Deuteronomy 24:6 Do not take a pair of millstones—not even the upper one—as security for a debt, because that would be taking a person’s livelihood as security.
There is one job I would not want in this world: debt collector! Having to go and reclaim property that a person has begun to pay on, but then has stopped payment, would be very difficult. I guess you just have to cut yourself off from the emotions. Caring and compassion would have to go out the window. The people would just become a case number, one more job.
Now there are people who take on too much debt on purpose, knowing that they will loose the possession after a period of time. They know it will happen, but at least they get the use of the item for a period of time. Perhaps they are just terrible with money!
There are others who through no fault of their own get placed in a financial situation that requires non-payment of the debt. They want to pay, but they don’t have the resources. They lost their job, had a medical crisis that prevented work, a family disaster that took all their resources.
Our text today deals with debt collection procedures in ancient Israel. The way debt could be collected or ensured is at issue. In the case of our text, the debt was guaranteed with some physical object of value. They had promised to pay the debt owed, or the security object could be collected my the lender. Think second mortgage on your home or personal loan with your car as collateral.
If you do default on the loan, the lender has a right to seize property of yours that matches the value lent. But there were limits as to what could be seized. One of those limitations has to do with property that provides that person an income.
If the lender seized the machine that was used to earn a living, the debt could never be paid. Now, not many of us grind grain for a living, but we do have property that is essential to our earning potential. For most of us, we must travel to and from our jobs, so unless there is very inexpensive mass transit in our area, the car is an essential item.
If we are telecommuting, perhaps our computer setup is an essential item, with our phone. Without them we would be unable to continue making a living and repaying our debt. It is these types of essential items that must not be seized when debt is collected.
This gets put into practice when people declare bankruptcy. Certain essential items can not be seized and sold to pay the debt. I’m not a bankruptcy expert, but have know people who have gone through it. They were able to keep some of the essentials like a vehicle.
Ancient Israel had very different lending practices, including not charging each other interest on loans. They could charge outsiders, but not fellow Israelites. In this way greater poverty could be avoided. There was a sense of dignity afforded those who had to borrow, by not increasing the debt owed through the payment of interest on the loan.
This merciful way of lending did not release the borrower from repayment. It instead, made it possible for debt to be mitigated through kindness and mercy. It ensured that those less fortunate would be cared for rather than exploited.
But there were even greater mechanisms that created the environment for a more balanced society. The forgive of all debts every seven years ensured debt that could cripple was short termed. And then every fifty years even real estate was returned to the original owner or their family.
We need to exercise mercy in how we deal with our wealth in relationship to the poor among us. The Early Church, as recorded in the Acts, were exceedingly generous with their wealth. Maybe we need to be more so.