| Deuteronomy 24:14-15 (ESV) 14“You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns. 15You shall give him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets (for he is poor and counts on it), lest he cry against you to the LORD, and you be guilty of sin.” |
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| The command in Leviticus 19:13 is repeated and expanded. Our first tendency may to be see qualifiers that limit to whom this applies, but we should also not overlook the emphases on who is the sinner. |
| Who are the “poor and needy”? |
| In general every individual fits into one of four categories, with the possibility of fitting into more than one, such as a rich laborer. |
| Rich | He has sufficient assets that he does not need an income. | | Producer | He has a product or service that provides an income at delivery or completion. A farmer would see his income at harvest. A builder would see his income when he sells his finished product. A commission salesman would see his income with each sale. | | Dependent | He is dependent on the income or assets of others. A young child is a clear example as dependent on his parents. Physical impairments or illness will temporarily or permanently make someone dependent on others for their livelihood. | | Laborer | Anyone who performs a task that is paid by the hour, or an annual salary, is a laborer. |
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| Of these four, only the laborer could be a “hired servant.” There are two possible types of laborers. The laborer is rich and does not need the income, or the labor is dependent on the income for their livelihood. To a varying degree the dependent laborer may be pseudo-rich in that he has some assets or credit that allows him to be without income for a period of time. |
| So does “poor and needy” limit the command? We suggest that it is speaking of all dependent laborers since without an income they are eventually destitute. |
| “For he is poor and counts on it” |
| We now have a question of how long it would be before the laborer is in need. There is empirical evidence that typical laborer in the USA is frequently in need. The payday loan industry and banking industry provide vast sums to the average laborer to offset the delayed payday. Their primary market is not lower income, but those of average or above average income. |
| Often the financial need is a result of excesses on discretionary wants, however even if this is the bulk of the cases we have no license to assume it is all cases and therefore ignore this command. |
| “Lest he cry against you to the LORD” |
| Because delayed paydays are the cultural norm, the employee who is in need may “cry” without giving full thought to about whom they cry “against.” However, the Lord knows His commands and He has commanded the employer to pay the employee “before the sun sets.” It is the employer who is “guilty of sin.” |
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