Automatic Transcript Generated:
Speaker 1
So sue is asking where in the Bible does it talk about borrowing and lending money?
Speaker 2
Pretty much through the entire Bible. I have to say it’s a very common topic through the Bible and often borrowing, lending and related things. Things also are using it as analogy to talk about even the debts we owe God as a result of our sin. In the sense. Let’s start off with though this first high level concept that’s very important, which is generally borrowing is not favorably looked at in the Bible, or at least if you have to borrow, it’s almost seen as the opposite of being blessed. So Proverbs 22 seven. I’m looking at the NIV version actually, because I like how it’s worded better on this. It says the rich rule over the poor and the borrower is the slave to the lender. And I mean, just think about even in a modern context, right, when you borrow, you’re at the mercy of the person you borrowed from. And usually they are very sophisticated. They know how to make sure that if you don’t pay back your debt, they’ll grab your house or something else, right? Or they’ll know how to get a lawyer to go after you. And so many people are crushed by the burdens and the fears and all that to go associated with living under debt.
Speaker 2
So God doesn’t want anybody to experience that. And so even for the Hebrews and Jews, this was a very important thing to them, even as a matter of pride. So you go to Deuteronomy 15 and then this whole chapter is a lot on debts. For example, every seven years debts would be more or less forgive them, wiped out at least people will be slaves and they’ll be freed. And in the middle, in the heart of this Deuteronomy 15, God says, well, sorry, verse six, he says, for the Lord your God will bless you just as he promised you. You shall lend too many nations, you shall not borrow. So here’s God’s way of illustrating how much you’ll be blessed. And again, borrowing the scene almost as being cursed. If you go a little bit forward though, a couple of verses to verse seven. Now God starts telling about how we should be with our relationships with others. And he says, if there is among you a poor man of your brethren within any of your gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother, but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs.
Speaker 2
So god samuel, you are blessed. If you are in a state where you can actually share your blessings with others, you’re obligated to do so. I mean, really at the core of the law is love. And if you really love somebody, you will help provide it for them. You will help give them what they need. If they’re in a hard time lending the $100, $1,000, whatever, help them get up off their feet and so that they don’t have to become a slave to somebody else because of debt. So really there’s a lot on not just borrowing, but also the lenders. A lot on the lenders and what you should and shouldn’t do. Exit is 22. So we’re just looking at donor on me still. Levitical laws more or less. In Book of Exodus, God says, if you lend to any of my people so I guess it’s about people within your church, but it doesn’t have to be right? If there’s any of them who are poor among you, you shall not be like a money lender to him. You shall not charge him interest. If you ever take your neighbor’s garment as a pledge, even take it to security or something, well, I got to hold onto something, make sure he pays me back, that says, if you do that, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, for that is his only covering.
Speaker 2
It is his garment for his skin, what will he sleep in and what will be that when he cries to me, I will hear Him, for I am gracious. So God’s saying like, he will take notice if you extract a lot out of people and you’re just trying to cover your bases, trying to take care of yourself and really making this other person suffering, that says, I’m going to take note of that and you don’t want to be on the receiving end of his frustration for what you’re doing to his precious person. And this is going to be a common theme. Leviticus 25 versus 35 to 40. It gets back to saying, don’t charge usury, don’t do interest, lend without these things. Don’t make a profit by lending. Your lending should be a blessing to people who really need it. In Nehemiah, there was a story where Nehemiah comes to find out, and this is in chapter five, where he hears about how the Jews who had returned from Babylon, there was some who had more money and then there were lending and they were charging tons of interest and then they were taking over the land of people who didn’t weren’t able to pay.
Speaker 2
And then people were panicking and coming to Nehemiah saying, please help us. We’re being crushed by the debts by our fellow Jews here. And nehemiah are just like what? Choose out to reach people. So you guys need to take care of this. Don’t take back anybody’s land, don’t do this. Make right what you’ve done. And probably for a period of time then this practice was stamped out again. Now, if you read the Psalms, there’s quite a bit about lending. So for example, Psalms 15, verse five, it says, he who does not put out his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against innocent does not do these things shall never be moved. And the whole context of this chapter is more or less about who is it that will bide in God’s tabernacle. You’ll see that in verse one. So not charging usury is a sign of God’s true spiritual people. And then Psalm 112 signing in verse five. Psalm 112, verse five, NIV version says, good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. So generous lend freely. And you just see this again and again.
Speaker 2
Same thing in proverbs. Proverbs? I’m not going to read it, but you could check out Ezekiel 18, the whole chapter, and cover to some degree borrowing and lending. Now let’s talk about some things Jesus said. Jesus, for example, said Matthew 542, get to him who asks you and from him who wants to borrow from you, do not turn away. This is basically a really concise restatement of what Jesus spoke in the Old Testament, in the Levitical laws. And then Luke 634 to 35 says, and if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? Don’t think you’re a good person if you land just expecting to be paid back. God says you’re really a good, virtuous person if you land without expecting to be paid back. But love your enemies, do good and hoping for nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, or he is kind to be unthinkful and evil.
Speaker 1
I have a question. These are all wonderful, lovely verses and inspiration and it sounds wonderful, but how do we handle not enabling bad behaviors and wasteful behaviors? Like if a drug addict is coming and asking for money so they can go spend it on drugs, is that something that we should continue to do to pay their bills so they can spend their money on drugs? Or how do we reconcile these things with PG, the generosity that yeah, it’s.
Speaker 2
A great question and they could go a long time answering. But the main thing is, and I think the next and last verse actually will answer it romans 13 seven to eight says, give to everyone what you owe them. If you owe taxes, pay taxes. If revenue, then revenues. If respect and respect if honor, then honor. Verse eight owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. So ultimately the point of all of this is to love somebody. And love means at times that you will do something that’s painful for you. It might involve making sacrifices, but really you’re wanting to do what’s best for that other person. Okay? And so then that’s where it comes in. Sometimes you have to use good judgment. You have to really think about, OK, this person is asking for money. If I give them the money, what will happen? From it if you withholding the money will then cause them suffering, will cause them to lose their home, sleep out in the cold. So like those examples God gave, I think that was in deuteronomy. Then God is going to be upset, right?
Speaker 2
That’s not the living thing. But even God shows that he will at times allow people to suffer consequences of their bad decisions if that will get them to eventually do what’s right. So you have to use your judgment ultimately, but make sure you’re really loving and doing what’s best for that person.
Speaker 1
I guess that is the key there because giving in a way that’s simply enabling bad behavior isn’t really the loving thing to do.
Speaker 2
Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3
And if I can add one quick verse to that too, I totally hear you coming from because my mind kind of went in the same direction. But I definitely agree we need to have that heart that’s just giving and loving, but we still need to have that wisdom at the same time where we’re setting healthy boundaries and we see God being so clear that he is the same way. And we see that in James chapter four, verse three, and talking about these people who ask things of God, about people who are just full of lust, they’re greedy, they just want something. And in James chapter four, verse three, it says you ask and you receive, not because you ask amiss that you might consume it upon your lusts or on your pleasures. God sometimes doesn’t give us things we want because he knows it’s not for our good. And there’s times where God will say, no, I’m not going to give this to you because you’re just going to destroy it. You’re just going to use it for things you want and it’s not good for you. And so definitely we have to be careful that we’re having that wisdom to give responsibly.
Speaker 3
I think somebody asked a question like this a long time ago and I’ll never forget this verse too, because sometimes people think, well, Jesus says freely give, so you have to give to your own hurt. And that’s also not biblical as well. Like if you read in one Timothy chapter five, verse eight, basically it says, but if any provide not for his own, especially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith and is worse than infidel. So you shouldn’t be giving or worse than an unbeliever, you shouldn’t be giving to the point where you’re putting you or your own family in harm’s way.
Speaker 2
Yes, it’s saying that we all sort of have our spheres of influence where we have more responsibility to take care of then others.
Speaker 3
Yeah, definitely. So I’m just throwing it out there just because I know growing up, when I was first a Christian as a teenager, I took that very literally. Like whatever I had, I was supposed.
Speaker 1
To give it away.
Speaker 3
And I give away my own lunch money. That wasn’t necessarily the right thing to do. But I’m just saying just so people see that the Bible is balanced. And so we just have to have wisdom.
Speaker 2
And I think what you said there was really key where you said, is it just what you want? Versus is this something that a person really needs? And all the examples in the Bible that God gives are the needs. Someone needs clothing, they need shelter, they need those sorts of things. And it’s not about, yes, supporting just people’s less. We actually have some comments came in.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Speaker 2
Athena.
Speaker 3
Oh, thank you, Athena. You’re so sweet.
Speaker 2
You’re so glad that you could join us again today.
Speaker 1
Athena says hello. Love your insight into the holy word. Yes. Great to have you here, Athena. We’re so glad that you are blessed by this time.
Speaker 2
Mikey Noodles has some great comments.
Speaker 1
Yeah, this is a struggle for me, too. Sometimes I feel like not giving money to panhandlers because I think they’ll just buy booze is just an excuse. I use another comment. Judging somebody by their looks and situation and assuming they will spend that money on drugs and alcohol is sort of against James 23.
Speaker 2
Yup.
Speaker 3
And that’s something I struggle with, too. I live in a neighborhood where there’s a lot of people asking for money.
Speaker 1
Just go to the street and you see a lot of people got to.
Speaker 2
Pray and listen to the spirit.
Speaker 1
And I think one of the key things here also is there’s a difference between somebody who is in a true present time of need and somebody who has made themselves a career panhandler. We live in a community also where there are definitely career panhandlers. This is all they do. They take the hardest parts of their lives and create this story that they know how to deliver masterfully, to emotionally manipulate people, to take pity on them and give them money day after day after year after year after year. And that is all they do. That’s not a constructive use. They’re not laboring that says we’re to labor. We should work six days a week. And panhandling doesn’t really work. They’re working it. That’s not consistent. It’s not the productive form of labor that God is, I believe, wanting people to earn their living through. And so we have to be mindful, too. This is the wisdom. Coming back to wisdom is, are we just continuing to feed this behavior, or are we actually meeting? They are honest working people trying to provide for themselves, and they’ve just come on a hard time and need that assistance for a time to get through that situation.
Speaker 3
Yeah, no, I’m with you on that. And I think, again, it goes back to praying for God’s spirit and God’s wisdom, to know how and when to help as much as you can. When it comes to Mikey Noodles, I totally feel you, because my heart breaks when I see people on the side of the street asking for I literally have just broken down into tears because my heart breaks for them. I see them as God’s people and God loves them. They’re somebody’s child and they’re God’s child. At the end of the day, I definitely feel for them. But I always do pray like, God, give me wisdom. And if I can give something, sometimes it’s not money, sometimes I’ll just offer food or something like that. And I think it comes down to knowing having again that wisdom because there’s been people that have been really grateful for anything and I can see that they’re just in a state of need. And there’s been people that have just been like, I only want cash. And it’s like, okay, well, maybe we need to find a more real need somewhere for somebody else anyway.
Speaker 1
And I think it’s also that conviction. And I know there have been many times I’ve been in these situations and I have prayed, lord, there are times where God has told me to give money to this homeless person or even to this panhandler and I really feel God telling me to do this. And then there are other times where God’s not telling me to do that. And in fact, I’m getting the sense like, stay away from this person, stay away from the situation. That’s what I feel God is telling me to do. And don’t go there. And so I think it does also like we are supposed to have a living relationship with God and yes, we are supposed to have a generous and giving heart, but that doesn’t mean that we should be just allowing ourselves to be taken advantage of and exploited all the time.
Speaker 2
Either we got another person joining us on Facebook and we’re not able to see your name, but that’s okay. Thank you for joining us. And he says or she says, be wise in giving. But this is interesting comment don’t help those who don’t help themselves. I used to be a big believer in that statement and after working on a documentary on mental health, really come to understand that there really are people who are in a position that they’re not able to help themselves. And that gets back to having to have a lot of discernment to identify. Is this person in their situation because of their decisions and they’re continuing to want to repeat those bad decisions? Or is it someone who is just so much in darkness, can’t see the way out, incapable because of health issues, mind issues, whatever, that they really need someone to jump them out of it?
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