We are in chapter twenty-two of Exodus with our word for today used for the first time in the Bible. לָוָה borrow, lend to, to receive as a loan. It is used 14 times in the Old Testament. We find our word used in the sense of being in a blessed prosperous position as the lender. Deuteronomy 28:12-13 The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You וְהִלְוִ֙יתָ֙ will lend to many nations but will תִלְוֶֽה borrow from none. The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.  Psalm 37:26 I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous וּמַלְוֶ֑ה and lend freely; their children will be a blessing. Psalm 112:3-5 Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever. Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous. Good will come to those who are generous וּמַלְוֶ֑ה and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. Our word is also used in the sense to be in a position of need as the borrower. Nehemiah 5:4 Still others were saying, “We have had to לָוִ֥ינוּ borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. Psalm 37:21 The wicked לֹוֶ֣ה borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously. This is how our word is used in our chapter today. Exodus 22:25 If you תַּלְוֶ֣ה lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him.Some passages have our word used in both senses of borrowing and lending. Proverbs 22:7 The rich rule over the poor, and the לֹ֝וֶ֗ה borrower is slave to the מַלְוֶֽה lender. We will talk more about this idea of borrowing and lending with our words in the next couple of days. But for today I’ll close with this great reminder of how being in debt is a good thing in this one sense. Romans 13:8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 

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