9/7/13- Nehemiah 5:6-8 Interest

6 When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. 7 I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are charging your own people interest!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them 8 and said: “As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your own people, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say. (Nehemiah 5:6-8)

Thoughts: Usury is a vice that is all but gone from American culture.  We still see problems with exorbitant interest- like 300- 1,000% from title loans or loan sharks. There are credit cards that charge 24-28% interest.  There are laws that discourage high interest rates, but lobbyists often find a way to get around them.  High interest rates enslave those who borrow money to make ends meet.   The Bible strictly forbids taking advantage of the poor by lending to them at high interest rates.  Nehemiah did not mince any words here.  He let them have it.  When some seek to get rich off the real misery of others, then the community and the church is divided. Instead of getting rich off the misery of the poor, we should lend to the poor without interest or with little interest.  This is especially true for believers.  There are some churches that have funds to lend to the needy at no interest.  

Prayer: Help me to be careful to consider my neighbor's good above my own.

Here are some Old Testament references to lending money with high interest to other believers: 

Exodus 22:24 (25) — If thou lend money to any of My people, even to the poor with thee, thou shalt not be to him as a creditor; neither shall ye lay upon him interest.

Leviticus 25:36 — Take thou no interest of him or increase; but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.

Leviticus 25:37 — Thou shalt not give him thy money upon interest, nor give him thy victuals for increase.

Deuteronomy 23:20 (19) — Thou shalt not lend upon interest to thy brother: interest of money, interest of victuals, interest of any thing that is lent upon interest.

Deuteronomy 23:21 (20) — Unto a foreigner thou mayest lend upon interest; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon interest; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all that thou puttest thy hand unto, in the land whither thou goest in to possess it

who lends money to the poor without interest;  who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.  Whoever does these things    will never be shaken.  (Psalm 15:5)