A Holy Community: Deuteronomy 15, 16 (1)

Opening Prayer: Psalm 115.1-3
Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth.
Why should the Gentiles say,
“So where is their God?”
But our God is in heaven;
He does whatever He pleases.

Psalm 115.1-3
(Plainfield: Nothing but the Blood of Jesus)
Not to us, O God, not us, but unto Your Name give glory!
For Your love and faithfulness, ever to Your Name be glory!
Why should the nations cry, "Where is their God on high?"
You rule us, Lord, on high: Ever to Your Name be glory!

Today’s Text: Deuteronomy 15.1-6

Preparation
1. What was required in “the LORD’s release”?

2. What did God promise His people in connection with this “release”?

Meditation
God is Lord of the economic life of His people. His Law would make them wise when it came to things like credit and debt (cf. Deut. 4.5-8), so that they would continue to flourish and have an abundance to lend to other nations. The key to a prosperous economy is not printing more money; it’s submitting to God’s Word.

Keeping “the LORD’s release” would have accomplished several economic goods. First, it would have prevented people from falling into long-term debt, since every seven years debts were to be forgiven. At the same time, it would have discouraged using credit (causing others to go into debt) as a way of controlling others. Credit could be extended and debt incurred (without exorbitant interest, however), but always within the framework of this every-seven-years “release.”

Further, this practice would have reminded Israel that the currency that drove and sustained their economy was neither silver nor gold, but love – love for God and for neighbors. The believers in the book of Acts understood this intuitively, and immediately began to allow love for God and neighbors to teach them the right use of their wealth in building a holy community (Acts 2, 4).

The qualifying phrase, “except when there may be no poor among you”, does not cancel the “release” if poverty vanishes. That was never going to happen (v. 11). Rather, this was an indirect injunction to keep watch over the nation and its communities as to the needs of the poor. As we shall see later, no one was to be allowed to use the “release” as an excuse not to love their neighbors (v. 9).

The blessing of God is contingent upon our obeying Him (v. 6). Obedience leads to blessing, and blessing – as we will see in Deuteronomy 28.1-14 – extends to every area of life, including economic life.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Few money management books written today have these tenets as the road to success: Lend freely and in seven years cancel the debt, regardless of the amount still owed. Carefully obey God. Observe with care all His commandments. And don’t borrow. And if you do all this, you will be abundantly blessed! And because this might not make sense to us, all the better. If we thoroughly understood all God’s ways, we would have no need to employ faith. But our absolute faith in God is very important to Him. In fact, “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11.6). Through faith, when we grant release, we enjoy the LORD’s release of blessing in our lives.

Reflection
1. What might be some differences between an economy that runs on money and one that runs of love?

2. How did the year of “release” establish a framework for economic stability in Israel?

3. How does an economics based on love help us to stand out as God’s special people?

When He says that they should lend to all nations, he speaks by way of amplification; and also in the next clause, that they should reign over the Gentiles; whence it follows, that if there were any in want among them, it would arise from the wickedness and depravity, of the people themselves. John Calvin (1509-1564) Commentary on Deuteronomy 15.6

Show me what it means to have Your love as the currency of my life, Lord, as I…

Closing Prayer: Psalm 115.4-18
Trust in Jesus for the day ahead. Find in Him your help and shield. Ask Him to fill your coffers with an abundance of grace to spend on the souls of others today (2 Cor. 12.15).

Psalm 115.4-18
(Plainfield: Nothing but the Blood of Jesus)
Idols made by men's own hand – ever to Your Name be glory –
see nor hear nor understand – ever to Your Name be glory!
They neither feel nor walk, nor can they speak or talk;
all those who serve them fall, but unto Your Name be glory!

All who trust in Jesus yield – ever to His Name be glory! –
find in Him their help and shield – ever to Your Name be glory!
O Israel, trust the Lord!  He helps us evermore!
Fear Him obey His Word: Ever to Your Name be glory!

Blessings from our gracious Lord – ever to Your Name be glory –
will attend us evermore – ever to Your Name be glory!
Bless all who fear You, Lord, all who obey Your Word,
all who Your Name adore: Ever to Your Name be glory!

Grant us, Savior, great increase – ever to Your Name be glory!
Bless us with eternal peace – ever to Your Name be glory!
Heaven and earth are Yours; let every soul adore
and bless You evermore: Ever to Your Name be glory!

T. M. and Susie Moore

Listen to our summary of last week’s study in Deuteronomy by clicking here. You can download all the studies in the series by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All quotations from Church Fathers from Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy: Ancient Christian Commentary Series III, Joseph T. Lienhard, S. J. ed. in collaboration with Ronnie J. Rombs, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2001). All quotations from John Calvin from John Calvin, Commentaries on The Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Order of A Harmony, Rev. Charles William Bingham M. A., tr. and ed. (Edinburgh: The Calvin Translation Society, 1863. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (available by clicking here).