Deuteronomy 24:14-22 - Compassionate employers, caring for the poor, widows, orphans and aliens

<p>     In this section (Deut 24:14-22), Moses directs the wealthy employer to pay his laborer at the appropriate time (Deut 24:14-15), commands that a son not pay for his father’s crime (Deut 24:16), that the powerful not pervert justice due the poor (Deut 24:17-18), but to be gracious and help them (Deut 24:19-22).</p> <p>Don’t withhold payment for laborers</p> <p>     Those with financial wealth in Israel were to be rich in love and consideration of the less fortunate, especially their employees. For this reason, Moses said, “You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your countrymen or one of your aliens who is in your land in your towns” (Deut 24:14). A command always assumes intellectual capacity to understand the directive, volitional capacity to obey the directive, and present or future opportunity. In this instance, the directive is centered on the wealthy Israelite who employs poor laborers to work for him. A countrymen would be a fellow Israelite, and an alien (גֵּר ger) would be a foreigner who joined the covenant community by faith in Yahweh and commitment to Israel’s laws (i.e., Ruth 1:16-17).</p> <p>     Moses continued, saying, “You shall give him his wages on his day before the sun sets, for he is poor and sets his heart on it; so that he will not cry against you to the LORD and it become sin in you” (Deut 24:15). In this context, to oppress the poor or needy person meant to withhold his wages beyond the day. It was wrong because the poor laborer lived hand to mouth. To withhold his pay meant he would go hungry. If this happened, the poor person could take his complaint directly to God, and the employer would be guilty of sin. The wealthy Israelite, in this situation, stands before God as one who should have honored his word and paid his employee. Failure to pay at the appropriate time was a violation of the commandment, “You shall not steal” (Deut 5:19). James addressed this same issue in his epistle (Jam 5:4).</p> <p>Individual responsibility </p> <p>