The Rich vs. the Poor from the Bible

PSALM 10

“Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? 2 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak who are caught in the schemes he devises. 3 He boasts about the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord. 4 In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. 5 His ways are always prosperous. Your laws are rejected by him; he sneers at all his enemies. 6 He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.” He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.” 7 His mouth is full of lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue. 8 He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent. 9 His eyes watch in secret for his victims, like a lion in cover he lies in wait. He lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net. 10 His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength. 11 He says to himself, “God will never notice; he covers his face and never sees.” 12 Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. 13 Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, “He won’t call me to account?” 14 But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. 15 Break the arm of the wicked man. Call the evildoer to account for his wickedness that would not otherwise be found out. 16 The Lord is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. 17 You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, 18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.”

This Psalm concerns itself with the “weak, helpless, and victims” of the wicked wealthy, the unbelieving who crush the “helpless. Jesus said that, “The poor you will always have with you.” (John 12:8) This is the verse of scripture to which Jesus is referring: “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be … For the poor you will always have with you in the land. Therefore, I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.” (Deuteronomy 15:7-11) 

The night before Jesus went to Jerusalem to be betrayed and crucified, Mary (Lazarus’ sister) poured a very expensive jar of perfumed oil on Jesus’ head and feet. Judas complained that she should have sold it and given it to the poor. Jesus disagreed. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” (John 12:7-8) The next day, Jesus returned to Jerusalem, and Judas betrayed him for money. But not before the people who were waiting in expectancy for the Messiah’s reign on earth to begin, shouted “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!” (John 12:13) This was the cry of the helpless who put their hope of being delivered from their sad estate by the coming of the “Son of David.” (Matthew 1:1) 

We hear the plea of those who hope in the Lord in the first verse of this Psalm: “Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” This complaint is heard frequently throughout the Psalms and Bible. The reason for this is because “the wicked man hunts down the weak (pursues and persecutes the poor), who are caught in the schemes he devises.” (verse 2) Never has this been truer than today. 

For instance, many of the poor, elderly, sick and afflicted in America live in trailer and RV parks. This has been true for many years. But these trailer and RV parks are changing. The rich are buying massive trailers and RVs, 40-60 feet long, loaded with every luxurious amenity. These RVs cost $250,000 to $500,000. -- What was once the last refuge for the poor, elderly, and physically afflicted, is now being taken over by the rich. -- Once the wealthy move into these parks, they complain about the poor quality of the RVs and trailers of the less fortunate, who are able to escape homelessness in those parks. Consequently, to ameliorate their higher paying park visitors, RV parks across the country are setting a limit to how old a trailer can be before being allowed to stay in these parks. The poor who live in much older and smaller trailers, who are living on hardly anything and just barely staying above homelessness, must leave. But where do they go? Many end up trying to park and live on the streets. These get parking tickets they cannot pay. Their RVs are confiscated. And they end up in jail with an arrest record. -- It is literally becoming against the law to be poor. This is the age-old story and example of how the rich persecute the poor. But Jehovah does not consider the poor to be no value. He loves them with all the love in his heart. And he promises to judge those who in their pride look down upon them and make their lives even harder.  

The bite of riches frequently poisons the hearts and minds of those who have the means to live much better lifestyles than their less fortunate neighbors. They even have slogans like: “The one who has the most toys when he dies wins!” That is their source of confidence and pride. It is what makes them think they are better than the poor. But we have school teachers, retired and active military, struggling families and senior citizens who need affordable places to live. They cannot afford the lifestyle of the affluent who are traveling around the nation in vehicles that are more expensive than any average home. 

This entire Psalms enumerates the evils and the proud attitudes of the nations and the people who own a treasure of worldly goods, and do not care for the poor. They will not endure forever. “The Lord is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry; defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.” (verses 16-18)

The rich have the resources that protect them from seeing the true nature of their lives. Many are proud, rather than humble. They do not know that in the eyes of the Lord they are not first, but last. As Jesus states in Matthew 20:16 "So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first now will be last." 

This Psalm is meant to encourage the poor, more than as it is to accuse the rich. For what many wealthy people do not understand is that being poor in the world’s riches can make one rich in eternal things.  

Let’s read what Matthew records Jesus as saying to a certain rich man. “Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.” “Which ones?” he inquired. Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.” “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again, I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:16-22)

Of course, the Bible does not oppose prosperity. In fact, many times we are promised it as a blessing. Job, Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, Lot, Moses, David, Solomon, these patriarchs, and many great men of the Bible were all wealthy men. So, the issue here in not being ‘rich.’ It is the attitude of a rich man’s heart. What does he love the most? Is he a good man who seeks to keep all the commandments of God? Many who are wealthy are also people who seek to do good. So why does the “rich man” go away sad? Because Jesus made him see that although he obeyed God, he did not love God more than his money and possessions, which is idolatry. 

If we are rich and have more than we need for day to day life, is that our security? Or, if we were to lose everything, would we still be obedient and praise God? This is the danger of wealth. If we become arrogant because we are more richly blessed than others and put our confidence in our worldly wealth, then we have become idolaters.

In Romans 1:25 the Apostle Paul says, “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.” The comfort, security, and luxuries we can buy with money, pull our hearts away from relying on, and loving God more than anything and anyone. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul writes: “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Timothy 6:10)

Certainly, many rich people give to good causes, set up foundations, give to their church, and to the poor. But have they given so much that it puts their wealthy lifestyle at risk? I am certain of the answer most rich people will give. “That would be foolish.” But then there is Jesus’ teaching about giving: "He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, 'Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” (Luke 21:1-4)

In Corinthians Paul also says, “For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (1 Corinthians 4:7) And then he goes on to describe the Apostles’ poverty, compared to those in the churches they served: “We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.” (1 Corinthians 4:10-13) The rich man went away sad because he could not trust God enough to “Go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:21)

During the economic crisis of 2008, my wife and I had all our life savings stolen by our business manager. We became penniless overnight. Like David in verse 1 of this psalm, we fell on our knees and cried out to Jesus: “Why, Lord?” My wife and I were terrified! Without a home and money, we could no longer run our business. We were completely destitute. We had done no wrong. We had sought the Lord with all our hearts and gave as any had need. We thought we had enough in savings to last our lifetimes. We had enjoyed our life. It was wonderful. Then the day came like it came to Job. We lost everything. 

We did not understand why the Lord had allowed this to happen. What was God’s purpose? The only reply my wife and I received was the Spirit saying, “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) And another verse “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” (Psalm 27:14) 

Friends gave us places to stay until from the ashes of our prior business we began to rebuild and earn again. The First Christian Church fed the poor twice a week. We attended. As everyone ate, I preached. Afterwards, Tori and I would go around and talk to everyone and ask if they needed prayer. Many were hard working, functional people who had fallen on unexpected hard times, like ourselves. Some were ill, elderly or too afflicted to work. Some had housing, some lived in cars and RVs, and too many were totally homeless and slept outside. Most lived on a razor’s edge. Yet, because of their humble circumstances, they can be the most faith-filled and honest people you will ever meet. 

My wife and I got used to our new lifestyle of poverty. It was not frightening anymore. The Lord provided what was needed. We pulled together enough to buy an old RV to live in. But we still could not afford to rent a place of our own. Then I had a God-dream, one in which I heard the Spirit tell me to “Get ready to move out of your RV.” I awoke and told my wife. “But how?” she replied. I did not know the answer. Then the phone rang. 

I had not heard from my father in decades. He had been a very dangerous alcoholic in my youth. I ran away when I was 14 for fear of my life. That morning he called! After catching up and hearing about our transitive living circumstances, my father said he owned a house in Big Bear, and that we could have the house if we paid the mortgage ($400 a month). We had created a new business plan and were making enough to pay that. So, we moved in. Running hot water, electricity, a toilet, and privacy. It felt like we were staying at the Ritz after what we had been through. – We had waited and persevered. Our season of homelessness was over. As a consequence, our faith was stronger, and we were more courageous in facing life’s difficulties. But mostly, we were far more compassionate. Praise the Lord!

The main emphasis of this Psalm is not really to admonish the rich, so much as it is to encourage the poor. The real purpose of this psalm is in its conclusion: “You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed.” (verses 17-18)

After the rich man who could not give his riches to the poor walked away, the Apostles asked, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” (Matthew 19:27) Jesus answered them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me... And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” (Matthew 19:28)

Many of us are poor in earthly riches; but, stored up in heaven is our reward, and our treasure. The Lord will lift us up. My wife and I have weathered the storm. We now have the assurance and confidence to preach to the poor and say, “Wait, for the Lord. Yes, be strong and courageous. Wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14) 

They Lord sees and knows everything about your life. He has not forsaken you. Put your trust in him. He is your strength. He is your hope. He will reward you for your patient endurance. Do not fear or despise your condition in life. Praise the Lord for what you do have. You are being blessed like the Apostles, if you walk in faith. 

Dear Christians, when we suffer, do not think God no longer loves you. Consider it a blessing to be treated like Christ. As Peter writes: “But rejoice in as much as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” (1 Peter 4:13) Remember how our Lord, God in the flesh, who had no sin, was treated too. Rejoice! We get to share that with our

Savior. “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Luke 9:58) Do not get off the straight and narrow. Remember this passage, “Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

This is how Jesus as a man is described in Isaiah, “He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely, he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:1-5)

If you are Christian who is hated, despised, and treated badly by others, even by other “Christians, be encouraged and rejoice. This is a blessing because you are sharing in the sorrows and rejection of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. That is how the religious, and the leaders of the people of his day also treated Him.

Jesus was a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” (Isaiah 53:3) He was often homeless. Yet, he was our Creator and the Savior of all mankind. He was the only perfectly righteous human that ever lived. In John Jesus says, “That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: 'A servant is not greater than his master. 'If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” (John 15:19-20)

Christians who endure hardships, trials, tribulation, rejection, and pain will be rewarded in heaven and on the new earth. In the Resurrection, our bodies will shine in power and glory. Not so your persecutors. They will know then that they sinned. Their pride of ownership of many worldly goods made them think that they were better than you. “Those who are first now will be last later.” (Matthew 19:30)