As us

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

AS US

Prov 22:16

16 He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich — both come to poverty.

NIV

Being neither rich nor poor, it would seem this saying has little to do with our way of life. Yet is their not always someone who is either poorer or richer than us? Still we would certainly not consider we are anywhere among those who would oppose those poorer then us. That would simply be unconscionable. It would also seem we would never give to the rich simply to be in their good graces. What value would that be? Why would anyone give a gift to the rich? But in a sense is that what we all do within our social economic group? We give gifts to each other, for birthdays, Christmas and perhaps baby and wedding showers. Some gift for an engagement party, or a reveal party, or whatever else occasion is appropriate for gift giving. Yet we have not oppressed the poor in order to obtain the gift. So then how could this bear any truth for our lives? Just wondering if by ignoring the poor, not giving to them, not lending a helping hand, is that a form of oppression? By not giving are we increasing our own wealth, however much that is? If we keep all our wealth simply to spend it either on ourselves or others of similar wealth, does this apply to us then? It is not that we are told we should give all we have to the poor, as then we would be poor. Jesus was not actually telling the rich young man to sell all he had and give to the poor, then follow him. The truth was the man was putting his trust in his wealth, he was self or man centered. He thought he held to the commands of God, but he was looking at the temporal view of life. We too might be in that same situation. If we think our security is in our income, and simply ignore the needs of the poor, we might be in this saying. But how do we not oppress? How do we give? How do we know who the poor are? To some, we are the poor. Are we being oppressed by them? It seems that might be the case in a sense when we think of the powerful people of our country. The politicians enact laws taking more of our money while enacting laws to increase theirs. This could be the whole of the meaning here. Solomon was certainly both the richest and the most powerful person in his time. Sometimes we might get a little cynical about our government officials and their becoming wealthy off the backs of the common people. If that is the meaning of this saying then we should pray for them, as we are instructed, for God’s justice is upon them. His wrath will be poured out on them, and in the end they will be the poorest of the poor, being cast out of the presence of God into the lake of burning sulfur. The gift giver to the rich may well be seen as all the lobbyists paid and owned by big business in order to oppress the common folk for the sake of larger profits. All this could bear true in this saying and we are then just the poor. Yet that does not relieve us from praying for those in authority, nor giving to those poorer then us. The fact is we should be living our life in Christ or having Christ live his life in or, as us, as one man has put it. Then we would see all men who do not know Jesus as poor and in need of the free gift of salvation. By withholding this gift are we keeping them poor? Is that a form of oppression? In that case we are truly then the rich. Lots of random thoughts, but it still comes down to living for or in Christ, or rather Christ living in us, as us.