"How Can We Address Poverty Among Us?

How do you see your poor? Do you believe that they have earned this? Do you consider them lowly because you don't see the outward blessings of stuff? This is actually a situation the God has created for those who have, for the purpose of giving us an opportunity to keep that which God has given us, more like it is those who have, who are those who earned, meaning that we can lose it all the same way it was obtained? That seems to me to have some truth to it. Is there further evidence? IDK, but I'm willing to look further for it. However, when grace is a part of why we have what we have, then it is no longer earned and not dependent so much on our ability to control whether it remains with us or not. In the meantime please consider how we are instructed to treat the poor among us. This is only an instance or two, by far an exhaustive resource. Do your own study and learn from that.

If what I've written has truth, think about JOB! He was tested by God when he lost everything. This was a great honor that any man should feel honored when it happens to them. But instead how many of us respond just exactly like or even worse than those surrounding him did? Didn't God Himself admonish those of his friends and family when the testing was over? He did. He even allowed Job to have mercy on them and Job prayed

for them.

Job 2:3 For there is no one like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil.

Job 2:9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still maintain your integrity? Renounce God, and die.” 

Job 42:7 It was so, that after Yahweh had spoken these words to Job, Yahweh said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you, and against your two friends; for you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has. Job 42:8 Now therefore, take to yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept him, that I not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has.”

This is amazing really when we think about it from the proper perspective. Read how judgemental Job's friends and family were to him. They just did not comprehend the great love of our Father and our Lord.

Job 2:11  Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come on him, they each came from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and to comfort him. ???? Not really!

Job 4:8  According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity, and sow trouble, reap the same. 

If you think that poverty or lack is among the cursing, look up a word "curse" and see if it more-so refers to sickness and disease not being poor necessarily. The blessing is in the land and our bodies are the land when you realize that we are formed from the dust of the earth.

Are you sick? Has it held you from conducting God's will in your life? Does it keep you in pain all day and steal any real blessings you might have? These are more along the lines we should be looking at when considering what a curse is, biblically defined.

See how Job responds: What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job didn’t sin with his lips. Job 2:10

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Leviticus 25:17-22

17 …you shall not wrong one another; but you shall fear your God: for I am Yahweh your God. The following promise:

​18 “‘therefore you shall do my statutes, and keep my ordinances and do them; and you shall dwell in the land in safety.

19 The land shall yield its fruit, and you shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety.

20 If you said, “What shall we eat the seventh year? Behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase”;

21 then I will command my blessing on you in the sixth year, and it shall bear fruit for the three years.

22 You shall sow the eighth year, and eat of the fruits, the old store; until the ninth year, until its fruits come in, you shall eat the old store.

Verse 17: This is the equivalent of doing no "trespass" upon another soul. This soul is the nephesh and is the seat of our emotions; which is by the olfactory, connected to our adrenal glands which regulates every gland in our bodies. This is why our emotional state is intrinsically connected to our mental and physical well-being and why it is written

Verse 18: In this verse it seems to connect keeping God's statutes and ordinances as a way of keeping safe while dwelling in the land. War is coming to my mind. A perpetual state for Israel? And this being after two thousand years of dwelling in the wilderness. Was it by their great workings of the law or by the great Hand and Power of God that they were allowed to return? That's a question to wait patiently until the end about. At least I will.

Verse 19: The land will respond accordingly to our behavior consistent with the condition of our bodies, it seems here. You can see this as the physical land or the spiritual land. our body. Either way, it is productive and not struck down. However, again, be careful not to judge a man or woman based on these things alone.

Verse 20: Even in our doubt, God has mercy and ensures us that He will provide when we are obedient to His ways. I refrain from saying or calling this "the law' because it has turned into an accusation-fest by those with no clue.

Verse 21: And it seemed that the blessing on the land was in response to their doubt or fear of lack. Is this reminiscent of punishment for lacking faith? It doesn't really look like it. So therefore I question it all as to whether lack is a curse. The way it is laid out, the consensus of belief of this fails to have foundation at least here.

BLESSING

H1293 בְּרָכָה berâkâh ber-aw-kaw'

benediction; by implication prosperity: - blessing, liberal, pool, present

​From H1288: בָּרַךְ bârak baw-rak'

A primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason): -    X abundantly, X altogether, X at all, blaspheme, bless, congratulate, curse, X greatly, X indeed, kneel (down), praise, salute, X still, thank.

Verse 22: This is 3 years of bounty that God provides when He gave an answer to their fear of lack. This is not how we are taught about this type of thing. But this is how it is laid out, once again. Critically think about this.

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Leviticus 25:35-38

This is huge. Um, I'm almost speechless based on how far from actuality we are in regards to how we consider our poor. Especially these days, when even the most well respected believers among us cannot discern from those whose hearts are pure and true, who are one of their own AND from those who seek to use, take advantage of and deceive. It's a real shame! So ask yourself, are you following these ways? Or is your behavior so atrocious that you look toward your poor with total disdain? Seriously check yourselves before you wreck yourselves.

35 “‘If your brother has become poor, and his hand can’t support himself among you; then you shall uphold him. He shall live with you like an alien and a temporary resident.

36 Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God; that your brother may live among you.

37 You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit.

​38 I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.​

Verse 35: .Looking at verses 35 of Leviticus 25 and narrowing in on the word "Uphold" we get an impression of how we are to regard our poor among us. Consider the word below and how it can be used. What do you think the meaning should be based on the context of the text?

UPHOLD

H2388 חזק châzaq khaw-zak'

A primitive root; to fasten upon; hence to seize, bestrong (figuratively courageous, causatively strengthen, cure, help, repair, fortify), obstinate; to bind, restrain, conquer: - aid, amend, X calker, catch, cleave, confirm, be constant, constrain, continue, be of good (take) courage (-ous, -ly), encourage (self), be established, fasten, force, fortify, make hard, harden, help, (lay) hold (fast), lean, maintain, play the man, mend, become (wax) mighty, prevail, be recovered, repair, retain, seize, be (wax) sore, strengthen (self), be stout, be (make, shew, wax) strong (-er), be sure, take (hold), be urgent, behave self valiantly, withstand.

Verse 36: The whole intent of this instruction is to keep the family together. And it is to be honored under the fear of God. Is that to mean that we should fear God itself? I don't think so. I think we are to fear the result or reward either way. Fear keeping it and fear of losing it both int he same way. But not in the sense that most of us have been raised with. Could we say that the fear might be the fear of the downfall of our household when it becomes divide within itself? I'm just thinking out loud.

Verse 37: We're not to gain from our brother's loss. This is a behavior of the god's and not what our Father wants for us. It is this behavior that brings the curse of sickness and disease so-much-so that it interferes with our activities of daily living.

Verse 38: It is God that brings us out of our wildernesses. But it is also God who defines it. What do I mean by that? It takes discernment to be able to distinguish between a blessing situation that is there for the "have's" or perhaps a man or woman is being honored by God in that God trusts that one in the same way He did Job. It's not for me to say but for you to listen. What is the Spirit telling you?

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Deuteronomy 15

4However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you,

5if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today.

6For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.

Verse 4:If we obey Him in these ways, there should be no poor among us at all. This is what the goal is in the New Testament's Apostles Doctrine. This means that perhaps the law here never really did change but because it was not happening the way it was intended, some changes needed to happen. So Yeshua made those changes in the form of "The Apostle's Doctrine"

Verse 5: It was made very clear that no man could then or now keep these commandments while under the old covenant. This is why there was a need to begin with. Did any one soul ever really do this? Yeshua of course yes, this is why He is able to be the New High Priest and make such changes.

Verse 6: Frankly I've not seen this in any nation state that has ever been called Israel, so did Israel ever really obtain this goal? Or has God only blessed with what we've seen so far because of the same "mercy" we see in Leviticus 25, verses 20 & 21? This is becoming clearer as we look into things. I'm just sayin'....