Social Justice in the Bible-Labor Rights and Wages
In an earlier Substack, social justice warriors were defined as people who champion issues related to race, women's rights, poverty, universal health care, voting rights, criminal justice, labor rights, and immigrants’ rights. Social Justice warriors defend the poor and fight for people experiencing poverty.
What does the Bible have to say about the issues above? A big social justice issue is labor and wage rights for people. Does the Bible have something to say about wages and the rich exploiting the poor? It sure does.
Leviticus 19:13: You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning.
Deuteronomy 24:14-15: You shall not defraud a hired worker, one who is poor and needy whether one of your brothers or a resident alien who is in your land, in your town. You shall pay hi wage on the same day, before the goes down, because he is poor, and his life is dependent on it. Otherwise, he may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin.
The word defraud or oppress means “to act towards or treat anyone unjustly, also to extort wages of a hireling.” https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h6231/kjv/wlc/0-1/
According to these two scriptures, wages are to be paid promptly and never withheld.
And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ Matthew 20:8
And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Luke 10:7
For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and “The laborer deserves his wages.” 1Timothy 5:18
Clearly scripture has a precedent for paying the laborer his or her wages.
According to David L. Baker,
“There is neither commonality nor conflict between the Old Testament and other ancient Near Eastern Laws on the matter of wages, so they cannot be compared directly. One thing is clear, however; their emphases are quite different. The nonbiblical laws are concerned primarily with setting standard rates of pay and compensation for employers if employees fail to work well; the biblical laws are concerned simply with prompt payment for workers. The one is interest in the rights of the [relatively rich] employer, whereas the other focuses on the rights of the [relatively poor] employee.
In ancient Israel, as in many places today, hired workers were among the poorest and weakest members of society, with no unions to demand their rights and no savings to keep them going through hard times- To take advantage of such people by withholding their wages is a serious offense, according to biblical law which will not be ignored by God.” Mal 3:5 and James 5:4
Tight Fists or Open Hands? Wealth and Poverty in the Old Testament - David L. Baker Grand Rapids, Michigan
It is a very serious offense. Check out these two scriptures:
Malachi 3:5 Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless…
James 5:4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of host.
Defending the rights of workers comes from the heart of God, and specific warnings were given if laborers and employees were not paid their dues and in a timely manner.
God is just in all his ways.