Feb 11, 2011
There is No Excuse for Poverty? Money as a Tool
This morning I read the tithing and debt laws in Deuteronomy 14-15.
The Israelites had to tithe ten percent of their harvest, but I usually forget what they did with that ten percent. Some years they ate their tithe in front of God. Once every three years they gave the tithe to the Levites and to the poor.
Once every seven years they were commanded to forgive all of their debtors. The following verses drive to God’s heart for his people:
“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, if only you fully obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today” Deuteronomy 15:4-5.
In other words, if the Israelites treat God and one another according to God’s commands, they won’t be in need. In fact, we read in Deuteronomy that God desires prosperity for his people, though it isn’t necessarily the kind of prosperity we usually imagine with huge savings and extra homes.
God’s picture of prosperity is a nation of Israel with everyone having their basic needs met. Some may have more than others, but those with an abundance were tasked with ensuring that their hard-earned wealth was shared. In other words, a surplus was supposed to be given away after one’s basic needs were met.
Americans are touchy about anyone telling them what to do with their money. Tax our paper and tea and you’ll have a revolution on your hands. Literally. Though I think a tea tax would be a touch easier to swallow these days with the popularity of Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks, but that’s a whole other debate. I suppose eBooks and e-mail would nullify a modern day stamp tax.
We’re quite protective of our money.
We learn in Deuteronomy that God’s chosen nation had to be commanded to give their money away, though there weren’t any immediate consequences, only long term ones. God didn’t have an IRS around to sort out their finances. They could hoard their wealth, disobey God, and deny the possibility of his discipline—which is generally what happened.
The Israelites, much like us, were not keen about giving away their money. Even a command from God didn’t work all that well.
Reading this passage today, I’m left wondering what godly justice looks like today. Some folks think the government needs to take over the redistribution of wealth. Others think it should be purely voluntary, leaving the government out of it.
Here’s the problem, both approaches have serious flaws. While a government can effectively extract the funds from people, who knows where it will end up or how effectively it will be used. Corruption and accountability become problems. Then again, a voluntary charity system offers much better accountability channels and effectiveness gauges, but actually collecting the money is tough work.
Very few Christians actually tithe ten percent. In his book The Hole in Our Gospel, Richard Stearns of World Vision paints a breathtaking picture of what Christians could do to alleviate poverty if their giving actually hit 10%. Though we can’t solve the world’s problems by tossing money at them, a lot of basic food needs could at least be met if financial resources were invested in the right food and water systems.
I don’t have any answers here. There really aren’t any big solutions a writer in Connecticut can propose in the grand scheme of things.
But here is something to chew on: Money is not a big deal to God. It comes and goes, and to a certain extent God doesn’t really care all that much about it. We could have a lot or a little of it, and either way, God just wants us to orient out hearts toward him rather than becoming enslaved to money.
God is not opposed to wealth. He’s opposed to wealth as master. God would love to give us pots of money if we could learn that it’s not a big deal either.
When I worry about money, I wonder if I look ridiculous before God. God is the one who can provide and solve my problems, but I’m spending my time asking money to come and take care of them. Money is just a tool. Asking money to fix your life is like asking a hammer to build you a home.
If we can see money as simply a tool that God wants to use, then perhaps we can begin to chip away at poverty with this new found tool that God has given us for our own benefit and the benefit of others.
A good start would be for many churches to just close their doors and gather in a more frugal way by using their monies to support their community instead of using it to support a church building.
I do not know the overall number, but if you took mortgages, interest, debt, maintenance, and utility fees away from the church, I am sure those billions of dollars could be used in a much more loving fashion to help others.
Just a thought.
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I like this line, Ed, and I’m also provoked by it: “God is not opposed to wealth. He’s opposed to wealth as master.”
As you correctly pointed out, the God of Israel wanted everyone in the land to have plenty–enough for their needs and enough to share with the stranger in their midst. I think the “master” in your example may not be “wealth” but rather the desire for wealth. I’ve seen rich people who are never satisfied, and I’ve seen poor people filled with envy and jealously of the rich. In both cases, there would never be such a thing as “enough.”
Well said Ray. The sin associated with money is often greed, though I’m sure envy plays its part as well!
Swanny, good thoughts. When we moved to this area, I read on a church’s web site about their new building that is located in the middle of field somewhere outside of all of the major towns. They basically said, “Now that we have this awesome building, we can minister to our community!!!” My BS-detector went haywire…