The Poor and Debt
25: 35-55
The last section deals with the poor. God’s people were supposed to support and encourage poor people and meet their needs. They were certainly not to profit from the needs of the poor or take advantage of them by charging interest or making profit. The righteous of the TaNaKh were supposed to give food and clothing to the poor without any design for profit. The motivation for this charity is the nature of the Covenant itself, for all the people were recipients of God’s grace – both in their freedom and in their possessions. This last section also deals with slavery, or, more accurately, indentured service. The passage deals with the ways that people became poor and indebted to others and how they were supposed to be treated when they worked as servants to get out of debt. Every society has had difficulty in knowing how to deal with poverty and debt; God’s provision was that those in debt serve the one they owed until it was paid in full. However, the Year of Jubilee (to see link click En – The Freedom of the Year of Jubilee) kept it from being hopeless. They were not doomed to a life of debt and servitude. Without the hope of freedom, the poor become despondent.512
Therefore, in this section we will study:
The Poor and Interest – 25:35-38 (Et)
Jewish and Gentile Slaves – 25:39-46 (Eu)
Redeeming Your Brother – 25:47-55 and 26:1-2 (Ev)
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