The Bible Project Daily Podcast Strange Ways to Make a Profit (Deuteronomy 15: 1-11)
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Study Notes:
Introduction
- Basic financial principles: hard work, saving, spending wisely. Deuteronomy offers unique principles for prosperity, focusing on debt, slavery, and honouring God's gifts.
Counter-Intuitive Principles for Prosperity
- Debt Cancellation (Deuteronomy 15:1-6)
- Verse 1: Every seven years, debts are to be cancelled.
- This "sabbatical year" involves total and permanent debt forgiveness.
- Pertains to fellow Israelites.
- Five Reasons for Complete Debt Cancellation:
- Reflects God’s generosity towards Israel.
- Supported by verses 9-11.
- Prepares for Jubilee (every 50 years).
- Prevents extreme poverty.
- Aligns with the potential for Israel's great wealth.
- Verse 2: Details on executing debt cancellation.
- Debt cancellation includes not pursuing repayment from debtors' families.
- Highlights the complete and permanent nature of the forgiveness.
- Application Beyond Financial Debt:
- Parallels with forgiveness of sins (Colossians 2:13, 1 John 1:9).
- Verse 3: Specifies debt cancellation applies only to Israelites, not foreigners.
- Verse 4-5: Promise of God's blessing if commands are obeyed, potentially eliminating poverty.
- Verse 6: God's promise of prosperity and dominance over other nations.
- Verse 1: Every seven years, debts are to be cancelled.
- Generosity and Open-Handedness (Deuteronomy 15:7-11)
- Verse 7-8: Commands to be generous and not hard-hearted towards the poor.
- Encourages a spirit of generosity.
- Proverbs 11:24: Generosity leads to greater gain.
- Verse 9: Warning against withholding aid due to the approaching sabbatical year.
- Verse 10: Promise of God’s blessing for generosity.
- Verse 11: Acknowledges perpetual presence of the poor, emphasizing continuous generosity.
- Verse 7-8: Commands to be generous and not hard-hearted towards the poor.
Principles of Giving and God’s Blessings
- Forgiving debts and lending to those in need leads to God’s blessings.
- Generosity fosters a community without poverty.
- God's promises of blessing are tied to obedience and generosity.
- Proverbs 19:17: Kindness to the poor is like lending to the Lord.
- Biblical Principle: The law of sowing and reaping – abundance in giving results in abundance in receiving.
Conclusion
- Living with generosity aligns with God's commands and promises prosperity.
- Forgiving debts, lending freely, and generous giving are key to blessings.
- This divine economy transforms lives and communities.
- Call to Action:
- Commit to living out these principles.
- Reflect God’s nature through generosity.
- Become instruments of His blessin
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