before them fruit.  But, an unjust act makes it impossible for them to experience the harvest they would otherwise have.   We live in a world where oppression of the poor is ignored.   It is easy for us to simply think a person is poor because of their own lack of diligence, foolish choices and/or laziness.   However, there are many poor due to a lack of justice in our land.  We can’t make someone be diligent or wise in their choices.  But, we can make sure the system is just and gives opportunity for all to achieve.   But, in giving opportunity does not guarantee someone will plow the land in front of them.  That still comes down to their choices and commitment.  God made sure that the fields were open to the poor to harvest along the edges of the crops.   Those who owned the land were supposed to leave the edges for the poor.  But, the poor still had to go forth and glean on their own.   In God’s system justice is married to diligence.  It is not just to give someone something they did not work for.  But, it is not just to deny them the opportunity either.