God instructed Israel to care for its people's well-being. Israel's covenant (special agreement) with God and its view of itself as a large family helped prevent claims to privilege. A family should support members in need. These members included widows, orphans, the poor, and foreigners (Exodus 22:22; Leviticus 19:10).
Farmers must leave the edges of their fields and leftover crops for the needy (see Leviticus 23:22). People in poverty should not be exploited. Instead, they must give loans without interest, or the debtor could work off the debt respectfully as a hired worker (Leviticus 25:35–42). These actions guaranteed the poor had food to eat.
The Bible first shows concern for the poor by adjusting the offering system for those who cannot afford expensive offerings. People could use birds instead of lambs for the whole burnt offering and the sin offering (Leviticus 1:14–17; 5:7–10). There were also other adjustments in the cleansing ceremonies (14:21–22). The most notable change is allowing flour as a substitute for the sin offering (5:11–13). This change meant the offering no longer symbolized giving a life for a life. This was done to help people who could not afford animals. This plainly shows God's desire for the poor to experience forgiveness of sins even if they cannot afford a lamb.
This theme continues with the prophets' concern for the poor and helpless. They called for social justice and compassion (for example, Isaiah 1:17; Amos 2:6). The prophets spoke strongly against those who oppressed the needy (see for example, Amos 4:1–3; Amos 8:4–8). God did not accept the people's elaborate worship practices if they were guilty of injustice and oppression at the same time (see Isaiah 1:15–20; Micah 6:6–8).
Proper attitudes and actions toward God and others are more important than worship ceremonies. This idea appears in the gospels' story of the poor widow’s offering. Jesus praises her offering not for its monetary value, but for the devotion it shows (Mark 12:41–44). Religious practices could even prevent helping those in need (see Mark 7:9–13).
Jesus and the early Church showed concern for the poor. Jesus said his mission included bringing hope to the poor and freeing the oppressed (Luke 4:16–21). He warned against ignoring the poor (Luke 16:19–31). He said helping the poor was necessary for his followers (Luke 18:18–23). Following Christ's teachings, the early Church made sure to care for those in need (Acts 2:44–45; Acts 4:32–37; 1 Timothy 5:3–16). Like the prophets, they believed mistreating lowly people made religious practices meaningless (1 Corinthians 11:17–29; James 1:27–2:17).
God cares for the poor, a theme found throughout Scripture. Christians should adopt this same perspective towards those in need.
Passages for Further Study
Exodus 22:22–27; 23:6–11; Leviticus 5:7, 11; 14:21–22; 19:9–10; 23:22; Deuteronomy 10:17–19; 15:4–11; 16:9–12; 24:6–22; 26:12–13; 27:17–19; 1 Samuel 2:8; Psalm 10:13–18; 35:10; 68:5; Proverbs 14:31; Isaiah 1:15–17; Amos 2:6; 4:1; 8:4–7; Micah 6:6–8, 12; Mark 12:41–44; Luke 6:20; 14:12–14; James 2:1–17