Helping their fellow brethren was the responsibility of all the Israelites. When someone fell on difficult times, help was expected to be given to brethren just as it was to foreigners. Perhaps people were treating outsiders with more compassion than they were treating their neighbors, forcing God to tell them how to treat the poor amongst them. 

The instruction is to take them into your homes, to not charge them interest on the money they were loaned and to not charge more for food than you paid. In other words, not to take advantage of either their situation or expect payment for your kindness.Charging interest was just a way to keep the person indebted longer, keeping them poor so they could not change their lives. Charging extra was not showing their love for God as he had provided all they had. 

This is true today as we serve those in need around us, whether those individuals are part of the church or, especially importantly, those outside of the church. If we charge them more and we take away their hope for a better life then how can they see God’s love in us? Why would they desire that relationship with Christ we say we have?

When our national WHFMS board chose last year to focus on those trapped in human sex trafficking, I was thrilled. Having ministered on an anti-trafficking team, I know the hurts and needs. Now the church is taking care of the least of the least. Those without hope. Those who are used, abused and forgotten. For more information on this topic go to acgc.us/womensmin.

This passage ends with God’s reminding the Israelites how he rescued them. We need to always remember how Jesus rescued us from the bondage of sin and eternal death and make our lives count by assisting the poor among us.

Lord, may my love for you be expressed and visible in how I treat and serve those less fortunate as I serve. Amen. 

Eleanor Chew

Extended Scripture: Leviticus 24–27 (NKJV)