God will reward the poor?

[timeandeternity]

Throughout the Old Testament (esp. the Psalms), there are verses that talk about how God will fill the hungry, bring the poor and oppressed out of their condition, give the destitute a good life and many provisions, etc. That’s not the case, though–think of the millions who die from starvation and poverty. Think of the Christians in Haiti and their trust in God–yet many of will never have a better life. Think of the poorest of the poor in India, China, South America.
I know I must be missing something in these verses; I just can’t figure out why the Bible would repeatedly make these kinds of statements. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[tbcrawford]

Hello timeandeternity when I read your post I thought of the Beatitudes.The meaning throughout the Old Testament of feeding the poor refers to placing our trust in the Lord and to seek the kingdom of heaven.The message being look to the next life where there will be no hunger or poor,in the menatime ion this life we are to love our neighbour and give to the poor.

In The Beatitudes, the message of Jesus was one of humility, charity, and brotherly love. He taught transformation of the inner person. Jesus presents the Beatitudes in a positive sense, virtues in life which will ultimately lead to reward. Love becomes the motivation for the Christian. All of the Beatitudes promise us salvation - not in this world, but in the next. The Beatitudes initiate one of the main themes of Matthew’s Gospel, that the Kingdom so long awaited in the Old Testament is not of this world, but of the next, the Kingdom of Heaven.

While the Beatitudes of Jesus provide a way of life that promises salvation, they also provide peace in the midst of our trials and tribulations on this earth.

St. Augustine called the Beatitudes the ideal for every Christian life!

THE EIGHT BEATITUDES OF JESUS

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure of heart,
for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
(Gospel of St. Matthew 5:3-10)

Further Bible passages referring to this

Luke 12:33. “Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys.”

Is 41:17. The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them Myself, as the God of Israel I will not forsake them.

Luke 6:20-21. Blessed are you who are poor, for yours in the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

James 2:5. Did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

There are many Bible quotes on this but they are referring to the next life

 

[sovegna_vos]

^ great post

 

[GEddie]

Throughout the Old Testament (esp. the Psalms), there are verses that talk about how God will fill the hungry, bring the poor and oppressed out of their condition, give the destitute a good life and many provisions, etc. That’s not the case, though–think of the millions who die from starvation and poverty. Think of the Christians in Haiti and their trust in God–yet many of will never have a better life. Think of the poorest of the poor in India, China, South America.
I know I must be missing something in these verses; I just can’t figure out why the Bible would repeatedly make these kinds of statements. Does anyone have any ideas?

The Scriptures you recall are not describing the world we have now; but rather, the world or life to come.

Remember that in many of the same places in the Hebrew canon, the Scriptures also promise “life forever” (Psa 133); “death [to be destroyed] forever” (Isa 25:8); etc. These promises of life everlasting are not presently fulfilled; and often occur in association with the verses concerning poverty. Poverty is not presently ended, and we are not alive forever. These promises will be fulfilled in the future.

The same tension you see in Scripture versus the world we have now is the same tension that the people of the OT saw in their life. Human beings could live an altogether blameless life and still become victims of nature, of official corruption, or of armed conflict; and such griefs were often not compensated in human life. Later, this sense of loss became collective in the collapses of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah; personal virtue brought nobody home from Babylon; and in any personal case, human death made any restoration impossible.

Over time, this led to an expectation that a renewed life would restore the losses of human life; the dead bones would rebody, breathe, and return to the promised land (Ez 37). Even death would be compensated. We see this fulfillment, of course, predicted in the NT, where Lazarus is comforted after a life of dispossession, in the arms of Abraham. And we can hope for better; we have the arms of our LORD to look forward to. For more than 99.9% of us as Christians, Mount Zion in Asia has never been our home; but the heavenly city will be.

The tension you see between the world and the Scripture is true. But it is the tension between “now” and “not yet”.

God Bless and ICXC NIKA.