Remember the Poor-2

What does God require or the poor, the family, and society at large? More specifically, what does God require of us? We will start with what does He require of the poor.

Leviticus 19:10 '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.

The landowners were to allow the poor and needy to glean their fields during and after their harvests. They would have to go and pick up what had fallen or missed. Plus, the landowners were to not harvest from the edges of their fields so the poor could work to provide for their families.

Proverbs 28:19 He who tills his land will have plenty of food, But he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty.

Far too often, the poor don’t really enjoy or feel the need to work.

Ephesians 4:28 He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.

In this case, stealing seems easier than work, but it is in direct violation of God’s Commandments. Yet, you see mass thefts all around the U.S today. Basically, these gangs just overwhelm and over power the retailers and run of with carloads of goods. They then decry that Walmart should not be allowed to leave their neighborhoods.

2 Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.

This important precept is never mentioned in churches or in the public square. If you can’t or won’t work, you will be given all you need to survive with no questions asked. This doesn’t create better fathers, mothers, or children.

1 Timothy 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

The family is quickly fading out of relevancy in our world. The world tries to remake and redefine just what constitutes a family today. God’s family is composed of a husband and wife who provide for their children and are ready to help those in their extended family. They would never let their parents starve to death or force them into appealing to government or other agencies for help. Honoring you father and mother includes caring for them as they age.

More next Saturday.