Blessed to Bless

Deuteronomy 15:7–11 (ESV) “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, 8 but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. 9 Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the Lord against you, and you be guilty of sin. 10 You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. 11 For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’

The faith of Israel was not only determined by her devotion to God in tithes and offerings. They were to be a generous people toward each other as if God truly owned everything they had. The Lord stipulates in Deuteronomy 15 many laws pertaining to the releasing of debts, giving to the poor and freeing ones servants with ample resources so they may get back on their feet. Israel would have poor people in it, but the goal of the law was to remove poverty from within THROUGH the generosity of the people. A nation where the wealthy were generous with the impoverished was the foundation of a strong and vital economy. 

Notice however, that those who became poor were to be LENT to, not simply given to. The answer to poverty is not free stuff. It is the opportunity to earn what others provide for you. This is what many in our world fail to understand. There is NOTHING more valuable to someone than something they WORKED for. The Lord planted a garden FOR man to WORK and KEEP it. The temple and tabernacle was filled with working and keeping. The Lord Himself came and dwelt among us and worked with his hands. Paul was a tent-maker, Peter, James, John and Andrew were fishermen, Matthew a tax collector. God honored and elevated people who understood the value of work. 

It is sad today that many people think giving to the poor is the most important thing we can do for them. I agree that we should give some things to the poor. But what we actually do in ONLY giving them free things or money is rob them of the blessing of seeing their hands produce and accomplish things for themselves and to eventually help others. Who doesn't know the value of an object you worked for, saved for and purchased? Who doesn't see the difference between and home-owner and a renter? Who doesn't love taking care of the good things God has given them? Yes, work can get exhausting, but what else are you going to do? Watch other people live (TV)? Complain about other people's lives (politics)? Or compare yourself endlessly with what others have, do and experience (social media)? That is NO LIFE at all. 

God is giving a national policy that will produce a flourishing economy. Yes, there will be work, but there will also be regular times of release and refreshing. There will be opportunities for those who have struggled to stop struggling and begin afresh. There will be generous employers who set their employees up for success. Israel was to model for the world, that without generosity toward one another as well as to God, we do not thrive. Humans are MADE to give and be generous NOT hoard and keep. All we have is from God for the sake of making each other's lives better. Let us learn this lesson now in an age that spends so much time accumulating we rarely spend time investing in one another.