“At the end of every seven years you shall grant a remission of debts. This is the manner of remission: every creditor shall release what he has loaned to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother, because the Lord’s remission has been proclaimed. From a foreigner you may exact it, but your hand shall release whatever of yours is with your brother. However, there will be no poor among you, since the Lord will surely bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, if only you listen obediently to the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all this commandment which I am commanding you today. For the Lord your God will bless you as He has promised you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you."
God knows the nature of man. He knows, left unchecked, man will find a way to rule over other human beings, in a harsh, if not violent manner. He also knew that would often revolve around money and property. In the above passage God outlines what life would be like for His chosen people to avoid that subservient rule and authoritative dominance. God outlines for them that they can lend to others within their nation and those outside their nation. However, to keep them holy and to keep them from dominant rule over each other and from poverty, God instructed them to release their debts to each other ever seven years. Known as the Sabbatical Year, the nation would be able to "re-bot" ever seven years. This would assure that no one would accumulate all the wealth and, thus, establish oppressive rule over those so poor they could no longer defend themselves. Our country today has created just the opposite society. We now have the majority of the nation in a state of poverty and dependent upon the rule and favor of the wealthy. Imagine if we had the Sabbatical Year every seven years, now!! What would the politician's think and do? What would the wealthy do? Those who exact interest from others would collapse. Imagine the pain it would cause banks! God intended for his people to be different. They could charge interest from a foreigner or neighboring nation, but not from their nation. God meant for them to be different. What would happen if this principal was practice within believers today? What would happen if our churches practiced such principles? Or homes? Debts wiped away simply by the calendar chiming up seven years. God set this in motion because it reflects His character. He forgives debt based upon the payment of His Son. God knows how to forgive and sets the pattern. We have no reason to not practice the same character. Simply out of grace, with no other motives, we are to forgive someone their debt against us. That is God like. That is Christ like.
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