At the end of every seven years, all debts of Israelites held by their fellow Israelites were to be forgiven. No one would carry oppressive debt for long periods of time in this system. The ultimate goal was for all of Israel to be free from debt completely after a time as God prospered the nation. Eventually, God intended for Israel to be the lender to all the nations of the Earth, and to owe no one anything. This would be acheived as they obeyed the commandments and lived without oppressing each other.
This system still has valuable lessons for us today. For one, it is always a good idea to avoid oppressive debt. We have credit readily available to us today, and most people, with at least a modestly good credit score, can buy just about anything they want on credit. However, it is very important to live within one’s means. Just because you can get it does not mean you can truly afford it. The discussion yesterday on tithing and giving shows us that God should always come first, and even others second, before we lavish upon ourselves. This flies in the face of current mentalities that emphasize taking care of self at the expense of others. God is looking for selfless Christians. Be the man or woman He is looking for and live responsibly and generously!
Devoted To You 