Money or goods lent under pledge of repayment (with or without interest). In the spiritual sense, Jesus Christ's righteousness is credited to believers.
Credit in Israel: charitable, not commercial
Deuteronomy 23:19–20 See also Exodus 22:25; Psalm 15:5; Ezekiel 18:7, Ezekiel 18:16–17
Do not charge your brother interest on money, food, or any other type of loan. You may charge a foreigner interest, but not your brother, so that the LORD your God may bless you in everything to which you put your hand in the land that you are entering to possess.
The pledge (security): laws protecting the borrower
Deuteronomy 24:10–13 See also Exodus 22:26–27; Leviticus 25:39–40, Leviticus 25:42; Deuteronomy 24:6
When you lend anything to your neighbor, do not enter his house to collect security. You are to stand outside while the man to whom you are lending brings the security out to you. If he is a poor man, you must not go to sleep with the security in your possession; be sure to return it to him by sunset, so that he may sleep in his own cloak and bless you, and this will be credited to you as righteousness before the LORD your God.
Standing security for another may be hazardous
Proverbs 22:26–27 See also Proverbs 6:1–5, Proverbs 11:15, Proverbs 17:18 The binding nature of the commitment cautions against a hasty and unwise engagement.
Do not be one who gives pledges, who puts up security for debts. If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you?
Violations of Israel's ``credit controls'' roundly condemned
Nehemiah 5:1–12; Job 22:6, Job 24:3, Job 24:9; Ezekiel 18:12; Amos 2:8
The credit system not condemned by Jesus Christ
Matthew 25:27 parallel Luke 19:23
Christians to view this subject in the light of God's grace
Luke 6:34–35 See also Matthew 18:23–27 God is a model creditor.
And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
Creditors demanding a pledge to assure repayment
A personal effect
Deuteronomy 24:6, Deuteronomy 24:10–13; Job 24:3; Proverbs 22:26–27
Mortgage of property
The surety of a guarantor
Proverbs 6:1–5, Proverbs 11:15, Proverbs 17:18, Proverbs 22:26, Proverbs 27:13
Creditors exacting repayments cruelly
2 Kings 4:1 See also Job 22:6, Job 24:3, Job 24:9; Psalm 109:11; Isaiah 50:1; Ezekiel 18:12–13, Ezekiel 22:12; Amos 2:6, Amos 2:8; Matthew 5:25–26, Matthew 18:25–26, Matthew 18:34
Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!”
Creditors to be considerate in their demands
Deuteronomy 24:6 See also Exodus 22:26–27; Leviticus 25:35–43; Deuteronomy 24:10–13
Do not take a pair of millstones or even an upper millstone as security for a debt, because that would be taking one’s livelihood as security.
Creditors perhaps remitting the debt entirely
Matthew 18:27 See also Nehemiah 5:10–12; Matthew 6:12; Luke 7:41–43
His master had compassion on him, forgave his debt, and released him.
Under Mosaic law creditors to cancel debts eventually
Deuteronomy 15:1–3 See also Deuteronomy 31:10; Nehemiah 10:31
At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. This is the manner of remission: Every creditor shall cancel what he has loaned to his neighbor. He is not to collect anything from his neighbor or brother, because the LORD’s time of release has been proclaimed. You may collect something from a foreigner, but you must forgive whatever your brother owes you.
Spiritual aspects of credit
Faith credited as righteousness
Romans 4:1–11 See also Genesis 15:6; Psalm 32:2, Psalm 106:31; Ezekiel 18:20; Romans 4:22–24; James 2:23
Jesus Christ's righteousness credited to believers
2 Corinthians 5:21 See also Romans 3:22; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Philippians 3:9
God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
Moral aspects of credit
Philippians 4:17 See also Matthew 10:40–42, Matthew 25:34–36; Luke 6:32–35; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Ephesians 6:7–8 Good deeds will be remembered and rewarded in heaven.
Not that I am seeking a gift, but I am looking for the fruit that may be credited to your account.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.