Daily Devotion 29
Apr 29, 2014 2201
If there is a poor man among your brothers . . . .do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted towards you poor brother . . . . Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: ‘The seventh year, the year for cancelling debts is near . . .
Deuteronomy 15:7-9
The law required that the accumulated indebtedness of Israel’s poor be cancelled each seventh year. It was conceivable, even probable, that a person might descend into debt’s bondage long before the seven years had expired. The law’s intention was right and good, but it was far from sufficient to safeguard a man and his family from the disadvantages and degradations of insolvency. As well as affording a measure of help to the weak and defenceless, the law can also function as a protection for persons who hope to avoid helping their brothers and sisters. It’s possible to be long on law and short on compassion.
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