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Leviticus 23.22
“‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field when you reap, nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the LORD your God.’”
Leviticus 19.9, 10
9 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the LORD your God.’”
2 Thessalonians 3.10
Paul’s instruction to the Thessalonians, that any who would not work should not eat, derives from the institution of gleaning. There was no such thing as a “free lunch” in ancient Israel. Those who, for whatever reason, had fallen on hard times were expected to work to provide for their needs, and it was the community’s duty to make sure that work was available for them.
Gleaning of fields provided a way for both of these requirements to be met. The community made sure that work was available, and the poor knew where to go in order to meet their needs. This early form of “workfare” meant that no one would be in a position to take advantage of his neighbor – not the poor, who might demand support as a kind of right, nor the non-poor, who might look down on the needy and refuse to come to their aid.
With the institution of gleaning, therefore, the poor could not “steal” from the non-poor, and the latter could not “steal” from the needy. Each had his own responsibility and duty to make sure that the needs of all were met.
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.