Random ramblings from the resident raptor.
Insight for your “Journey across the Sky”
Empire of Debt: The Rise of an Epic Financial Crisis
This topic of bankruptcy caught my eagle eye and I thought I would respond. Many financial talking heads like Larry Burkett and others speak about the Christian’s obligation to repay debts even if they file bankruptcy and that really got me to thinking. When GOD established Israel He instituted laws to regulate the society based on HIS way of doing things. Let’s take a look at what God had to say about this subject of borrowing and exacting usury.
Exodus 22:25 through Exodus 22:28 (NIV)
“If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not be like a moneylender; charge him no interest. If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, return it to him by sunset, because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? When he cries out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.
Again we read:
Leviticus 25:35 through Leviticus 25:37 (NIV)
“‘If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you. Do not take interest of any kind from him, but fear your God, so that your countryman may continue to live among you. You must not lend him money at interest or sell him food at a profit.
Deuteronomy 23:19 through Deuteronomy 23:20 (NIV)
Do not charge your brother interest, whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest. You may charge a foreigner interest, but not a brother Israelite, so that the LORD your God may bless you in everything you put your hand to in the land you are entering to possess.
And then there is:
He who increases his wealth by exorbitant interest amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.
Now then we see that IF WE Christians were living like we were supposed to be living we would not be in the position of being in debt to THOSE WHO EXACT USURY. We are commanded to take care of our brothers and sisters and to lend without interest so that our brothers and sisters can remain amongst us. I am not going to expound too much on that. I think that is pretty self explanatory. NOW then if someone is in debt what did God say to do about it?
The Year of Jubilee was when all debts were to be forgiven and property being held returned to the original owner. Now then it seems like God had a great way of dealing with borrowing and debt relief. HOWEVER in our modern world we seem to have for-gotten God’s ways and replaced them with a system that exacts usury on its citizenry WITHOUT a method of redemption. I feel that bankruptcy is the closest thing to THE YEAR of Jubilee we have going for us and if a person gets into the bondage of HEAVY DEBT and is being TAXED with HEAVY usury then it is only fitting that there is a way of escape.
It would seem the financial talking heads today are missing this very important portion of GOD’S economy. Take care of our OWN and help our brothers and sisters out without taking advantage of them with excess interest. And if they do happen to get into a mess then in the year of Jubilee which came around once every 50 years then all those debts are supposed to be forgiven.
Interesting, many Christians pray THE Lord’s Prayer which addresses FORGIVING OUR DEBTS as we forgive those who are indebted to us. But then we turn around and exact excessive interest on our brothers and sisters and place them in bondage. THIS ought not to be.
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