If God were King # 10... We Would Treat Government His Way

            Last week we talked about family.

            Today, we will look at government.

            Bear in mind: neither earthly families nor government will exist in heaven. So what we are discussing concerns bringing heaven’s values into a fallen creation. Whenever creation is ultimately redeemed, government and family will not ascend into heaven.

            Regarding government, there are tensions here on earth:

1. The tension between l iberty versus societal discipline.

            None of us like it when government imposes something on us. That is one reason that churches often thrive when Christians are truly aliens—government intrusion unites people against the government.

            I am all for prayer in schools; I'm just not for organized prayer in schools. The issue is who does the organizing. I've been there when it has been people with whom I have disagreed.

            Nevertheless, a free society requires a moral, virtuous, and I would argue, spiritual people. As John Adams wrote in 1798, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.” Without the discipline of spirituality, democracy downgrades into anarchy.

2. The tension between compassion versus Accountability

            I certainly do not have the answer on this. Where does allowing someone to starve end and allowing someone to sink into despair… in order to find God… begin? I am not sure.

            Having said this, I wrestle with government bureaucracy. A compassionate society as expressed by a people through its government can be good… unless the good will gets bogged by bureaucracy. It is hard to have a relationship with a bureaucracy. You cannot offer compassion without relationship.

            Disclaimer: I’ve adopted a son and daughter through the good work of CPS. Clearly, I am not anti-government.

3. The tension between the world we live in versus the world to come.

            The struggle here is I want to create as much of a utopia as I can while on earth, but this does not always correspond with the purposes of God.

            Sir Thomas More… describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean, called it “Utopia.” The idea we take from that is a place of perfection. Some have pointed out the irony of Moore’s title: “u” or “no” + “topos” or “place” = “no place.” I have not verified this, but I like the idea. We will not find the redemption of the world to come here in this one.

4. The tension between Jesus’ choices for his Kingdom and the reality of government.

            Jesus had the power to overthrow Rome, but he chose not to. Most of Christian history sees the Christian population dealing with governments that are not Christian.            

            The time in history when Jesus came means that we have a template for the way we view government—if societal opportunities are beyond our control.

            On the other hand, the roots of the United States cannot be found in a people who said, “We are going to take over this country.” Rather, it was with a group of pilgrims who were escaping religious persecution, and were allowed the chance to go to an area that was basically remote. They did not try to destroy the Indians.             Fundamentally, they attempted to form their little community and to live in a way that was godly. And as much as anything else, these were the roots of our national government. They happened to have laid the foundation… the ground floor. What happens when you have godly Christian people creating a system of self-rule under the leadership of Jesus as King? You have the roots of democracy.

5. The tension between Jesus God of peace and “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” If I am kidnapped oversees, I want somebody to come save me. That means a police-like action from the military.

            So to say I want to eliminate the military and let America go and trust God and live under the rule of terrorism or of some other oppression… is the equivalent of saying I want to live without a local police force.

8 final thoughts of government from Deuteronomy:

1. God would transcend all.

            I do not see any way a nation can survive without an understanding of God transcending the country. No man is above the law, and the law comes from God.

            Ideally, citizens and government officials would understand that one of the basic and the fundamental reasons we have government is to restrain evil (see Genesis chapter nine and Romans chapter thirteen.)

            As I have mentioned, I do not believe in the church being connected to the state. However, I believe the famous letter that is cited from Thomas Jefferson is, in its context, reflecting Jefferson’s concern that the state would impede itself upon the church rather than the church having unnecessarily influenced on the state.

            However, it does not do the Kingdom of God good to be too closely aligned to the state. It waters down the message of the Gospel and the call to discipleship.

            If the Church marries the nation today, tomorrow she will be a widow. The same holds true for marriage to a political party. The Church transcends the state and the political party, not vice versa. The Church is the reflection of Christ—not culture.

            The state was instituted by God to restrain sin and promote a just social order.

            A theologian I have grown appreciate is actually a French one–Jacques Elluel, and he wrote this (to paraphrase): the Christian who is involved in the material history of this world is involved in it is representing another order, another master (than the “prince of this world”), another claim (than that of the natural heart of man)… Thus he must plunge into social and political problems in order to have an influence on the world, not in the hope of making it a paradise, but simply in order to make it tolerable–not in order to diminish the opposition between this world and the kingdom of God, but simply in order to modify the opposition between the disorder this world and the order preservation that God wills for it–not in order to “bring in” the kingdom of God, but in order that the gospel may be proclaimed, that all men may really hear the good news of salvation to the death and resurrection of Christ.

            Charles Colson said that while human politics is based on the premise that society must be changed or to change people, it is the people who must be changed in order to change society. On the other hand, William Wilberforce changed history in England through setting in motion a series of legislation the stopped slavery.

2. Justice would be a major concern.

            Look at Deuteronomy 16:19, “Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.”

            Everyone's property would be secure, every person would be treated as one made in the image of God, all wrongdoing would be punished but in a way that is consistent with humanity, not dehumanizing the one who is guilty, no false accusations would be allowed, a fair trial would be assured. Equally important, no one shall be above the law, not even the nations top leader.

3. Everyone is treated with the dignity God has given him or her (Deuteronomy 15:12–18, Deuteronomy 24:7, 27:18.) This means that women are to be treated as human beings. This means people will not be exploited. This includes the disabled and the alien (see Deuteronomy 23:19; 24:6, 12–15, 17; 27:18.)

4. Creation would be honored (Deuteronomy 22:4, 6–7, 25:4.)

5. Rest would be assured for each citizen (Deuteronomy 5:12–15.) Each citizen would have at least one day off. I think about the poor people and industrial England and the hours they worked. Seven days a week, sometimes, and twelve + hours a day. It was insane.

6. Government would be concerned for the poor and disenfranchised. Deuteronomy 14, Deuteronomy 15, and others emphasize God’s concern for the poor.

7. Government would hold people accountable. People will be held accountable for the sake of society, and people will be held accountable for their own sake. To not do so would be self-destructive.

8. Government would reinforce God-honoring sexuality. This would be not only for the sake of society, but for the individual as well. Nothing demoralizes society like immorality. There is no structure, people are hurt, and God is not honored by one's physical body. All of this sickens the soul.

            I am typing this quickly. I reserve the right to be wrong. Thanks for reading.

If God were King # 9 We Would Treat Family His Way

               I'll start with this: polygamy was not God's way. Sorry to disappoint you fans of HBO's “Big Love.” God's way was one man for one woman. I have several theories why. Some might even stand the test of time. I'll forego that route for now because you will probably acquire some hints when you look at passages in Deuteronomy. For example:  21: 15 If a man has two wives, and he loves one but not the other, and both bear him sons but the firstborn is the son of the wife he does not love, 16 when he wills his property to his sons, he must not give the rights of the firstborn to the son of the wife he loves in preference to his actual firstborn, the son of the wife he does not love. 17 He must acknowledge the son of his unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double share of all he has. That son is the first sign of his father’s strength. The right of the firstborn belongs to him.

            What is God addressing here? The natural insecurity daddy engenders in his children when he marries more than one woman. If you want a story illustrates this in exquisite detail, see that of Jacob and his wives in Genesis 29–30. In God's nation, stability and security were important. A stable nation consisted of stable homes.

            Even more fundamental to the stability of Israel was this–drum roll, please–the control of the national sex drive. One commentator caught my attention when he wrote this:

sex was a political matter, not just a private one. Purity belonged to the family–and to the nation.

All those passages–like Deuteronomy 22–that talk about the proof of purity (and protected a woman against slander) emphasized at least two points:

1) purity mattered

2) purity mattered–so much so a woman was to be pure when she married

3) purity mattered so much that a husband who married and suffered from “buyer’s remorse” could not divorce his new wife unless he had absolute proof she had come to him impure.

            God considered purity issues public issues in Israel. Case in point: Deuteronomy 22:22–22 If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.

            Adultery merited capital punishment. A man sleeping with another man's wife committed a crime not only against the other husband, but also against the entire community, and against the entire nation. God decreed, consequently, that the nation purge itself of this evil.

            Adultery adulterated that which was to remain un-adulterated.

            Instability undermined society. Infidelity was considered the opposite of fidelity. Curiously, centuries ago people began referring to those who did not believe in God as “infidels.” Infidelity created infidels in a nation.

            Here is where 21st-century American culture diverges. The ideal in Israel assumed that what happened between consenting adults behind closed doors influenced the community at large. If the behavior reflected God standards, society was strengthen. If behavior deviated from God's standards, society was threatened.

            God instructed Israel to consider rape a crime of assault and violence–tantamount to murder. God's teaching on rape was so emphatic that if a man and woman were alone in the country, and no one was around to rescue the woman were to scream at an attack by the man, the rapist was still considered guilty.

            This reality encouraged men to form strategies that allowed them to stand above reproach. The bottom line was that God wanted the people of Israel to love one another in responsible ways. By showing respect for life and sexuality, by maintaining purity, they made themselves distinct from the culture around them. That is to say, they maintained holiness. The greatest demonstration of this was through the family.

            Disclaimer: I do not advocate today laws that call for the stoning of people who sin sexually. Nevertheless, remember that God did not offer these laws to show himself a “mean” God. He legislated in this way knowing that the sexual practices of society, especially a new society and nation, would impact people. Sexual unfaithfulness hurt the faithful. Sexual immorality undermined the morally innocent. Ultimately, everyone lost in sexual sin.

            Now, what about that famous passage out of Deuteronomy 24 concerning divorce? You and I need to understand that Moses’ purpose was not to state the reason about which one might legally obtain a divorce, rather it was to regulate the behavior of a man who had already determined to divorce his wife. Moses did not emphasize divorce; he emphasized what came afterward. Moses focused not on regulating the behavior of the wife; rather, he limited the right of a husband to treat the wife as disposable property. To set aside the former wife like “an ace” tucked away in one's hand to play if needed, was to disrespect the wife. The disrespect hurt a nation.

            Finally, an extraordinary verse: 5 If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married.

            Family was supremely important. In a caring society, people recognized that the normal rules and responsibilities from time to time needed to be set aside to build and reinforce the family. Others would have to assume additional obligations because newly married man must be free to stay at home and bring happiness to his bride.

            Here is the principle–the health of marriage and the health of society are bound together; as one goes, so goes the other.

            Jay Gordon, founder of Gordon-Conwell Seminary, went for a walk many decades ago through a field. In the distance, he saw house. Beside the house, it seemed a man was energetically and frenetically pumping an old fashioned, hand-operated well pump. The man was like a machine. He never stopped, and he never tired. Incredible!

            Yet, as Gordon drew closer, he discovered what he thought was a man was no man at all. Instead, he had seen a wooden figure painted like a man. The owner had wired the pumping arm of this stick figure to the pump handle. Water poured out—not because of the wooden figure. The water was pumping the wooden figure. The water pushed and pulled the arm of the wooden man.

            A commentator has applied the story by noting the God does not desire the opinions of the world to push and pull his people. Rather, he wishes for people to be driven by the word of God.

            Now, returning to the subject of family, so what? Let me offer one application by going on a rant. (I could offer many.)

            I have taught at a private high school. I have taught in public universities and private universities. I have taught in language Institute's overseas. My wife teaches in a public school.

            I don't care if the federal government, if the state government, if the local municipality, if the local school board, if the conservative Republican president, the liberal Democratic president, were to issue proclamations of “No child left behind”, “Every Child left behind”, “Every child passes”, “No child passes”, “TAAKS tests”, “Star tests, ACT, SAT or any other kind of tests, you are not going to have satisfactory education of children—kindergarten through 12th grade—until single men quit sleeping with single or married women, and single women quit sleeping with single or married men.

            Until men marry one woman and stay with her until she dies, and each love the other unconditionally and serve each other unconditionally and raise their children to love unconditionally, serve unconditionally, and to be self-disciplined, optimal education is not going to happen.

            Until society has stability in the family, education will simply be a matter of damage control.

            There–I feel better.

Overflow

[I hope you enjoy a merry Christmas. I am repeating the second most popular post of this series. I first wrote it in November of 2010.]

Take a glass. Put it in a bowl. Take a water pitcher. Fill it with water. Pour water from the pitcher into the glass until the glass overflows with water. Let the over flow fill the bowl. Drink water until your thirst is quenched. If you drain the glass and are still thirsty, fill it again from the pitcher.

After your thirst is quenched, pour water from the overflow (in the bowl) into the glass. Chances are, the overflow will not satisfy like that first drink did from the pitcher.

The gap between having a need and satisfying it can be great. Meeting that need can be a very fulfilling experience—maybe even a very happy one.

Once that need is met, the gap between satisfying a need and receiving emotional blessing is small, maybe even miniscule. You can keep drinking water from the overflow, but it is not going to be an immensely fulfilling experience. (Filling, yes, but not FULfilling.) It will not add greatly to your happiness. It may even create discomfort.

Ever hear that you are supposed to drink eight glasses of water a day? I have rarely tried to do so, when it was not an experience of discipline--even suffering. Some days, I could not even attempt it, unless, I knew I was going to be near a bathroom. My body, after glass three, would say, “Enough of this.” I would feel bloated. Not a good thing.

Now, on a hot summer day, after mowing, I might drink four glasses of water. I needed that much to meet a need. And, oh, did it feel good. Once that need was met, satisfaction dwindled.

You may own one home. If it keeps you dry and comfortable, that need is satisfied and you can’t do much better. Donald Trump owns a few homes—maybe five or ten. Donald Trump is not five or ten times more happy than you.

You may need a billion dollars in the bank, and you may have a billion dollars in the bank. Bill Gates has $55 billion in the bank. I assure you, Bill Gates is not $55 billion happier than you.

Here is my point. Jesus promised us that God would take care of our basic needs and to not worry about them. Most of us, when we worry, are not worried about basic needs; they are being met. Instead, we are worrying about the overflow of blessings God provides.

We are not worrying about getting the drink of water from the glass. That is being provided. We are worrying about the overflow of water in the bowl. 

If God Were King # 8—We Would Treat Justice His Way

             There is a catch-all word in the Bible that describes the heart of God. Here is one of the 200 times it is used in the Hebrew Old Testament: “And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God[1]” (Micah 6:8b.)

            The word is “justice.” In the Old Testament, justice means giving people their rights.

Consider these passages:

“… defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Prov. 31:9b.)

“8 And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: 9 “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. 10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other’” (Zech. 7:8-10.)

            In the time of Zechariah, four groups had no social power: widows, orphans, foreigners, or poor people. They lived from day to day. Today that would include the refugee, the migrant worker, the homeless, the single parent, and elderly people.

            So the justice of the society from the scriptural point of view is evaluated by how the society treats these groups. Indeed, neglect is not only called a lack of mercy but a violation of justice.

            Listen for to the words of Psalm 146:7–9:

7  He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free,

8 the Lord gives sight to the blind,
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
the Lord loves the righteous.

9 The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

            Do these words evoke memories of proclamations of Jesus? I think about Jesus and the book of Luke when I hear them.

            As God plans out his government in Israel in the book of Deuteronomy, he offers his wisdom. Let me present them to you in bullet form:

* God is the defender of the poor.

             In Deuteronomy 10:17–18 we read, “The LORD your God… defends the calls of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the immigrant, giving them food and clothing” (Deut. 10:17-18.) NIV

            While we have passages showing the objectivity of God (such as Deuteronomy 1:16–17, “16 And I charged your judges at that time, “Hear the disputes between your people and judge fairly, whether the case is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner residing among you. 17 Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of anyone, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it”) we never see the Bible describe God as the defender of the rich. Yet, many times he is called the defender of the poor.

            While there are texts in Scripture calling for justice for members of the well-off classes, the number of passages calling for justice for the poor outnumber these 100 to 1.

            Of course, rich people can be treated unjustly. Still, think about history; think about human nature. It is easier to act unjustly toward people without money or social status, who have no means to defend themselves, than it is to act in such a way toward those who can.

            Do you remember (or have you read about) the O.J. Simpson trial? There was a great deal of debated and nervous energy during that time period. Obviously, there were racial overtones. People of all races weighed in with opinions. But now that we have almost 20 years perspective, notice, no one of any race embraces O.J. Simpson. He quickly became an outcast to all of society—the object of derision.

            So what was the fuss all about? The fuss was about money and justice.

            A number of people at last felt vindicated because O.J. Simpson had the means to pay for the best legal counsel costing millions of dollars. Millions felt that O.J. Simpson was guilty, but his legal counsel got him off the hook. And many, who had been frustrated by the perceived “injustice” of the judicial system, felt vindicated. You could almost hear millions of people say, “See! We told you money gets its way in the judicial system.”

            Now, out of the courtroom and back to everyday life in Deuteronomy. Here is another pointed expression of what God thinks in Deut. 27:17 “Cursed is anyone who moves their neighbor’s boundary stone.”

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

18 “Cursed is anyone who leads the blind astray on the road.”

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

19 “Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.”

Then all the people shall say, “Amen!””

* God hates bribes.

            Ever been asked to pay a bribe? If so, you will appreciate the words of Deuteronomy 16:19, “Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.”

            I can't tell you how much it undermines the morale of people when you're traveling in countries where bribes are prevalent. It makes God even more angry. Incidentally, who can afford the bribes that offer the illegal incentives to government officials, lawmakers, and judges? Of course, it is the rich and the powerful.

* God’s good life emphasizes the pursuit of justice.

            What you see in the Old Testament over and over and over again is God's concern about what is happening to the poor. Israel is told that they should keep God's commands so that all the nations of the world will look at the justice and peace of their society based on God's laws, and, consequently, be motivated to give their God glory (Deut. 4:6-8.)

            I find it notable that when Job seeks to justify his life before God, he offers his recollection of how he lived up to these teachings later expressed in Deuteronomy and the rest of the Old Testament. For example, Job 29:11–17:

“11 Whoever heard me spoke well of me,
and those who saw me commended me,

12 because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist them.

13 The one who was dying blessed me; I made the widow’s heart sing.

14 I put on righteousness as my clothing;
justice was my robe and my turban.

15 I was eyes to the blind
and feet to the lame.

16 I was a father to the needy;
I took up the case of the stranger.

17 I broke the fangs of the wicked
and snatched the victims from their teeth.

            (Contemplate also Job 31:13–28.) Job knew this was how you were supposed to live.

            That was then. What is now?

            Today living a life that honors justice means that you assist battered women. You reach out to them.

            You work with those coming out of prison.

            It could also mean respectfully supporting and encouraging the local police department to respond just as rapidly to calls and crime scenes in parts of town that are poorer as those that are rich and prosperous.

            It is a public spirit that watches out for businesses, who are not only cheat and are unethical, but also prey on the poor and exploit them.

            Frankly, justice is one of the reasons I am against the lottery. It is exploitive of the poor. Now, I am not saying that in a free society it should be outlawed; what I am saying is the government—whether it is local, state or federal—should not arouse false hopes and dreams in a person who cannot afford to purchase a ticket (or tickets!) that is statistically worthless.

            In various locales I have seen retired teachers offer educational tutoring opportunities to children from poor families and broken families—families with limited resources that typically generate troubled and uneducated adults. 

* Justice is rooted in the character of God.

            Want to know what God takes delight in? “23 This is what the Lord says:

‘Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
or the strong boast of their strength
or the rich boast of their riches, 24 but let the one who boasts boast about this:
that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’
declares the Lord” (Jer. 9:23-24.) NIV

            The character of God never changes.

           

* Justice in Israel included debt forgiveness.

            One of the most challenging places to look for what God’s society of justice is supposed to look like is Deut. 15. There one finds two verses that seem to be in tension with each other. Look first at verses 4-5, “4 However, 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, 5 if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today.”

            Compare that with verse 11, “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.”

             Now, look at 15:1–2, “At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed.”

            All of this addressed the Israelite who fell into debt. He was to be forgiven those debts every seventh year. Not only were his creditors to no longer demand payment, but they were to release the pledges of collateral taken on account of the debts. Collateral often was using a portion of the land from which produce could have been used to repay the loan. This law of release was a powerful public policy aimed at removing one of the key factors causing poverty–long-term, burdensome debt.

            Now, full disclosure here. I am not a communist. I am not even a socialist. I am not telling you what to do. I realize a lot of variables involved in 21^st century United States public policy. I am just simply reporting, you decide.

            What we should seek to answer is this question: what is the character of God and how does this character relate to government? And how do we live this out?

            Look at some of the following adverbs I have highlighted out chapter 15:

4 However, 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, 5 if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. 6 For 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.”

7 If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. 8 Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need. 9 Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. 10 Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. 11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.

            This policy is more than a handout. (For that matter, it was not even administered per se by the national government—individuals administered it.) What you have here is the call to relate with the poor, walk with the poor, and help the poor until their need is eliminated.

            Look at 15:7–8, “7 If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. 8 Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need.”

            Again, in ancient Israel, the idea was not to offer handouts; the idea was to offer a hand.  Credit was to be extended to the poor to help him become self-sufficient. God's concern for the poor was so strong that he gave Israel a bunch of laws that, in practice, would have severely reduced the amount of people who were poor.

* Having said that, Israel did have handouts!

            Here is another law to help those in need: the laws of gleaning. What that meant was that the farmers and landowners were voluntarily limiting the amount of their profits to help the public good:

 19 When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. 21 When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. 22 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I command you to do this Deut. 24:19-22.)

* Yet, the poor were not to take advantage of the privilege of gleaning:

“24 If you enter your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat all the grapes you want, but do not put any in your basket. 25 If you enter your neighbor’s grainfield, you may pick kernels with your hands, but you must not put a sickle to their standing grain” (Deut. 23:24-25.)

            They were only to take enough.

            Interesting, isn’t it? The rich were to care for the poor, but the poor were not to be greedy, either. The rich were not to be “villains” and the poor were not to be “Robinhoods.”

* Every third year, one tenth of what people made was put in to public storehouses so that the poor, the aliens, the orphans, and the widows would receive them (Deut. 14:29.)

* Every seventh year servants and slaves were to be freed (Deut. 15:12-18.)

* Every 49 years was a year of jubilee.

            In that year, the debts were to be forgiven and the land reverted back to its original tribe and family allotments. It was assumed that some families would economically do better and acquire more land, while others would fare more poorly and would have to sell their property. However, every 50 years the land was to go back to his original owners (Lev. 25:8–55.)

            It is almost as if God was giving the people of Israel a Monopoly game. If you struggled for a year or two, somebody would loan you money to keep you in the game. After 49 years, you put everything back in the box and you would start all over again with what you originally had: two $500s, two $100s, two $50s…

            (If you hate the concept of Jubilee, think about his. Play Monopoly with your kids, beat them badly, and keep the same game going day after day. See how much they like that!)

            Regarding these Old Testament practices, Greg Bloomberg writes, “Here… on average, each person or family had at least once in a lifetime the chance to start fresh, no matter how irresponsibly they could handle their finances or how far they have fallen.”

Summing Up

            Now, again, I am not trying to get all “socialistic” on you. Still, I am saying let’s let the Word of God work on our imaginations. How can we make this a better world, and, in the process, bring more people to Jesus because we are reflecting the character of God?

            Undergirding our view of justice is spiritually committed heart in a material world. “Relationship” must interface with most of the aforementioned activities. That remains the biggest obstacle to government programs. They typically lack relationship.

            You know what is doing more to destroy poverty and the discrepancy between classes in India? It is not the United States handing over to India billions of dollars saying, “Pass this out randomly to your people.” Rather, it is businesses and corporations freely and relationally engaging with the people of India, hiring them to perform important tasks.

            We can joke all we want about the operator in India taking our calls for the consumer product we purchased in the U. S., but ponder this: India is ascending from poverty. The major factor has been relationship and employment, not mindless charity and associative distance.

            The Bible offers principles defining justice; we cannot necessarily enact laws today like those of Israel. (Evidence indicates that Israel itself never practiced the year of Jubilee.) Furthermore, one cannot tie what the Bible says about social justice to any one political system or economic policy. Indeed, there is always tension in trying to pursue justice. For example, balancing between compassion and accountability is hard. Consequently, there is something to be said for two political parties holding the American people in tension. I, like most people, am often frustrated with politicians and government officials. Nevertheless, if we can harness the energy of the political process, allow the poles of politics to assist us in gauging what is a humane, balanced public policy, I believe we can squeeze out of our democracy an effective method of healing people economically sickened by a fallen world.

            Still, this will not be true, biblical justice, and that is where churches come in. No government can address all economic ills just as no medical practice can address all physical ailments. In both cases, you must address the spiritual facet of humanity as well. Any effective governmental policy should recognize the role of religion in the pursuit of justice; that is another blog for another day.

           

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[1] Unless otherwise noted, all passages are out of the NIV.