“However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you,”
Deuteronomy 15:4 is placed right in the middle of Moses’ all important second address to the Israelites. The purpose of this address was to refresh the memories of the people and give them a clear direction before they entered Canaan. In fact, the statutes contained therein were specifically tailored for Canaan drawing direct contrasts between God’s ways and the way of pagans. Moses gets very specific with the laws in this section giving the Jews practical directions for living amongst the heathen. Deuteronomy 14:22-15:12 outlines some financial rules which will ensure a blessed life for all the people. They would greatly need these laws in Canaan because,
“The additional stipulation about debt cancellation also envisions more clearly a people who are about to move into a more complex, highly developed society in which economics will play a larger role than before. This will include the accumulation of equity, financial security, and the borrowing, lending, and investment of money.”1
says Hamilton.
It seems that God had a financial plan for his people that would ensure prosperity for all. His intent, in verse four, was that there should be no poor among the Israelites and it is clear that strict adherence to God’s financial laws meant blessing for everyone no matter what their status was. Thompson agrees when he says of verse four,
“It is here affirmed, in keeping with the general view of Deuteronomy, that complete obedience to Yahweh and to His commandments would result in the bestowal of divine blessing.”2
I believe that Yahweh was commanding his people to have a heart of giving. This was all going to be possible because the land which they were entering was to be a ‘land flowing with milk and honey’ (Exodus 3:8), an allusion to Canaan’s natural wealth.
This verse appears to suggest the Utopian ideal of literally having no poor within the Jewish society. This was, in fact, an entirely feasible goal giving the nature of the preceding financial laws. Here is how the NIV study Bible explains it,
“Because of the Lord’s reward for obedience (v 4-6) and because of the Sabbath-year arrangement (v 7-11), this ‘year for canceling debts’ (v 9) gave Israelites who had experienced economic reverses a way to gain release from indebtedness and so, in a measure, a way to equalize wealth.”3
The idea that one should show benevolence to the poor and forgiveness to those in debt was in stark contrast to how other cultures dealt with borrowing and lending. Thompson says,
“A study of the so-called Code of Hammurabi will reveal that the slave and underprivileged counted for less before the law. In Israel, however, the poor and needy were the special concern of God and the covenant family was expected to ensure the welfare of every member of the family.”4
The Jews were to understand that everything was God’s to do with as he pleased.
Unfortunately, this ideal was never to be realized and this is predicted in verse eleven. Critics would say that the apparent discrepancy between verse four and verse eleven show that the Law of God was incomplete and insufficient but this idea ignores the stipulation spelled out in verse five. It reiterates the need for absolute conformity not only to the financial commandments but to the Law as a whole. Craigie says,
“The fullness of that blessing, however, would be contingent on the completeness of Israel’s obedience; thus vv. 4-5 are an encouragement and enticement to strive for the reduction of poverty, while at the same time they stress the abundance of the provision God would make in the promised land.”5
The fact that this casuistic statute contains clear conditions denies any accusation that it is incomplete.
It could be that in these pecuniary laws that we find what may be the origin of the biblical theme of selfless giving. In fact, history shows that the practice of sharing was to become normative among believers in Yahweh. The Messianic believers in Acts 4: 32-35 and the Macedonian Christians in 2 Corinthians 8: 1-7 clearly adopted this ancient command. God’s plan to have no poor among his followers is as applicable today as it was when the Israelites first heard it from Moses.
1. p. 411. Handbook on the Pentateuch by Victor P. Hamilton; Baker Academic
2. p. 188. An Introduction and Commentary on Deuteronomy by J.A. Thompson; IVP
3. p. 260. NIV Study Bible; Zondervan
4. p. 185. An Introduction and Commentary on Deuteronomy by J.A. Thompson; IVP
5. p. 237. The International Commentary on the Old Testament by Peter C. Craigie; Eerdmans
