Caring For The Poor

Caring for the Poor

Q: What were Israel’s women compared to in the book of Amos?

• a. fat cows
• b. colorful birds
• c. sleek cats

In the Disney movie The Emperor’s New Groove, Kuzco is a vain and selfish emperor. He’s planning to build a water park for himself for his birthday. However, this means destroying a village to make room for his new park. Kuzco thinks nothing of destroying the homes in order to provide entertainment for himself. When Kuzco is accidentally turned into a llama, though, one of the villagers, Pacha, comes to his rescue.

The wealthy women in the northern kingdom of Israel were worse than Kuzco. Like the cattle who grazed in the lush pastures of their area, they were pampered and well fed. But instead of sharing what they had with others, they oppressed the poor in order to maintain their lifestyles.

Several times in the Bible the Lord says those who help the poor will be blessed.

• “Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do.” (Deuteronomy 15:10)
• “Blessed are those who help the poor.” (Proverbs 14:21)
• “Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor.” (Proverbs 22:9)
• “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” (2 Corinthians 9:9)

God makes it clear that we are to help those in need and share what we have. The women of Israel failed to do that, and this was just one of the many sins God judged them for.

For You

How can you help the poor? Luke 3:11 gives advice on how to start: “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.” God looks at your attitude about giving, not the amount you give. You will be blessed for the things you do for him.

Answer: a

Listen to me, you fat cows living in Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy, and who are always calling to your husbands, “Bring us another drink!”   Amos 4:1

(The Whole Story: Amos 4)