What other scriptures warn against ignoring the needs of the poor? Ezekiel 16:49—The Charge That Still Echoes “Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and complacent; they did not help the poor and needy.” Ignoring the needy was not a side issue—God listed it first when identifying Sodom’s guilt. Scripture keeps returning to that theme. The Law—Foundational Commands • Deuteronomy 15:7-11 — “Do not be hardhearted or tightfisted… open your hand to your brother… Give generously… The LORD your God will bless you.” • Leviticus 25:35-37 — “Help him as you would a foreigner or stranger… Do not take any interest or profit from him.” • Exodus 22:25 — “If you lend money to one of My people… charge him no interest.” Already in the Torah, refusing help is labeled “sin” (Deuteronomy 15:9). Wisdom Books—Blessing and Warning in Everyday Life • Proverbs 14:31 — “Whoever oppresses the poor taunts their Maker.” • Proverbs 19:17 — “Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay.” • Proverbs 21:13 — “Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too shall cry out and receive no answer.” • Proverbs 28:27 — “He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.” • Psalm 41:1 — “Blessed is the one who cares for the poor; the LORD will deliver him.” • Psalm 82:3-4 — “Defend the cause of the weak… Rescue the weak and needy.” The Prophets—Thunder Against Hard Hearts • Isaiah 58:6-10 — True fasting means “to share your bread with the hungry…and not to turn away.” • Amos 5:11-12 — “You trample on the poor… You deprive the poor of justice at the gates.” Judgment follows. • Zechariah 7:9-12 — “Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor… They made their hearts like flint.” • Psalm 109:16 — Condemnation falls on the one “who never thought to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy.” Jesus—The Master’s Own Words • Matthew 25:40-45 — “Whatever you did for one of the least of these… you did for Me… Whatever you did not do… you did not do for Me.” The final judgment hinges on this. • Luke 4:18 — He was anointed “to preach good news to the poor.” • Luke 14:13-14 — “When you host a banquet, invite the poor… you will be repaid at the resurrection.” • Luke 16:19-25 — The rich man who ignored Lazarus “in agony” after death while the poor man is comforted. The Early Church—Living It Out • Acts 2:44-45 — “They shared with anyone who had need.” • Acts 4:34-35 — “There were no needy persons among them.” • Galatians 2:10 — “They only asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.” • 1 John 3:17 — “If anyone… sees his brother in need but has no compassion… how can the love of God abide in him?” Further New-Testament Warnings • James 2:14-17 — Faith without meeting physical needs is “dead.” • James 5:1-5 — Hoarded wealth and unpaid wages “cry out… You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter.” Key Takeaways • From Genesis to Revelation, caring for the poor is treated as obedience to God Himself. • Neglect invites judgment; compassion invites blessing. • God measures righteousness not by excess worship forms, but by practical mercy. • Inaction toward the needy is never neutral—Scripture calls it sin. • The call to remember the poor is constant, urgent, and inseparable from genuine faith. |
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