dizzle
April 18th 2007, 05:04 PM
I took these notes from from Walter Kaiser's Toward Old Testament Ethics (pages 120 through 121)
Regard for the Rich (vv. Leviticus 15-16)
To prevent the false inference that God is only concerned for the poor, helpless, and disabled, this pentad warns against violating the rights of the rich and from indulging in slander against people. Just as can be easily perverted one class or special concerns of the day are made to the norm rather than righteousness and truth. Therefore, God's people are strictly warned against "lifting up [for 'excepting'] the face of the poor or of the great." Kellogg has this interesting comment:
A plain warning lies here for an increasing class of reformers and our day, who loudly express their special concern for the poor, but who in their zeal for social reform in the diminishing of property are forgetful of righteousness and equity. It applies, for instance, to all who would affirm and teach with Marx and that "capital is robbery;" or who, not yet ready for so plain and candid words, yet would, and anyway, in order to right the wrongs of the poor, advocate legislation involving practical confiscation of the estates of the rich.
In similar manner, verse 16 warns those who travel up and down the land dealing in slanders, distorting the facts, and coloring the truth out of dishonest motives. Such tale-bearing and selling at this Court often leads to an umbrella society ultimately with some even losing their lives. Whether this loss results from slander or from a conspiracy of silence when the neighbor is in need of a testimony to save his life is difficult to say. The section ends with a reminder that the judge of every seen and unseen act is present in all such deliberations: "I am the Lord." All earthly actions and decisions will be reviewed in "that day" by the chief magistrate whose name is "I am."
Preceding those paragraphs is a section on regard for the poor on. In order to avoid quoting too much copyrighted material I did not quote that is there is not much of the dispute that biblical ethics require a regard for the poor. However, there is also regard for the rich which I think is sorely lacking which is the reason for this post as so many Christians advocate forcible "charity" through government.
Regard for the Rich (vv. Leviticus 15-16)
To prevent the false inference that God is only concerned for the poor, helpless, and disabled, this pentad warns against violating the rights of the rich and from indulging in slander against people. Just as can be easily perverted one class or special concerns of the day are made to the norm rather than righteousness and truth. Therefore, God's people are strictly warned against "lifting up [for 'excepting'] the face of the poor or of the great." Kellogg has this interesting comment:
A plain warning lies here for an increasing class of reformers and our day, who loudly express their special concern for the poor, but who in their zeal for social reform in the diminishing of property are forgetful of righteousness and equity. It applies, for instance, to all who would affirm and teach with Marx and that "capital is robbery;" or who, not yet ready for so plain and candid words, yet would, and anyway, in order to right the wrongs of the poor, advocate legislation involving practical confiscation of the estates of the rich.
In similar manner, verse 16 warns those who travel up and down the land dealing in slanders, distorting the facts, and coloring the truth out of dishonest motives. Such tale-bearing and selling at this Court often leads to an umbrella society ultimately with some even losing their lives. Whether this loss results from slander or from a conspiracy of silence when the neighbor is in need of a testimony to save his life is difficult to say. The section ends with a reminder that the judge of every seen and unseen act is present in all such deliberations: "I am the Lord." All earthly actions and decisions will be reviewed in "that day" by the chief magistrate whose name is "I am."
Preceding those paragraphs is a section on regard for the poor on. In order to avoid quoting too much copyrighted material I did not quote that is there is not much of the dispute that biblical ethics require a regard for the poor. However, there is also regard for the rich which I think is sorely lacking which is the reason for this post as so many Christians advocate forcible "charity" through government.