Charging Interest

Have you ever taken out a loan or just used a credit card? Only to then find out that you have to pay not only the amount you borrowed but an extra five, ten, fifteen or even twenty percent extra on top of the money you initially borrowed? Or if you didn’t pay the balance off by a certain date that you now owe extra money… Yeah, that’s interest. And the Bible refers to this as usury.

Exodus 22:25 KJVS

If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as a usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.

Using the Strong’s Concordance, usury is defined as follows:

Strong's Number

H5392

Original Word

נשׁך

Transliterated Word

neshek

Phonetic Spelling

neh'-shek

Parts of Speech

Noun Masculine

Strong's Definition

From H5391; interest on a debt: - usury.

See, a loan is supposed to be of help to you and your people. If someone is poor and doesn’t have the money at the time. You may loan them the money needed to cover various expenses they may have. However, there was a catch. You were not allowed to charge them interest for what they borrowed. You can’t say, “because you borrowed $5 from me so I want $10 back when you pay me back.

Deuteronomy 23:19-20 KJVS

Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury: [20] Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

When it comes down to your people. Need they be friends, family or foe. The Most High says do not charge them interest at all. Need it be for money lent, a car loan, land loan, clothing loan, etc. a loan of any kind do not charge them interest on it. Only have them pay back the base or flat rate they paid for it or that it cost.

Now on the flip side you may charge one of another nation interest. And you may question why? This is because if you charge your people interest especially if they are already poor, they will stay in a place of perpetual debt. Never (or taking a long time) to raise up out of that situation. It is hard to save if you are always paying extra on money you didn’t have in the first place! Because if you had the extra funds you wouldn’t be trying to borrow it in the first place! On the other hand, if you charge the other nations interest (within reason you’re not trying to oppress them) you can slowly build ahead as a people. A little bit goes a long way.

Leviticus 25:35-38 KJVS

And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee. [36] Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee. [37] Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase. [38] I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.

The key to understanding this is that usually this comes into place when one is poor. And if they are already poor, your job and duty as a brother to one of your people; need they be the homie or somebody you don’t even know, is to relieve them. Make it easier on them. In doing so, those continuous efforts help us as a people and help us thrive (live) with one another successfully. The goal is to get us out of survival mode and get us thriving as a people. But remember the latter end of verse thirty-six, fear The Most High because he will judge you for failing to do so.

Exodus 22:25 KJVS

If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as a usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.

You have to remember, these are The Most High’s people. He doesn’t want you dealing with them any kind of way. But let’s look at an historical example of when this happened to our people by our own people.

Nehemiah 5:1-13 KJVS

And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews. [2] For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live. [3] Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth. [4] There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards. [5] Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards. [6] And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. [7] Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them. [8] And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer. [9] Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies? [10] I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury. [11] Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them. [12] Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise. [13] Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this promise.

If you didn’t understand it as well that is okay. The people were complaining greatly because after many of them had fallen on hard times some of their brethren, instead of sincerely helping their people they chose to take advantage of them due to the circumstance. They had lands, houses and vineyards paid off but put it on a mortgage (even then) to be able to afford food from their own people. When there people should have just given them the food! Not charged them usury from their homes and property! Forgetting that first and foremost we have laws that allow the poor, need they be of your people or the stranger to come and glean your fields. They have a right to pick your fruit and vegetables and eat there and move on. They can’t take baskets. We had our own GR, EBT, and WIC programs. And if that wasn’t enough that was why we had tithes as well. To support our own. But you don’t make your people pay for things they already own, making them pawn their lands and homes, that now they pay you for living there because they needed money for food. They are already in a hole. That’s why Nehemiah said leave off of this usury and restore (give them back) their lands and vineyards! As well as all the money you had them paying you for it! This is an example of usury. And why we need laws in place that show us how to deal with one another. Because if the situation arises even your own people can be your worst enemy.

1 Timothy 1:8-10 KJVS

But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; [9] Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, [10] For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;