Read Deuteronomy 15
The Year for Canceling Debts
15 At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. 2 This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed.3 You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your fellow Israelite owes you. 4 However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, 5 if only you fully obey the Lordyour God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today.6 For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.
7 If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfistedtoward them. 8 Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need. 9 Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. 10 Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. 11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.
Freeing Servants
12 If any of your people—Hebrew men or women—sell themselves to you and serve you six years, in the seventh year you must let them go free. 13 And when you release them, do not send them away empty-handed. 14 Supply them liberally from your flock, your threshing floor and your winepress. Give to them as the Lord your God has blessed you. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you. That is why I give you this command today.
16 But if your servant says to you, “I do not want to leave you,” because he loves you and your family and is well off with you, 17 then take an awl and push it through his earlobe into the door, and he will become your servant for life. Do the same for your female servant.
18 Do not consider it a hardship to set your servant free, because their service to you these six years has been worth twice as much as that of a hired hand. And the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.
The Firstborn Animals
19 Set apart for the Lord your God every firstborn male of your herds and flocks. Do not put the firstborn of your cows to work, and do not shear the firstborn of your sheep. 20 Each year you and your family are to eat them in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose. 21 If an animal has a defect, is lame or blind, or has any serious flaw, you must not sacrifice it to the Lord your God. 22 You are to eat it in your own towns. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it, as if it were gazelle or deer. 23 But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.
Go Deeper
In Deuteronomy 15, as in the last few chapters, Moses continues to lay out how to live a life of worship and lovingly takes the time to elaborate specifically how the new generation of Israel can follow God’s will, particularly regarding money. Even when we have the best of intentions, greed is a common temptation among humanity. In this chapter, Moses addresses some temptations regarding generosity.
First, he acknowledges it is easy to give when we know we may receive something back whether monetarily, socially, emotionally, or through another form of compensation. Moses addresses the Israelites’ temptation to avoid giving right before the seventh year begins, the year when debts are canceled. What God wants His people to do is give even when we think we will receive nothing in return. Moses tells God’s people to give and to lend even when they know a debt will be canceled.
Moses also addresses the temptation to give with a grudging heart. God cares about the heart! He wants the actions but desires the heart more. During his discussion of canceling debts, Moses points out that the mindset of generosity is just as important as the act itself. He says to give (action) and give gladly (mindset). Do not be tightfisted (action) and hardhearted (mindset). First Samuel 16:7 tells us, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at…the Lord looks at the heart.” God is not concerned with how successful we appear to the world. He cares about how we treat others and that we do so generously. Treating the poor well is not a suggestion. It is a command: “Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land” (v. 11).
Moses was purposefully vague in his instruction on how to actually be generous. Being “open-handed” can look different to different people. There are so many ways for us to be generous! Yet, our very efforts to give generously and without expecting a return on our investment is part of what sets apart the people of God. These lessons are difficult and don’t reflect the social norm to be tight-fisted. It’s not even natural to our survival instincts. Most people believe having enough money will keep them safe or make them happy. Their faith is in their finances. However, we have the repetitive reassurance in Scripture that loving the poor holds a special place of importance with our God. When we love them, we love Him.
Questions
- How freely are we able to give when we think of our insurmountable debt that Jesus paid on our behalf?
- Do you struggle more with the action or the mindset of generous giving?
- Where else does the Bible talk about caring for the poor? Read Matthew 25:37-40. What is your response to Jesus’ words?
By the Way
Deuteronomy 15:11 is reminiscent of the call to care for fellow believers in Galatians 6:10:
“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
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4 thoughts on “Deuteronomy 15”
God’s perfect economy was centered on the condition of the heart and was driven by generosity and the protection of his people. It promoted a “give more than get” mentality. As they would encounter pagan cultures, it was to set them apart from evil practices, so they would not be lured into following after foreign gods. He wanted the best for his people, and every instruction was an expression of his love for them.
Forgiveness
I read a commentary about putting this action of giving to the poor as a reminder to the Israelites that God gave them grace. They are to give others that same grace. What about us today? How do others owe us today? If someone sins against you they owe you a “debt” in essences. And yet what did Jesus tell us to pray? “Forgive us our debts, just as we have forgiven our debtors.” Mat 6:12. When we sin against God we are taking what we know to be wrong and doing it anyway, and that is a tragedy for God. This seperates us from Him. Not until we ask for forgiveness and He, by His grace does so, are we back in right standing. Our fellowship has been hindered by our sin. Christ-followers should forgive others their (sin) debts against us, remembering how great was our sin debt to God which He has so loved us and forgiven us from our sin debts. ” Be (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, (HOW?) JUST AS God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Eph 4:32.
Colossians 3:12-13 (NT APPLICATION OF FORGIVING DEBTS) So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you
God thank You for forgiving me. God thank You for seeing, realizing, and following through with forgiving my debtors. God thank You for giving me the ability through Holy Spirit to be kind to others, tenderhearted and for forgiveness because God in Christ also has forgiven me. God thank You for being a chosen person. That You see me holy and beloved. God thank You for my heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. God grant me the ability to help others and forgive. God I for sure can not do this on my own. I need You, every minute of every hour of all the days of my life. Giving forgiveness is not easy but so worth the weight that is lifted. God help me to remember when it comes back around, just how much You gave in order for me to give that forgiveness as well. God my debts and debtors are minute compared to You. BUT GOD You so loved that You gave me the freedom from all the entanglements of this world if I let You. God help my unbelief with belief today in these minutes in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh! The ugly head of discrimination that prevents the spreading of the gospel! The cultural barriers we must break through and cross over to spread the love of Jesus to this fallen, lost world. To bring hope where there is despair. To give light where there is darkness. To show love where there is brokenness.
Father God, forgive me where I have failed in showing the slightest kindness to a stranger in need. Give me the courage to be more bold and the desire to surrender more of my time to the needy. To obey the second greatest commandment of loving your neighbor as thyself.
May we all strive to be the feet of Jesus. In Jesus name…
9 “Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing.”
As a finance person, I have struggled with this idea of debt cancellation in the year of Jubilee. Who wouldn’t seek to borrow boatloads of money in the sixth year knowing that it would be cancelled the next year? And who would be willing to loan them the money in the sixth year?
I get the importance of changing the power dynamics between borrowers and lenders so that we can reflect the love of God. Just don’t know how this actually gets applied!