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The last thing the poor need is to
be abandoned, left to languish in
squalor and hopelessness. Instead
they need a helping hand to get back
on their feet, or to get on their feet
for the first time, to become self–
sufficient members of the communi–
ty. This help may include personal
instruction so that t he mistakes
made in the past that brought on the
poverty can be avoided in the future.
" 'You shall open your hand wide to
your brother, to your poor and your
needy, in your land,' " God com–
mands (Deut. 15: 11 ).
" Biessed is he who considers the
poor," the Bible emphasizes; "the
Lord will deliver him in time of
trou ble" (Ps. 41 :1) . God is the
Champion of the truly poor and
needy. He also promises to liberally
bless any who help the underprivi–
leged. He has bound himself to
repay what is given: " He who has
pity on the poor lends to the Lord,
and H e will pay back what he has
given" (Prov. 19:17) .
Unfortunately, in today's society,
people are often suspicious and hesi–
tant about helping those who appear
to be needy. There are indeed sorne
who are poor because of simple lazi–
ness. There are those who could
work, who could better themselves,
but who prefer to live off handouts.
Instances of welfare cheaters and
social parasites have turned people
away from caring for the truly
deserving. God's program does not
tolerate laziness and dishonesty.
" If
anyone will not work, neither shall
he eat," the Bible declares (11 Thess.
3: 1
O).
All the more reason to shift
the responsibility for caring for the
needy from huge impersonal govern–
ment agencies, which have no way of
assur ing that help is going only to
the deserving, to individuals who
know their neighbors and who are
able to keep up personal contact with
them.
God's plan includes providing for
the needs of the elderly who can no
longer support t hemselves (and
most of them would prefer to be
able to!).
A Plan wlth a Heart
The Israelites of old failed to prop–
erly a nd consistently implement
God's economic program. There is
no record in all history of any other
nation doing differently either. But
June
1983
God's plan will form the basis of
the economic and social structure
of the world tomorrow, whether the
nations like it or not. Here's how
God 's plan works in detai l.
A vital point to understand is
brought out in Leviticu s 25.
Huma n beings were meant to
maintain an attachment to the land.
Severing that tie has been a serious
mista ke. There's far more than a
mere sentimental connection be–
tween humans and the earth. We
are made out of the earth's dust.
Wi th a few special exceptions for
specific purposes, each of us was
meant to have a piece of the earth,
a paree! of land, an inheritance all
our own. lt was to belong to us
until death, at which time it would
become the lifelong inheritance of
someone else in the fami ly.
What is the solution
to the dilemma
posed by the new
poverty? ... Clearly the
welfare programs
of this
world .. . have not
solved the problem.
Because individual possession of
an inheritance is fundamental to
God's economic system , it is
obvious why no nation would allow
God's program to be put into effect.
But if life were lived according to
God's way, each person would have
a piece of tax-free land to live on or
to fall back on in an emergency if he
were to be living elsewhere. This
title to land would be a person's
minimum
ultimate worth.
A landowner could make im–
provements upon the land and build–
ings associated with it and so raise its
value, and thus his own worth and
living standard. He would have every
incentive todo so, for he would not
be taxed on the value of the property.
He would be expected to pay God a
fl at 10 percent (called a tithe) ofany
profit made (minus business ex–
penses, of course). And any nation so
doing would have God's divine pro–
tection against an enemy nation.
What a far cry from the crushing
income and property taxes levied in
today's world.
A person under God's system
could never sell his land perma–
nently (Lev. 25:23), but he could
"sell" his land for a limited period
of time. In the modern vernacular
we would refer to th is as a Jease
ar rangement. Every 50 years a
Jubilee year was to be proclaimed
national ly (verses 8-17). An inheri–
tance could be "sold"-leased
out--only until the Jubilee year.
That year it would once again re–
vert to its rightful owner.
A person who leased out his land
could get it back befare the Jubi lee,
however, if he so desired. He could
repossess it any time he wanted it
by canceling the lease and paying a
fair price to the person to whom he
had leased it. Thus a person could
never be permanently deprived at
the very least of a tax-free ttouse
and home. This is the way it will be
in the world tomorrow, for in order
that "everyone shall sit under his
vine and under his fig tree"- a pic–
ture ·of the peaceful conditions of
the age to come--it will be neces–
sar y that everyone have his own
piece of land (see Micah 4:4).
What a different world that will
be! Of the masses crowded together
in today's spraw ling cities, few
people outrightly own real estate.
Most are renters and have little to
fall back upon in hard times. T hose
who are making mortgage pay–
ments are only a little better off.
They have sorne equity. But in hard
times they too can lose their land
througb foreclosure, just as the De
Marcos did. Even those who own
land fre.e and clear can stilllose it if
they are ever unable to find the
cash to pay the taxes on it.
More He lp
The biblical plan given to ancient
Is rael contains numerous additional
guidelines for dealing with personal
economic situations.
1f
a person leased ou t his land,
then needed to huy it back but did
not have the money to do so, he
could appeal to his relatives for
he lp in re purc hasing it (Lev.
25:25) .
Any money that is loaned to
those in need, as opposed to that
which is loaned for investment pu r–
poses, was to be interest-free, nor
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