November 27
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. (31:8–9)
HUMAN RIGHTS. Does the Bible give us a basis for believing in human rights? Yes, it does. Here King Lemuel is being urged to defend the rights of the poor and needy. Rights translates a word that simply means a claim. Genesis 1:26–27 tells us God made all human beings “in his image.” Because of this, every human life is sacred and inviolable (Genesis 9:6), and every person has a dignity and worth that must be respected. James 3:9 says that even to curse someone made in the image of God is a great sin, as is showing favoritism to the rich over the poor (James 2:1–9).
According to the Bible, then, your neighbor comes into your presence with certain claims on you. Negatively, she has the right to not be assaulted, defrauded, or killed. Positively, she has the right to be treated with fairness and respect. These verses again show us it is the poor and needy who cannot assert those rights without help. Perhaps they cannot speak for themselves because they aren’t instructed enough in the complicated ways of the law, or they can’t speak the language well enough, or they are too poor to get good help and counsel. We must champion the causes of those who do not get a fair hearing in courts of law or of public opinion.
Think of a way you could speak for those who cannot speak for themselves, then do it, knowing that Jesus speaks for you before the Father.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are my advocate (1 John 2:1). You speak for me before the throne of God to which, otherwise, I would have no access. Now, Lord, show me how I can be an advocate for the poor and marginalized. Give me the wisdom to know how to help them get justice. Amen.
November 28
If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength! Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done? (24:10–12)
THE DAY OF ADVERSITY. It always costs time and money to do justice (November 27). And yet there are times when doing justice really costs. These verses talk about a time of trouble—literally, “the day of adversity.” In times of crisis, from recessions to government coups, the most vulnerable are most endangered, and to defend them puts you in the way of harm as well. During World War II many German, French, and Dutch families saw their Jewish neighbors being led away to death and slaughter. Many afterward claimed, “But we knew nothing about this.” Yet they were guilty because they did not want to know, for fear of what it might cost them. Similarly, when Kitty Genovese was attacked and left to die on a New York City street, neighbors hearing her cries ignored them out of fear. Viktor Frankl, who survived the Nazi death camps, described how many moral, upstanding citizens turned into collaborators with the enemy in order to survive. These situations can reveal the deep selfishness in our hearts that we otherwise keep hidden. “The true test of a person’s strength or mettle is adversity; almost everyone can survive the good times.”228
How are you building your character and your relationship to God now, so that you will be able to do the sacrificial thing when the time comes?
Prayer: Lord, yesterday I asked you to give me the wisdom to be an advocate for the marginalized, but today, I ask for the courage. Give me such grateful joy for what it cost you to be my High Priest, that I will sacrifice for those who have less of the world’s goods and power. Amen.
November 29
An unplowed field produces food for the poor, but injustice sweeps it away. . . . The poor plead for mercy, but the rich answer harshly. (13:23, 18:23)
POVERTY AND OPPRESSION. What causes poverty? As we have seen, the Bible’s view of economics does not fit neatly into the current liberal or conservative models (November 7). Some reduce the causes to unjust economic and political systems while others to a failure to build healthy families and live responsibly. In contrast to both, the Bible sees a matrix of interacting causes.
In these two proverbs we see that poverty can indeed be caused by unjust social conditions. 13:23 speaks of a field so fertile it grows food without cultivation. That represents any wealth-producing asset. Yet injustice takes these assets away and makes the person poor. These conditions cause the poor to plead for help, and 18:23 rightly observes that, in general, those with power and wealth tend to blame the poor for their condition. We take far more credit for our prosperity than we should. When we flatter ourselves that our assets are the result of our work, it leads us to believe any lack of such assets must be the result of laziness. But though David had come to his wealth through enormous risk and effort, he recognized it as fully a gift of God’s grace (2 Chronicles 29:14). When we refuse to see or hear the pleas of the oppressed, we are unlike God, who always does (Psalm 28:2,6, 34:6).
Where is there a crying need in your town or social circle that you could be meeting?
Prayer: Father, my heart wants to take full credit for my financial standing and security. Open my eyes to see that my bank account—if there is anything in it at all—is there only through your manifold gifts. Let my generosity to the poor be as unstinting and manifold as your generosity to me. Amen.
November 30
All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast. Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil. Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred. . . . Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice. . . . Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud. . . . Better the poor whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse. . . . What a person desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar. (15:15–17, 16:8,19, 19:1,22)
POVERTY AND CHARACTER. Unjust social systems are often the cause of poverty. Examples include unjustly low wages (Jeremiah 22:13), loans with excessive interest (Exodus 22:25–27), a legal system in which the wealthy get far better outcomes than the poor (Leviticus 19:15), and social prejudice against immigrants or minorities (Exodus 22:21, 23:9). There are few societies in which these conditions have not existed.
And while there is poverty caused by foolishness, Proverbs insists that poverty is not always shameful. In every poor population there are many of strong, even blameless (19:1) moral character who have been swept up in the complex forces that create poverty. These “better than” proverbs show that it is quite possible to be poor and still a man or woman of love rather than hatred (15:17), of humility rather than pride (16:19), of righteousness rather than injustice (16:8), and of honesty rather than lying (19:22). But the well-off should not indulge self-justifying fantasies of the “happy” poor. There is always a misery and wretchedness (15:15) around poverty that all who love God will want to remove (Psalm 41:1).
Compared with those who are truly poor, most of us are wealthy in the eyes of the world. How are we being judged as believers for our use of the resources God has given us?
Prayer: Lord, it is easy for us who are not poor to indulge in self-justifying fantasies about those who are. Prevent me from either feeling superior to the poor or forgetting their pain. Any of these attitudes will make me a bad neighbor to those in need. Amen.
December 1
Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished. (17:5)
POVERTY AND MISFORTUNE. A third cause of poverty is disaster. Notice that to mock the poor and gloat over disaster is the same thing, because so often poverty is caused by some kind of calamity or catastrophic event. The most common, especially in ancient agrarian societies, was famine (cf. Genesis 47). Most people were subsistence farmers, and if weather conditions wiped out just one year’s crop, poverty could be immediate and the family’s very life was at risk
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But there is an almost infinite number of other circumstances that can create poverty. There are floods and fires, disabling injuries and crushing medical bills, the death of a family’s main breadwinner. There can also be slower-moving disasters, such as a town’s economy going under when the local mines or oil fields are tapped out. Some countries are richer and others much poorer because of differences in natural resources. Believers must never look at those with worse circumstances and quietly gloat over our better ones. Christians must weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15).
How does compassion for the poor express itself in your life?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, in this world there is spiritual, moral, and physical devastation everywhere. Your mission of salvation was the ultimate disaster response, and you are the ultimate rescue worker. Help me and my church to never become hardened to the constant reports of catastrophes that need our generosity and help. Amen.
December 2
Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. . . . Whoever loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich. . . . Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags. (10:4, 21:17, 23:20–21)
POVERTY AND RESPONSIBILITY. As we have seen, Proverbs promotes hard work and frugality and rightly observes that, in general, these qualities usually lead to some degree of prosperity (10:4). It is true that poverty can be caused by a lack of self-discipline or the inability to endure delayed gratification (21:17). Tragically, addictions can also be part of the iron cage of poverty (23:20–21).
But in many cases all the factors we have discussed—oppression, calamity, responsibility—are tightly merged and intertwined. A person born into a poor community is likely to experience poor health and social pressure to dabble in crime and drugs. He or she may not have literate parents and so enter pre-K at a marked disadvantage for future learning. The schools in these neighborhoods are often of low quality. Some will rightly point to the unjust social systems at play, and others will rightly point to the breakdown of the family. But in any case, we can never fault the children themselves. And so we should show the poor compassion (14:20), never contempt (17:5).
Do you need to confess any ways in which you have believed that the poor have brought their poverty on themselves by their agency alone? What have you deserved at the hands of God for your sins? What have you received?
Prayer: Lord, if you had come to earth in order to save only those who did not bring their spiritual poverty upon themselves, you could have saved yourself a trip! Though we did not ask for your help, or deserve it, you extended it, at great cost. Help me extend my help to people in need in the same way. Amen.
December 3
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. (3:27)
WHAT YOU OWE YOUR NEIGHBOR. The word good here refers to tangible material goods. Do you have an elderly acquaintance who can’t afford to clean her own house, or neighbors who can’t afford college for their kids? If you have more worldly goods, it is your responsibility to share. Why? The phrase to whom it is due translates a single Hebrew word that means, simply, the “owners.” The needy, then, have some claim on your assets.
The world is God’s, and if he has given you more of it to steward than someone else, that does not mean it belongs wholly to you. Like any steward, you must use the true owner’s wealth as he wishes it to be used. God loves everything he has made (Psalm 145:9) and especially those who “fall and . . . are bowed down” (Psalm 145:14). To quote Basil the Great (AD 329–79), “The bread which you keep belongs to the hungry; the coats in your closet, to the naked; those shoes . . . to the shoeless; the gold you have hidden . . . to the needy. Therefore, as often as you were able to help others, and refused, so often did you do them wrong.”229
What possessions of yours belong to others? How will you get them to those people?
Prayer: Father, my culture tells me that my money is all mine. But this day’s reflection shows me that is wrong. Drill this truth down into my heart so I can walk in the way of your Son, who scattered his wealth to others with both hands. Amen.
December 4
Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless, for their Defender is strong; he will take up their case against you. (23:10–11)
FATHER TO THE FATHERLESS. It remarkable how often God is introduced as “a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows” (Psalm 68:5). When you are introducing yourself to someone, you ordinarily mention your vocation: “I’m John Doe, and I’m a physician in town.” This tells people what you spend most of your time doing in public life. So when God is introduced as Defender of the poor, it shows that it is one of the main things he is concerned about in the world.
It is not easy for modern people to realize how revolutionary this was. In ancient societies, the gods were especially identified with the upper classes. People assumed that the elites were the most virtuous and so were divinely blessed with power and wealth. Job’s friends believed this too, that God was on the side of the prosperous. How astounding to have a God who instead identified with the powerless and worked for their interests! When Job said that he “rescued . . . the fatherless who had none to assist them” and “made the widow’s heart sing,” he was simply seeking to imitate God (Job 29:12–13).
Do you know and care for any widows and fatherless? If not, why not?
Prayer: Father, the more I read through your Word, the more struck I am by how often and how strongly you talk about the poor and call us to do justice for them. Lord, help me to love more the things that you love! And show me how I too can be a defender. Amen.
December 5
One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge and puts up security for a neighbor. (17:18)
HELPING THAT DOESN’T HURT. In a society not based on capitalism, the majority of loans were not business investments but given to friends and neighbors to relieve need. In such a situation, while the motivation may be admirable, to give a loan when the neighbor will never be in a position to pay it back shows no sense. Many churches have offered loans to poor people from church funds, and when they could not repay, the results were destructive. People in the church felt deceived, and the poor family was shamed and alienated. Better to have made it an outright gift. It is easy, when trying to help those in need, to show no sense, and make things worse.
On a larger scale, there have been well-meaning schemes for helping poor neighborhoods that have led to unsustainable dependency or uncontrolled gentrification and angry people. We must help but not make things worse. Merely throwing money at a problem can soothe your conscience, even if it does more harm than good.
How can you grow in practical wisdom so that your helping does not hurt?
Prayer: Lord, I tell myself I care about the poor, but it hasn’t affected my lifestyle or my relationships. I know it takes much wisdom to help in a way that is fruitful—but give me that wisdom and show me those ways. Amen.
December 6
The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern. (29:7)
SOCIAL CONCERN. The word care translates a Hebrew term that means to search out a matter, to do exhaustive research. The term for justice literally is “the claims.” To be righteous, according to Proverbs is to know the specific kinds of problems and needs that the poor face in your region, as well as their rights, needs, and opportunities. This is far more (though not less) than collecting food or toys for families at holidays.
And here we see that it is not only wrong to directly exploit and trample on the poor. To even simply have no . . . concern for the poor, to just fail to pay attention to their needs, is wicked! If you (perhaps) make an occasional contribution to charity but you don’t give your mind and heart to furthering justice for the poor in your region and s
ociety, you are not one of the righteous. You are too concerned with your own affairs, happiness, and advancement.
Are you, by this definition, righteous? Are you researching for ways to lift up the poor in your community?
Prayer: Lord, “the poor” exist in my mind as a faceless entity, and so I can’t begin to know how to help. Send me instead some friends who, with me, can see the faces of actual poor people with concrete needs, so I can see a way forward for answering your call to care about justice. Amen.
December 7
The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends. It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy. . . . Wealth attracts many friends, but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them. (14:20–21, 19:4)
NEIGHBORING. We seek relationships on a cost-benefit basis. With the rich we want to be as close friends as possible; the poor we don’t even want living in our neighborhood (14:20). It hurts real estate values! And relationships with poor people don’t benefit us. So they are shunned.
Our social systems quarantine the poor. We protect ourselves from the impositions that their needs would bring upon us. We force them to live all together, so that the poor have no neighbors with the resources and connections to be kind to them. This, of course, only deepens poverty. Whole neighborhoods and communities of the poor lack what is called “social capital,” the informal networks of friends and colleagues who trust one another and share goodwill and assets by making referrals, offering free advice, opening doors, and entering into partnerships with one another. Again we see that to turn our backs on the poor of our municipalities, avoiding them and maintaining their isolation, is not just being uncharitable. It is a sin (14:20).
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