At the end of [every] seven years thou shalt make a release. And this [is] the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth [ought] unto his neighbour shall release [it]; he shall not exact [it] of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD’S release. Of a foreigner thou mayest exact [it again]: but [that] which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release; Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance to possess it: Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day. For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.
If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, [in that] which he wanteth. Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee. Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land. – Deuteronomy 15:1 – 11
Deuteronomy, which is part of the Jewish Torah, is a book that lists laws that God gave to Israel. God loved Israel and wanted what was best for them and knew what it would take for it to prosper as a nation. These verses mentioned above opened up a new idea in economics. From what I read, it appears that creditors were to cancel the debts owed to them every seven years from the people in their land that owed them money. To put that into today’s language, it would be like every financial institution, such as banks, would consider any credit card debt, loans, mortgages, completely paid off at the end of seven years. Complete debt relief! Now that sounds crazy! This goes totally against how our country and other countries play the money game. Doesn’t it?
In today’s world, our government, banks, and people make loans for people. It usually involves collateral and interest is charged on these loans. We, as the borrower, work our jobs, make our payments to repay the loans with hopes of getting the loan paid off. As long as we are able to make our payments, they make their money from the interest. If something should happen to where we can’t make our payments, they can take the collateral, now called an asset. In turn, they can sell it and make even more money. I believe the reason we have long term loans is so that it increases the chances of us not being able to pay the loan back and they get richer. This is the money game and we have been playing it for years.
Another twist in this exciting game that‘s happening today, is the lure of us wanting more stuff and living beyond our means. Thus, creating more debt on ourselves. Eventually we are flooded with so much debt that we can’t make the payments. Everything we were paying on becomes the property of these financial institutions. Since everybody is now broke and unable to buy anything, these institutions are forced to hold onto these assets that they can no longer sell. Now they are forced to close their business because they are not generating an income or they can no longer loan money because they have too many assets accumulated from bad debts. Does this sound familiar? It should. This is the world we live in today. Welcome to our economic recession.
God loves us and our nation and wants us to be a nation under Him. We should be living for Him as a country. Remember this old saying: “One nation under God…”? What has happened? He will bless our country if we will return to Him. It may be time to look at the Ten Commandments again.
Let’s talk about God’s Seven Year Plan and the solution to our World Economic Recession:
God and Money
First and foremost, God has to be number one in our life, in our country, and in the world. Everyone should surrender to Him and follow Him. We should remove money as our top priority and put God on top where He belongs.
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.- Matthew 6:24
Where Blessings Come From
I know this will be a pride buster for some, but blessings come from God. He is in the blessing business as long as we follow what He commands of us. Here again, this is a worldwide message to everybody. Put God first before anything else, including money, and watch for the blessings.
Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known. – Deuteronomy 11:26-28
A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. – Proverbs 28:20
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: – Genesis 12:2
Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; – 1 Timothy 6:17
The Seven Year Plan: How It Works
I know this plan will sound a little far-fetched and it may seem that the creditor gets shafted in the end, but if we apply these Biblical principles, I think the plan just might work. I mean, it was God’s idea in the beginning and He doesn’t make mistakes. Right? Let’s look at it:
For the creditor:
Old Method: According to our present worldly methods of gaining wealth, we loan money to others and receive a profit from the interest they pay back. We reap the benefits of their loss, if they can’t repay the loan, by taking their collateral. It becomes our property for us to resale. It’s an awesome business as long as we can find another buyer, right?
The New Plan:
1) God has blessed you financially. It belongs to Him, but you have the responsibility of being a good steward with it.
The earth [is] the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. – Psalm 24:1
2) Give freely. I know this will be hard to do for some people, but the Lord commands it and offers a blessing for doing so.
Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. – Matthew 5:42
Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury: 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. – Deuteronomy 23:19-20
Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land. – Deuteronomy 15:10-11
3) On the seventh year, cancel the debt owed to you. It may sound like a losing situation, but keep in mind, your profit doesn’t come from the person borrowing the money. It comes from receiving God’s blessings. Have you heard the saying, “You can’t out give God!”? That rule would apply here and it’s backed by scriptures throughout the Bible.
For the borrower:
Old Method: For most of us, we try to live beyond our means. We want more than our money allows, so we borrow. This, in turn, makes us work more and harder than we really have to. We put ourselves in debts that we know we can’t afford to pay back. In the end, we lose everything we have worked for and put into paying the loan back. The creditors gets richer and we get broker. It’s a vicious cycle and we get nowhere. Know what I mean?
The New Plan:
1) Be content with what you currently have. Let go of the world and quit trying to keep up with the Jones’. Just be happy with where you are at. Keep God first in everything because He’s ultimately the one in charge anyway. If He wants us to have more, He’ll give it to us.
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into [this] world, [and it is] certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and [into] many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. – 1 Timothy 6:6-10
2) We should also be a good steward with what God has given us. This includes taking care of what we have and using our money wisely and not getting into unnecessary debt.
3) Work and pay your bills. We should be willing to get up, get a job, and support our family. Some people need to quit looking for a free hand-out. I apologize for sounding rude, but it’s true.
For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. – 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12
4) If you are wealthy, share your wealth with others. This is basic Christian principles. Jesus came here to serve others, and by His example, we should do the same. If God has given you an over abundance, it is for you to share with others.
Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; – 1 Timothy 6:17-18
5) If you are poor, ask for help from someone that has an over abundance. God never intended for anyone to be poor. It’s because of the way this world is run that makes us this way. To break this cycle is for the poor to get help from the rich until the solution is solved.
The Seven Year Plan: Putting It Into Action
1) All financial institutions will provide loans to anyone that asks with payment plans that extend no longer than 72 months (6 years). The loans will not be charged any interests for people living in the same country. The purpose is not to make money off of the borrower but to receive the blessings from God.
2) The borrower will be willing to work and pay their bills. They will not borrow unless they really have to for no more than 72 months. They will not live beyond their means financially.
3) With a plan like this in place, it should drive the prices down on goods and services. Thus, everything we buy should be cheaper and affordable. This includes homes, vehicles, food, etc.
4) For an average family of four, the only loans we should have would be for a moderately sized home that fits the size of our family and an appropriately sized vehicle that is practical. These loans should not extend 72 months.
5) Let’s do the math for our loan at no interest (keep in mind, because of this new plan, we should be getting more for our money). It is important that everyone pays their bills on time and that companies charge accordingly to their actual costs plus labor for their products:
Home – $100,000 / 72 months = $1400/month
Vehicle – $15,000 / 72 months = $200/month
Average family income – $48,000/year = $4000/month
Summing it all up: $4000 – $1600 = $2400 (this balance will be used for our other monthly expenses, savings, and giving to those in need)
I know these numbers will fluctuate depending on individual families. These numbers are to be a basic guideline for demonstration purposes only.
How Do We Fix What Has Been Broken?
First, it would involve putting God back into our country and in the world. The next step would be for all financial institutions to bite the bullet and cancel all debts and start over with this new plan. Our country has been accumulating a lot of debt over the years and it continues to grow. It will only get worse. It is better to just stop right now.
I believe the answer is in God’s Seven Year Plan, not the Chapter 7 bankruptcy plan. The answer won’t be found in ‘stimulus’ checks either. We, as a nation, should really look into this.
In Summary
I believe this Seven Year Plan would work for us as a nation. Over time, we wouldn’t need any government assistance and there wouldn’t be as many financial problems in the world today. The main point is putting God into our lives and applying the standards He has already given us. He had it figured out long time ago. Why did we choose to go our own way?
Our books are available in print and on Kindle. Visit our website to find out where to get them: www.ARGstuff.com. A Redneck’s Guide Series… the simple way to share God’s Word.
ARGstuff.com 