19 �When you reap your harvest in your field, and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the ((( stranger, ))) the fatherless, and the widow, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
20 When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the ((( stranger, ))) the fatherless, and the widow.
21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward; it shall be for the ((( stranger, ))) the fatherless, and the widow.
Who is the Stranger ?
22 And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; ((( therefore I command you to do this thing. )))
This was the way God took care of the poor and the homeless just like we have today. The farmers would leave gleanings behind in case a poor person or a stranger who was hungry came across them. It could also be anyone from another nation that strayed into Israel and was without food. Israeli culture welcomes strangers and had a hospitality policy that exceeded even normal kindness.
In one extreme example when Lot, living in Sodom, was visited by 2 strangers (actually angels) and the people of Sodom wanted to rape them Lot sent his two virgin daughters instead of the strangers.
Christ was always aware of the poor as was Paul. See the following scriptures:
�For you always have athe poor with you; but you do not always have Me" (Matthew 26:11).
�But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.� (Luke 14:13-14).
Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God (Luke 6:20).
�THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME,
BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR.
HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES,
AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND,
TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED,
TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.� (Luke 4:18-19)
When explaining the acceptable fast Isaiah said: �Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh? (Isaiah 58:7)
... the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT 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. (Matthew 11:15).
Paul said, after his meeting with the disciples in Jerusalem, "They only asked us to remember the poor�the very thing I also was eager to do" Galatians 2:10) .
God in this sense took the world the way it was i.e. there will always be rich and poor. But in His Mosaic Laws he made provision for the poor and the stranger who He knew did not have the means others did for whatever reason. This is the height of compassion, to care for the less fortunate the best you can. Simply leaving a few gleanings behind in the fields of those who had fields was a gesture of compassion and was not even recognized as those so doing didn;t even know if a poor person or a stranger would come upon the leftovers.
this confirms Jesus teaching not to seek recognition for your good works. "Giving to the Poor and Prayer
1 �Beware of practicing your righteousness before men ato be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
2 �So when you 1give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they amay be honored by men. bTruly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
3 �But when you 1give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 so that your 1giving will be in secret; and ayour Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you (Matthew 6:1-4).
However don't get the idea that Jesus mission on earth was simply to take care of the poor. He was here to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth. In the case of the rich young ruler Jesus told him to sell everything, and give to the poor, but to follow Him. The object lesson was following Him, not giving to the poor.
Similarly when the woman anointed Jesus with costly perfumes Judas was mad because he said the money spent on the perfume could have been used to feed the poor. Jesus said (see above) the poor you always have but you don't always have me. In essence he was saying I, as the Son of God, am more important than the poor.
Unfortunately many Christian movements make their entire focus on caring for the poor and starving in other countries their entire focus. While a laudable goal, serving Christ goes far beyond feeding the poor and starving, or any other social programs.
Biblical rule of interpretation: let scripture interpret scripture.
Exodus 22:21 (NASB)
21 "You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
As you can see from that verse, stranger is what we would normally call a foreigner, someone not from your own country. What are we commanded to do? Well, according to these verses, we are to leave food behind so that they can gather it themselves and feed themselves. Gleaning, by the way, is legal, and I have done it once myself. You would be amazed at how much gets left behind, although I understand that farming equipment has become much more efficient in the many years since I have done it.
Cobbler, you're on the money.... wonder why no one in government and those who OPPOSE don't take these scriptures serious that make mention of STRANGERS in our land and how we are to TREAT THEM? There are many scriptures of God speaking on this matter.
And I think if those in government and those who OPPOSE, would read God's Word, and read all the scriptures about WHAT GOD has to say about how we are to treat the STRANGERS from Mexico who cross our boarders for work and a new life, we wouldn't have any problems with immigration laws in America of the Mexicans.
After ALL we, too, are stangers in God's land, and everyone in America is a stranger, except the Indians... duuuuh!..just my wodnering:excited:
Ruth was one of those strangers. She was a Mennonite that was living with family but they were also poor. Perhaps the reason for the command was also part of the plan to begin the Kingdom of David and the royal lineage of the Messiah because Ruth was David's grandmother. When Boaz saw her gleaning in the field he told his field workers to leave extra grain in the field for her.
Of note: We see the Messiah in both Ruth and Boaz. Ruth humbled herself and chose to follow God and obey his law. And so provided a shadow of the grace of God that would be extended to the Gentiles through the Messiah. Boaz took on the responsibility of redeeming Ruth. He put aside what his life was all about and made it all about redeeming Ruth. In the same way, Our Messiah put aside His life as the Son of God in glory to become the Son of God on earth. Both Jesus and Boaz stepped up to the plate when it was required of them to do so.
I wonder sometimes if the kinsman in the story of Ruth who should have been her redeemer but refused the responsibility doesn't represent Adam. Adam could have stopped Eve or taken on the responsibility of redeeming her but he did not do it.
Hey...Great input/share Everyone...When I read this it came to my rememberance of the Good Samaritan...a Stranger was HELPED by a Stranger...Also recalled Love thy Neighbor as thy self...The Stranger quite Literally to me means�Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime that is in Need...
And what does GOD command Us to do�Help the Stranger in Anyway�$$$, Food, Lodging, Clothing and of course�Word an LOVE�We are All Strangers in a Strange Land & World�Thanxs Yall�Hava Blessed day�xo
