ECONOMIC DIMENSION OF THE POOR IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND ITS IMPLICATION FOR THE AFRICAN CHURCH

Timothy Barga

Abstract


The positive religious attitude to poverty distinguishes the Old Testament from
its environment in the Ancient Near East. According to the worldview held in
antiquity, poverty was simply a given fact. In the ancient ideology of kingship for
example, concern for the poor counted as one of the king’s special duties; but this
concern was designed to preserve the world order; not to change it. The Old
Testament view is very different. Prophecy condemns the oppression of the poor
in the strongest terms and proclaims Yahweh’s comprehensive judgment on their
oppressors. Everything thrusts towards change and fundamental remedy. At the
same time, the poor (Anawim) count as Yahweh’s people in a special sense. Hence
the question of poverty stands clear in the Old Testament. The major net
responsible for poverty is largely corruption designed by structural manipulation.
Poverty eradication is the divine option for self-reliance of the poor. The Old
Testament portrays YHWH as the greatest reverser of the misfortune of the poor,
the initiator of poverty eradication (Sam 2:6-8). This shows that God does not
stigmatize any group or class of people to be perpetually poor. There is a natural
inclination to conceive poverty solely in relation to the economic poor is
widespread perception. From the biblical perspective, poverty refers mainly to the
inadequacy of life without honour, with consequent social and personal inability
to participate in the activities of the community, the inability to maintain selfrespect
as defined by community social standards. In other words, the word
poverty is a broad representation than economic poverty. Poverty includes
sickness, ignorance, marginalization, discrimination, oppression, etc. The
"creators" and "perpetuators" of poverty are human beings themselves. What
God has created is enough for all. In His abundance, God wills the happiness and
the integral well-being of His creatures. Nothing militates against this absolute
will of God than poverty, be it of material, intellectual or spiritual type. This
study employs analytic method.

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