What other scriptures warn against unjust gain and support Proverbs 28:8's message? Key Verse “He who increases his wealth by excessive interest amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.” Echoes in the Law • Exodus 22:25 – “If you lend money to My people—the poor among you—you are not to act like a moneylender to him; you must not charge him interest.” • Leviticus 25:36-37 – “Do not take interest or profit from him, but fear your God, so that your countryman may live among you. You are not to lend him your silver at interest or your food for profit.” • Deuteronomy 23:19 – “You must not charge your brother interest on money, food, or any other type of loan.” Wisdom Literature in Harmony • Proverbs 10:2 – “Ill-gotten treasures profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death.” • Proverbs 13:11 – “Dishonest wealth will dwindle, but whoever gathers by labor will increase.” • Proverbs 15:27 – “He who is greedy for unjust gain brings trouble on his household, but whoever hates bribes will live.” • Proverbs 16:8 – “Better a little with righteousness than great gain with injustice.” • Proverbs 21:6 – “Making a fortune by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor, a deadly pursuit.” • Proverbs 22:16 – “Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself or giving gifts to the rich will surely lead to poverty.” • Proverbs 28:16 – “A ruler who lacks understanding is a great oppressor, but he who hates dishonest gain will prolong his days.” Prophetic Warnings • Jeremiah 17:11 – “Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is a man who makes a fortune unjustly; in the middle of his days it will forsake him, and in the end he will be proved a fool.” • Ezekiel 22:12-13 – “In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit and extort gains from your neighbors… now behold, I strike My hands together at your dishonest gain.” • Habakkuk 2:6-9 – “Woe to him who piles up stolen goods… you have plotted shame for your house by cutting off many peoples, so you have sinned against yourself.” • Micah 2:1-3 – “Woe to those who devise iniquity and work evil on their beds… therefore I am planning disaster against this family.” New-Testament Reinforcement • Luke 3:12-14 – Tax collectors told, “Collect no more than you are authorized,” and soldiers warned, “Do not extort money… be content with your wages.” • Luke 19:8 – Zacchaeus: “If I have cheated anyone of anything, I will repay four times the amount.” • James 5:1-4 – “The wages you withheld from the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you.” • 1 Timothy 6:9-10 – “Those who want to be rich fall into temptation… the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Thread That Ties It All Together • Across both covenants, God forbids profit generated by exploiting the needy. • Unjust gain is temporary; eventual loss or judgment is certain. • God Himself acts as the defender of the poor, assuring that wealth seized through oppression will ultimately benefit the righteous. • Righteous stewardship brings lasting blessing; greed guarantees turmoil and divine opposition. |
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