People Disobey The Word Of God
By Charging Interest

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By
The Man Who Saw God Face To Face
Raphael Okechukwu Nweze

Introduction
         Have you ever approached a person or group to lend you money? People often do so. Usually, the lender would give conditions. One condition is that the borrower shall pay interest. In the past, people paid interest by adding extra items. Today, most of the interest paid is in monetary form.
         Some may charge 5% interest. Others demand 10%, while others may specify other conditions. The condition may be a collateral security in the form of land, motor, house or property.
         In doing this act of charging interest, majority of the people or groups ignore what God said in the Bible. Many do not even know that such an instruction is in the holy book. Yet, they carry the Bible about. The worst aspect is that religions leaders do not read or teach it.
         The unfortunate thing is that in many cases, the rich get richer; and the poor, poorer. Another bad thing is that eventually the interests sum into an amount far more than the principal amount borrowed. In reality, the exercise is no longer a philanthropic one. The borrower, who has no help or hope, ends up being the lender, without recovering his money.
         Besides, paying interests has killed or frustrated several businesses, and has made individuals or families loose precious possessions like lands, house or shares.
         What is more? By charging interest, the lender merits no reward in heaven, because he has already paid himself by accepting interest. This loss is quite enormous and should not be neglected.

         It is always better to walk in the pathways of God.
         In charging interest, many disobey the word of God.

Relevant Bible References
  1. 19 "You shall not charge interest to your brother — interest on money or food or anything that is lent out at interest. 20 To a foreigner you may charge interest, but to your brother you shall not charge interest, that the LORD your God may bless you in all to which you set your hand in the land which you are entering to possess. Deuteronomy 23:19-20

  2. 'If one of your brethren becomes poor, and falls into poverty among you, then you shall help him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you. 36 Take no usury or interest from him; but fear your God, that your brother may live with you. 37 You shall not lend him your money for usury, nor lend him your food at a profit. 38 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. Leviticus 25:35-38

  3. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Luke 6:34-36

  4. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. Matthew 5:42

  5. 17 He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD,
    And He will pay back what he has given. Proverbs 19:17

  6. 25 "If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him interest. 26 If you ever take your neighbor's garment as a pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down. 27 For that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What will he sleep in? And it will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious. Exodus 22:25-27

  7. 5 A good man deals graciously and lends;
    He will guide his affairs with discretion.
    6 Surely he will never be shaken;
    The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
    7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings;
    His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
    8 His heart is established;
    He will not be afraid,
    Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.

    9 He has dispersed abroad,
    He has given to the poor;
    His righteousness endures forever;
    His horn will be exalted with honor.
    10 The wicked will see it and be grieved;
    He will gnash his teeth and melt away;
    The desire of the wicked shall perish.
    Psalms 112:5-10

  8. 5 He who does not put out his money at usury,
    Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
    He who does these things shall never be moved.
    Psalms 15:5

  9. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21

  10. Do Not Force People To Pay With Their Last Savings And there was a great outcry of the people and their wives against their Jewish brethren. 2 For there were those who said, "We, our sons, and our daughters are many; therefore let us get grain, that we may eat and live."

    3 There were also some who said, "We have mortgaged our lands and vineyards and houses, that we might buy grain because of the famine."

    4 There were also those who said, "We have borrowed money for the king's tax on our lands and vineyards. 5 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. It is not in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards."

    6 And I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. 7 After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them,"Each of you is exacting usury from his brother." So I called a great assembly against them. 8 And I said to them, "According to our ability we have redeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations. Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?"

    Then they were silenced and found nothing to say. 9 Then I said, "What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies? 10 I also, with my brethren and my servants, am lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury! 11 Restore now to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also a hundredth of the money and the grain, the new wine and the oil, that you have charged them."

    12 So they said, "We will restore it, and will require nothing from them; we will do as you say."

    Then I called the priests, and required an oath from them that they would do according to this promise. 13 Then I shook out the fold of my garment and said, "So may God shake out each man from his house, and from his property, who does not perform this promise. Even thus may he be shaken out and emptied."

    And all the assembly said, "Amen!" and praised the LORD. Then the people did according to this promise. Nehemiah 5:1-13