We Christians in the United States point out that the Declaration of Independence is based on biblical principles. We protest when the Ten Commandments are taken out of courthouses because we believe the principles found in the law given to Moses are a good basis for our country’s laws. In my opinion, Christians are right to point to the Bible when looking for principles of good government and societal interaction. The Bible provides guidelines for fairness and establishes basic rights, such as the protection of personal property.
Yet, I’ve had consistent pushback from Christians close to me when I suggest that biblical principles advocating social justice deserve our equal attention. People have told me, “We don’t live in a theocracy. Those laws don’t have any bearing on our government today.” Or, “Economic policy is not a moral issue like protecting the unborn or families.” Or, “Yes, Christians should be concerned about social justice, but it’s our duty as individuals and the less the government is involved in society, the better.”
The Law God Gave to Moses
However, I can’t see how these social justice provisions are any different from other biblical principles that we apply to government. Specifically, I’m referring to things found in the law given by God to Moses that are given to ensure general equality, or social justice. For example:
- If using “poor and destitute” day laborers, Israelites were to pay their wages at the end of every day “before sunset because they are poor and counting on it.” (Deuteronomy 24:14-15)
- During the harvest, Israelites were not to go back over their fields a second time or glean the edges of their fields. They were not to beat their olive trees twice, or go back a second time after picking grapes from the vine. All the gleanings were left to the “foreigners, orphans, and widows.” (Leviticus 19:9-10, 23:22; Deuteronomy 24:19-22)
- Every three years, the entire tithe of Israel’s harvest was to be given to Levites, as well as “to the foreigners living among you, the orphans, and the widows in your towns, so that they can eat and be satisfied.” (Deuteronomy 14:28-29)
- Every seven years, all debts were to be cancelled among the Israelites and all male Israelite slaves who had sold themselves released. God specifically warned against reticent lending when the time for cancelling debts grew near, because “If you refuse to make the loan and the needy person cries out to the Lord, you will be considered guilty of sin.” (Deuteronomy 15:1-11)
- Every 50 years (or, the seventh debt-cancelling cycle), the Israelites would celebrate the Year of Jubilee, when not only would all debts be cancelled, but all land would be returned to its original family assignments. This did not apply to houses in walled towns, but only to land in the countryside that could support agriculture. I believe this provision had an incredibly powerful leveling effect in Israelite society because the ability to produce and accumulate wealth was based on the land. If someone lost their land, they would be reduced to a day laborer or tenant farmer with little hope of escaping their situation. In agrarian economy, the Year of Jubilee ensured there was not a huge gap between rich and poor, where the rich get ever richer. God did not prohibit wealth, but He did make vast inequality impossible. (Leviticus 25:8-55)
These provisions in the law of Moses did two things. First, they taught the Israelites (and us) about the character of God. These social justice provisions show He is concerned for groups of people who are vulnerable in society. Throughout the Old Testament, God repeatedly expresses His concern for three groups of vulnerable people: foreigners, orphans, and widows. The foreigners are vulnerable because they are a minority and likely escaping difficult circumstances in their home country (war, famine, persecution, etc.), similar to how Jacob's family entered Egypt to escape famine. Orphans are vulnerable because they have no family, and widows are vulnerable because they do not have a husband to protect and provide for them. If the Israelites were beneficiaries of God’s grace while unfortunate in Egypt, they should extend the same grace to the unfortunate among them in the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 24:17 reads:
“True justice must be given to foreigners living among you and to orphans, and you must never accept a widow’s garment as security for her debt. Always remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God redeemed you from your slavery. That is why I have given you this command.”Leaders Must Uphold Justice in Society
Second, these provisions ensured a just and stable society. True justice aligns with the character of God. When justice reigns, God blesses society. When justice is perverted, God sends curses. The prophets God later sent to Israel rebuked them for injustice, especially oppression of the vulnerable foreigners, orphans, and widows. Consider Ezekiel’s rebuke of Israelite princes and officials (and the lying prophets who were complicit):
“Your leaders are like wolves who tear apart their victims. They actually destroy people’s lives for money! And your prophets cover up for them by announcing false visions and making lying predictions. They say, ‘My message is from the Sovereign Lord,’ when the Lord hasn’t spoken a single word to them. Even common people oppress the poor, rob the needy, and deprive foreigners of justice.” (Ezekiel 22:27-29)The sin of the leaders was that they unjustly benefited from economically oppressing vulnerable people in society. Earlier in Ezekiel, God says Jerusalem surpassed Sodom in corruption, but the sin cited is not immorality (although that was a problem, too) but rather economic injustice. “Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door.” (Ezekiel 16:49) God punished Sodom because they were wicked, wealthy, and unconcerned for the poor and needy living among them.
Because the leaders and people of Jerusalem perpetuated injustice and violated His commandments (see Ezekiel 22:27-29 above), God sought people who would stand up for and advocate on behalf of oppressed groups. By speaking up for the vulnerable, these people would protect their society from God's wrath. Continuing in Ezekiel 22:30-31, God says:
“I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but found no one. So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!” (Ezekiel 22:30-31)Defining What Is Right and Wrong
In God’s eyes, society is made corrupt not just because of idolatry and sexual immorality, but also because of injustice and oppression. In the law given the Israelites through Moses, God forbade idolatry and sexual immorality—and also oppression of vulnerable people in society, specifically foreigners, widows, and orphans. If justice was not upheld, and especially if injustice was abetted by kings and officials, then God would judge the Israelites.
God sent Jeremiah to warn King Jehoiakim of Judah against violating social justice provisions in His law. God held up Josiah, Jehoiakim’s father, as an example of a ruler who assured blessing for the nation by upholding justice.
“And the Lord says, 'What sorrow awaits Jehoiakim, who builds his palace with forced labor. He builds injustice into its walls, for he makes his neighbors work for nothing. He does not pay them for their labor. ... But a beautiful cedar palace does not make a great king! Your father, Josiah, also had plenty to eat and drink. But he was just and right in all his dealings. That is why God blessed him. He gave justice and help to the poor and needy, and everything went well with him. Isn't that what it means to know me? says the Lord." (Jeremiah 22:13-16)Isaiah warned King Ahaz and other leaders in Jerusalem against making laws and issuing decrees that resulted in the rich becoming richer at the expense of the poor and disenfranchised.
“What sorrow awaits the unjust judges and those who issue unfair laws. They deprive the poor of justice and deny the rights of the needy among my people. They prey on widows and take advantage of orphans. What will you do when I punish you, when I send disaster upon you from a distant land?” (Isaiah 10:1-3)The Practicality of God’s Justice
God cares about how laws affect vulnerable people in society. In the Mosaic law, God included special provisions to ensure unfortunate people received care and did not fall into a “poverty trap” that kept them from improving their situations. The Year of Jubilee was especially important because the land was vital to people’s economic livelihood. God instituted this practice to prevent the formation of a permanent class of landless poor people who would be forever dependent on the tithe and gleanings.
I believe these social justice provisions in the Mosaic law reveal biblical principles that we can apply to government today. I don’t believe the Bible gives us specific solutions to problems, but does provide biblical principles from which we can form a solution. In the same way that Christians refer to the Bible when addressing social issues like homosexual marriage, I believe we can also learn from the Bible when addressing socio-economic issues. In the same way that Christians advocate on behalf of the most vulnerable members of society—unborn children denied the basic right to life—we can also advocate on behalf of the vulnerable groups that are repeatedly listed together throughout the Old Testament—the poor and needy, especially foreigners, orphans, and widows.
Learning to Do Right
Isaiah warned the Israelites against masking their apathy toward injustice with religious activity. In Isaiah 1:10-17, God says:
“’Listen to the Lord, you leaders of “Sodom.” Listen to the law of our God, people of “Gomorrah.” What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?’ says the Lord. ‘I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle … Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of the orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.” (Isaiah 1:10-17)God told the Israelites that true religion included looking out for the weakest members of society. Certainly this means we must act individually and as church families to help the poor and needy in our community, but it also means that we must advocate on behalf of vulnerable members of society. The Bible makes clear that injustice often involves economic oppression by powerful interests against groups without a voice. We must learn to do right and seek justice for these people. If we do so, we will be the people God is looking for to stand in the gap in “the wall of righteousness that guards the land.” Christians today do not live in a theocracy like the Israelites did when given the law of Moses, but we can apply biblical principles to government in regard to social justice the same way we advocate on behalf of the unborn and to protect families.
12 comments:
[Just one typo I saw: in the heading "The Law Helps Us the Character of God."]
I think the evidence from the OT is indisputable showing that this is one of God's concerns, and you have laid it out coherently. Moreover, the natural epilogue to (or shall we say fulfillment of) the OT teaching is found in the Gospels.
You do kind of skim over "the poor" in order to focus on more easily identifiable classes (foreigners, orphans, widows). Perhaps you are assuming a prior commitment to the poor on the part of your listeners, but out of context it seems as if you are latching onto the more obvious victims of "structural oppression."
That is to say, the poor are not necessarily to be favored, as shown in Exodus 23:3 ("nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his dispute") and Leviticus 19:15 ("You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly.") Also, being poor may have a structural cause, but it is essentially situational and relative.
On the other hand, foreigners, orphans, and widows were all explicitly discriminated against by the culture of the time, wherein rights, status, property, and wealth derived from one's relationship to a familial patriarch. God shows that he considers such cultural factors to be transitory and secondary to mercy and justice; this is seconded by Jesus when he upbraids the Jews for relying on their patriarchal lineage for salvation (John 8:31-47).
I don't think this is generally considered controversial among Jews, but it might be instructive to look at the Jewish commentaries.
In another time and place, this message would not be controversial among Christians. There is no necessary contradiction between God's condemnation of immorality and His condemnation of injustice.
However, this is a lesson that America has yet to learn. Americans are too insecure about their own identity and too mistrustful of their own government to be charitable toward foreigners.
I think the attitudes toward widows and orphans have progressed since the 19th century, and this is reflected in the government programs directed at helping them. However, the modern "widows" and "orphans" are women abandoned by men, who themselves lack not only the sense of responsibility but also the property and privileges men had under the old patriarchal system. Many single fathers would argue that the current system heavily favors the single mothers and their children, even while it does not adequately provide for them.
Most problematically, to mount any call to advocate for "the poor" and "the vulnerable members of society" is to echo the last 220 years of revolutionary, anarchistic, socialistic, anti-religious rhetoric (you could even go back to the English Revolution in the 1640s, but I don't think there was much going on between then and the French Revolution).
This is the primary prejudice your message fights against: a fear of anything like "social justice," which smells like communism to the beleaguered American Christian. I say that if Christians had not abandoned the Biblical notions of justice, the Levellers, Jacobins, Socialists, and Communists would never have gained a foothold in the culture.
Dave, Thank you very much for your response. I've read everything you've said carefully and appreciate your insight. I see what you're saying about the difference between those who are poor because of "structural oppression" versus those who are simply poor.
This issue is very painful to me, because I believe the church's failure to advocate against structural oppression harms their ability to advocate against other types of immorality. To be honest, I don't blame non-Christians for labeling us as self-righteous hypocrites.
I wish the church could be seen as it should be: a separate voice, apart from partisan politics and ideologies, that speaks out prophetically to society.
This is interesting, Tyson. Sorry to be slow finding time to read and respond.
I think you have made an indisputable case that God's people in the Old Testament were expected to practise social justice and care for the poor, and that that was enforced by the Law of Moses.
The weakness in your argument is actually clear in your last sentence. Ancient Israel was a theocracy in which divine commands were enforced by the government. But, in your own words, "Christians today do not live in a theocracy like the Israelites did when given the law of Moses". Rather we live, for the most part, in secular states. And I consider it wrong for Christians to expect secular states to enforce on the general population rules intended for the people of God - on social justice issues just as much as on moral ones.
So perhaps the Old Testament is not the place to look for the principles we should apply. At least we should be looking to the books of Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah, and parts of Genesis and Exodus, where Israelite believers lived under pagan governments. Or we should be looking at the New Testament where the same applies. In Matthew 23:23 for example we find a clear endorsement of the principle of social justice - but at an individual and community level, not a governmental one.
Joseph, Daniel and Nehemiah are perhaps the only biblical believers to hold high government office outside the theocratic state of Israel. We should look to them as examples on these issues. But this comment will be too long if I take that route, so I will leave the matter here.
Tyson,
I guess one point that may have been lost in my ramblings is that you need to be careful not to sound like a Marxist. I have attended many seminars where Christians are taught to reflexively reject any Christian who uses terms like "social justice," or who appeals to categories that indicate a concern with structural oppression. Such rhetoric is labeled "the third way," a kind of pseudo-Christian backdoor to communism.
Of course, if you are not addressing Christians who attend such seminars, this may not be a problem.
For myself, although I am sensitive to the critique of Marxism and liberation theology, I think paranoia has led some conservative Christians to ignore God's explicit instructions concerning the poor and other marginalized or vulnerable people.
For example, shortly after 9-11, I read a passage from Ezekiel in my adult Sunday School class (it may have been Ezekiel 22). It got very quiet, and a couple of men looked very angry at me. The next time I was asked to teach only one person showed up.
Dave, if it's a choice between following the false teaching of certain seminar leaders or the true teaching on social justice of prophets like Micah and Amos, and Jesus for that matter, who the first group would "persecute" as Marxists, then I know which teaching I would choose.
Hi Peter,
Thank you for your response. I haven't looked into whether Daniel, Nehemiah, or Ezra advocated for legislation on behalf of the poor. I think the only biblical injunction for secular governments is that they punish wrongdoers and keep the peace in the land. For New Testament, that seemed to be all they could hope for.
But, for those of us who live in democratic societies where we are expected to participate in public discourse and even lobby our legislative representatives, shouldn't we be vocal about biblical principles for good government found in the Mosaic Law?
In the 1700s, I believe English Christians advocated for the abolishment of slavery on the moral authority of the Bible. In the 1800s, Charles Finney, the American revivalist, had his church burned down in New York because of his abolitionist sermons and his Bible college served as a station on the Underground Railroad that helped black slaves escape their masters to Canada. In the 1900s, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote from the Birmingham Jail that it was his Christian duty to oppose unjust laws.
I believe these men fulfilled the prophesy of Ezekiel 22:30 and "stood in the gap" on behalf of their land. Isn't it our Christian duty to do the same today?
Hi Dave,
I am very aware of the resistence this message would meet in most churches, incuding my own. That's why I plan to bring it before the elder board and senior pastor first. I feel comfortable putting this forward as my own personal view for now, but really hope that we can advocate this view from the church leadership.
Tyson, I just want to clarify that I am entirely in favour of social justice, abolition of slavery etc. The only question is whether it is right for us to expect these things to be enforced by secular governments.
There is of course a democratic argument that if the majority of the people, or their representatives, are in favour of (for example) social justice, an elected government has the right to impose this. However, we also accept that the government does not have the right to go against certain fundamental human rights even of a minority, and that might include the right to enjoy one's property without excessive taxation etc. But that is not really a biblical way of arguing.
To return to the biblical evidence, consider how Joseph dealt with the famine in Egypt, in Genesis 42 and 47. For seven years he taxed those who had an abundance by taking a share of their grain. And then when the famine came he sold this grain back to the people in exchange for their money, their livestock and their land - thus in effect nationalising them. He then (47:26) imposed a lasting 20% tax on agricultural produce. This sounds remarkably like state imposed socialism to me. And, although this is implicit, it seems to have had God's blessing.
Now I'm not suggesting that you use this to preach near-communism. But it does show how state intervention to provide for the poor highly biblical, even outside a theocratic state.
Thanks for your clarification, Peter, and sorry for the confusion on my part.
That's a really interesting look at what Joseph did in Egypt. But, you're right that it has rhetorically dangerous implications, especially given our political climate here in the United States.
Tyson, thanks for pointing this out to me. You're right, I did find it very interesting, particularly some of the OT parts that were new to me.
It would indeed be ideal if Christians checked their political beliefs / personal feelings etc at the door and just looked into the Bible with an open mind.
Sadly, I think we'd truly need to be saints to achieve perfection in that ideal. I know I fall far, far short of that ideal,(Rom.3:23) although I try not to let my convoluted political journey interfere with my equally convoluted spiritual walk with Jesus.
I think it's brave of you to consider taking these ideas to your church community, which as you suggest, may not be all that receptive.
At the risk of making your journey even more difficult, I would gently wonder whether you could take your thinking a step further (if you were willing to truly step outside contemporary culture) and add a brief discussion of the Gospel teachings about violence and how they might be applied to our nation's defense policy?
You may recall that Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. created a firestorm for himself when he spoke out against the Vietnam War. His Riverside Church address "A Time to Break Silence" is available on the Internet . . . parts of it read as though it were written yesterday, not 40 years ago.
My thinking on this has been influenced by both Walter Wink and Daniel Berrigan, but your mileage may vary. As your friends suggest above, this is not always a well-received message.
What you've set out for yourself here, is very ambitious and potentially very valuable. Please don't feel you have to include every possible thread in the conversation before you discuss this with your church community.
Tyson,
Your domain name registration has apparently lapsed (http://www.learningtodoright.com/). Out of curiousity, how are you publishing this book?
Hi Dave, I probably won't be publishing this book any time soon. I still think about it from time to time, and it would write itself if I just sat down to a computer unconnected to the Internet. The biggest hinderance right now is a great new job I landed as of May 2011 which keeps me super busy. That, plus my young family (two kids) and running the education ministry at church. First things first, I guess.
The outline of the book is basically: 1) What does the covenant say about social justice? 2) What does the rest of the OT (history and prophetic books) tell us about God's expectations for social justice? 3) What principles can we derive from Israel's example? 4) How can we apply these lessons to our situation today?
For me, parts 1-3 are pretty obvious, but clear exegesis on this topic is woefully lacking today. The fourth part dealing with application is where we need discernment and wisdom from the Holy Spirit. I'd probably just state my own two cents and leave up to the reader to make their own judgment.
I'm sorry I haven't kept up with the blogging! I was actually thinking about you the other day ... really! I believe all is well with you. God bless.
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