Deuteronomy 15

CHAPTER 15THEME: God’s poverty program; the permanent slave; the perfect sacrifice is ChristToday we hear a great deal about poverty programs. Man has devised many programs, but they do not work. God has a poverty program that works. Then in this chapter there is a section about a permanent slave. And, finally, we find in this chapter a type of the perfect sacrifice which is Christ.

Deuteronomy 15:1

THE SABBATIC YEAREvery seventh year is a sabbatical year. In that year a release was to be made.

Deuteronomy 15:2

God had already told them that the land was to lie fallow every seventh year. Now we learn about the release on the seventh year. The Israelite could not take a mortgage that went beyond seven years. There could be no foreclosure on a mortgage. When the seventh year came around, money that had been lent or mortgages that had been made were all to be canceled out. This was a great equalizer of the wealth. It gave every man an equal opportunity. Socialism as it is advocated today does not take into account the fact that man is a sinful creature. If he can get something for nothing, he is not going to work for it; that’s for sure. Democracy and capitalism as we have them today allow for extremes. We have the extremely poor who do not work, but we also have the extremely wealthy who do not work. God had a system for Israel which equalized the opportunity so that it was possible for the poor man who really wanted to work to get something for himself. God’s system guarded against extreme wealth and extreme poverty.

Deuteronomy 15:3

This rule held for fellow Israelites. Every seventh year the debt of the poor would be canceled out and they would have an opportunity to start again. If Israel would observe this carefully, notice what would happen:

Deuteronomy 15:4

Wherever one goes today, whatever nation one visits, one is impressed by the extremes of poverty and wealth. This is true in Europe, Asia, South America, the United States, wherever one goes. On one side of town there is extreme poverty, and on the other side of town there is extreme wealth. This is the result of the sin of man. One can blame certain individuals, of course, but the basic cause is the sin of man. If man had obeyed God in this respect, there would have been no poor among them; there would have been a balance of wealth. Until the heart of man is changed, socialism as it is practiced in the communist countries becomes the most frightful dictatorship that is imaginable. Capitalism is still so much better than socialism; but whether a nation has socialism or capitalism, the basic problem is the human heart. God called Israel to obedience. Had they obeyed Him, poverty would have been eliminated. We think that we can eliminate poverty by funding poverty programs. And what happens?

We see the worst corruption we have ever seen in this nation. It has become a disgrace. Why? Because of the kind of men we are dealing with. It is not the system that is wrong; it is man that is wrong. There is no use running down one system and promoting another, because until you change man, no system will work.

God is dealing with the nitty-gritty here, friends. The basic problem is with the heart of man. What would happen if the wealth of this nation were all divided equally? Well, in ten years the other fellow would have it and I’d be poor again. That is the way it would be because of what is in the heart of man. God makes it very clear that if His system had been used, the problem would have been solved.

Deuteronomy 15:6

This is a remarkable statement concerning the nation Israel. It is true that many Jewish financiers have become the bankers of the world. The House of Rothschild has financed quite a few nations, by the way. “Thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee” has not yet been fulfilled. Why? Because Israel has never obeyed God up to the present.

Deuteronomy 15:7

This is a remarkable passage of Scripture. The nation never fully obeyed it, and the Jewish people don’t obey it fully today. But have you observed that the little nation of Israel receives gifts from Jewish people all over the world? That nation probably receives more gifts than any other nation ever received. One might think that Christians, certain denominations, certain churches, lead the list in charitable giving, but they do not. Jewish people today are giving millions of dollars to the little nation of Israel.

You see, God taught them at the very beginning that they were to take care of their brother. This same principle was also given to the Christian believersthere are certain great, fundamental principles which are eternal truths and which God carries over from one dispensation to another. This is what believers should be doing today. But we are not even in the same league when it comes to helping our brothers. However, I don’t think that even Jews come near to what God intended for them when He gave these instructions.

Deuteronomy 15:9

God warns that they shouldn’t rationalize away their responsibility. They could say that since on the seventh year the brother will be out of debt anyway, it will be unnecessary to help him for a year or two. God tells them to go in and help the poor brother right at that very moment.

Deuteronomy 15:10

God had told them that if they would obey Him, there would be no poor in the land. But because God knows the human heart, He tells them that there will always be poor people in the land. You remember that the Lord Jesus said the same thing: “The poor always ye have with you …” (Joh_12:8). There will always be poverty because of the heart of man. Candidly, many are lazy; many people are shiftless and have no initiative. On the other hand, those who are able will not normally help the poor. It is not natural for man to do that. It is supernatural for man to share what he has with the less fortunate. Therefore, He commands His people, “Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.” Slaves were to be freed on the seventh year.

Deuteronomy 15:13

When the slave was freed, he was not to be sent away empty-handed.

Deuteronomy 15:16

THE PERMANENT SLAVEWe saw back in Exodus 21 that a man could sell himself as a slave. If his master had given him a wifethat is, a girl who was his master’s slavewhen the sabbatical year came, the man could go free. But, perhaps he would choose to stay with his wife and his children and become the permanent slave of his master. Then his ear was to be pierced to signify that he had become a permanent slave. This is a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. He “made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Php_2:7-8). Jesus could have gone out free. He owed no debt of sin; He was no sinner. He had no penalty to pay. But He loved us and He gave Himself for us.

Just as the servant had his ear thrust through by the awl, so the psalmist says, “…mine ears hast thou opened …” (Psa_40:6). The Book of Hebrews takes the same passage from Psalms 40 and says, “…but a body hast thou prepared me …” (Heb_10:5). The Lord Jesus took on Himself a human body so that He could be crucified for you and for me. It is one of those remarkable pictures which we find of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Old Testament.