Hebrew Scriptural Economics

Writing a book is a learning experience. At least in my case, it is more of a learning experience for the author than for the readers. Part of that is simply that the limits of a book do not lend to incorporating many discoveries that lie beyond the scope of the book.

I began writing on the economic teachings of the Hebrew Scriptures by doing searches for various terms, but soon realized that I would need to read the text verse by verse to pick up on other economic themes that were not expressed in terms of gold, money, poverty, and wealth. Economics is about more than our forms of money. It includes the creation of and distribution of wealth.

In my study, I soon saw that the consistent comments against the fertility cults in and around Israel were about more than competing deities. They were likewise about the economic practices and attitudes that informed these cults. The reason the people participated in the fertility cults was in order to gain control over the agricultural and animal husbandry production of the land. They were attempts to seek power and influence over others and for personal benefit.

The assumptions of the fertility cults were based on a concept of the scarcity of wealth and provision. It was deemed necessary to take advantage of others for personal benefit in order to live fully. The assumptions of Yahwism, on the other hand, were that Yahweh had created a world teeming in abundance that is sufficient for all.

Rather than taking advantage of others for personal benefit, Yahwism defended that generosity could be enacted to meet the needs of all simply because Yahweh cared enough to provide with abundance.

The economic principles of Yahwism are of basic abundance, but also of Yahweh's concern for all of life. Yahweh redeemed the Hebrews as slaves in Egypt. They were being abused as tools simply for the economic benefit of Egypt, while Yahweh declared that they were just as worthy of the bounty of creation as any others. Upon entering the land of promise, Yahweh instructed them clearly that they were to use their new-found wealth and freedom to care for all, not to oppress others.

Then the land was distributed among the people in concepts of equality. Beyond that, they were to redistribute the land every fifty years. This redistribution was to include even the children of immigrants. This was to make sure that all had equal access to the source of economic production without establishing a class of the powerful elite who controlled the wealth of the land.

On the other side of the equation of wealth, all debts were to be cancelled every seventh year. This took care limiting the excesses that might arise over the years by which an underclass is created due to disasters and unforeseen circumstances that make some dependent upon others. Debts were to be cancelled routinely because people were of greater importance than wealth. The inherent value of the person was seen as rationale for Yahweh redeeming the people form Egypt in the first place.

These principles of redistribution of access to wealth creation and the elimination of debts were guardrails for the economy. Primary to either of them, the people were to treat one another out of generosity. Since Yahweh was deemed the God of Abundant Provision, this was both a declaration of faith in Yahweh's provision and a declaration that all were equally worthy of Yahweh's provision.

For Yahwism, economics were about Yahweh's abundance and the equality Yahweh attributed to all. They were also tied up with concepts of righteousness and unrighteousness. All forms of economic oppression or pressure upon others found themselves within Yahweh's definition of unrighteousness. Righteousness was subsumed essentially in taking care of immigrants, widows, orphans, disabled, and poor members of the society. Generosity was to guide these patterns of compassion in order to assure that Israel had no one living in poverty. All should be granted equal access to Yahweh's provision, for it belonged to and originated with God, not with human beings.

Putting these and other Yahwist economic principles into practice would wreak havoc on many economic practices in our capitalist society. Capitalism, however, is not a Biblical value, regardless of how often I have heard it defended as the economic gospel for the world. Jesus came preaching good news to the poor. He spoke of redemption in line with the prophets of old. He spoke of meeting the needs of others out of God's bounteous provision instead of the worth of amassing wealth.

Predatory lending, disinformation practices, fine print, and other means of taking advantage of the economic disadvantages of some for the benefit of others are simply contrary to these principles of Yahwism. In fact, taking advantage of another's lack of education, preparation, understanding, or desperation in any manner finds reflection in Yahweh's definitions of unrighteousness and injustice. Under capitalism, they may be simply used for economic advancement, but in Yahwism, they are tools of abuse and oppression.

Yahwism is not simply socialism or communism. It is much more than the varied applications of economic thought in play around the world. It is about recognizing the value of human, animal, and plant life of all varieties. It is recognizing a call to stewardship of the created order. It is recognizing that the benefits of the resource of the world in which we live need to be used for the general welfare of all. It is recognition that when we all benefit from our economic activities it raises the security, wealth, and comfort of all.

As Paul would couch it in Corinthians, "When one part of the body suffers, we all suffer." On the flip side, when one part of the body rejoices, so does the rest.

While Yahwism understood that greed would ever interfere with the generalized prosperity and benefit of all, it put safeguards in place to keep the general welfare as primary. While generosity never obliterated poverty as it should have, other guidelines helped alleviate the more disastrous aspects of the unfaithfulness of the greedy and inconsiderate.

Rare are the examples on the world stage of any economic system that obeys these principles. Koinonia Farms is one example from the American South, in which all were deemed equal participants in the economic benefits of the bounty of the land. Then there is the CEO who determined he would take a pay cut and raise the salaries of his employees to his own income. He got in trouble with his brother over that, but his employees benefitted. Then there is the other CEO who determined that he needed to pay college costs for the children of his employees to grant them access to a better life.

These are examples of partial applications of these principles of Yahwism. We would all be the better for it if they became normative instead of outliers.

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© Copyright 2017 Christopher B. Harbin 

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-one-ceo-is-paying-for-college-for-his-workers-kids/

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ceo-giving-70000-minimum-wage-says-its-a-sacrifice/

My latest book can be found at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1520737602/