Perpetual Poverty

(Pro 10:15 KJV)  The rich man's wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty.

How do we deal with “poverty” (7389)?  This Hebrew word is used only in Proverbs.  In the NASB the English word only appears in Proverbs.  The KJV only has one exception in English.  The eleven times it is used in Proverbs give us some indications of the causes.  To find a solution we need to look at the cause.

The reasons for poverty in Proverbs are poor choices, not oppression.  As I go through the places it is mentioned I see everything from drinking to haste with a lot in between.  Does oppression happen?  Of course.  Is it given as the major source of poverty?  No.  What this means is that the best way to help people locked in poverty is to teach them to make the right decisions.  You cannot make the right decisions if you don’t have a foundation in truth.

So?  Contribute.  Give.  Help.  Also realize that those are not going to solve the long term problem.  For that we need to speak the truth in love.  We need to model righteous living.  Don’t be satisfied with short term, feel good solutions.  Aspirin may take away the pain but it doesn’t kill the virus.