And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 19:10).
TEXT — Leviticus 19:9,10
Message
George Mueller (1805-1898), in his time, cared for over ten thousand orphans at a cost that exceeded eight million dollars. He not only provided succour for the homeless and fatherless, but he also diligently brought relief to the oppressed. Yet in all this, Mueller never once asked for anything from anyone but God.
Our text is a law given by God to the people of Israel for the protection of the poor. It is a reminder that God owned the land and that the people were only caretakers. This body of law portrays God’s generosity to His people. They were commanded not to wholly reap the corners of their field or gather the gleanings of their harvest. They should not glean their vineyard or gather every grape, but they should deliberately leave some in the field, for the poor and strangers. This is a law they must observe throughout their generations.
The sight of poor people gleaning in their fields would have served as a reminder to them that they were once poor slaves in the land of Egypt before they were delivered by God. It is a fact that both the gleaners and the owners of the field were both bondmen and women before they were freed by God. Either free or oppressed, everyone is a receiver of God’s benevolence and goodness. The oppressed or the poor were the objects of His special protection as long as they lived in holiness and reposed their faith in Him.
The poor will not cease completely in the society, church or nation. Just as the Israelites were commanded by God to leave a portion of corn in their cornfields for the poor to reap, so must we as a church or family always provide for the poor in our midst. Make budgetary provisions to cater to the poor.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
