There are some who try to talk others into believing that God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit aren’t real. They base this on some inconsistencies of wording in the Bible. They say that since there are some inconsistencies in the Bible, which they call lies, they say that everything, including God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are lies as well.
Knowing that some lead people astray by this strategy, I have felt led to do Biblical Research Projects to analyze passages to see if there are inconsistencies and if there are, to evaluate whether they are even significant. This Biblical Research Project will focus on determining if there are inconsistencies in the Bible about taking care of the poor and the less fortunate. I will not be evaluating all forms of the word “poor”, like someone was in poor health, but will only evaluate those uses of the word “poor” that relate to my research topic.
To do this research, I will use the New King James Version of the Bible [a.k.a. NKJV] and internet resources, as needed. I have utilized https://www.biblegateway.com/ to search through all the occurrences of the word poor plus other related terms. Since there are Bible passages that use both the word “him” and the word “he” within them, I will put within brackets who is speaking and who is being spoken to at times I determine it’s beneficial for clarity. Additionally, I will put within brackets my analysis, evaluation, comments, and opinions.
You can find this Biblical Research Project and other research projects in their entirety on either of these two blogs I felt led to create: Biblical Proof! at https://BiblicalProof.blogspot.com/ and Do Biblical Inconsistencies Really Matter? at https://Biblicalinconsistencies.blogspot.com/
Exodus 22:25-27 says: “If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him interest. If you ever take your neighbor's garment as a pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down. For that is his only covering, is it his garment for his skin. What will he sleep in? And it will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious.” [God tells us not to charge any interest of those who are poor and to return clothing pledges. They were in need to start with and they need their clothing. If we don’t, He will hear if they cry out to Him]
Exodus 23:3 says: “You shall not show partiality to a poor man in his dispute.” 3:6 further says: “You shall not pervert the judgment of your poor in his dispute.” [In my opinion, God is saying that He doesn’t want us to show partiality to the rich or the poor, but should judge things fairly, without bias!]
Exodus 23:10-11 says: “Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave, the beasts of the field may eat. In like manner you shall do with your vineyard and your olive grove.” [God is consistent throughout the Bible that He wants us to provide for the poor and the less fortunate of the world.]
Leviticus 14:21 says: “But if he is poor and cannot afford it [for the burnt offering], then he shall take one male lamb as a trespass offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, a log of oil….” [This shows that God wants people to make special allowances for the poor.]
Leviticus 19:10 says: ‘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.’ [God is consistent throughout the Bible that He wants us to provide for the poor and the less fortunate of the world.]
Leviticus 19:15 says: ‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.’ [In my opinion, God is saying that He doesn’t want us to show partiality to the rich or the poor, but should judge things fairly, without bias!]
Leviticus 23:22 says: ‘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.’ [God is consistent throughout the Bible that He wants us to provide for the poor and the less fortunate of the world.]
Leviticus 25:35-37 says: ‘If one of your brethren becomes poor, and falls into poverty among you, then you shall help him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you. Take no usury or interest from him; but fear your God, that your brother may live with you. You shall not lend him your money for usury, nor lend him your food for profit.’ [God is consistent throughout the Bible that He wants us to provide for the poor and the less fortunate of the world.]
Leviticus 25:38-39 says: ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. And if one of your brethren who dwells by you becomes poor, and sells himself to you, you shall not compel him to serve as a slave. As a hired servant and a sojourner he shall be with you, and shall serve you until the Year of Jubilee. [God is consistent throughout the Bible that He wants us to provide for the poor and the less fortunate of the world.]
Leviticus 27:8 ‘But if he is too poor to pay your valuation [amount assessed per person for the vow made], then he shall present himself before the priest, and the priest shall set a value for him; according to the ability of him who vowed, the priest shall value him. [God wants us to make accommodations for the poor and the less fortunate.]
Deuteronomy 15:7-11 says: “If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,’ and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to the Lord against you, and it become sin among you. You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand. For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, “You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.” [God is consistent in wanting them/us to provide for the poor and needy and not to withhold from them.]
Deuteronomy 24:12-15 says: “And if the man is poor, you shall not keep his pledge overnight [his garment as a pledge to do something]. You shall in any case return the pledge to him again when the sun goes down, that he may sleep in his own garment and bless you; and it shall be righteousness to you before the Lord your God. You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether one of your brethren or one of the aliens who is in your land within your gates. Each day you shall give him his wages, and not let the sun go down on it, for he is poor and has set his heart on it; lest he cry out against you to the Lord, and it be sin to you. [God is consistent about not keeping the garment pledged or not oppressing a poor Hebrew or anyone from another country working for them.]
1 Samuel 2:7-8 says: The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He [the Lord God] raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. [Although poor, those who believe in Jesus, our Savior, will come to inherit the throne of glory in heaven some day when Jesus calls us to join Him.]
2 Kings 25:12 says: But the captain of the guard left some of the poor of the land as vinedressers and farmers. [Nebuzaradan carried away captive the Hebrews, but left the poor to harvest the land.]
Esther 9:20-22 says: And Mordecai wrote these things and sent letters to all the Jews, near and far, who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, to establish among them that they should celebrate yearly the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month Adar, as the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy for them, and from mourning to a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of sending presents to one another and gifts to the poor. [During their feasting for being saved from disaster, the Jews were to send presents to each other in celebration and gifts to the poor.]
Job 5:15-16 says: But He [God] saves the needy from the sword, Form the mouth of the mighty, And from their hand. So the poor have hope, And injustice shuts her mouth. [God is consistent about wanting the poor and needy protected.]
Job 20:10-11 says: His children will seek the favor of the poor, and his hands will restore his wealth. His bones are full of his youthful vigor, But it will lie down with him in the dust. 20:19 goes on to say: For he has oppressed and forsaken the poor, He has violently seized a house which he did not build. 34:28 further says: So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him [God]; For He hears the cry of the afflicted. 36:15 says: He [God] delivers the poor in their affliction, And opens their ears in oppression [implying that they think that Job has afflicted the poor or oppressed them.] [This is when Job’s friends are giving Job misinformation about why he has painful sores all over his body. These so-called friends say it’s because Job must have done something evil and God is punishing him for it with the sores all over his body.]
Job 24:3-4 when Job defends himself he says: They [some people who are wicked] drive away the donkey of the fatherless; They take the widow’s ox as a pledge. They push the needy off the road; All the poor of the land are forced to hide. 24:9-10 yet says: Some snatch the fatherless from the breast, And take a pledge from the poor. They cause the poor to go naked, without clothing; And they take away the sheaves from the hungry. 24:14 says this, as well: The murderer rises with the light’ He kills the poor and needy; And in the night he is like a thief. 29:12 further says: Because I delivered the poor who cried out, The fatherless and the one who had no helper. 29:16 continues: I was a father to the poor, And I searched out the case that I didn’t know. 30:25 says: Have I not wept for him who was in trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the poor? 31:16-22 Job yet says: If I have kept the poor from their desire, Or caused the eyes of the widow to fail, Or eaten my morsel [food] by myself, So that the fatherless could not eat of it (But from my youth I reared him as a father, And from my mother’s womb I guided the widow); If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, Or any poor man without covering; If his heart has not blessed me, And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep; If I have raised my hand against the fatherless, When I saw I had help in the gate; Then let my arm fall from my shoulder Let my arm be torn from the socket. [Job tells his misguided friends that he didn’t do all these wicked things against the poor and needy and has only befriended them and protected them. Then he’s saying something to the effect of “If this isn’t true, then let my arm fall from my shoulder and let my arm be torn from the socket.]
God has had enough of all the mean, hurtful things Job’s so-called friends are telling him. What God says in response to them covers 4 chapters and 129 verses, but I will give you a snippet of what God tells them from Job 38:1-9 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: “Who is this who darkens counsel [Job’s so-called friends] By words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy? Or who shut in the sea with doors; When it burst forth and issued from the womb; When I made the clouds its garment, And thick darkness its swaddling band;... Job 42:7 And so it was, after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.” [After God sets them all straight, He suggests Job’s so-called friends make a burnt offering and go join Job in praying that God is merciful to his mis-guided friends. Job 42:10 says: and the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.]
[Although there is so much in the book of Job, we learn that bad things like: illness, natural and unnatural disasters, and disease don’t happen to people, because they have done evil. It isn’t a punishment as you will see in Ecclesiastes 9:2 which says: All things come alike to all: One event happens to the righteous and the wicked; To the good, the clean, and the unclean; To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; He who takes and oath as he who fears an oath.]
Psalm 9:18 says: For the needy shall not always be forgotten; The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever. [Although poor, those who believe in Jesus, our Savior, will come to inherit the throne of glory in heaven some day when Jesus calls us to join Him.]
Psalm 10:2 says: The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised. [God wants consequences for those who persecute the poor and needy.]
Psalm 10:9-10 says: He [wicked] lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den; He lies in wait to catch the poor; He catches the poor when he draws them into his net. So he crouches, he lies low, That the helpless may fall by his strength. [David points out that there are wicked people who try to snare poor into their traps for them.]
Psalm 12:5 says: “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, Now I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.” [David tells how the Lord God protects the poor and needy and provides safety for them.]
Psalm 14:5-6 says: There they are in great fear, For God is with the generation of the righteous. You [workers of iniquity] shame the counsel of the poor, But the Lord is his refuge. [The Lord God knows when the poor are taken advantage of and the Lord God will be there to right this on Judgment Day!]
Psalm 22:26 says: The poor shall eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the Lord. Let your heart live forever! [In heaven the poor that believe in Jesus as their Savior will never be hungry and will live forever.]
Psalm 34:6-7 says: This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him [Lord God], and delivers them. [Jesus Christ will save all those who believe in Him as our Lord and Savior will take them to join Him in heaven some day where we will have eternal peace and there will be no more troubles to deal with.]
Psalm 35:9-10 says: And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; It shall rejoice in His salvation. All my bones shall say, “Lord, who is like You, Delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, Yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?” [Jesus Christ provides salvation for all those who believe in Him as their Savior.]
Psalm 37:12-14 says: The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him [the wicked], For He [the Lord] sees his [the wicked’s] day is coming. The wicked have drawn the sword And have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct. [Although there are those who are wicked and try to undermine others, especially the poor and the vulnerable, God knows that the day of judgment for the wicked is coming.]
Psalm 40:16-17 says: Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let such as love Your salvation say continually, “The Lord be magnified!” But I am poor and needy; Yet the Lord thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God. [Even the poor and needy who love Jesus Christ as their Savior have reason for rejoicing, because He is their deliverer!]
Psalm 41:1 says: Blessed is he who considers the poor; The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. [The Lord will deliver those in time of trouble, who protect the poor and needy of the world.]
Psalm 49:1-7 says: Hear this, all peoples; Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, Both low and high, Rich and poor together. My mouth shall speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding. I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will disclose my dark saying on the harp. Why should I fear the days of evil, When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me? Those who trust in their wealth And boast in the multitude of their riches, None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him- [Salvation isn’t for those who believe in their riches to save them, but is only for those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.]
Psalm says: 68:5 says: A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. 68:10 goes on to say: Your congregation dwelt in it; You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor. [David’s song tells how God protects the fatherless, widows, and the poor. ]
Psalm 69:29-30 says: But I am poor and sorrowful; Let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high. I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving. [David’s song of thanksgiving is showing how God will take poor sinful people like him to heaven, on high, to be with Him some day.]
Psalm 69:32-33 says: The humble shall see this and be glad; and you who seek God, your hearts shall live. For the Lord hears the poor, And does not despise His prisoners. [The humble, poor, and prisoners who seek the Lord God should not lose hope, because God hears them and protects them.]
Psalm 70:4-5 says: Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, “Let God be magnified!” But I am poor and needy; Make haste to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay. [Although we all have a different financial status, we are all poor and needy when it comes to having enough focus on Jesus Christ, our deliverer, and the Salvation He provided for us when He gave His life on the cross for us as a substitute for the punishment we deserve for our sinful ways.]
Psalm 72:2-4 says: He will judge Your people with righteousness, And Your poor with justice. The mountains will bring peace to the people, And the little hills, by righteousness.He [God] will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy, And will break in pieces the oppressor. [The Lord God brings justice to the poor and the children of the needy.]
Psalm 72:11-14 says: Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him [God]; All nations shall serve Him. For He will deliver the needy when he cries, The poor also, and him who has no helper. He will spare the poor and needy, and will save the souls of the needy. He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; and precious shall be their blood in His sight. [All kings and nations should worship the Lord God who will save them and deliver the poor and needy from oppression and violence.]
Psalm 74:19-21 says: Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast! Do not forget the life of Your poor forever. Have respect to the covenant; For the dark places of the earth are full of the haunts of cruelty. Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed! Let the poor and needy praise Your name. [Our Lord Jesus won’t forget the poor, needy, and oppressed of the world and will take all those who believe in Him as their Savior to heaven to be with Him someday where there is no social class, no pain, no tears, and no oppression-only joy forever!]
Psalm 76:8-9 says: You caused judgment to be heard from heaven; The earth feared and was still, When God arose to judgment, To deliver all the oppressed of the earth. Selah [In God’s judgment, he delivered all the oppressed of the earth. ]
Psalm 82:3-4 says: Defend the poor and the fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked. [David is asking God to defend, defend, and do justice to the poor, fatherless, afflicted, and needy from the wicked. Christ comforts those in distress and will free them from this worldly affliction when believers join Him in heaven some day when He calls them.]
Psalm 86:1-2 says: Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me; For I am poor and needy. Preserve my life, for I am holy; You are my God; Save Your servant who trusts in You! [God is consistent that He cares for the poor and needy and will take them to join Him in heaven someday who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior.]
Psalm 102:17-18 says: He [God] shall regard the prayer of the destitute, and shall not despise their prayer. This will be written for the generation to come, That a people yet to be created may praise the Lord. [God regards the prayers of the destitute and doesn’t despise their prayers.]
Psalm 107:41-43 says: Yet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction, And makes their families like a flock. The righteous see it and rejoice, And all iniquity stops its mouth. Whoever is wise will observe these things, And they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord. [Those will rejoice who see the loving kindness of the Lord God and how He cares for and protects the poor!]
Psalm 109:15-16 says: Let them be continually before the Lord, That He may cut off the memory of them from the earth; Because he did not remember to show mercy, But persecuted the poor and needy man, That he might even slay the broken in heart. [David is praying for the Lord God to remember those who persecute the poor, needy, and broken in heart, because they did not show mercy the way God wants us to.]
Psalm 109:30-31 says: I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude. For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, To save him from those who condemn him. [This is in response to the previous passage noted, and this tells how the Lord God does stand at the right hand of the poor to save them from those who condemn them.]
Psalm 113:5-8 says: Who is like the Lord our God, Who dwells on high, Who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth? He raises the poor out of the dust, And lifts the needy out of the ash heap, That He may seat him with princes- With the princes of His people. [The Lord our God will raise the poor and needy who believe in Jesus as their Savior from the dust and ash heap, to join Him in Paradise some day!]
Psalm 132:13-17 says: For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread. I will also clothe her priests with salvation, And her saints shall shout aloud for joy, There I will make the horn of David grow; I will prepare a lamp for My anointed. [The Lord God is talking about how the horn of David will grow which speaks of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the substitute for our sins, so that those who believe in Him can have Salvation. The Lord God will prepare the kingdom of heaven for the poor and others, where there will no longer be hunger or oppression-only joy!]
Psalm 136:1-26 says: Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever. Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever: To Him who alone does great wonders, For His mercy endures forever; To Him who by wisdom made the heavens, For His mercy endures forever; To Him who laid out the earth above the waters, For His mercy endures forever; To Him who made great lights, For His mercy endures forever- The sun to rule by day, For His mercy endures forever; The moon and stars to rule by night, For His mercy endures forever. To Him who struck Egypt in their firstborn, For His mercy endures forever; And brought out Israel from among them, For His mercy endures forever; With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, For His mercy endures forever; To Him who divided the Red Sea in two, For His mercy endures forever; And made Israel pass through the midst of it, For His mercy endures forever; But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, For His mercy endures forever; To Him who led His people through the wilderness, For His mercy endures forever; To Him who struck down great kings, For His mercy endures forever; And slew famous kings, For His mercy endures forever- Sihon king of the Amorites, For His mercy endures forever; And Og king of Bashan, For His mercy endures forever- And gave their land as a heritage, For His mercy endures forever; A heritage to Israel His servant, For His mercy endures forever. Who remembered us in our lowly state, For His mercy endures forever; And rescued us from our enemies, For His mercy endures forever; Who gives food to all flesh, For His mercy endures forever. Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! For His mercy endures forever. [This tells how our merciful Lord God created the world, heaven, and stars, made miracles so the Egyptian Pharaoh would let the Israelites go, and parted the Red Sea, so they could walk to safety. He got them through the wilderness, provided food and water, and protected them from oppressive kings and enemies. The Lord God’s mercy does endure forever!]
Psalm 140:12-13 says: I know that the Lord will maintain The cause of the afflicted, And justice for the poor. Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name; The upright shall dwell in Your presence. [The Lord provides for the afflicted and justice for the poor.]
Psalm 145:15-21 says: The eyes of all look expectantly to you, And You [God] give them their food in due season. You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works. The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fill the desire of those who fear [worship] Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. The Lord preserves all who love Him, But the wicked He will destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, And all flesh shall bless His holy name Forever and ever. [David tells of how our righteous, gracious God provides food and for the needs of those who worship Him. Toward the end of the passage, it mentions how those who love the Lord will be preserved/have salvation and the wicked won’t.]
Psalm 146:5-10 says: Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God, Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever, Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; The Lord raises those who are bowed down; The Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked He turns upside down. The Lord shall reign forever- Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord! [God is who created the earth, heaven, and sea and all that are in them. He gives justice for the oppressed, keeps truth, gives food to the hungry, watches over strangers, the fatherless and widows, and gives freedom to prisoners, opens the eyes of the blind, and raises those bowed down.]
Isaiah 3:14-15 says: The Lord will enter into judgment With the elders of His people And His princes: “For you have eaten up the vineyard; The plunder of the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing My people And grinding the faces of the poor?” Says the Lord God of hosts. [The Lord God will look down in judgment on those who have not left food in the vineyard and elsewhere for the poor and have taken what they did have as a reward/plunder.]
Isaiah 10:2-3 says: To rob the needy of justice, And to take what is right from the poor of My people, That widows may be their prey, And that they may rob the fatherless. What will you do in the day of punishment, And in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? And where will you leave your glory? [It feels like God is saying, “Have you ever thought about the consequences for all you’ve done against the poor, widows, and the fatherless? Who will you turn to on Judgment Day????]
Isaiah 11:4-5 says: But with righteousness He [the Lord God] shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist. [On Judgment Day, the Lord God will fairly judge all those who believed in Jesus as their Savior and those who lived wicked lives by oppressing the poor, meek, and the less fortunate.]
Isaiah 14:30-32 says: The firstborn of the poor will feed, And the needy will lie down in safety; I will kill your roots with famine, And it will slay your remnant. Wail, O gate! Cry! O city! All you of Philistia are dissolved; For smoke will come from the north, And no one will be alone in his appointed times.” What will they answer the messengers of the nation? That the Lord has founded Zion, And the poor of His people shall take refuge in it. [Heaven was created by the Lord God as a refuge for all those believers who were poor, hungry and oppressed, but what will those wicked who oppress them say to Him on Judgment Day?]
Isaiah 25:4-5 says: For You [the Lord God] have been a strength to the poor, A strength to the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, A shade from the heat; For the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. You [Lord God] will reduce the noise of the aliens, As heat in a dry place; As heat in the shadow of a cloud, The song of the terrible ones will be diminished. [The Lord God provides strength and comfort to the poor, the needy, and a refuge from the storms and oppressions of the wicked.]
Isaiah 26:5-6 says: For He [the Lord God] brings down those who dwell on high, The lofty city; He lays it low, He lays it low to the ground, He brings it down to the dust. The foot shall tread [tample] it down- The feet of the poor And the steps of the needy.” [The Lord God will bring down the lofty city and trample it down, by those who had been the poor and needy.]
Isaiah 29:19 says: The humble also shall increase their joy in the Lord, And the poor among men shall rejoice In the Holy One of Israel. [When Jesus, the Holy One of Israel, is born to give His life the ransom for many, the humble and the poor of the world will rejoice.]
Isaiah 32:7-8 says: Also the schemes of schemer are evil; He devises wicked plans To destroy the poor with lying words, Even when the needy speaks justice. But a generous man devises generous things, And by generosity he shall stand. [When Jesus Christ generously gives His life as a substitute for all, He will foil the wicked plans of the schemer.]
Isaiah 41:17-18 says: “The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, Their tongues fall for thirst. I, the Lord, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open rivers in desolate heights, And fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, And the dry land springs of water.” [The Lord God hears the poor and needy and will nor forsake them. He will provide never ending waters of Life for them in Heaven for those who believe in Him as their Savior.]
Isaiah 42:6-7 says: “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house. [The Lord God holds their hand and Is a light to the Gentiles, and releases prisoners.] Jesus says this also in Luke 4:18.
Isaiah 58:7 says: Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him And not hide yourself from your own flesh? [God consistently shared throughout the Bible that He wants us to provide for the hungry, poor, isolated, and those without the crucial necessities.]
Isaiah 61:1-2 says: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn.” [This prediction about Jesus in the Old Testament of the Bible was made 100s of years before Jesus’ birth to Mary. In Luke 4:18-19 when Jesus reads this passage aloud in the synagogue, He tells them that He has fulfilled this prediction in their hearing. Another of the many proofs that Jesus truly is the Son of God.]
Isaiah 66:1-2 says: Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the Lord. But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word. [The Lord respects the poor and humble who sincerely ask for His forgiveness and tremble at His word.]
Jeremiah 2:34-35 says: Also on your skirts is found The blood of the lives of the poor innocents. I [God] have not found it by secret search, But plainly on these things. Yet you say, ‘Because I am innocent, Surely His [God’s] anger shall turn from me.’ Behold, I [God] will plead My case against you, Because you say, “I have not sinned.’ [God does not take it lightly when the poor innocents of the world are killed and He will remember those who do so on Judgment Day.”]
Jeremiah 5:4 says: Therefore I [God] said: “Sure these [who run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem] are poor. They are foolish; For they do not know the way of the Lord, The judgment of their God.” [There are those who God considers poor and foolish who do not have faith in God, but spend their lives wandering around trying to find something, anything to save them, but don’t focus on the truth and justice that only God provides.]
[Actually, poor isn’t used in this passage in the same light of this research project related to the financially poor of the world. I looked it up at Dictionary.com In this case, it is an adjective and what these poor people are deficient and lacking in is: [wisdom and/or faith in God.]
Jeremiah 20:13 says: Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord! For He has delivered the life of the poor From the hand of evildoers. [They are praising the Lord for delivering the lives of the poor from those who do evil.]
Jeremiah 22:15-16 says: “Shall you reign because you enclose yourself in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink, And do justice and righteousness? He judged the cause of the poor and needy; Then it was well. Was not this knowing Me?” says the Lord. [God is saying this to Shallum who is reigning instead of his father, Josiah, and is doing wickedly. God reminds him of when his father followed the Lord God and took care of the poor and needy and things went well, in contrast to Shallum who is not following God.]
Jeremiah 39:10 says: But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left in the land of Judah the poor people, who had nothing, and gave them the vineyards and fields at the same time. [Nebuzaradan provided the vineyards and fields for the poor who had nothing.]
Jeremiah 40:7 basically says: [Gedaliah, the governor, who was in charge of the remnant of Judah: men, women, children, and the poorest of the land.]
Jeremiah 52:15-16 says: Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive some of the poor people, the rest of the people who remained in the city, the defectors who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen. But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poor of the land as vinedressers and farmers. [The poor of the land were spared being exiled in Babylon and were left to tend the farms and vineyards.]
Ezekiel 16:49 says: “Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.” [In this passage, God has Ezekiel warning Sodom of their evil ways and also that they didn’t take care of the needs of the poor and needy.]
Ezekiel 18:12 says: If he [a man] has oppressed the poor and needy, Robbed by violence, Not restored the pledge, Lifted his eyes to the idols, Or committed abomination; 18:16-17 in contrast to the previous goes on to say: [He] Has not oppressed anyone, Nor withheld a pledge, Nor robbed by violence, But has given his bread to the hungry And covered the naked with clothing; Who has withdrawn his hand from the poor And not received usury or increase, But has executed My judgments And walked in My [God’s] statutes- He shall not die for the iniquity of his father; He shall surely live! [It used to be that people would suffer the consequence of their father’s choices, but God is telling them each person will have the consequence for their own choices. If they do the things mentioned in 18:12 they will be condemned, but those who give to the poor and needy, are fair, and follow the statutes of God, will live.]
Ezekiel 22:29 says: “The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger. [God is consistent throughout the Bible in sharing His indignation for those who oppress others, the poor and needy, and strangers.]
Daniel 4:27 as Daniel foretells to the king: “Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening or your prosperity.” [Daniel warns the king to choose to be merciful to the poor on God’s behalf.]
Amos 2:6-7 says: Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because they sell the righteous for silver, And the poor for a pair of sandals. They pant after the dust of the earth which is on the head of the poor, And pervert the way of the humble. A man and his father go in to the same girl, To defile My holy name. [God is consistent in disapproving of those who lead others astray, do abominable acts, defile His holy name, and are cruel to the poor.]
Amos 4:1 says: Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, Who oppress the poor, Who crush the needy, Who say to your husbands, Bring wine, let us drink! The Lord God has sworn by His loneliness: “Behold, the days shall come upon you When He will take you away with fish hooks, And your posterity with fish hooks.” [God is consistent in saying there will be a severe consequence for those who choose to oppress the poor and needy.}
Amos 5:11-14 says: Therefore, because you tread down the poor And take grain taxes from him, Though you have built houses of hewn stone, Yet you shall not dwell in them; You have planted pleasant vineyards, But you shall not drink wine from them. For I know your manifold transgressions And your mighty sins: Afflicting the just and taking bribes; Diverting the poor from justice
at the gate. Therefore the prudent keep silent at that time, For it is an evil time. Seek good and not evil, That you may live; So the Lord God of hosts will be with you, As you have spoken. Hate evil, love good; Establish justice in the gate. It may be that the Lord God of hosts Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. [God is consistent in saying there will be a serious consequence for choosing to oppress the poor and diverting justice, but He also uses prophets to remind us that we have a choice and can choose good instead of evil and establish justice. If they turn from their wicked ways and follow God, He will be gracious to them.]
Amos 8:4-7 says: Hear this, you who swallow up the needy, And make the poor of the land fail, Saying: “When will the New Moon be past, That we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, That we may trade wheat? Making the ephah small and the shekel large, Falsifying the scales by deceit, That we may buy the poor for silver, And the needy for a pair of sandals- Even sell the bad wheat?” The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: “Surely I will never forget any of their works.” [The Lord God says that He will not forget those who take advantage of the poor and the needy and try to twist things around to get what they want.]
Zechariah 7:9-10 says: “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion Everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, The alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart Against his brother.” [God is consistent throughout the Bible in trying to encourage us to show justice, mercy, and compassion and to not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the alien, or the poor. Nor does He want us to devise evil against our brother/others.]
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[Now I will go through the New Testament, Checking for Inconsistencies and analyzing whether they are even significant or not.]
Matthew 5:1-6 says: And seeing the multitudes, He [Jesus] went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He [Jesus] opened His mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. 5:10-12 goes on to say: Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. [Jesus is very consistent saying that those who are poor, who mourn, the meek, those who hunger, and are persecuted because of their faith in Jesus will have their reward with Him some day in heaven.]
Matthew 11:4-6 says: Jesus answered and said to them [2 of John the Baptist’s disciples] “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” [Jesus is consistent in healing the blind, lame, lepers, dead, and He shares the gospel with the poor. All those ll who are not afraid to follow Jesus Christ, their Savior, will be blessed.]
Matthew 19:21 says: Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow Me.” [Jesus is consistent about the importance of giving to the poor and following Him, their Savior!]
Matthew 23:14 Jesus says: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. [Jesus is consistent about saying that people who make long showy prayers, but devour the houses of widows, will have condemnation for this action.]
Matthew 26:6-12 says: And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? “For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.” But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. This will be analyzed toward the end of the research.
Mark 10:21 says: Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him [the man who questioned Jesus], “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” [Jesus is consistent in saying that it’s good to provide for the poor and to follow Him, their Savior!]
Mark 12:38-40 says: Then He [Jesus] said to them in His teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplace, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.” [Jesus is consistent about saying that people who make long showy prayers, but devour the houses of widows, will have condemnation for this action.]
Mark 12:41-44 says: Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. So He [Jesus] called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.” [Jesus tells us that He appreciates those who give to the less fortunate proportionally to what they possess. The widow gave everythings she had.]
Mark 14:3-9 says: And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His [Jesus’] head.But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply. But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her. ” This will be analyzed toward the end.
Luke 4:17-21 says: And He [Jesus] was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” [Jesus is consistent in saying that He has fulfilled the passage in the Bible that He has just read. He has comforted, healed, and preached to the poor, blind, captives, and the oppressed so they know to follow Jesus, their Savior who can take believers to heaven some day to join Him.]
Luke 5:29-32 says: Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, “Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” [The Pharisees thought Jesus shouldn’t gather with those they determined were lower class, but Jesus tells them that He came to call those who know they are sinners, and not the self-righteous like the Pharisees who think they are without sin.]
Luke 6:20-23 says: Then He [Jesus] lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: “Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.” [Jesus is consistent in telling those who are less fortunate that their reward will be great in heaven for all who have gone through persecution for their faith in Jesus Christ, their Savior!]
Luke 6:27-28 Jesus says: “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.” 6:35-38 goes on to say: “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” [Our merciful Lord, Jesus Christ, wants us to choose to be kind and merciful to others, even those who mistreat us. We are to choose not to judge or condemn and we won’t be judged or condemned. We are to choose to forgive others and we will be forgiven. We are to give to those in need and we will be taken care of.]
Luke 7:37-48 says: And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him [Jesus] saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he [Simon] said, “Teacher, say it.” ‘There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He [Jesus] said to him [Simon], “You have rightly judged.” Then He [Jesus] turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed my feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” And then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” And those who sat at the table with Him [Jesus] began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Then He [Jesus] said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” This will be analyzed toward the end.
Luke 10:25-37 says: And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him [Jesus], saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He [Jesus] said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” So he answered and said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.”’ And He [Jesus] said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” and he [man talking to Jesus] said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” [In that Samaritans were not to associate with the Hebrews, Our merciful Lord Jesus wants us to choose to be merciful to others, including those who are marginalized.]
Luke 12:6-9 Jesus says: “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.” 6:22-34 goes on to say: Then He [Jesus] said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. So not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” [Jesus tells us not to worry about what we are going to eat, wear, etc. that God will take care of those who love Him, but we should focus on developing treasures that lead to going to heaven.]
Luke 14:12-14 says: Then He [Jesus] also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” [Jesus is consistent in wanting us to provide for the poor, maimed, lame, and blind and those who do this for Jesus’ sake will join Him in heaven.”
Luke 14:20-24 Jesus says: “Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come,’ So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in her the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room’ Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’” [In this example, Jesus is telling us that He invites all the rich and the poor to have the opportunity to join Him in heaven some day. Only those who believe in Him as their Savior: symbolized by the poor, maimed, lame, and blind, will get to join Him, not those who had excuses for not developing a relationship with Christ, no matter how rich they are.]
Luke 16:19-31 Jesus says: “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuous every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he [rich man] cried and said, “Gather Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ Then he [rich man] said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house., for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him [rich man], ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he [rich man] said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he [Abraham] said to him [rich man], ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.”’ [This parable that Jesus tells them says that those who are rich, those who think they are pious and better than others may not be joining Him in heaven some day, but the poor and lowly who were oppressed and believed in Jesus as their Savior, will.]
Luke 18:22-23 says: So when Jesus heard these things, He [Jesus] said to him [who questioned Him], “You still lack one thing, Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” [Jesus is consistent about the importance of giving to the poor and following Him, their Savior!]
Luke 20:45-47 says: Then, in the hearing of all the people, He [Jesus] said to His disciples, “Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widow’s houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.” [Jesus is consistent about saying that people who make long showy prayers, but devour the houses of widows, will have condemnation for this action.]
Luke 21:1-4 says: And He [Jesus] looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He [Jesus] said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.” [Jesus tells us that He appreciates those who give to the less fortunate proportionally to what they possess. The widow gave everythings she had.]
John 11:2 says: It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 12:1-8 goes on to say: Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “”Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he [Judas] said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.” This will be analyzed toward the end.
John 13:26-30 says as they are at the Last Supper: Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He [Jesus] gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him [Judas]. Then Jesus said to him [Judas], “What you do, do quickly.” But no one at the table knew for what reason he [Jesus] said this to him. For some thought because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him [Judas], “Buy those things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. Having received the piece of bread, he [Judas] then went out immediately. And it was night. [Some of the disciples mistakenly thought at the Last Supper that Jesus was telling Judas to do, “What you do, do quickly”, so that Judas gives the money to the poor or to go buy something for the feast. Jesus, being the Son of God, knowing all things, knew Judas was going to betray Him, so He was telling Judas to follow through with his betrayal quickly.]
[Jesus knew that He would be crucified on a cross and rise on the third day to pay the price for all our sins for all of us sinful human beings. Although Jesus gave His life for everyone, He will someday take all those who believe in Him as their Savior to heaven with Him when He calls us. WE ALL have a choice to make! We have the choice to have an active relationship with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, or we can choose not to. We need to know that putting it off until tomorrow or some time in the future when it is more convenient, is still a choice. PLEASE be prayerful about your choices!]
Acts 6:1-6 says: Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrew by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man fill of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Porchorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a Proselyte from Antioch whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. [The Apostles are consistent in following Jesus’ lead in making sure the widows are taken care of, to the point that they chose seven men of good reputation, Stephen being one of them, to provide for the widows.]
Romans 15:26-27 says: For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things. [Not only were believers encouraged to contribute to the poor and less fortunate, but appreciated if they contributed to the poor who were trying to spread faith in Christ.]
1 Corinthians 4:11 says: To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. [Again, the Apostle Paul reminds those who read this that the poor, oppressed, and homeless missionaries sharing faith in Christ need financial assistance to do so.]
1 Corinthians 13:3 says: And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. [Many people may interpret this differently, but what this says to me right now is: You may write big checks to help fund the poor and less fortunate of the world, but if you don’t treat them with love when your paths cross, it’s of no good, because it was done just to look pious to others!]
2 Corinthians 8:9 says: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. [Christ, our Savior, the Son of God, could have had all the riches in the world, but He chose to be born in humble surroundings and live a life similar to the poor of the world, so that through this and giving His life on the cross the ransom for all of us sinners, all those who believe in Him as their Savior could have the priceless redemption, and join Him in Heaven some day when He calls us.]
2 Corinthians 9:6-9 says: But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” [God doesn’t want us to give to the poor, to missionaries, the less fortunate, etc. begrudgingly or of necessity. He loves a cheerful giver and will provide for our needs when we do provide for those He has on our hearts.]
Galatians 2:10 says: They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very things which I also was eager to do. [The Apostle Paul is saying that he was reminded by some of the other disciples to make sure they remember to provide for the poor, but Paul says that was already high on his list (paraphrased).]
1 Timothy 5:5 says: Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day. 5:9-10 further says: Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number and not unless she has been the wife of one man, well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saint’s feet, if she she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work. 5:16 goes on to say: If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve [give aid to] them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows. [The Apostles knew that Jesus wanted the widows to be cared for. Since they weren’t able to provide care for every single widow, they had to have some parameters. If a widow had family and grandchildren, they should care for her. If she was of the marrying and childbearing age, she didn’t need to be cared for, but they should care only for those widows who were older, more pious women who didn’t have anyone to provide for them.]
James 1:27 says: Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. [It is consistent that Jesus wants the orphans and widows to be visited and to help keep them focused, so they don’t get let astray to the ways of the world.]
James 2:1-9 says: My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called? If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. [I’ve done this more times than I’d like to admit, but I’m trying to move toward what Christ wants of us: to show love, compassion, and respect to the poor and not favor those who are dressed in fine clothing and have fine titles behind their names. Showing partiality to the rich is sinful behavior and Christ expects better of us!]
[Next, I’m going to analyze these four similar Gospel passages about when oil was put on Jesus and Judas said that the money would have been better used for the poor. There are some who argue about Jesus’ response that they will always have the poor with them, but won’t always have Him to mean that Jesus didn’t think that giving to the poor is all that important. Is that really true?]
Matthew 26:6-12 says: And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.” But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial.
Mark 14:3-9 says: And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His [Jesus’] head. But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply. But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
Luke 7:37-50 says: And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him [Jesus] saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he [Simon] said, “Teacher, say it.” ‘There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He [Jesus] said to him [Simon], “You have rightly judged.” Then He [Jesus] turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed my feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” And then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” And those who sat at the table with Him [Jesus] began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Then He [Jesus] said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
John 11:2 says: It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 12:1-8 goes on to say: Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “”Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he [Judas] said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”
What was said when the woman put the oil on Jesus?
Matthew 26:8-9 says: But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”
Mark 14:4-5 says: But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply.
Luke 7:49 says: Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him [Jesus] saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”
John 12:4-6 says: But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “”Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he [Judas] said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.
[The related portions of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John all basically say the same thing that Jesus was asked why the oil was wasted, because it could have been sold and the money given to the poor. The Gospel of Luke doesn’t mention this. Is that an inconsistency. It is an inconsistency, but is it even significant? In reality, just because it wasn’t mentioned, doesn’t mean that Jesus wasn’t asked why the oil was wasted and not sold to give the money to the poor. Therefore, it is only a minor inconsistency and isn’t significant.]
[Sometimes, Gospel writers only write the portions of things they heard or eye witnesses heard. Other times, they omit things that they deem have already been adequately recorded and add other information that they think is pertinent for clarity. Luke 7:40-43 includes this very significant parable Jesus shared with the Pharisees related to the sinful woman who put oil on Jesus. And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he [Simon] said, “Teacher, say it.” ‘There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He [Jesus] said to him [Simon], “You have rightly judged. If Luke hadn’t included it in the passage with the woman putting oil on Jesus, readers might have missed out on this very compassionate, merciful reply from Jesus.]
[What was Jesus’ response to being asked about why the woman put the oil on His head?]
Matthew 26:10-12 says: But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial.
Mark 14:6-9 says: But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
Luke 7:44-50 says: Then He [Jesus] turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed my feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” And then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” And those who sat at the table with Him [Jesus] began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Then He [Jesus] said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
John 12:7-8 says: But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”
[The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John all similarly mention that Jesus said that the woman’s anointing Him with oil was done to prepare Him for His burial. Since Jesus is the Son of God, He knew it wasn’t long until He would be betrayed by Judas, questioned, mocked, beaten, spit upon, crucified on the cross, buried and rise again on the third day to save all sinners from the consequence of their sins. That way, those who believe in the Lord Jesus as their Savior can join Him in heaven some day when He calls them.]
[The Gospel of Luke continues with Jesus telling all that the woman has done in anointing Him with the oil and tells her that her sins are forgiven. Since the Gospel of Luke doesn’t mention that Jesus said that she put the oil on Him to prepare Him for His burial, does it mean that Jesus didn’t say this? No, this is an insignificant inconsistency. Luke determined it was much more important to include the rest of the conversation Jesus had about those who are forgiven much, love much.]
[Although in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus didn’t say that the woman put the oil on Him for His burial, Jesus did say that she anointed His feet, which may have the same meaning, although I’m not totally certain.]
[Is there anything in these related Gospel passages that indicates that Jesus doesn’t feel it’s important to contribute to the poor?]
Matthew 26:11 says: For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always.
Mark 14:7 For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always.
John 12:8 says; For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”
[As has been previously analyzed, the Gospel of Luke’s passage about the woman anointing Jesus with oil, focuses more on Jesus teaching the disciples and Pharisees that they shouldn’t be judgmental about the sinful woman, through Jesus’ parable about a creditor forgiving two debtors.]
[The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John are very consistent about saying that they won’t always have Jesus (again, that’s because He knew of His imminent death on the cross), but they will have the poor with them always.]
[In analyzing these passages, the following passage from Mark clarifies this and shows the erroneous thinking of those who suggest that Jesus says that doing good for the poor doesn’t matter. Mark 14:7 For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. ]
[After in-depth research on the topic: Are there Inconsistencies in the Bible about the Lord God Wanting Us to Take Care of the Poor and Less Fortunate?, it has been determined that the Lord God has been extremely consistent throughout the Bible about wanting us to take care of the poor and the less fortunate. In contrast to this, the Lord God also lets us know through the Bible that He remembers those who choose to not provide for the poor and the less fortunate and will remember that on Judgment Day!]
[One big take away I got from this Biblical Research Project is: Jesus is an “Equal Opportunity Savior.” Everyone who believes in Him as their Savior will join Him in heaven some day regardless of their financial status, social standing, ethnicity, and cultural background.]
Remember: John 3:16-21 when Jesus says: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
[My advice is: Follow Jesus! He is the Light of the World!]
