The philosophy of an individualistic society says that the helping hand you are looking for is found at the end of your own arm. There is a widespread conviction among many affluent believers that those who are poor got themselves into trouble and should get themselves out of it. The Bible does not sanction this every man for himself kind of philosophy. In Israel s theocracy, and later in the church, the needs of the poor were the responsibility of the community at large. Help for the poor should provide for basic needs.
Biblical commands regarding the poor reflect an interest in meeting basic needs.
The prohibition against keeping a poor man s cloak as collateral after the sun goes down shows a remarkable sensitivity to personal comfort. Old Testament laws that limited indentured servants to a term no longer than six years and urged masters to be generous with them when their time was up indicate that God s desire is for the poor to improve their condition. God s goal was not to keep them living at a mere subsistence level. This may involve more than money. Friends of mine once rescued a man they found sleeping in a doorway in downtown Detroit.