A Day’s Wage in the Bible
Revelation 6:5-6
Revelation 6:5-6 describes a man’s day’s wages in biblical times. The penny, a common form of payment for a day’s work, was equivalent to about a day’s worth of food. In those days, a quart of barley or wheat would be enough for a family of three. However, the Bible says that this wage will be insufficient to feed a family of four during the Tribulation.
The Bible uses the word “soul” many times in the Bible. This word is used in the third person and the second person, as well as in human and animal scriptures. It is also used in New Testament scripture knowledge to refer to the ‘inward man’.
Despite this use of the verb form, this text never uses it in a true future tense. As a result, pre-wrath rapture interpretations must use it in a way that indicates an anticipatory future, as in Revelation 8:1+. However, this interpretation is not supported by the larger context of the passage.
Although Revelation 6:5-6 describes a man’s day’s wage, the Bible doesn’t specify which kind of day it will be. The book of Revelation does not specifically describe what will happen during the Tribulation, but it does mention that international conflicts will break out. There will be a time when men will begin to kill each other.
Ruth 2:12
When we read about Ruth, we may notice that she was paid a day’s wage. That’s because Boaz repaid her for the work she performed while working in the fields. Ruth had to work in the fields to feed herself and her baby sons. She was a slave in the field and was required to follow the maidens. When she was thirsty, she was able to drink from a container drawn by a young man.
But despite the hardships she faced, she did not give up. Her husband had left her an estate. Boaz had assured her that she would be paid her full recompense. It’s a good idea to think of your own situation in such a light. Oftentimes, we do not expect God to give us great boons for our misery. But, through Christ, we can expect a home and inheritance, and an indissoluble union with Christ.
Boaz’s generosity towards Ruth is a key theme of this story. Boaz offers his daughter food and clothing, and she stays close behind his maidens. Boaz also warns young men not to molest Ruth. His generosity reaches beyond Boaz’s family and his farm and ultimately becomes Ruth’s welfare.
This situation created a peculiar scenario for the Jewish remnant. While Ruth was a Gentile and was not of Israel by birth, her situation was meant to set the stage for the condition of the Jewish people in the future. The Jews had once been part of Israel, but had lost their place in it. As such, God deemed the Jews Lo-ammi, or “the least of these.” They would be redeemed in a future day.
Abram’s “very large wage”
The first time we read the term “wage” in the Bible is in the Old Testament. It’s mentioned in a very theological context, after the catastrophic judgments of the fall and Babel, and after the story of Abram, who has been called by God to inherit the land of Canaan. Abram makes a promise to God, and God keeps his word, as he has promised him land. But a sign is needed for the promise to be fulfilled. God gives this sign to Abram, by formalizing a covenant with him.
Paying early workers exactly what He promised
Jesus’ parable of the vineyard illustrates the principle of paying early workers exactly what He promised. The landowner, representing the kingdom of God, paid the early workers exactly what they agreed to work for. This allowed the landowner to pay the rest of the workers a fair wage. This story also illustrates the principle that early workers do not have a right to demand more than later workers.
The early workers, who were hired before the rest, thought they would be paid more. However, they grumbled when they were paid the same amount as later workers. But their hard work was not in vain. The landowner trusted them, and they trusted their God to pay them a fair wage. And when the early workers came to Christianity later, they were still given the same reward.
‘You shall not oppress your neighbor’
Leviticus 19:13 (BBE) says that you shall not oppress your neighbor, or steal from him. This command also applies to hired workers. If you hire a servant, you must not withhold his wages from him from the evening until morning. It is not permitted to steal from a hired worker or make him work for you.
It is also forbidden to practice divination and soothsaying. Moreover, you should not make cuts or marks on the flesh of the dead. This commandment is applicable to both the living and the dead. We should love our neighbors as ourselves, and we should always be honest with them.
‘You shall not rob him’
‘You shall not rob him’ is God’s command to His people. Among other things, it prohibits stealing. Stealing involves taking someone else’s property or stealing money without permission. The punishment for theft is death, or double the amount of the stolen property. However, there is an exception to this prohibition. Two people who commit a robbery together are exempt from the death penalty.
The prohibition against robbing your neighbor is found in Leviticus 19:17. It also prohibits withholding a hired laborer’s wages. For this reason, it is essential to pay a hired worker’s wages on time. Likewise, it is forbidden to keep a hired worker’s wage overnight.