Helping the Poor
Leviticus 25:53
“And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigour over him in thy sight.
Helping the poor has always been one of the ways God blesses an individual. Having poor people in a society is not a present day problem, but it is an every generation problem. You are always going to have poor people in your society. The treatment of them may determine whether or not a person has God’s blessings on their life and ministry.
In Leviticus 25, God showed the children of Israel how they should treat the poor. In those days, a poor person would often become a servant to a person to whom they owed money. It was not the same as we would think of slavery, though at times it turned into that, it was more like a person being employed by someone. God showed in this chapter how the poor should be treated. Let me show you what God teaches about helping the poor.
First, don’t treat the poor in a severe manner. The verse above says, “…the other shall not rule with rigour over him in thy sight.” In other words, just because you have the power to hurt the poor, you are not to do so. Just because a person is poor does not give you the right to take advantage of them. It can be tempting at times to take advantage of them because they don’t have the power or the resources to defend themselves, but you will be fighting against God if you do so.
Moreover, you are to treat the poor with dignity and respect. God reminded the children of Israel that they were slaves in the land of Egypt, and He wanted them to remember how they felt when they were slaves. Likewise, if God blesses you and increases your finances, you should never forget what it was like when you were poor. Be careful not to treat the poor in a severe way just because you know they can’t do anything to hurt you.
Second, give the poor a chance to work themselves out of their situation. When a poor person had a bill to pay, they worked for the individual until they paid their bills. I believe God is teaching that you should help the poor by showing them how to make a living through work. There is nothing wrong with giving money to the poor, but that is only a temporary reprieve. The best way you can help the poor is to teach them how to make a living so they will never have to be dependent on others. Teach them how to use their money wisely.
Third, give the poor hope that they can get out of their situation. God set up the year of jubilee to give the poor hope to get out of their situation. In the year of jubilee, all debts were forgiven and every servant was to be freed. God didn’t want the people to have no hope that they couldn’t get out of their situation. Always give the poor hope that they can get out of their situation. Show them the light at the end of the tunnel. When they have hope, they have motivation to work themselves out of their situation.
Always remember that you do have it better than someone else. You may not have much money, but you do have more money than someone else. Learn to treat those who are poorer than you in the right way, and God will be sure to help you. God says in Proverbs 19:17, “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.” If you have pity on the poor by treating them right and teaching them how to work themselves out of their situation, God promises to reward you for your efforts.