We are in chapter twenty-two of Exodus with our word for today which are actually two related words both used for the first time in the Bible. נָשָׁה lend out, become a creditor, moneylender, usurer, practice usury. It is used 18 times in the Old Testament. נֶ֫שֶׁךְ interest, usury, deduction. It is used 12 times in the Old Testament. Since our chapter has both of these words in it and is the first time they are used in the Bible let’s start with our passage. Exodus 22:25 If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a כְּנֹשֶׁ֑ה moneylender to him, and you shall not exact נֶֽשֶׁךְinterest from him. Our passage is defining what creditors or moneylenders did was charge interest. So our second word helps us understand our first word better. This is the consistent teaching throughout the Old Testament. Leviticus 25:35-38 Do not take נֶ֣שֶׁךְ interest or any profit from them, but fear your God, so that they may continue to live among you. You must not lend them money at בְּנֶ֑שֶׁךְ interest or sell them food at a profit. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. God gives the people the reason why they are not to do this. Because they should fear God enough or respect God enough to not go against his clear command. And notice right after God reminds them to fear him he gives them another reason so that they can continue to live with you. They’re very existence depended on the people who could lend to do so without charging interest. They would either have to leave the land God gave them or not have their basic needs met. God loves the people that much that he wants them to have what they need and not be exploited. Then the last reason he gives is because he rescued them from working without receiving the benefits of your labor from the Egyptians who were enslaving them. That is why slavery is evil because it is a form of exploiting people in a weak vulnerable position by taking away from them the benefits of their labor. And God changed that for them out of his great love for them. Here are more examples of God clearing commanding this. Deuteronomy 23:19-20 You shall not תַשִּׁ֣יךְ charge interest on loans ... נֶ֥שֶׁךְ interest on money, נֶ֣שֶׁךְ interest on food, נֶ֕שֶׁךְ interest on anything that is lent for יִשָּֽׁךְ interest. God calls those who disobey this specific instruction and others as being involved in something that is detestable. Ezekiel 18:13 He lends at בַּנֶּ֧שֶׁךְ interest and takes a profit. Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things. Proverbs 28:8-9 Whoever increases wealth by taking בְּנֶ֣שֶׁךְ interest or profit from the poor amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor. If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable. Notice that God will raise someone else up to help his people. So it never benefits us to ignore God’s instruction because we are the ones who lose out on God’s blessings. God identifies following this command as being godly and righteous. Ezekiel 18:6, 8 Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right … He does not lend to them at בַּנֶּ֣שֶׁךְ interest or take a profit from them. Psalm 15:1-2, 5 The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous … who lends money to the poor without בְּנֶשֶׁךְ֮ interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken. I’ll close with Nehemiah who himself followed God’s instruction in this and led the people to do the same. Nehemiah 5:7, 9-12 “You are charging your own people נֹשִׁ֑אים interest!” … So I continued, “What you are doing is not right...I and my brothers and my men are also נֹשִׁ֥ים lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest! Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the נֹשִׁ֥ים interest you are charging them.”
