Deuteronomy
chapter 15 presents another beautiful picture of how God desires to
forgive our debts completely. The chapter begins, “At
the end of every seven years you must cancel debts…every creditor
shall cancel the loan he made to his fellow Israelite… you may
require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your
brother owes you“.
This wonderful forgiveness was only given to God’s people. God
also gives a second contingent promise, “There
should be no poor among you, for in the land the Lord your God is
giving you to possess… He will richly bless you, if you fully obey
the Lord your God and follow all these commands“.
It seems that God knows we cannot be perfect (fully obey) because a
few verses later He declares, “There
will always be poor people in the land“.
The law commanded, “Do
not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather
be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs“.
Note, this is a loan, there is no provision for giving to the able
bodied. In fact, the “thorns
and thistles”
of work became one of the consequences of sin entering the world.
God told Adam, “Cursed
is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of
it… by the sweat of your brow“.
Proverbs 19:15 warns, “Laziness
brings on deep sleep; an idle person will suffer hunger”.
God
does not want this seventh year cancellation of debt to prevent
anyone from lending to a brother in need. “Be
careful not to harbor this wicked thought: ‘The seventh year for
canceling debt is near’ so that you do not show ill will toward
your needy brother.”
Moses says to those that freely lend, “God
will bless you in all your work and in all you put your hand to“.
Anyone could also sell himself or a family member to pay off a debt.
The chapter then explains that, “If
a fellow Hebrew sells himself to you and serves you six years, in the
seventh year you must let him go free“.
Moses adds, “Do
not send them off empty handed. Supply them liberally from your
flock“.
But there was also a provision for the servant that does not want to
leave his benevolent master. “But
if your servant says, “I do not want to leave you,” because he
loves you and your family and is well off with you, then take an awl
and push it through his ear lobe into the door, and he will become
your servant for life.”
This “Bond-Servant” would then serve his master out of love,
rather than out of obligation.
The
apostle Paul introduces himself in his letter to the church in Rome
with that same wonderful title. “Paul,
a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle and set apart
for the gospel of God.”
This apostle understood the impossibility of trying to achieve
righteousness through following the Law of Moses. In Philippians
chapter 3, Paul gives his impeccable Jewish pedigree, “If
anyone thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have
more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the
tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a
Pharisee of Pharisees; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for
legalistic righteousness, faultless.”
But this mighty man of God said of all his religious achievements,
“I
count it all as rubbish“.
He understood the purpose of the Law was to reveal how far we are
from Godly perfection. The Law was given so that we would recognize
our need for the Savior. Paul explains to the Jew and the Gentile
that his confidence is now in the righteousness of Christ. “Not
having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that
which is through faith in Christ“.
Like the apostle Paul, we serve Christ out of thankfulness because
we understand we cannot pay the debt of our sin. Our God is such a
benevolent Master to all who will humble themselves and serve Him out
of love.