Pastor Ovid Need

We now come to another completely overlooked or ignored passage of scripture.

1. What is required in vv. 1-2? ______________________________________________________

2. What is permitted in v. 3? ________________________________________________________

3. What is the purpose of this in v. 4 (check the margin reading here)?
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We need to point out here that the Word of God prohibits long term debt for His people. Long term debt is strictly a modern day "invention". Here we see the requirement for release from debt every seventh year. The Sabbath means release and rest from debt. Maybe this is why the "Sabbath" (Christian Sabbath, the 1st day) is so ignored today. As we talk to people we hear this, "I work six days to pay my bills and I have to work Sunday to have any money to spend." Debt has forced people who love God to work rather than rest in the Lord on His day. The Sabbath means rest and a fresh start, yet debt prevents this.

Now, there are occupations which require work on the Sabbath (Matt. 12:5), but no doubt here the principle would be that debt which requires work on the Sabbath is wrong. This will bring God's judgment against a society which promotes this kind of debt.

Another thing here in vv. 1-2 would be God forbidding His people from selling their future. He absolutely forbids here the borrowing from the future to fulfill present desires. "Sacrificing the future on the altar of the present." Probably one of the most destructive things to come along in a long time is the second mortgage on property so the individual can satisfy a present whim. It is not unusual to hear lending institutions urging people to borrow this second mortgage so they can take a nice vacation. Present laws encourage this kind of debt. Personal borrowing in scriptures is strictly on an emergency basis.

4. Borrowing against the future, as forbidden here in vv. 1-2, is usually based on what, Heb. 13:5; I Tim. 6:8; Lk. 12:22-34? ___________________________________________________________

a. What is another name for this sin, Col. 3:5? __________________________________________

b. What are some marks of the "last days", II Tim. 3:1-5? ________________________________

c. What are we to do toward people of this attitude, II Tim. 3:5? _______________________

It would be well to examine this just a little. Thayers Lexicon gives this definition for covetousness as found in Mk. 7:22; Lk. 12:15; Rom. 1:29; II Cor. 9:5; Eph. 4:19 (greediness); 5:3; Col. 3:5; I Thess. 2:5; II Pet. 2:3, 14. "Greedy desire to have more, covetousness, avarice." In Heb. 13:5 and I Tim. 3:3 it is "not loving money, not avaricous." Vine's identifies II Tim. 3:2 with Lk. 16:14, "money-loving".

d. Who is the Church warned about in II Pet. 2:1-3? __________________________________

The financial structure of our day (probably since WW II) is based upon debt. One day that debt will have to be paid. One of the reasons for inflation is this demand for "easy money" and loans to fulfill present desires. Debt is a result of covetousness. (AXE- "Inflation" and "Presumption".)

My dad could easily remember the days of F.D.R. when he sent his representatives throughout the country with cash. They begged the people to please take the money. F.D.R. met a lot of resistance as he attempted to overthrow the old "aversion" to debt. But with great perseverance they were able to overcome the old ideas concerning debt. With his success he brought the American people into slavery to both the central government and lending institutions.

Another point here. Debt is a tax on the future. We read and hear about the protest against high taxes and the unjust use of the taxes. Now, I'm against both, as is every American, but one of the reasons for those high taxes is this very thing, DEBT. If I remember right, a very large percentage (maybe 1/4 to 1/3) of the national budget goes to pay interest on the money borrowed from the privately owned Federal Reserve banking system which the Fed printed out of nothing. Civil government did this to finance the covetousness of the people, yet we don't hear many protesting one of the chief causes of high taxes, Consumer Debt, which is built upon covetousness. God's desire is that a society be free of debt and of the poor, yet the only thing which will ac­complish this is obedience to His law. Rom. 13:8 is still in the scriptures. As we have already seen, the cause of high taxes is the failure to recognize God as God, Jesus as King over every­thing, I Sam. 8.

We all know of people and churches who are now prevented from doing what God wants them to do TODAY. They cannot obey God because of that commitment to debt. Don't think our enemy doesn't know what he is doing as he fans the fires of the desires of the flesh, lust of the eye and of the pride of life. If he can get us to borrow today to fulfill those desires, then he knows he has us in bondage for at least the length of that loan, Prov. 22:7.

How many men are there whom God has called to preach, yet they cannot obey because of obligations they made years ago? How many churches want to take a stand upon God's Word, yet can't out of fear of being unable to satisfy a payment to a bond company or a bank? It is very easy to see that no man (or church) can serve two masters, and more than a few have had to serve the wrong master because of the monthly payment which is due. This doesn't even take into con­sideration the interest which must be paid and how that interest is used to finance wickedness of all kinds.

We hear protests against the unjust use of taxes to finance abortions and we should protest. Yet, where is the cry against the interest paid by Christians and churches to those banks which will keep them healthy so they can finance the abortion mills? Where is the cry against Christians and churches which put their savings and checking accounts in those banks so the bank can loan that money to build these abortion mills? Where is the cry against Christians putting God's money into government bonds, C.D.'s and government securities of all kinds? That money is then used to finance wickedness of all kinds. If just the professing Christians would refuse to finance, through loans, the ungodly activities of government agencies of all kinds, what would happen? No wonder we are in such a mess. We don't stop and think. We want to point our finger and place the blame elsewhere. If we are going to be consistent with our cry against abortion then we must refuse to do any business with any bank which finances these places. This goes on into dirty book stores liquor stores and all other areas of evil. They must have the money to carry on their wickedness.

It is hypocrisy to cry out against something which we don't like, yet finance that very thing. God help us. Along with the cry against the misuse of tax funds we need a cry against the misuse of GOD'S FUNDS contrary to Rom. 13:8.

An anti-tax stand doesn't require personal sacrifice and commitment to God's law, so it will gain much more approval from man, but it is doomed in hypocrisy without the return to Rom. 12:1, 2; 13:8 and Scriptural principles in our personal lives.

It is ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE to have a godly society without godly people in that society. How can we expect authorities to obey God when God's people don't see the need to obey God in the areas which appeal to the sinful nature of man? "Christians" want the "benefits" which an un­godly civil government might offer, yet they will cry loud and long as the natural results catch up; results, as we see in the oppressive taxes, as well as results in controls contrary to Scrip­ture principles.

Is it any wonder the world looks at Christians with such "disdain"? Everywhere they look they see them standing against things they don't like, yet tolerating, and even enjoying the things they do like, and both are contrary to God's Word. God has told us that wicked man can be won by consistency. Maybe the reason he isn't being won is because of the inconsistency he sees, I Cor. 15:34; I Pet. 2:15, etc..

His people must learn, either the Lord God will be their King and rule them by every word which proceeds out of His mouth (Deut. 8:3; Matt. 4:4) or HE will raise up rulers who will rule them by every word which proceeds from their mouth, according to their will (I Sam. 8). Only as His people submit to His rule for their every desire and action will He replace ungodly rule with godly rule.

All of these government agencies are an arm of Congress. The reason they do what they do is because CONGRESS permits them to. All Congress would have to do is cut off their funds. "We the people" elect Congress.

We cannot serve the flesh contrary to Deut. 15:1-3 (Rom. 13:8) and expect to reap the good life, Gal. 6:7-9; Rom. 6:16

5. What will be the end result of observing Deut. 15:1-5 (there would be four things in two divi­sions) vv. 4, 6?

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Sad to say, we are seeing this very thing come to pass in our beloved nation. As the nation turns from God in its pursuit of pleasure and prosperity, we are seeing it become a debtor nation. Someone said that well over 50% of all deposits in US Banks are foreign. This makes us a slave to these nations which have those huge deposits. Then we have seen how these deposits have been used to lend to Communist nations at 7% with no payments for 6 years (Daily News Digest, March 2, 88'), as well as to countries like Brazil. We are slaves to those nations, also. We have to bow to their demands for fear they won't repay the money which we borrowed in the first place from for­eigners. When a society turns from God, only chaos can result.