What other Scriptures warn against the pitfalls of debt and financial bondage? Proverbs 22:7 — our launching verse “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.” Debt is pictured as a form of involuntary servitude; Scripture treats that warning with sobering consistency. Wisdom literature keeps sounding the alarm • Proverbs 6:1-5 — “My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor… free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter.” • Proverbs 11:15 — “He who puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm, but whoever hates being a guarantor is secure.” • Proverbs 17:18 — “A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.” • Ecclesiastes 5:5 — “It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not fulfill it.” • Psalm 37:21 — “The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and give.” Covenant blessings versus debt-induced curses • Deuteronomy 28:12 — “You will lend to many nations, but borrow from none.” • Deuteronomy 28:43-45 — In disobedience, “the foreigner living among you will rise higher… he will lend to you, but you will not lend to him; he will be the head, and you will be the tail.” Debt is a reversal of God’s intended position for His people and becomes a symptom of deeper spiritual drift. New Testament counsel for a debt-free witness • Romans 13:8 — “Owe no one anything, except to love one another.” • 1 Corinthians 7:23 — “You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.” • Matthew 6:24 — “No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve both God and money.” Financial bondage can subtly compete with our exclusive loyalty to Christ. Narratives that illustrate bondage—and deliverance • 2 Kings 4:1-7 — A widow faces losing her sons to the creditor; God provides oil in abundance so the debt can be paid and the family set free. • Nehemiah 5:1-13 — God’s people mortgage fields and sell children because of heavy loans; Nehemiah rebukes the lenders and restores freedom. Debt isn’t merely a ledger issue—it can break homes and tarnish testimony. Principles that guard our freedom today • Avoid unnecessary borrowing; live within God-given means. • Shun impulsive pledges and cosigning—Scripture calls this folly. • Make repayment a matter of integrity and witness (Psalm 37:21; Romans 13:8). • Remember that true freedom was purchased at the cross; financial freedom rightly mirrors spiritual liberty. |
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