In verses 35-55, God champions the rights of the poor. He encourages his holy people to help the poor and to loan them money without interest. He cautions them to fear God, repent of greed, and he will live among them. Holy people are to protect the poor and lead them back on the road to recovery, instead of making a profit out of their hardships. Yet so often the poor are kept in generational poverty by greedy opportunists.

The Lord reminds the Israelites of how he brought them out of bondage in Egypt and helped them to be his holy people. Likewise, they and we should have compassion and help those in dire need, too. Let’s remember the grace we received when we were helpless and be fair and generous.

Some Israelites were forced into servitude due to their extreme poverty (39). They, too, were to be set free in the year of Jubilee, for the people belonged to the Lord. They were to be treated respectfully as hired servants. The Lord allowed them to keep foreigners as slaves. Slavery is an insidious evil and deceives people into justifying ruthless behavior (43). The Jubilee looked forward to Jesus who sets us free from sin, restores us as children of God, and gives us the kingdom of God.
Application: Father, thank you for setting me free. Help me to be fair, generous, and respectful of the poor.
One Word: God sets people free