Ruth 4

Ancient Israelites knew nothing of the kind of inheritance taxes which have become typical in our society, and which are, in a very real sense, a form of government stealing from heirs. The logic behind such laws is fallacious, at best: the heirs did not own the property they now possess; thus, they have not paid taxes on it before, and must now.

No such right to steal the property of individuals or their heirs was a part of Israelite society or the Law of God, and all such forms of unjust taxation should be resisted. In ancient Israel great care was to be taken in order to ensure that a man’s property would pass decently and in order to his heirs, so that they could continue the family’s stewardship over what God had entrusted to them. Government’s only responsibility in this was to ensure that property was rightly and fully transmitted to the proper heirs.

T. M. Moore

The Law of God is the soil which, fertilized by the rest of God’s Word and watered by His Spirit, brings forth the fruit of Christian life. If you’d like to understand this process better, and how to make best use of the Law in your walk with and work for the Lord, order the book, The Ground for Christian Ethics, from our online store.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.