By What Standard?

One of the issues I am collecting Scripture references on is the tension between God, just and merciful; the benefits of being a member of the family of God via the saving grace of Jesus Christ; and the Saintly Poor.

What I mean by the Saintly Poor is the belief that somehow the poor get a pass simply because they are poor.  Such as the poor will inherit the earth.  Really?  Even the poor who have outright rejected God?  Does that seem just to you?  You can see the tension of ideas that I am getting at.

Well here is a reference that I would put in the God, just and merciful category.

Isaiah 11:1-5(NKJV)

1    There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,      And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

2    The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,     The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,     The Spirit of counsel and might,     The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

3    His delight is in the fear of the Lord,      And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes,     Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;

4    But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,     And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;     He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,     And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.

5    Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins,     And faithfulness the belt of His waist.

What this says to me is that when you get down to it, the poor will be held to the same standards of righteousness and fairness as the rest of us.  No preferential treatment just because they are poor.  Good to know.