DEUTERONOMY LESSON 17
We will begin this lesson in Deuteronomy 15:1 "At the end of
[every] seven years thou shalt make a release."
This release seems to be a year that the creditor is to not exact
the payment from the borrower. The borrower would, probably, not be
able to pay, because of letting the land rest for a year.
Deuteronomy 15:2 "And this [is] the manner of the release: Every
creditor that lendeth [ought] unto his neighbour shall release [it];
he shall not exact [it] of his neighbour, or of his brother; because
it is called the LORD'S release."
This is a sabbath for the land, and, also, a sabbath for the
borrower. It is a time when labor is to cease. The creditor received
his money in payments from the labor of the borrower. If the borrower
did not labor that year, he would have nothing to pay with. This is
the LORD"s requirement. The lender should take this into
consideration, when he loans.
Deuteronomy 15:3 "Of a foreigner thou mayest exact [it again]:
but [that] which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release;"
The foreigner would be able to work, and earn money that year. He
could, therefore, be required to pay. The release is for those who
respect sabbath.
Deuteronomy 15:4 "Save when there shall be no poor among you; for
the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God
giveth thee [for] an inheritance to possess it:"
This is saying, that the blessings of God upon them will be so
great, that his brother would not need to borrow. This is speaking of
there being no poor in the land. In the chance that he loans to his
brother, God will bless the lender, if he follows the release of his
brother.
Deuteronomy 15:5 "Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice
of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I
command thee this day."
Blessings from God come upon them only, when they keep His
commandments.
Deuteronomy 15:6 "For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he
promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt
not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not
reign over thee."
If they keep God's commandments, the Israelites will not have
need to borrow from anyone. They will be the lender to the rest of the
world. They will not have an earthly ruler. Their King is God. They
will not be ruled by other nations, but they will rule other nations.
Deuteronomy 15:7 "If there be among you a poor man of one of thy
brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God
giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand
from thy poor brother:"
This is an encouragement to lend to their poor brothers, to help
them get started. The person who has plenty, and does not need to
borrow, must have compassion on those less fortunate, and be willing
to lend to them.
Deuteronomy 15:8 "But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him,
and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, [in that] which he
wanteth."
The person lending must not be tight-fisted. They must be open-
handed to lend to those who need. Those who are blessed with wealth,
must be quick to lend to those who have needs and wants.
Deuteronomy 15:9 "Beware that there be not a thought in thy
wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at
hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest
him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto
thee."
This is saying, that just because the year of release is near, is
not a reason {in the sight of the LORD} not to lend to the needy. The
heart full of greed is, also, a heart full of sin. God judges the
heart of man.
Deuteronomy 15:10 "Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart
shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this
thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all
that thou puttest thine hand unto."
To receive blessings of abundance from God, they must bless those
in need around them. Let's look at what is said in the New Testament
about this very thing. I Timothy 6:17 "Charge them that are rich in
this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain
riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to
enjoy;" I Timothy 6:18 "That they do good, that they be rich in good
works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;" I Timothy 6:19
"Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time
to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life."
Deuteronomy 15:11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land:
therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto
thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.
Look what Jesus said about the poor. Mark 14:7 "For ye have the
poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but
me ye have not always." We must always help those who cannot help
themselves.
Deuteronomy 15:12 "[And] if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an
Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the
seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee."
Poverty, in the day this was written, was one of the reasons for
slavery. If a person could not pay what he owed, he worked the debt
out as a slave. Proverbs 22:7 "The rich ruleth over the poor, and the
borrower [is] servant to the lender." The Hebrew slave was to be
released on the seventh year. Other slaves were not released, until
jubilee.
Deuteronomy 15:13 "And when thou sendest him out free from thee,
thou shalt not let him go away empty:"
This is saying, they should give them something to get started
with, so they will not be right back in slavery, again.
Deuteronomy 15:14 "Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy
flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: [of that]
wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto
him."
This goes further into detail about what they should give the
slave, when he, or she, is released. Remember, they are fellow
Hebrews. This means he gave him, or her, enough to start up their own
household.
Deuteronomy 15:15 "And thou shalt remember that thou wast a
bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee:
therefore I command thee this thing to day."
This should not be difficult for them to do, when they remembered
they were slaves in Egypt and God delivered them. He did not deliver
them empty handed either. They spoiled the Egyptians, and carried
provisions with them into the wilderness. Every time they kept this
commandment, they could remember how God helped them get out of
bondage.
Deuteronomy 15:16 "And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will
not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because
he is well with thee;"
The slave may choose to stay, after the master had released him.
This may have become home for the slave, and he learned to love the
family so much, he does not want to leave. He must not be forced to
leave against his will.
Deuteronomy 15:17 "Then thou shalt take an awl, and thrust [it]
through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever.
And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise."
This servant has chosen to belong to this family forever. In this
case, the he, or she, is marked with an awl. This makes them part of
this family forever. They will serve them as they did in the past, but
forever.
Deuteronomy 15:18 "It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou
sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been worth a double hired
servant [to thee], in serving thee six years: and the LORD thy God
shall bless thee in all that thou doest."
In 6 years time, they should have grown fond of the servant. They
would be happy for his release, to start a new life on his own. This
is speaking of the servant who wants to be released. The master should
not hold a grudge against him.
Deuteronomy 15:19 "All the firstling males that come of thy herd
and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the LORD thy God: thou shalt
do no work with the firstling of thy bullock, nor shear the firstling
of thy sheep."
They are to get no profit from the firstling of the flock,
because they belong to God. The first of the flock was to be carried
to the temple, or the place of worship, and offered to God.
Deuteronomy 15:20 "Thou shalt eat [it] before the LORD thy God
year by year in the place which the LORD shall choose, thou and thy
household."
They were first offered in sacrifice, and then eaten, while they
were in the sanctuary. Once a year, they were to do this.
Deuteronomy 15:21 "And if there be [any] blemish therein, [as if
it be] lame, or blind, [or have] any ill blemish, thou shalt not
sacrifice it unto the LORD thy God."
This is stating that any blemish at all on the animal, would make
it unacceptable as a sacrifice to God. It symbolized the body of the
Lord Jesus, so it had to be without spot, or wrinkle.
Deuteronomy 15:22 "Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the
unclean and the clean [person shall eat it] alike, as the roebuck, and
as the hart."
Since it was not sacrificed, all who desired to, could eat of it,
as they did with any other meat they cooked.
Deuteronomy 15:23 "Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof;
thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water."
The blood was to be soaked up by the earth, as water is on the
ground. They were forbidden to eat blood at all.
Deuteronomy 17 Questions
1. How often were they to make a release?
2. What is the release speaking of?
3. This is the sabbath of rest for the _________.
4. Who requires this release?
5. Why is it alright to require a stranger to pay that year?
6. What time is verse 4 speaking of?
7. Blessings from God come upon them only, when they keep His
______________.
8. They shall lend to many ___________.
9. How shall they feel about their poor brothers?
10. A person lending must not be _________ _________.
11. What were they warned against thinking in verse 9?
12. God judges the __________ of man.
13. How will they receive abundant blessings from God?
14. Quote 1 Timothy chapter 6 verses 17 and 18.
15. What did Jesus say about the poor in Mark chapter 14 verse 7?
16. If they buy a Hebrew man, or woman, to serve them, how long shall
they serve?
17. What shall they do with them in the seventh year?
18. What shall they do for this servant, when they release them?
19. What shall they remember about their bondage in Egypt?
20. What if the servant does not want to go, does he have to leave?
21. What will be done, to show that he is to stay longer than the 6
years?
22. Whose choice is this?
23. How should they feel about the servant that desires to leave?
24. Who do all of the firstling males of the flock belong to?
25. After they are sacrificed, who eats them?
26. What happens to the firstling, that is not perfect?
27. What is the one restriction about eating it?
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