More than charity

In a recent Sunday school class titled 'God and Mammon', our teachers outlined the nature of the Old Testament tithes.

1. Pre-Mosaic Tithing: In these accounts, tithing is voluntary, occasional and mentioned only briefly (Genesis 4:1-4; 14:18-24; 28:16-22)
2. Mosaic Law Tithes:
   
1. The Levitical Tithe: giving for the Levites, who served in the temple (Numbers 18:21; Leviticus 27:30-33)
2. The Festival Tithe: giving for the celebration of the festivals (Deuteronomy 14:22-27)
3. The Poor Tithe: giving every third year for the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless and the widow (Deuteronomy 14:28-29; 26:12)
   

What stood out to me was how little of the tithe God has marked out for the poor. Every third year a tenth was to be set aside for the alien, the fatherless and the widows. That would hardly suffice to carry them through the next three years until the next tithe for the poor.

The poor tithe was extraordinary care for the poor, as it did not happen often. So what were the ordinary mechanisms of care for the poor?

1. Leaving the margins: (Leviticus 23:22)
   

   “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.”

   God ordained a way for his covenant people to live that provided for the poor in a way that placed responsibility with the poor. It preserved both their dignity and responsibility, and was their provision, as in the case of Ruth.
2. Lending to the poor: (Deuteronomy 15:7-8)
   

   "If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be."

   Lending, like leaving the gleanings, imparted both dignity and responsibility to the poor. It was not to be for interest (Exodus 22:25), but neither was it a handout. The expectation was that the loan would be repaid, except at the year of release (every seventh year).

I believe that if we are to address poverty in a manner consistent with the gospel, we must move beyond charity to consider how to do conduct our business in a way that leaves the margins, and lends to the poor.