MESSAGE OF THE MONTH

Something given as a Pledge of security; a Bet or Wager; a promise to pay or do.

We read in Deuteronomy 24:5-6; When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall NOT go out to war, NEITHER shall he be Charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken. **No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone to Pledge: for he taketh a man’s life to Pledge.

In the world in which we live today; if an individual wants to borrow money from a Lender; as a general rule; they must furnish (Offer up) something that they own as Collateral, as a Guarantee of their intent to pay the money back by a specific date; and if they fail to pay the money back as prescribed; they must forfeit the Pledged item.

According to Scripture; if that Pledged item is Vital to existence; the Lender is Required to Return that item to the Borrower. By the Rules and Standards of mankind today; they do NOT want to Conform to the Rules of GOD (YHWH); yet, they still want to be considered as a Fair and Just Lender. 

In Exodus 22:25-27 we read; If thou lend money to any of MY People that is poor by thee, thou shalt NOT be to him as an usurer, NEITHER shalt thou lay upon him usury. 

By the Standards of GOD (YHWH) mankind is NOT supposed to charge a brother Interest on money that they borrow. This is NOT a Standard that is held (practiced) by most people today.

Years ago I knew a Minister that told me that he and his congregation had built a new Church Facility; and sold their old Facility to another Minister of a different Denomination.

I asked the Minister if he considered the Minister he sold their old Facility to as a Brother in Jesus; and he told me that he did in fact consider the Minister he sold their old Facility to as a Brother in Jesus.

I then asked the Minister if he Charged that Minister Interest on the money owed them for the Sale; to which he responded, “yes.” I mentioned to the Minister that Scripture Says that the LORD (YHWH) does NOT want HIS Children to Charge their brother Interest; his response was, “I can’t make any money that way.”

When a Soul (person) Accepts Jesus as their Lord and Saviour; they in Essence Imply that they will Obey the Holy Written Word of GOD, the Bible. If we fail to Obey the Laws and Commandments of the LORD; we are Guilty of sin; and if sin is in our heart; we will NOT be able to Enter Into the Kingdom of GOD.

**If thou at all take thy neighbour’s raiment to Pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down: *For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto ME, that I will Hear; for I am Gracious.

Everything that pertains to our living a Righteous Life is Written in the Pages of the Bible; and we are Required to Live our life By EVERY Word that the LORD has Spoken by the Prophets of old.

We read in Deuteronomy 24:17-18; Thou shalt NOT pervert the Judgment of the stranger, NOR of the fatherless; NOR take a widow’s raiment to Pledge:*But thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the LORD thy GOD Redeemed thee thence: therefore I Command thee to do this thing.

One Scripture says if we take away from or add to the Written Word of the LORD; He will add plagues to them and take their name out of the Book of Life, Revelation 22:18-19. I should think that this Scripture for a Soul (person) to Pause and Consider whether or they are in the Faith, 2nd Corinthians 13;5.

The Prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 18:1-13 wrote; The Word of the LORD came unto me again, Saying, *What mean ye, that ye use this Proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge? *As I Live, saith the LORD GOD, ye shall NOT have occasion any more to use this Proverb in Israel. *Behold, ALL Souls are MINE; as the Soul of the father, so also the Soul of the son is MINE: the Soul that sinneth, it shall die.

We need to remember that sin is the Transgression of the Law; and Jesus said, “It Is Written, Man shall NOT Live by bread alone, but by Every Word that Proceedeth out of the Mouth of GOD” St. Matthew 4:4.

*But if a man be just, and do that which is Lawful and Right, *And hath NOT eaten upon the mountains, NEITHER hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the House of Israel, NEITHER hath defiled his neighbour’s wife, NEITHER hath come near to a menstruous woman, **And hath NOT oppressed any, but hath Restored to the debtor his Pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment; *He that hath NOT given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true Judgment between man and man, (Hath Walked in MY Statutes, and hath Kept MY judgments, to deal truly; he is Just, he shall Surely Live, Saith the LORD GOD. 

The LORD has equated the one withholding the Pledge right along with an Adulterer, an idol worshiper and the wicked person. This is NOT the kind of people that the Saints want to be equated with.

*If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things, *And that doeth NOT any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour’s wife, **Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath NOT restored the Pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed Abomination, *Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall NOT live: he hath done all these Abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him. 

One Scripture says that NO Abominable (Unclean person) thing will enter into the Kingdom of GOD, Revelation 21:8 and Ephesians 5:5; withholding the debtors Pledge is Considered an Abomination in the Sight of the LORD. 

The Word of the LORD to Ezekiel goes on to say; “Have I (YHWH) any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the LORD GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live” Ezekiel 18:23? 

In Deuteronomy 24:10-13 we read; When thou dost lend thy brother anything, thou shalt NOT go into his house to fetch his Pledge. **Thou shalt stand abroad, and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring out the Pledge abroad unto thee. **And if the man be poor, thou shalt NOT sleep with his Pledge: 

**In any case thou shalt deliver him the Pledge again when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own raiment, and bless thee: and it shall be Righteousness unto thee before the LORD thy GOD.

The LORD GOD of Heaven and Earth is Very Specific about how HE wants HIS Children to Live their life. I think that the Golden Rule is a fairly good way to live our life for the LORD.

Minister Stewart