Economics 101: Preserving Inheritances – The Law of God and Public Policy

Economics 101: Preserving Inheritances
The Law of God and Public Policy

Christians must use lawful means to keep government from seizing inheritances.

“And you shall speak to the people of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter. And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. And if he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the nearest kinsman of his clan, and he shall possess it. And it shall be for the people of Israel a statute and a rule, as the LORD commanded Moses.’” Numbers 27:8-11

Christians, in order to practice proper stewardship of the property entrusted to them, should seek out every lawful means for keeping their inheritances from falling into the hands of the State. They should also work for laws which will keep the hand of the State out of the inheritances families build up over time. Where laws and policies cannot be changed to preclude the State seizing a share of such transactions, the grasping power of government should be frustrated by every lawful means.

The transfer of private property within the bounds of family should not provide the State an occasion for lining its coffers. All property belongs to the Lord, not the State, and to the individuals and families to whom God entrusts it. The Law of God, interpreted into this arena of public policy, would provide what even nonbelievers would, I suspect, regard as a helpful restraint against the grasping powers of the State over family treasure.

Visit our website, www.ailbe.org, and sign up to receive our thrice-weekly devotional, Crosfigell, featuring writers from the period of the Celtic Revival and T. M.’s reflections on Scripture and the Celtic Christian tradition. Does the Law of God still apply today? Order a copy of T. M.’s book, The Ground for Christian Ethics, and study the question for yourself.

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T. M. Moore, editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.