ArticleBlog | UK poverty: what does the Bible tell us to do?
UK poverty: what does the Bible tell us to do?
Author: Andy PeckPost Date: 25.06.23
Poverty is a daily reality experienced by millions in the UK. This reality has been compounded over the past year with the rising cost of living. In 2022, CAP commissioned a YouGov poll which found that almost a third (30%) of low-income households are behind with their bills, compared with 13% of all UK adults.1 Similarly, a Joseph Rowntree Foundation report in December 2022 found that households on the lowest incomes were struggling the most, with 7.2 million people going without basics such as clothing or toiletries.2
Hearing this can leave us feeling overwhelmed and searching for answers. But, as we turn to the Bible, we discover God’s heart for those living in poverty.
The creation story in Genesis shows us life in glorious and joyful abundance. This beauty is of course dramatically tarnished as sin enters the world. Relationships are spoiled, selfishness and pride rear their heads and the potential for poverty and exploitation becomes a reality. The biblical narrative continues and we see God determined to provide for those experiencing poverty. In Exodus, God saves the people of Israel from the oppressive Pharaoh before giving them the gift of the Law as set out in the book of Leviticus. The regulations surrounding the Jubilee stand at the heart of the Law in Leviticus 25.
According to these rules, families had an equal stake in the land. The land itself could not be sold in perpetuity but only for a maximum 50 year leasehold and debts were to be cancelled every seven years. These rules were to protect against the potential for debt and economic suffering which the Fall had made possible. Tragically, it seems that the great ideal of the Jubilee remained exactly that – an ideal never fully enacted as Israel drifted from their covenant.
Prophets such as Isaiah call the people of Israel back. In a direct Jubilee reference, Isaiah prophesies an anointed servant heralding a new year of the Lord, beginning an era where good news will be preached to the poor, the broken-hearted will be saved and freedom for captives proclaimed [Isaiah 61:1-3]. It is an elegant, hoped-filled cry for a true enactment of Jubilee.
