Deuteronomy 15:7-9 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.

Do read this and think this is charitable giving? It is easy to see that because we do not live this way any longer. This is better described as covenant lending. It begins with examining the life prescribed by God for His people who lived in covenant with Him and each other. These were not outsiders, foreigners, people which were not part of the covenant, for there was no promise of forgiveness to them outside the covenant.

Every seventh year all debt owed to lenders was forgiven. No loan could be withheld if there was a need, a true need. No debt could be collected, no matter how soon the year of release should come from the date of the loan. If you had no true need and made a loan with the knowledge of the year of release coming soon, then you were as guilty of sin as the man in verse 9 above.

We do not live that way anymore do we? This system worked very well because it had God’s blessing and leadership. They lived by the law then, that covenant of law abiding blessing. They could abide by the law so they lost the blessing and lost their blessing.

We now live by the covenant of faith, if you have placed your faith in Christ.

So what are covenant blessing requirements now?