From the Desk of Jeff King

Cry of the poor

Meditating on Proverbs 28:27:

He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses.

The word "curse" is from the Hebrew root 'arar, which means bitterly curse, bind (with a spell), hem in with obstacles, render powerless to resist. According to the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, when God told Cain he was cursed from the earth it meant he was banned from the spoil, or more specifically, banned from enjoying its productivity. Applied today, when Christians lavish themselves with material wealth – which the prosperity preachers sadly encourage – and ignore the poor, they are accursed. Their possessions fail to satisfy.