Coronavirus and Greed. God had a commandment on that.

Leviticus 19:9-10  – Social Order Basics Part II – On Greed

Day 12 of our 14-day self-quarantine and today’s passage seems so relevant to the madness we have experienced lately with respect to hoarding of consumables like toilet paper and household disinfectants. Read on.

The Passage

⁹ ‘Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. ¹⁰ Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the Lord your God.

Thoughts on the Passage

Most of us are not into farming these days, yet we so appreciate those who are, especially these times. In the days of the Israelites, farming was big as there were no supermarkets to go and get your vegetables or flour to bake your bread. So, God is telling His people not to try and pick up every morsel that their fields of harvest, or every last fruit that their vineyards, yield. And his reason is simply this – they were to leave them for the needy and the strangers in their land.

The lesson here is not to say “well, that does not apply to me because I’m not into farming” but rather to fully grasp the attitude we are to have towards those in need. Whatever we do for a living, however we get paid or compensated, we are to remember those in need. We are to give of our gain to those that have a need. Many of us do that through the support of our churches and missions, through the support of various charities, or directly to those that God has placed in our paths.

And it’s not always about money. These days, in the midst of the coronavirus situation, it may be time – time to make a phone call or to Skype or Facetime with them, or to write a letter. Or, as God allows, it may be to volunteer in a riskier way. For others, it may be that all you can do is to pray for them and to let them know that you are.

And again, why is it that God wants us to do this? There are two reasons. First, remember, this whole chapter is about “social order”.  The fact is that there are those in our world that are in need.  And in order to have “social order”, they must be taken care of.

So, let’s remember this when we are in the grocery store next time and there are only three packages of soap left on the shelf.  Do we really need all three right now? Have we got enough faith in God to believe that when we really need soap, He will provide?  I hope so.

Life is not always fair. Today, billionaire David Geffen tweeted from his yacht (complete with pictures) the following: “Sunset last night. Isolated in the Grenadines avoiding the virus. I hope everybody is staying safe.”  That’s despicable, arrogant, and ignorant. And that is the kind of person God may have had in mind when He gave Moses this commandment for us to follow. We are not to be insensitive to the needs of others as Mr. Geffen seems to be.

Finally, you may ask, “why do I need to remember the needy?” Well, God tells us again, at the end of the passage, for “I am the Lord your God.”  Period. No other reason is required for the believer. But it also makes great sense with respect to keeping social order.

Hang in there. God’s plan is unfolding.  Let us stay alert and be in tune with His heart.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.