Deuteronomy 15:1-11
Debts Canceled Every Seven Years (Exodus 21:1–11; Leviticus 25:1–7)
1 “At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts. 2 And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the LORD’s release. 3 Of a foreigner you may require it; but you shall give up your claim to what is owed by your brother, 4 except when there may be no poor among you; for the LORD will greatly bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance— 5 only if you carefully obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe with care all these commandments which I command you today. 6 For the LORD your God will bless you just as He promised you; you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you.
Generosity to the Poor
7 “If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, 8 but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. 9 Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,’ and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to the LORD against you, and it become sin among you. 10 You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand. 11 For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.’
These two paragraphs deal with forgiveness and generosity of grace. First of all we are told about how debts were to be forgiven after seven years and was called the LORD’s release because they were to forgive others their debts as they had been forgiven (Matthew 6:12) by their LORD. We are likewise reminded to forgive others whatever they owe us, but especially their debts of sins against us just as Jesus has forgiven us our debt of sin which we owed (Romans 6:23) in our lifeblood to God against whom all of us have sinned. This is true riches of eternal value laid up in heaven in our love shown towards God and our fellow man, the summation of the moral law of the commandments. This is investing in the heavenly kingdom which is our inheritance of grace alone, unearned by these actions but glorifying to our Lord in doing them. Likewise, the people then and now are urged to meet urgent needs of the poor and lend even if we can expect nothing back. We are to release them from their earthly debts as the Lord has released us from our spiritual ones. We are not to look towards eternity and hold back lending with the thought of their receiving everything when they meet the Lord, for that is just as much as and excuse as these in the ancient times who refused to help when it was close to the seven year time of debt release because they would just have to return what the lent to the poor with no return for themselves. This is wicked intent and is what the Lord Jesus was warning us about when the command to forgive as He has forgiven us was uttered. The poor will never cease in the land as our Lord said (Mark 14:7), hinting at serving Him as the focus as we do not neglect these matters of meeting urgent (Titus 3:14) needs as well. This is relying on and sharing God’s grace in tangible actions with true thanksgiving in releasing the debts of others as He has forever released us from our far greater ones against Him. It is the forgiveness and generosity of grace.
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