Bible Talks

Deuteronomy 15:1-181At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. 2And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbor shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbor, or of his brother; because it is called the Lord's release. 3Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release; 4Save 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: 5Only 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. 6For 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. 7If 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: 8But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth. 9Beware 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. 10Thou 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. 11For 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. 12And 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. 13And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: 14Thou 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. 15And 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. 16And 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; 17Then thou shalt take an aul, 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. 18It 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. (Deuteronomy 15:1‑18)
IN THE last chapter we had Israel's joy in God and His goodness, along with the practical results in their sharing His bounty with others — the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless and the widow. Not merely did they give but they shared it with them.
This is something further than just simply giving. The Lord Jesus does not merely give, as something to be carried away from Him to enjoy by ourselves, but in His grace He shares with those who are the objects of His love.
That love that gives not as the world but shares
All it possesses with its loved co-heirs.
And this is fellowship. He came down here once to share our sorrow, and now He calls us to share His joy. He would not drink of the fruit of the vine, He told His disciples on that last night at the Passover supper, just before He went to the cross, "until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom" (Matt. 26:2929But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. (Matthew 26:29).).
In chapter 15 the Lord continues this theme of grace in which His people were to act toward others. The year of release, or sabbatical year, is again spoken of.
It is first mentioned in Exodus 23:10,1110And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof: 11But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard. (Exodus 23:10‑11). Every seven years the land was to rest. There was to be neither sowing nor harvesting, but the produce was for the nourishment of all — for the Israelites themselves, for the strangers dwelling with them, for the cattle and the animals of the land. What a wonderful institution this was — nothing like it in any other nation under heaven! Man would suspend his labors for a whole year, and God Himself would be the Provider and the Host. By this alone the children of Israel ought to have learned to confide in God, to live in dependence on Him and to count upon His faithfulness.
"And this is the manner of the release: . . ." Every man who owed anything to another was to be forgiven his debt. "If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren . . . thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need." Furthermore, if the year of release was at hand he wasn't to withhold giving to his poor brother. "Thou shalt surely give him . . . because for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee."
The year of release brought with it then this additional blessing to the poor of Israel. It was for them the clearing of all their debts, and put an end to all claims to which any might be subject on the part of their brethren.
Furthermore, the year of release brought freedom to the poor slave. He was to be sent away free with a present. If he loved his master and preferred to remain with him, then his master was to bore his ear through with an awl to the door and he would serve him forever. We know the One who is pictured here — the blessed Lord Jesus who loved His Master, His wife and His children. He so loved US' He would not go out free, but will serve us and all His own in glory forever.
Memory Verse
Messages of the Love of God 5/4/1975