.:tHe pOOr:.

After watching the end of The Truth Project video series tonight, I was reminded of something very important: The Lord's heart for the poor and oppressed. This is a list of verses that I compiled back on January 31st, 2005. It will do me well to review these once again. I hope all who read this see The Lord's heart for the poor.

Jeremiah 22:15-16
15"But a beautiful palace does not make a great king! Why did your father, Josiah, reign so long? Because he was just and right in all his dealings. That is why God blessed him. 16He made sure that justice and help were given to the poor and needy, and everything went well for him. Isn't that what it means to know me?" asks the LORD.

2 Corinthians 9:8-10
8And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9As the Scriptures say,
"Godly people give generously to the poor.
Their good deeds will never be forgotten."
10For God is the one who gives seed to the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will give you many opportunities to do good, and he will produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

Proverbs 19:17
If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD--and he will repay you!

Luke 14:12-14
12Then he turned to his host. "When you put on a luncheon or a dinner," he said, "don't invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will repay you by inviting you back. 13Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14Then at the resurrection of the godly, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you."

Luke 14:20-22
20Another had just been married, so he said he couldn't come.
21"The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was angry and said, `Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the city and invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.' 22After the servant had done this, he reported, `There is still room for more.'

Proverbs 31:19-21
19Her hands are busy spinning thread,
her fingers twisting fiber.
20She extends a helping hand to the
poor and opens her arms to the needy.
21She has no fear of winter for her
household because all of them have warm clothes.

Proverbs 30:8-10
8First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. 9For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, "Who is the LORD?" And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God's holy name.
10Never slander a person to his employer. If you do, the person will curse you, and you will pay for it.

Deuteronomy 15:10-12
10 Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. 11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.

2 Samuel 12:1-3
Nathan Rebukes David
1 The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

Galatians 2:9-11
9In fact, James, Peter, and John, who were known as pillars of the church, recognized the gift God had given me, and they accepted Barnabas and me as their co-workers. They encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles, while they continued their work with the Jews. 10The only thing they suggested was that we remember to help the poor, and I have certainly been eager to do that.

Ezekiel 16:48-50
48As surely as I live, says the Sovereign LORD, Sodom and her daughters were never as wicked as you and your daughters. 49Sodom's sins were pride, laziness, and gluttony, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door. 50She was proud and did loathsome things, so I wiped her out, as you have seen.

Proverbs 14:21
It is sin to despise one's neighbors; blessed are those who help the poor.

Proverbs 19:17
If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD--and he will repay you!

Acts 20:34-36
34You know that these hands of mine have worked to pay my own way, and I have even supplied the needs of those who were with me. 35And I have been a constant example of how you can help the poor by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: `It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "
36When he had finished speaking, he knelt and prayed with them.

1 Corinthians 11:21-23
21For I am told that some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. 22What? Is this really true? Don't you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace the church of God and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say about these things? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly do not!
23For this is what the Lord himself said, and I pass it on to you just as I received it. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took a loaf of bread,

Proverbs 22:9
Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor.

Proverbs 31:9
Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.

Ecclesiastes 5:8
[ The Futility of Wealth ] If you see a poor person being oppressed by the powerful and justice being miscarried throughout the land, don't be surprised! For every official is under orders from higher up, and matters of justice only get lost in red tape and bureaucracy.

Proverbs 21:17
Those who love pleasure become poor; wine and luxury are not the way to riches.

Proverbs 29:7
The godly know the rights of the poor; the wicked don't care to know.

Proverbs 28:27
Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing. But a curse will come upon those who close their eyes to poverty.

Proverbs 28:11
Rich people picture themselves as wise, but their real poverty is evident to the poor.

Proverbs 28:3
A poor person who oppresses the poor is like a pounding rain that destroys the crops.

Proverbs 22:2
The rich and the poor have this in common: The LORD made them both.

Proverbs 14:31
Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but those who help the poor honor him.

Proverbs 21:13
Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need.

Proverbs 19:22
Loyalty makes a person attractive. And it is better to be poor than dishonest.

Proverbs 10:4
Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich.

Proverbs 14:20
The poor are despised even by their neighbors, while the rich have many "friends."

Proverbs 13:7
Some who are poor pretend to be rich; others who are rich pretend to be poor.

Psalm 72:12
He will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them.

Psalm 82:4
Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people.

Psalm 113:7
and he lifts the poor from the dirt and the needy from the garbage dump.

Psalm 132:15
I will make this city prosperous and satisfy its poor with food.

Isaiah 41:17
"When the poor and needy search for water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then I, the LORD, will answer them. I, the God of Israel, will never forsake them.

Isaiah 58:7
I want you to share your food with the hungry and to welcome poor wanderers into your homes. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.

Isaiah 26:5-7
5 He humbles the proud
and brings the arrogant city to the dust. Its walls come crashing down!
6 The poor and oppressed trample it underfoot.
7 But for those who are righteous,
the path is not steep and rough. You are a God of justice,
and you smooth out the road ahead of them.

Luke 4:17-19
17The scroll containing the messages of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him, and he unrolled the scroll to the place where it says:
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim
that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors,
19 and that the time of the Lord's favor has come.[to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. Isa 61:1-2]"

Luke 19:7-9
7But the crowds were displeased. "He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner," they grumbled.
8Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have overcharged people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!"
9Jesus responded, "Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a son of Abraham.


Proverbs 19
1 It is better to be poor and honest than to be a fool and dishonest.

Proverbs 16
8It is better to be poor and godly than rich and dishonest.
19It is better to live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud.

Leviticus 19:9-18
9 " 'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.
11 " 'Do not steal.
" 'Do not lie.
" 'Do not deceive one another.
12 " 'Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD .
13 " 'Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him.
" 'Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight.
14 " 'Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the LORD .
15 " 'Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.
16 " 'Do not go about spreading slander among your people.
" 'Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the LORD .
17 " 'Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt.
18 " 'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD .

James 2:5
Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn't God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren't they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?

2 Corinthians 9:9
As the Scriptures say, "Godly people give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will never be forgotten." [ Ps 112:9.]

2 Corinthians 8:9
You know how full of love and kindness our Lord Jesus Christ was. Though he was very rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.

2 Corinthians 6:10
Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.

1 Corinthians 13:3
If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; [ Some manuscripts read and even gave my body to be burned.] but if I didn't love others, I would be of no value whatsoever.

John 12:8
You will always have the poor among you, but I will not be here with you much longer."

Leviticus 25:34-36
34 But the pastureland belonging to their towns must not be sold; it is their permanent possession.
35 " 'If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you. 36 Do not take interest of any kind [a] from him, but fear your God, so that your countryman may continue to live among you.

Deuteronomy 15:3-5
3 You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your brother owes you. 4 However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, 5 if only you fully obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today.

Ezekiel 22:28-30
28And your prophets announce false visions and speak false messages. They say, `My message is from the Sovereign LORD,' when the LORD hasn't spoken a single word to them. They repair cracked walls with whitewash! 29Even common people oppress the poor, rob the needy, and deprive foreigners of justice.
30"I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn't have to destroy the land, but I found no one.

Acts 9:35-37
35Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon turned to the Lord when they saw Aeneas walking around.
36There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas[a]). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor. 37About this time she became ill and died. Her friends prepared her for burial and laid her in an upstairs room.

Acts 10:3-5
3One afternoon about three o'clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. "Cornelius!" the angel said.
4Cornelius stared at him in terror. "What is it, sir?" he asked the angel.
And the angel replied, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have not gone unnoticed by God! 5Now send some men down to Joppa to find a man named Simon Peter.

Psalm 22:25-27
25 I will praise you among all the people;
I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you.
26 The poor will eat and be satisfied.
All who seek the LORD will praise him.
Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy.
27 The whole earth will acknowledge the LORD and return to him.People from every nation will bow down before him.

Mark 12:41-43
The Widows Offering
41Jesus went over to the collection box in the Temple and sat and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. 42Then a poor widow came and dropped in two pennies.[a] 43He called his disciples to him and said, "I assure you, this poor widow has given more than all the others have given.

Job 5:15-17
15He rescues the poor from the cutting words of the strong. He saves them from the clutches of the powerful. 16And so at last the poor have hope, and the fangs of the wicked are broken.
17"But consider the joy of those corrected by God! Do not despise the chastening of the Almighty when you sin.

Haggai 1:9
You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the LORD Almighty, while you are all busy building your own fine houses.

Zechariah 7:10
Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and poor people. And do not make evil plans to harm each other.

Luke 3:11
John replied, "If you have two coats, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry."

Matthew 5:3
"God blesses those who realize their need for him, [the poor in spirit.] for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.

Luke 6:20
[ The Beatitudes ] Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said, "God blesses you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is given to you.

Matthew 11:5
the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.




Matthew 19:21
Jesus told him, "If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

and

Mark 10:21
Jesus felt genuine love for this man as he looked at him. "You lack only one thing," he told him. "Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."



Mark 12:42-44
Then a poor widow came and dropped in two pennies.
He called his disciples to him and said, "I assure you, this poor widow has given more than all the others have given.
For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has."

Psalm 49:1-3
1 Listen to this, all you people!
Pay attention, everyone in the world!
2 High and low,
rich and poor--listen!
3 For my words are wise,
and my thoughts are filled with insight.