Oppressing the Poor

Prov 22:22 Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: 23 For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.

The oppression of the poor was clearly prohibited in the kingdom of Israel. The Father made it clear that no one should oppress the poor or the stranger.

Ex 22:21 Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Ex 23:9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Dt 24:14 Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates: 15 At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the LORD, and it be sin unto thee.

This last passage in Deuteronomy hits particularly hard in the culture we live in today. Look at the number of people who rely on their paycheck to make it another day. How do the rulers oppress them? Tax burdens and fees and costs to move forward at all. How many have been a part of sin in oppressing the poor?

In the tenth psalm, a discussion of the evil of oppression and how the wicked does not know that God will require it of them is followed by this admonition:

Ps 10:17 LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble:

thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed,

that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

Amos and Micah also have a word from God about oppression in the latter days of the kingdom of Judah. Clearly oppressing the poor does not turn out well.

Amos 4:1 Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria,

which oppress the poor, which crush the needy,

which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.

2 The Lord GOD hath sworn by his holiness,

that, lo, the days shall come upon you,

that he will take you away with hooks,

and your posterity with fishhooks.

Micah 2:1 Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds!

when the morning is light, they practise it,

because it is in the power of their hand.

2 And they covet fields, and take them by violence;

and houses, and take them away:

so they oppress a man and his house,

even a man and his heritage.

Because of their rebellion, Jeremiah prophesied of the nation of Judah's coming destruction. One of the things he clearly pointed out was the oppression of the stranger and the poor, here noted as the fatherless and the widow. He called them to repent and return to right doing.

Jer 7:5 For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; 6 If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: 7 Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.

Jer 21:12 O house of David, thus saith the LORD; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

Ezekiel joins in to describe the conditions which got Israel to the point of captivity. First is the parable of the son and his father. A call to do right and a precursor to understanding that every man will be judged for his own iniquity. The iniquity here is the oppression of the poor, one who will not do it contrasted to one who does.

Ezek 18:14 Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father's sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like, 15 That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour's wife, 16 Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment, 17 That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live. 18 As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.

Ezek 22:29 The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.

Ezek 45:8 In the land shall be his possession in Israel: and my princes shall no more oppress my people; and the rest of the land shall they give to the house of Israel according to their tribes.

Finally we hear the admonitions from God about amending the ways of the people of Judh and Israel as they move out of captivity and the chastisement of God.

Zech 7:9 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying,

Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother:

10 And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor;

and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.

Mal 3:5 And I will come near to you to judgment;

and I will be a swift witness

against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers,

and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages,

the widow, and the fatherless,

and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me,

saith the LORD of hosts.

6 For I am the LORD, I change not;

therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

So how does this apply in the New Covenant? The oppression of the poor continues. Matt 18 gives an admonition to carefully consider how you treat the children of God and then talks about offenses. The whole chapter speaks of offences and the uncaring attitude that many have for the poor. It pays to read the whole chapter multiple times.

Matt 18:1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. 6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

And lastly the call from James not to follow in the same manner of sin as Israel did.

James 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

So therefore hear the Lord God as he declares that we should not give ourselves to offense towards one of these little ones.