God commanded the children of Israel in Leviticus 23:22 to leave gleanings to the poor or strangers when they are reaping from their harvest (Version, 1982). This charity law is a repetition of Leviticus 19:9; and as it is observed, being the week of the first fruits of harvest, a repetition of Gods commandment of leaving gleanings to the poor is overemphasized – which must be upheld during the feasts of Passover, Pentecost, tabernacles, and beginning of the year as well as during atonement according to the Jewish tradition. A deeper understanding of this command is to teach the children of Israel that they ought to demonstrate liberality and charity to the poor at any given point when they are expressing their gratitude and thanksgiving to their maker, the living God. It was the duty of every Israelite to exercise acts of charity to the poor as a symbol of their devotion to God during worship or festivity. This law is repeated to cover the feast of Pentecost with the moral teaching that Israelites who have true insight of God’s mercy will exercise mercy unto the poor willingly without grumbling.
The situation captured in Leviticus 23:22 addresses the biblical audience, the Israelites at the time of harvesting wheat and other crops from the fields. This is different from our present circumstance in that we do not exercise charitable acts through leaving of gleanings in the harvest fields. Moreover we are not under the old covenant, in essence the observance of the Jewish traditions regarding different feasts do not apply to our case.
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To be true in worshipping God and serving Him we must also be merciful to others in the same manner in which He has lavished His mercy on us. We are also expected to demonstrate charitable deeds even in our present time; according to Luke 11:41, Jesus commanded the Pharisees to give alms in their possession as charity so that they can attain true cleanliness (Version, 1982). We may not necessarily have to demonstrate charity by leaving gleanings in our fields but by taking care of the widows, orphans and destitute children through charitable provisions. Likewise we can giving various offerings of our labor to the church to support the work of God.
The other sections of the Bible encourage charitable deeds. God’s people are being encouraged to exercise charity by various offerings; for instance, in Deuteronomy 24:19 emphasis is made that the gleanings of the harvest are meant for the poor, orphans and window (Version, 1982). The owner of the harvest field are commanded to leave them in the field. The rest of the New Testament, especially from the teachings of Jesus Christ, charitable acts are overstressed. Likewise, across the Old Testament the children of God are encouraged to support the widow and orphans through their offerings.
This verse in Leviticus has many application in the Christians ways of lives in the present time. Few suggestions would include the following: Christians should bring their first fruits of harvest to church as part of tithe or offering to support God’s ministry, they should do so without grudge as a way of obeying Gods word; likewise, Christians should demonstrate love to mankind through giving just like God gave His son freely to us; Christians ought to support widows and orphans through material gifts as commanded even in other scriptures; and most importantly we should pay keen attention to Gods word even as we meditate on it to see to it that we observe what is written in it since it is the only sure way to follow His commands and please Him.
References
Version, N. K. J. (1982). The Holy Bible, New King James Version. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
