A Law to Deal With Poverty Jehovah God gave the ancient nation of Israel a body of law that if obeyed would prevent most poverty. Under the Law, every family, apart from the priestly tribe of Levi, received an inheritance of land. The family inheritance was secure because land could not be sold in perpetuity. Every 50 years, all land was to be restored to its original owner or his family. (Leviticus 25:10, 23) If because of illness, disaster, or indolence anyone had to sell his land, it was to be returned to him without payment in the Jubilee year. No family would sink into generations of poverty. Another merciful provision of God’s Law allowed a man who had suffered adversity to sell himself into slavery. He would receive the sale price in advance to pay off his debts. If he had not repurchased himself by the seventh year, he was to be set free and provided with seed and livestock in order for him to start farming again. In addition, if a poor person had to borrow money, the Law forbade fellow Israelites to charge interest. The Law also commanded the people to leave the edges of their fields unharvested so that poor people could glean. Thus, no Israelite would have to beg.—Deuteronomy 15:1-14; Leviticus 23:22. History shows, however, that some Israelites did fall into poverty. Why did that happen? Israel did not obey Jehovah’s Law. Consequently, as in most lands, some people became rich landowners and others became landless poor. Poverty occurred among the Israelites because some individuals ignored God’s Law and put their own interests ahead of those of others.—Matthew 22:37-40.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 00:34:47 +0000
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