So, can we solve the problem of poverty by an adjustment in government spending??
Of course not. Why not? The Bible answers this question very clearly. Look at Deut 15:11. God says there will always be some people who are poor. Does that mean we should not try to help them? Does that exonerate us from not giving to the poor? Are we justified in turning down appeals to give to the poor? Certainly there is no lack of appeal. Your mail box probably has an appeal in it right now.
The Bible clearly expresses God’s attitude toward the poor (the needy and afflicted too).
Ps 72:13; Ps 18:27, 2 Sam 22:28; Ps 12:5 _________________________________
Job 36:5-6 _________________________________________________________
Ps 72:12; Ps 35:10; Job 36:15 __________________________________________
Ps 9:12, 18 _________________________________________________________
Ps 14:6 ____________________________________________________________
Ps 34:6; Ps 69:33; Ps 22:23-24 __________________________________________
Ps 140:12 __________________________________________________________
Ps 147:6____________________________________________________________
Prov 3:34 ___________________________________________________________
Prov 22:22-23 ________________________________________________________
Is 11:4 ______________________________________________________________
Is 41:17 _____________________________________________________________
Ps 72:13; Is 49:13 _____________________________________________________
2 Thes 1:6-8 _______________________________________________________
Mark 12:38-44; Luke 21:1-4 ___________________________________________
Rev 2:8-11 _________________________________________________________
Ezek 16:48-50 ______________________________________________________
Ps 113:7, 1 Sam 2:8 __________________________________________________
Ps 72:14 ___________________________________________________________
Prov 19:22 _________________________________________________________
Prov 19:1 __________________________________________________________
2 Cor 8:1-9 ________________________________________________________
CLEARLY, GOD HAS A SOFT SPOT IN HIS HEART FOR THE POOR-THE NEEDY-THE AFFLICTED.
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Ps 72:13-14 He will have compassion on the poor and needy, And the lives of the needy he will save. 14 He will rescue their life from oppression and violence; And their blood will be precious in his sight; NASB
Ps 18:27 For Thou dost save an afflicted people; But haughty eyes Thou dost abase. NASB
2 Sam 22:28-29 “And Thou dost save an afflicted people; But Thine eyes are on the haughty whom Thou dost abase. 29 “For Thou art my lamp, O Lord; NASB
Ps 12:5 “Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, Now I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will set him in the safety for which he longs.” NASB
Job 36:5-6 “Behold, God is mighty but does not despise any; He is mighty in strength of understanding. 6 “He does not keep the wicked alive, But gives justice to the afflicted. NASB
Ps 72:12-14 For he will deliver the needy when he cries for help, The afflicted also, and him who has no helper.13 He will have compassion on the poor and needy, And the lives of the needy he will save. 14 He will rescue their life from oppression and violence; And their blood will be precious in his sight; NASB
Ps 35:10 All my bones will say, “Lord, who is like Thee, Who delivers the afflicted from him who is too strong for him, And the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?” NASB
Job 36:15 “He delivers the afflicted in their affliction, And opens their ear in time of oppression. NASB
Ps 9:12 For He who requires blood remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the afflicted. NASB
Ps 9:18 For the needy will not always be forgotten, Nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever. NASB
Ps 14:6 You would put to shame the counsel of the afflicted, But the Lord is his refuge. NASB
Ps 34:6 This poor man cried and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. NASB
Ps 69:33 For the Lord hears the needy, And does not despise His who are prisoners. NASB
Ps 22:23-24 You who fear the Lord, praise Him; All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel. 24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Neither has He hidden His face from him; But when he cried to Him for help, He heard. NASB
Ps 140:12 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, And justice for the poor. NASB
Ps 147:6 The Lord supports the afflicted; He brings down the wicked to the ground. NASB
Prov 3:34 Though He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet He gives grace to the afflicted. NASB
Prov 22:22-23 Do not rob the poor because he is poor, Or crush the afflicted at the gate; 23 For the Lord will plead their case, And take the life of those who rob them. NASB
Isa 11:4 But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. NASB
Isa 41:17 “The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none, And their tongue is parched with thirst; I, the Lord, will answer them Myself, As the God of Israel I will not forsake them. NASB
Ps 72:13 He will have compassion on the poor and needy, And the lives of the needy he will save. NASB
Isa 49:13 Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people, And will have compassion on His afflicted. NASB
2 Thess 1:6-8 For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. NASB
Mark 12:38-44 And in His teaching He was saying: “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, 39 and chief seats in the synagogues, and places of honor at banquets, 40 who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation. ” 41 And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the multitude were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. 43 And calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on. ” NASB
Mark 12:38-44 And in His teaching He was saying: “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, 39 and chief seats in the synagogues, and places of honor at banquets, 40 who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation. ” 41 And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the multitude were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. 43 And calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on. ” NASB
Luke 21:4 for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on. ” NASB
Ezek 16:48-50 “As I live,” declares the Lord God, “Sodom, your sister, and her daughters, have not done as you and your daughters have done. 49 “Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food, and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. NASB
Ps 113:7-8 He raises the poor from the dust, And lifts the needy from the ash heap, 8 To make them sit with princes, With the princes of His people. NASB
1 Sam 2:8 “He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ash heap To make them sit with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor; For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, And He set the world on them. NASB
Ps 72:12-14 For he will deliver the needy when he cries for help, The afflicted also, and him who has no helper. 13 He will have compassion on the poor and needy, And the lives of the needy he will save. 14 He will rescue their life from oppression and violence; And their blood will be precious in his sight; NASB
Prov 19:22 What is desirable in a man is his kindness, And it is better to be a poor man than a liar. NASB
Prov 19:1 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity Than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool. NASB
2 Cor 8:1-9 Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, 2 that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. 3 For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability they gave of their own accord, 4 begging us with much entreaty for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, 5 and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. 6 Consequently we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well. 7 But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also. 8 I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. NASB