I was (maybe confusingly) trying to address the question that Sivad originally brought up, about whether God's laws are for individuals only, or for "society in general," or for the State.
It's a good question. And I was trying to say that the societies which are instituted by Divine and Natural Law (the family and the Church) also play their part in His saving plan. There's a sense in which we are all saved as individuals; in another sense, none of us are saved as individuals. We are saved by being incorporated into Christ. Extra Ecclesia Nulla Salus. We say "Our" Father.
And there are moral laws applicable to the family as such, and in fact every level of human society. Look at all the constant Biblical concern for intermediary institutions, the comings and goings of tribes, the identification of kinship, the mustering of armies, the selecting and deposing of royal courts, the teaching and sending of authorized apostles, the appointment of deacons, etc.
One by one we my have unique callings and unique responsibilities, but there are also laws that pertain to societies. The "nation," also, is called to repent. "Israel" (used as a collective term) is summoned to heed God's statutes. The "Church" cares for the poor in Jerusalem.
Anyway, the concept of Subsidiarity helps here. Keep things as small and as local as you can. The more things fall out of the hands of the small groups, the intermediary societies, the more they are picked up by Leviathan. If we are totally absorbed into a Reich or Obamunism or a Collective from Hell, it'll be because we let them pick up the tasks we dropped.
Let me be clear about my original question. I was not asking
a general question about whether God’s word applies to the
individual or to groups. My specific question was about how
the issue of the poor is to be addressed per the Bible. Is it
the responsibility of the government, individuals, or both to
ease the suffering of the poor and indigent? I’ve long sus-
pected that liberals want to absolve themselves of person-
al responsibility.