Journal of African Studies and Sustainable Development

The positive religious attitude to poverty distinguishes the Old Testament from its environment in the Ancient Near East. According to the worldview held in antiquity, poverty was simply a given fact. In the ancient ideology of kingship for example, concern for the poor counted as one of the king’s special duties; but this concern was designed to preserve the world order; not to change it. The Old Testament view is very different. Prophecy condemns the oppression of the poor in the strongest terms and proclaims Yahweh’s comprehensive judgment on their oppressors. Everything thrusts towards change and fundamental remedy. At the same time, the poor (Anawim) count as Yahweh’s people in a special sense. Hence the question of poverty stands clear in the Old Testament. The major net responsible for poverty is largely corruption designed by structural manipulation. Poverty eradication is the divine option for self-reliance of the poor. The Old Testament portrays YHWH as the greatest reverser of the misfortune of the poor, the initiator of poverty eradication (Sam 2:6-8). This shows that God does not stigmatize any group or class of people to be perpetually poor. There is a natural inclination to conceive poverty solely in relation to the economic poor is widespread perception. From the biblical perspective, poverty refers mainly to the inadequacy of life without honour, with consequent social and personal inability to participate in the activities of the community, the inability to maintain selfrespect as defined by community social standards. In other words, the word poverty is a broad representation than economic poverty. Poverty includes sickness, ignorance, marginalization, discrimination, oppression, etc. The "creators" and "perpetuators" of poverty are human beings themselves. What God has created is enough for all. In His abundance, God wills the happiness and the integral well-being of His creatures. Nothing militates against this absolute will of God than poverty, be it of material, intellectual or spiritual type. This study employs analytic method.

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