Usury

[stephenpatrick]

Deuteronomy 23:20
Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

Luk 6:34-35
And if you lend [to those] from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.

But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.


What happened? Why was usury against the gentile acceptable before Jesus Christ, but now Jesus said, "Don't do it." And why is it considered "good business practices" today?

[MoGrace2U]

Hi Stephen
Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Acts 4:32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

Now compare that with Jeremiah 32, where he was told to buy a piece of land to give the children of Israel hope in being returned from the Babylon Captivity.

The only investment we need to be concerned with profitting in today, is that whereby we gain the souls of men for the kingdom of heaven. That is our tithe to Him! And my reason is because we do not return here after arriving in heaven.

[stephenpatrick]

Hi Robin,
Thanks for answering. I checked this morning to see if anyone had responded and still no one. I like your answer.

But during the time I asked the question and you answered, it got me to thinking . . . why no charging interest to your fellow Israelite, yet it was considered acceptable to make the gentile pay it. I think it was an example for believers in the way they are to treat their own. Brothers and sisters in Christ are to treat each other as if it is Jesus Christ himself you are interacting with. Just as you said in Acts. 4:32. I'll even say we are to treat the unbeliever the same way. Would we charge Jesus interest? Probably not. Hopefully not. When Jesus upset the money changers and temple businesses He was mad that not only was this taking place in the temple (house of God) but they were lying and cheating and making enormous profit off of their own brothers, when God said earlier they were not to.

I also was thinking about the way in which people today are kept in bondage to those who loan money for enormous profit for a living space for our families. I've been reading bits and pieces about usury in the days before the law was given ((Mesopotamian debt practices) and how rulers found out that their citizens were so much more happy and productive without massive, depressing debt hanging over them for their farming land and homes. They discovered, and in Leviticus God confirms that removing the debt burden (personal, not commercial) lets men breath again. Hence the year of Jubilee. I wonder if that was ever put into practice, or observed in Israel, or by the Jews. I'll keep studying.

Anyways thanks Robyn.
Steve