Release of debts and servants

Deuteronomy Chapter 15

At the end of every seventh year, you must cancel your debts, Moses told the Israelites. Creditors must cancel loans they made to fellow Israelites and not demand payment from their neighbors or relatives, for the Lord's time of release has arrived. This release, applies only to Israelites, not to foreigners living among you. There should be no poor among you for the Lord will greatly bless you in the land he is giving you as a special possession. You will receive this blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord that are given today. You will lend money to many nations but never need to borrow. You will rule many nations, but they will not rule over you!

If there are any poor people in your towns when you arrive in the promised land, do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted to them. Be generous and lend them whatever they need. Do not be mean-spirited and refuse someone a loan because the year of release is close. If you refused to make the loan and the needy person cries out to the Lord, you will be guilty of sin. Give freely without begrudging it, and the Lord will bless you in everything you do. There will always be some among you who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share your resources freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need.

If an Israelite man or woman voluntarily becomes your servant and serves you for six years, in the seventh year you must set that servant free.
When you release a male servant, do not send him away empty-handed. Give him a generous farewell gift from your flock, threshing floor and winepress. Share with him some of your bounty which the Lord blessed you. Remember you were once slaves in the land of Egypt and the Lord redeemed you! But suppose your servant says "I will not leave you," because he loves you and your family and is well off with you. In that case, take an awl and push it through his earlobe into the door. After that, he will be your servant for life. Do the same for your female servants. Do not consider it a hardship to release your servants. Remember they worked for six years and gave you the services double the wages of hired workers and the Lord your God will bless you in all you do.

Set aside for the Lord, your firstborn males from you flocks and herds. Do not use the firstborn to work your fields, do not shear the firstborn of your flocks. Instead you and your family must eat these animals in the presence of God at the place he chooses. But if the firstborn has a defect, you must not sacrifice it, instead use it for food, just as one may eat a gazelle or deer, but do not eat the blood, you must pour it out on the ground.

BIBLE NOTES show that helping the poor in the promised land was an important part of possessing the land. Everyone should respond to the poor and not ignore their needs no matter who or what was responsible for their condition.

The Israelites were to release their servants after six years. This humanitarian act recognized that God created each person with dignity and worth. It also reminded the Israelites that they had been slaves too, in Egypt.

How does this chapter relate to us in today's world? I have heard of many small businessmen who cancel all their debts once a year. Is that not wonderful? Caring for the poor is the same today as it was in Moses' day. The poor need compassion mixed with dignity. Every church knows someone who needs help. Can you find it in your heart to start a system in your church to help them?

Servants are not used in our society today, unless you might consider employees a type of servant. Your fellow employees should have the same dignity that God affords the servants in this chapter. Each person has worth. Each person deserves to be recognized for that worth and rewarded. Tell that to your boss and add that happy employees are productive employees.

Yours in Christ,
Mary