Category Archives: The Poor

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The Poor Part 4 – Israel and Poverty


One of the great things we have learned about finances in the record about Joseph is that it is Godly to save money. But there are still some more interesting truths.

The years of great abundance have ended, and the famine has set in.

Genesis 41:55-57 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.

When the people of Egypt came to buy food, at first, they brought in money.

Genesis 47:13-14 And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine. And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.

Notice, the money went to the house of Pharaoh. Since Joseph was the steward of Pharaoh, his job was to prosper Pharaoh which he did very well. The food was not his to just give away.

Now when the money failed in the land of Egypt, Joseph gave them food the next year in exchange for their herds, their flocks and their horses. Then the people offered to sell themselves and their lands to Pharaoh in exchange for food. Thus, they became servants to Pharaoh. After this, Joseph moved them to different locations and gave them food and seed to use for crop planting. As servants to Pharaoh, they were to give 20% of their harvest to Pharaoh each year.

During this time, Joseph’s father Jacob (also called Israel) sent his sons down to Egypt to buy food during the first and the second years of the famine. Some estimate there were about 70-80 people in his household. That would take quite the sum of money to feed that many people for a year. He obviously was not poor.

Eventually, Joseph revealed himself to his older brothers and asked them to tell his father he was alive and living in Egypt, and that Jacob, his father, needed to come down to Egypt since there were five more years of the famine left.

Now this next section has a remarkably interesting verse at the end. It is apparent from reading about Joseph that he was a man with the spirit of God upon him. He listened to God and walked with God in everything he had done so far since being sold into slavery. So, his desire that his father move to Egypt was also a very wise move on his part.

Genesis 45:7-11 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not: And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast: And there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty.

As a man that walked with God, Joseph states that he did not want his father, Jacob, to come to poverty, and God had the writer of Genesis write that desire down. We can assume that it was God’s will to see Jacob prosper even in the worst of times. As other records show, Jacob’s prosperity had come from God. (Genesis 31)

Pharaoh was very blessed with Joseph, and when he learned that Joseph’s father, Jacob, was coming to Egypt, he sent wagons to help them come.

Genesis 45:17-21 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land. Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours. And the children of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.

During the time of the famine, the priests of the Egyptian gods were taken care of by Pharaoh.

Genesis 47:22 Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands.

Pharaoh also took care of Joseph’s family. Jacob was to be nourished as were the priests during the famine. Pharaoh, by way of Joseph, gave them the best of the land in Egypt, the land of Goshen, and then Pharaoh paid Jacob’s sons to be herdsmen for his flocks. He must have been incredibly grateful for all that Joseph had done to preserve his country.

Pharaoh’s love for Joseph and his father, Jacob, can be seen in the services held for Jacob at the time of his death.

Genesis 50:6-9 And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father, according to as he made thee swear. And Joseph went up to bury his father: and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, And all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father’s house: only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen. And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company.

God knew there was a famine coming, so he sent Joseph to Egypt as a man who believed God to take care of his father and to watch over the Christ line. God had a lot invested in Jacob, and Jacob was a man who believed God and walked with God himself. Thus, God took care of those that believed Him.

In the Gospels, Jesus never stated that poverty was a virtue. We have seen many places where God says it is His will for His family to be wealthy and prosperous. This record reminds one of what Jeremiah the prophet wrote:

Jeremiah 17:7-8 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Because of the lives of those men that believed God, you can see in these events that Egypt and the nations around her were blessed and saved from certain death because of the famine. Jacob and Joseph’s trust in God spared their lives and, as a result, saved the lives of thousands and thousands of people in that area of the world.

So, remember that your life is a blessing to many as you believe and trust God even though they may not be aware you are born from above.

Remember to watch and pray for those around you, your family, your country and the economic situations that arise. Your trust in God may be a blessing to people far beyond what you know. Understanding wealth and God’s desire for you to prosper, understanding God’s instruction to save money, having the right understanding of the “poor” and becoming financially literate is a result of acquiring the wisdom that is all part of living The Prosperous Life.

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The Poor Part 3 – Joseph


In our overview of how the poor were dealt with in the Bible, we want to remember what happened in Egypt during the famine.

I never understood how saving 1/5 of the crops each year during the good years could sustain all those people for seven years. I felt like I was missing something in the numbers.

Let’s read the record again.

Joseph was one of the sons of Jacob (Israel). His brothers hated him because Jacob had named him (the youngest) his heir. So, they sold him into slavery. He was sold to Potiphar and became his steward.

Genesis 39:1-3 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

When his master thought Joseph had sinned against him, he committed Joseph to prison.

Genesis 39:20-23 And Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison. But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper. (See Psalm 1:1-3)

It would appear that life was against Joseph. But the record establishes that Joseph walked with God, and God made everything he did to prosper.

Genesis 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.

Pharaoh needed someone to interpret his dreams because the dreams troubled him greatly.

The chief butler told Pharaoh that a prisoner (Joseph) had interpreted his dream when the butler himself was in prison.

So, Joseph was brought before Pharaoh.

Genesis 41:8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

Genesis 41:15-16 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

Joseph knew where the interpretations came from and gave God the credit rather than puffing out his chest with, “Yep, you got the right man!”

Genesis 41:17-36 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river: And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow: And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness: And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine: And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So, I awoke. And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good: And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them: And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me. And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh. Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous. And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.

Joseph rose to the top of the kingdom just like he became the top of Potiphar’s house and the top man in the prison.

Genesis 41:37-42 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;

Genesis 41:46-47 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.

The “handfuls” the land brought forth were an extreme abundance. Those “handfuls” were enough that 1/5 or 20% of the crop was enough to feed Egypt, the land of Canaan, and all the other countries that came to buy food for one year. That was repeated for seven years. The ground produced a huge abundance.

Genesis 41:48-57 And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number. And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended. And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.

Note here that neither the grain nor the gain belonged to Joseph; they both belonged to Pharaoh. Pharaoh was saving the grain, but it was a tax on the people. The tax was 1/5 or 20% of what they produced in very abundant years.

Genesis 41:43-45 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.

When the years of famine came, Joseph sold the grain to the people. Joseph cannot be condemned for selling the grain to the hungry or the poor of the land rather than giving it away because it was not his to give. All the profit was Pharaoh’s. Joseph’s actions did not bring him personal gain at Egypt’s expense. His duty was to further Pharaoh’s interests. He was a steward to Pharaoh. His job was, in part, to see Pharaoh prosper, and he did.

Another interesting point is that by Pharaoh being so prosperous it literally saved the lives of the Egyptians and many other people including Jacob (Israel). Otherwise, they would have starved and been blown away by the desert sand. So, by Joseph prospering Pharaoh, it literally saved the lives of the poor.

Having just passed April 15th and annual income tax returns and payments, most of us might be inclined to think that the Egyptians got off too easily. Who among us would not settle for a mere 20% tax?

Joseph accumulated one fifth or 20 % of the crops of the land during the abundant years. That left four-fifths or 80% of a bumper crop for the Egyptians. Should they not have been storing up grain for the famine as well as Joseph? But they thought the years of plenty would go on and on. Why not spend some of this excess profit? Buy a bigger house, another car, a new boat, and some lakefront property! The Egyptians, I believe, were informed that hard times were coming. They must have known the purpose of the 20% tax, yet they failed to prepare for them.

So, here we have a class of people that, after great abundance, became poor because they failed to save their money, i.e., crops during the years of abundance. God’s solution that He gave Joseph by revelation when Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream was to sell the people the food — not give it away, not provide food stamps, but to sell it. Interesting! God’s solution to the problem of the “poor” seems to vary depending on the circumstances.

Now, it is quite common that as our income goes up so do our expenses.

Ecclesiastes 5:11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?

In the early 1980’s there was quite an economic downturn, but just before that the economy was booming. One old man I talked to after the economy fell apart said, “I told those kids not to spend all that money. But did they listen? No! They just kept spending like this would last forever. I told them things change. Now they are having to sell those cars, and they are losing that rental property, etc.”

Things do change. So, we do not live in fear, but with the wisdom of God to save the prosperity He gives us so that when the downturns do come, we will be able to come out on top.

I saw people that had saved their money buy $350,000.00 homes for $150,000.00 because the banks were under orders from the Fed to dump the repos.

Proverbs 10:4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

Proverbs 21:20 There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man spendeth it up.

The 20% that was stored up in the cities was enough to feed all Egypt, the land of Canaan, and the other countries that came to Egypt to buy food. Those seven prosperous years were extremely abundant. I had never realized how great the good years were and thus why 1\5 or 20% could have provided so abundantly.

Another question this record now answered is about saving money. When it comes to tithing, giving or sharing of your abundance, we have the standard set in the old testament of 10%. Now we have a number for saving – 20%. Remember, this was revelation given to Joseph for a specific situation, but it is a place to start if you are looking for a percentage.

In the Church Epistles, we are instructed to give as every man purposes in his heart. We are not under a law, but the Old Testament now gives us an amount for starting to give as well as to save. For some, it may have to be a goal, but at least get started. When it comes to finances, some people advise to give 10%, save 10% and invest 10% which, apparently, is close to biblical.

The seven good years must have been a HUGE bumper crop each year. Think. If 20% could provide for all those people and countries, could the Egyptians have saved 20% each for their own families against the famine? That would have left them 60% and they could have lived very well on that 60%. But instead, they must have spent all they brought in. Many of us do the same.

There is more to see in this record the next time we think again on The Prosperous Life.

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The Poor Part 2


The attitude that it is wrong for a Christian to accumulate wealth has been around for centuries. It has been commonly believed that the truly pious or humble have renounced all worldly goods to find favor with God. To enter into the good graces of God, one must give all to the church or give away all worldly goods to the poor.

Here are a couple of quotes from the early church fathers:

You are not making a gift of your possession to the poor person. You are handing over to him what is his. Ambrose of Milan, 340-397.

The bread in your cupboard belongs to the hungry man; the coat hanging in your closet belongs to the man who needs it; the shoes rotting in your closet belong to the man who has no shoes; the money which you put into the bank belongs to the poor. You do wrong to everyone you could help but fail to help. Basil of Caesarea, 330-370 A.D.

Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours but theirs. John Chrysostom, 347-407 AD

These ideas come from misreading or wrongly dividing our understanding of many scriptures first of which is Mark 10:17 ff.

Mark 10:17-31 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

The problem is that most people that read this record quit in verse 25 and never read the rest. Not reading all the context sometimes causes great mistakes to be taught for truth.

And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.

Notice that the man’s problem was not that he was rich but that he trusted in those riches. His possessions and prosperity, not God, came first in his life. He served the world, trusted in riches and loved his money more than he loved God. This is always a problem.

Also note that if he had been willing to give it all away and put God first, God would have given it all back one hundredfold. So, the issue was not that he was wealthy, but that he trusted in his wealth.

(An interesting note here: Abraham was very wealthy as was Job and many others, but they did not have the problem this man had. They trusted, loved and kept God first, not their possessions. So, when it says Jesus loved him, he saw what the man’s problem was and offered him the solution.

If the man had heeded it, God would have given it all back and much more. Abraham did not need to do that, neither did Job or many others. This was just for that man. It is a lesson not to trust in anything other than God. It is a lesson to keep Him first. Then you do not need to do as this man needed to do.)

Psalm 35:27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.

If we keep God first in our hearts, love Him and trust Him, He will add to us all that we need. What we need is what God has promised in His Word and what He will do for those that put their trust in Him.

Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

According to Bishop K.C. Pillai from India, a teacher of oriental customs and mannerisms of the Bible, the word treasures here is put for your thoughts. We are to keep our thoughts on things above not on things of the earth. For where your thoughts are, there will your heart be also.

As with the rich young ruler, God’s will is to prosper you, but He wants to know where your heart is. As long as we keep God first in our life, we will be storing up treasure in heaven.

Another record that you hear many times is this one in Luke:

Luke 12:13-21 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Notice that Jesus is teaching about covetousness, the over-desire for material wealth. There is no problem, as we have seen, with God prospering us, but when that becomes the focus of our life, we are out of bounds. So, the man tearing down his barn to build bigger in this parable was used to illustrate covetousness. The application of the parable is for those who do not keep God first in their lives.

If we are to understand what God has said about prosperity and the poor, we need to read exactly what His Word says and read it in the context and then apply it correctly.

We have no need to be envious of what others have, even if we should have had part of it, such as an inheritance. Why? God has promised to supply our needs and fill our homes with His treasures so that we have no need of going to the law to force others to give us something.

Keeping God first is the first and greatest of the fundamental principles of prosperity. Practicing these principles of prosperity should be such a part of our lives that we barely think about it. Then we can spend our days keeping God first and prospering in this life He has given us.

We saw in Part 1 that it is not God’s will for any of his children to be poor. But God also pointed out that there will always be the poor with us. We also saw how God has provided for the poor and how we are to help them. But nowhere does He instruct us to give all we have to the poor. We also saw that the accumulation of wealth can be greatly beneficial to the poor. We could lend to them, give to them and provide them with jobs.

To manifest the prosperity He desires for us, we need to keep him first, operate the principles of prosperity He has laid out in His Word. We need to cast off the old ideas that religion, politics, and society have taught us and cling to the truth of The Word. As we do these things, we cannot but help manifest The Prosperous Life.

This subject is dealt with in more detail in the book Poverty vs Wealth available on Amazon.

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The Poor Part 1


Part of the Prosperous Life is concerned with holding up old religious ideas to the truth of God’s Word and scrutinizing them to see if they still hold water.

Some Christians feel that it is altogether wrong to accumulate money/wealth for any reason.

One author wrote: “Many of the Jews of Jesus’ day thought that prosperity and spirituality were inseparable. In our time, it is just the opposite. We are frequently told that we can not prosper or have a savings account while there are others who have less than we.”

If we were all to give away everything above what we needed for our weekly expenses, just living from paycheck to paycheck, we might end up being classified as the poor ourselves and then who would there be to give to us?

So, an overview of the usage of the word “poor” as used in the Bible might be helpful.

First, I want to establish that It is God’s desire that none of His children are “poor.”

Deuteronomy 15:4-6) However, there shall be no poor among you, since the LORD will surely bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, if only you listen obediently to the voice of the LORD your God, to carefully observe all this commandment which I am commanding you today. For the LORD your God shall bless you as He has promised you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.”

But God also made it clear that while this was His promise, this ideal would never be fully realized:

Deuteronomy 15:11 For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore, I command you, saying, “You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.”

Jesus Christ also said, “for the poor always ye have with you; …” (John 12:8).

Although God say there will always be the poor among His children that was not His will. God makes His will known in the following verses.

Deuteronomy 8:18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

It takes money to build, maintain and run churches.
It takes money to build universities where young people can learn to study the Bible.
It takes money to build hospitals, schools and retirement centers for the elderly.
It takes money to support missions and send Bibles to other parts of the world.
It takes money to give to the poor.

This money does not come from the poor –THEY ARE BROKE!

Ecclesiastes 6:2 A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

The wealth was taken from him by some governing body or pressure from society and given to someone that did not earn it. God says that is evil.

Ecclesiastes 5:18-19 Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.

Hopefully, that is enough to understand that God has no problem with His children being wealthy. In fact, He says He gives us the power to get wealth and it is a gift from Him.

Now there are different types or reasons for the poor of the Bible, and the word “poor” is used in more than one way.

First, In looking at the subject of the “poor,” It might help to clear up a couple of verses. In the lands and times of the Bible, the term “poor” could also mean humble. As in the following verse:

Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

In Rev. Chris Geer’s work on “Pneuma,” he noted that this usage of poor (in spirit) was an idiom/figure of speech that meant humble. God did not mean that the kingdom of heaven or God as in the next verse belonged to or was reserved for the destitute beggar on the street but it was reserved for those that are humble enough to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Luke 6:20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

In looking at the poor, we need to realize that there are different types of poor people in the Bible.

The lazy or idle:

In the book of Proverbs, it is often repeated that prosperity is the result of diligence, while poverty is the result of idleness:

Proverbs 10:4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Thessalonians:

2 Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

When the lazy get hungry enough, they will go to work as in Proverbs 16:26:

Proverbs 16:26 He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.

To those who are willfully poor, that is, those who will not work, we have no obligation but to instruct them and let their hunger prod them into working.

Widows:

Widows were to be taken care of by their families. In the culture of the Bible, they did not/could not work, so their husbands were charged with the responsibility of providing enough for their wives to retire on in the event the husbands passed on first. The relatives of the widows were next in line to take care of many of them, and thus the church was not charged with their support.

1Timothy 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

But still there were some widows in the number of believers that had no support, so the church took care of them.

1Timothy 5:9-10 Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man, Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints’ feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.

One of the ways in which God took care of the poor was to require the landowners to not harvest the corners of their fields so that the poor and the widows could come and gather grain for themselves.

Leviticus 19:9 Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest

This is how we find Ruth gleaning in the field of Boaz (Ruth 2:2ff). One author I read wrote: “In our time, we are sometimes encouraged to harvest the grain for the poor, thresh and grind it, bake it and deliver it hot and buttered.”

Having the poor work for some of their subsistence, like gleaning grain for themselves, left them with some dignity, whereas welfare as we know it today, provides for no work or dignity for the welfare recipient.

Boaz in this record as a wealthy man provided work for the laborers, as well as places for the widows and poor to glean for their own support.

Debt

If a person became poor because he owed too much money, he could be sold into servitude to pay off his debt.

Leviticus 25:39-41 And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant: But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubilee: (occurred every 7 years) And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.

Some people are just poor.

Perhaps it is because of physical injury, poor money management or because economic conditions turned against them.

God offered help or a way out to some of these people also.

Leviticus 25:35-36 And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live (in the same country with you because he is a foreigner) with thee. Take thou no usury (charge him interest on a loan) of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.

Here we are told to lend to the poor but not at interest. Note that it does not say cosign a loan at the bank. Proverbs explicitly tells us not to do that! Note that it is difficult to lend to the poor if you have given away all your wealth!

God also instructs us to give to certain of the poor with no expectation of repayment. But God never instructs us to give ALL He has blessed us with.

Ephesians 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

Proverbs 22:9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

Proverbs 28:27 He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.

The accumulation of wealth is frequently a great way to help the poor. Remember Boaz, a very wealthy man, helped the poor by allowing them to glean in his fields. Joseph stored food in Egypt so that when the famine came, he helped the people to survive and not starve and be blown away in the desert sand.

This is a short overview of the poor, but we have seen that God provides for them to be taken care of in different ways. It was not His will for any to be poor, but He knew they would be there until the end times.

We have also seen that God has given us the power to get wealth, but He expects us to be givers. At the same time, He does not expect us to give ourselves into the poor house. He needs people that know how to manage their finances to the end they accumulate wealth in order to establish His work on the earth.

In the next blog we will look at the rich young ruler that Jesus told to give all he had to the poor and come follow him and verses such as that.

Ideas that are commonly believed and taught amongst Christians need to be examined in light of the scriptures if we are to manifest The Prosperous Life God intends for us.

Proverbs 21:20 In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has NIV