Deuteronomy 15:1-23
15:1-2 Nearly all, if not all, societies have lenders and borrowers. Through Moses and with the children of Israel, God is establishing a family. A family rooted in Him. God's intention is to create a people who are not afraid to live generously. At the end of every seven year cycle, lenders were supposed to forgive their borrowers of their debts.
Perhaps this seems illogical or outrageous but a trusting child of God knows that generosity is always returned, if not by the borrower than by God, Luke 6:38. Moreover, God teaches and encourages humanity to be fair and hard-working whether lender or borrower. If a person is unable to settle their debt, ideally, it would not be through fault or lack of their own efforts.
Can this be applied to our own generation? The children of Israel are a concentrated population of faith. The system is best balanced in a society committed to God... and we seem not to have exactly that. When dealing with a brother, of the faith, these principles remain firm. For God has the back of a Christian lender and Christian borrower... because such people are committed to Him and His principles: being fair, just, hardworking and generous.
15:3 God is always behind and around our generosity. Yet it is acknowledged here that a person outside of faith may not be as committed to honesty and repayment. Therefore, the children of Israel are not required to forgive the debts of foreigners.
15:4-6 God's promise is that the system He is putting in place will be and remain perfect, sustaining every member, if every member participates. Should the children of Israel remain committed to God, they will always have the means to lend. Should they remain committed to God, they will never have the need to become a borrower. Through their faith, they will always reign.
15:7-11 The children of Israel are expected to take care of the poor (and if they do so, there will be no poor). Our directive from God is to support one another as we would like to be supported. It is a fallible world but if every human lived as generously as this, there would not be a "poor" population anywhere on the globe.
We see how much disparity is in the world now because we live it. God predicted it; God saw the disparity which was to come because of greed and selfishness before it came. That is why God established this lifestyle, in effort to allow humanity to prevent such distress.
2 Corinthians 9:6-9
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 9 As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor;His righteousness endures forever.”
God encourages us to be cheerful givers. There will always be somebody who needs something we have: shelter, friendship, a shoulder to lean on, provisions for food... and to them, God says: open your hand wide. Willingly. Cheerfully.
Giving is like an old-fashioned clothesline. As we pin buckets to the line and send them out, we determine what will be returned to us. What are you pinning to the line? Your best and favorite outfits, or your worn and damaged shoes? As generously as we live is a generously as we receive.
God cautions the children of Israel from not lending to borrowers who seek to borrow near to the year of debt forgiveness. They either trust God to return their generosity to them or they do not. Yes, they must grow their faith and trust and understanding in Him in order to do such things - as humans, our hearts are not always quick and easy to live generously, selflessly.
15:12 Different culture, different time period. Indentured laborers were to be set free after seven years of work. God thus assures the eventual freedom of all members.
15:13-14 The laborer also must have been given freedom and provisions on which to live from and establish oneself in society.
15:15 Moses reminds the children of Israel that they too were once slaves and had been set free; it is their responsibility to perpetuate that freedom and generosity. At the heart of this is justice and empathy: God wants us to do the right thing because we feel it is right and just.
15:16-18 In goodwill, the children of Israel are taught, do all things. If a laborer wishes to remain, keep him and promise him/her work forever. If they wish to be free, separate amicably.
15:19-23 We no longer sacrifice, Isaiah 1:11 and Hosea 6:6. We demonstrate our love and gratitude for God through our lifestyles, through how we treat others, behave and think. Like the Israelites, we are meant to give him our best.
