Before Israel entered the promised land God gave them His laws statutes and judgments. These guidelines formed the foundation of how they were to operate as a society. They also taught spiritual principles for development of the individual and gave insight into the nature of the God who brought them out of Egyptian slavery. If put into practice these laws would also teach the practitioners how to act and think like God... to become like their father.

Today, we’ll look at one of God’s laws about debt and forgiveness and consider its practical value and the spiritual lesson it contains.

Debt and Forgiveness

Deuteronomy 15:1-3 Putting such a law into practice would forestall many of the problems that will inevitably arise in a system where private property is not only allowed but ordained.

For example, God gave each family an allotment of His land. He wanted them to keep that and pass it along to their children. The land could not be permanently sold. Every 50 years any land that was "sold" reverted back to the family that originally received it from God. Respect for private property is also enshrined in the 8th commandment "you shall not steal"… you cannot steal if no one owns. 

Naturally, people would buy, sell, and trade with that property... and some would be better at it than others. If not regulated a tiny few would end up owning everything! The law of wiping out debt every 7 years would have the effect of stopping the aggregation of more and more capital into the hands of fewer and fewer individuals.

Gravitational Pull of Money

Money has a sort of gravitational pull. Large amounts of money attracts more money... if you have every played the game of monopoly you have experienced one of the realities of life in a microcosm.

Through a lot of luck and application of skill to that luck... someone manages to get a slightly larger hoard of cash. Then the rest of the game sees the rest of the money at play slowly gravitate towards the richest person in the game. Its a brilliant game that illustrates a real principle of life: people with more money can weather the ups and downs of life better… and they start to pull ahead

The flow of capital into the hands of an ever shrinking elite few is a major source of social turmoil. For one, it creates jealously... but more important it puts power and decision making into the hands of a small group of rich and wealthy [who are often corrupted by their money]. The rich and powerful feel less of a need for God... and because they hold most of the power and decision making... leadership in society goes into a downward spiral James 5:1-6.

This has been happening in the United States and its creating turmoil, bad decisions, and hardship. At some point it will lead to tyranny or crisis.

Other Features of Debt in Israel

Deuteronomy 31:10 7th year release from debts would take place at the time of the fall festivals. Deuteronomy 23:19-20 no interest was to be charged to your brothers in the house of Israel.

First, this is not referring to commercial lending but to loans made to alleviate hardship.

• If a person ask you to loan him 1,000 shekels so he can travel afar... buy spices... then return and sell them at a profit... you getting a return of 1,500 shekels on your investment is not wrong. Think of the parable of the pounds for example.
• If a person asks you to loan them 100 shekels to help feed his family in hard times or mismanagement... you loaning them the money but wanting 150 shekels back is wrong.

Clearly there would be many shades of gray between these two examples... the judges of Israel would have to make some further ruling based on the principles set forth in the laws statutes and previous judgments [common law basis].

Second, regarding charging interest to foreigners. Israel was to be a self contained society. Sitting like an island of Godly principles in the midst of the vast sea of nations.  Interest free loans to foreign nations [who are not governed by such laws] would create internal problems with the economy of Israel.

In the same way many of the judgments made by the Church are intended for intramural application only. For example, warning to shun the immoral means to shun the immoral brother... not the outsider 1 Corinthians 5:9-11.

Galatians 6:10 our primary focus is on taking care of one another. We can and will do some good in the community... and it brings glory to God... let's continue to do just that. But we could also liquidate the assets of every person in this room and pour it into the greater Raleigh area and tomorrow it would be forgotten… no one would really notice. 

What's lasting about generosity, and good works, is what it says about us...  how it changes us. So it is with forgiveness as well.

Which Comes First?

Deuteronomy 15:4-6 What is the chain of causation here?

• Does God lay down arbitrary rules to test their obedience and then bless them if they obey? If so then God could have just as easily said “stand on your head for 10 minutes and I'll bless you”]... OR
• Do the laws themselves, when consistently and properly applied, lead inexorably to the blessings of wealth and prosperity?

The answer is: both happen simultaneously. The point is that God's laws are very practical. When followed, they lead to blessings like order, peace, prosperity… also… God will proactively bless the practitioners with protection and helpful intervention [rain in due season].

Results Take Time

With some matters [like the effect of debt and release cycles on economics] we have a hard time seeing the cause and effect. Because the outcomes take decades to unfold… and by that time you in so deep its hard to get out. Sinful personal habits are like that… it’s a shorter time scale but the bad results take time… and by them you’re hooked and its hard to get out.  

That is why, on some matters God says "trust me on this... here's how to do it". You don’t have to learn the hard way. Not having an economic reset feature to regulate the cycle of debt and aggregation of capital causes severe social inequity... which leads to big trouble.

This is the stuff that revolutions are fought over!

A Generous Spirit

Deuteronomy 15:7-11 verse 8 speaks of lending... but clearly there is a lot of just plain giving in this whole setup... and surely it can and will be abused. But, what is being discussed here is the heart, mind and character of the giver more than the social good expected to happen.

Matthew 5:42, Luke 6:34 NT principles like this are not something new and unprecedented. They spring forth from the commandments, statutes and judgments of the OT.

Verse 10 urges a generous heart... not grudging 1 John 3:17

Verse 11 Failure to act in this way is labeled sin James 2:14-17; 4:17

What About People Who Work the System?

Doesn't this approach encourage people to take up a life of begging or living off the generosity of others? Yes, obviously. There is a whole sub-culture of people out there who prey upon people trying to live out the biblical example.

The scriptures also say "he who will not work, shall not eat" 2 Thessalonians 3:10.

Jesus had a money box [remember Judas was the treasurer]... and it wasn't empty. Surely, there was enough need, despair, and poverty on the streets of Jerusalem that they could have emptied it out every night. So, Jesus must have made some decisions about who to help and who not to.

Some people don't get helped… Jesus said “there will always be poor people” Matt 26:11.

Getting People Back on Their Feet Again

Deuteronomy 15:12-15 some people get themselves into so much trouble that their only resort was to sell themselves into the service of another. Indentured service... a modified type of slavery.

To freedom loving Americans this sounds horrible! But before modern times this was a common way to resolve problems like bankruptcy, extreme poverty, recovery from calamity etc.

The bible does not invent this practice... neither does the bible forbid it. The biblical codes on matters like this should be construed as providing humane safeguards to protect the people who end up in servitude... protecting women from sexual abuse... providing the servant with protection against bodily harm... the person in service got to enjoy the seventh day Sabbath rest etc. I would love to go over these matters but for now let's just focus on the elements we have in front of us:

1. The time of service was not permanent. A person who entered into service to pay off a debt would be released and the debt canceled when the 7th year of the cycle came around. God speak of this as a stark contrast to the perpetual slavery in Egypt which was only broken by His mighty intervention.
2. The person would enter into a situation where they would be productive... as a farm laborer, or a construction worker for example. They might even pick up some trade skills they could use when released.
3. Ideally, the person would be in a positive God fearing environment. And for instances where the master was not good there were laws protecting them. The goal was not to create vast prison farms but a type of labor for small businesses… mostly agricultural.
4. When they were released the would get financial aid to help them get established.

The goal was to get the person back on their feet again... to restore them though an application of debt forgiveness, restitution, behavioral training, and personal generosity. When practiced in the right spirit its actually a practical and humane system [laws of the KOG?].

Deuteronomy 15:16-17 in some cases a person in service might figure they were better off in the controlled environment of servitude rather than out on the street fending for themselves. For example someone who was old, frail, disabled and so forth. But, lifelong service would be their personal choice.

God Want You To Be Forgiving

Deuteronomy 15:18 people are not naturally inclined to forgive... we are naturally inclined to seek revenge... to make the person pay every last cent... and then some. Forgiveness is a Godly characteristic we have to choose and cultivate.

Forgiveness is part of putting on the mind of God. Generosity is closely related to forgiveness. It is easy to look at someone in need/trial/trouble and say... they deserve what get... its their own fault... if they'd only made the right choices [like me] they wouldn't be in the state they are in... they chose the easy was and now they are paying for it. And in some cases that's true.

To extend generosity to people like this is to forgive their mistakes and help them.

If not for God’s forgiveness... and generosity... you would not be here. You would have any hope or expectation of everlasting life. You would be like a caged criminal sentenced to death, awaiting our final execution. But, He forgave… and He gave His only begotten Son to set you free from your debt to sin.

From one screw up to another... I'm glad God is forgiving.

God is Forgiving

 In Deuteronomy 15:15 God links forgiveness back to their redemption from Egypt... He's saying be forgiving because I am forgiving.

50. God is not obligated to forgive... but He does.
50. God is forgiving... but He also want you to repent and to change.
50. God is forgiving... but He also wants to see you restored and set back on your feet again.

God's forgiveness does not automatically guarantee you resurrection to eternal life. Eternal life is a gift freely [and generously] gives to those who are pleasing in His sight.

What pleases Him is to see you develop His nature, His character traits which will set you up to survive and thrive in an eternal future... and to put away sin which are traits that would make you [and others] miserable in the long run... and eternity is a very long run.