Deuteronomy 15 & 16: THE LORD’S RELEASE
Verse of the Day: (15:2) And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD’s release.
1. Release (15:1-23)
And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day. (15:15)
The LORD’s release is like the LORD’s redemption for our sins. As God, by His great love for Israel, miraculously delivered them out of slavery in Egypt and to their Promised Land, He commanded them to likewise release the debts their fellow Hebrews owed them, at the end of every seven years, so as to demonstrate not only their love for them, but their love for Him. Indeed, by God’s great love and amazing grace, He fully redeems us from our sins and fiery hell, and purifies us to be His peculiar people zealous of good works, and one day, He shall promote us to His glorious home in heaven. (Titus 2:11-15)
2. Rejoice (16:1-11)
And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name there. (16:11)
God commanded Israel to rejoice in Him for His everlasting love and deliverance of all their troubles, especially His great deliverance of them out of Egypt, by observing the Passover and offering sacrifices to Him. God also commanded them to observe the feasts of unleavened bread, the feast of weeks and the feast of tabernacles, three times a year, where all the males shall offer their sacrifices, as He had blessed them with, before Him at the place where He chose. Indeed, let us rejoice in God always, in good and bad time, all the time, as He is always with us, and has never leave nor forsake us. (Philippians 4:4)
3. Remember (16:12-22)
And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt: and thou shalt observe and do these statutes. (16:12)
God commanded Israel to observe the Passover because He desired them to remember that without Him they were nobody, and could do nothing. In fact, time and again, Israel forgot God and rebelled against Him, and He had to judge and chastise them, until they remembered that there was no one, except Him, their only hope and help, who could help them in all their troubles. Indeed, let us remember to thank God for His Son, Jesus Christ, who died and shed His precious blood for our sins, so that we are miraculously delivered from eternal condemnation, and are bound for glorious heaven. (Ephesians 2:11-17)
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You that I am released and redeemed by Your precious blood.
