“Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” — Romans 13:8
Lesson
What You Will Learn
- Summarize what Scripture teaches about borrowing, lending, and repaying
- Explain God's protection of the vulnerable in lending
- Apply honest weights and measures (Leviticus 19:35–36) to everyday dealing
- Describe God's concern for justice and the poor
Lesson Notes
What Scripture Says About Debt
Scripture does not call all borrowing sin, but it treats debt with great caution. “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7). Debt limits freedom and presumes on a tomorrow we do not control (James 4:13–15). Proverbs also warns against co-signing for others' debts (Proverbs 22:26–27).
Romans 13:8 follows the command to “render therefore to all their dues” (13:7). The point is to pay what we owe and let love be the only debt that stays open. Repaying honestly is part of righteousness. (FFS 233 covers practical plans for credit repair and debt freedom.)
God's Heart in Lending
God's law protected the poor from exploitation: “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” (Exodus 22:25). Every seven years there was to be “a release” of debts (Deuteronomy 15:1).
In 2 Kings 4:1–7, a widow's creditor was coming to take her sons. God multiplied her oil, and Elisha told her, “Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest” (4:7). God cared about her debt, her dignity, and her family. Your debts are real, but they do not define your worth.
Honest Weights and Measures
“Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure. Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 19:35–36). “A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight” (Proverbs 11:1).
Today this means accurate timesheets, honest applications, returning extra change, fair prices, true descriptions when selling something, and accurate records. When we have wronged someone, Zacchaeus shows a path forward: “if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold” (Luke 19:8). Making things right is restoration, not shame.
Justice and the Poor
“He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again” (Proverbs 19:17). “He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker” (Proverbs 14:31). James condemned employers who kept back workers' wages by fraud (James 5:4).
God sees both sides: He calls us to show mercy to people in need, and He welcomes us to receive help without shame when we are in need. The virtuous woman “stretcheth out her hand to the poor” (Proverbs 31:20). Stewards do justly and love mercy (Micah 6:8).
Key Terms
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Usury | In the KJV, interest charged on a loan; forbidden on loans to the poor among God's people |
| Surety | A person who guarantees another's debt; a co-signer |
| Just weights | Honest measures; fairness in every transaction |
| Restitution | Making right what was wrongly taken |
In-Class Activities
Debt in the Scriptures
Make a chart for Proverbs 22:7, Romans 13:8, Proverbs 22:26–27, Exodus 22:25, Deuteronomy 15:1, and 2 Kings 4:7. For each, write: Is it a warning, a protection, or a promise? What principle applies today?
Honest Scales Today
Decide what a just weight looks like in each case:
- A cashier gives you $10 too much in change. 2. A supervisor suggests rounding your timesheet up. 3. You sell a used phone that has a hidden crack. 4. A friend asks you to co-sign her car loan. 5. A rental application asks for your income. 6. A coworker is shorted on her pay and is afraid to speak up.
Assignment: Freedom and Fairness Reflection
Write one page:
- In your own words, what Scripture teaches about debt, with two references.
- One honest-dealing commitment for work or home.
- One way you will show mercy to someone in need this month (time and kindness count).
Do not include real account numbers, balances, or personal financial documents.
Graded with the Module Assignment Rubric.
Reflection Journal
God cared about the widow's debt and her children in 2 Kings 4. How does it feel to know God sees what you owe and also sees you? What would freedom look like, financially and in your heart?
Prayer focus: Ask God for courage to face what you owe, honesty in all your dealings, and a heart of mercy toward the poor.
Weekly Reading & Devotions
A Widow, a Creditor, and a Faithful God
In 2 Kings 4, a widow came to the prophet Elisha in desperation. Her husband had died in debt, and the creditor was coming to take her two sons. All she had was a little oil. God multiplied that oil until every borrowed jar was full.
Then Elisha told her, “Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.” God did not shame her for owing. He provided a way to pay what was owed and to live. He cared about her debt, her dignity, and her children.
Scripture is honest about debt: “the borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7). It is also honest about justice. God's law protected the poor from exploitation, demanded honest weights, and called His people to show mercy. Paying what we owe and dealing fairly with others are two sides of the same faithfulness.
If debt feels heavy, remember the widow. Bring what you have, even if it seems like only a little oil. Seek wise, qualified help. Deal honestly. God sees what you owe, and He sees you.
Think About It
- What feelings come up when you think about debt? ______________________
- Where is God calling you to deal more honestly? ______________________
- How can you show mercy to someone in need? ______________________
Daily Devotions for Week 6
Owe Only Love
Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.— Romans 13:8 (KJV)
The only debt meant to stay open is love.
Reflect: Whom do you owe love to today?
Pray: Lord, help me pay what I owe and love freely.
Do: Show love to someone in a practical way.
A Just Weight
A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight.— Proverbs 11:1 (KJV)
Honesty in small transactions delights God.
Reflect: Where is honesty hardest for you?
Pray: Lord, make me honest in every transaction.
Do: Be scrupulously honest in one exchange today.
Lending to the LORD
He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.— Proverbs 19:17 (KJV)
Mercy to the poor is never wasted. God sees and remembers.
Reflect: Who around you needs mercy?
Pray: Lord, open my eyes to people in need.
Do: Share something with someone who has less.
Pay and Live
Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.— 2 Kings 4:7 (KJV)
God made a way for the widow to pay and to live. He cares about your burdens too.
Reflect: What burden do you need God to make a way through?
Pray: Lord, make a way where I see none.
Do: Write down one debt or obligation and one person who could help you plan.
Do Justly
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?— Micah 6:8 (KJV)
Justice, mercy, and humility: God's simple summary of a faithful life.
Reflect: Which of the three is hardest for you?
Pray: Lord, help me do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly.
Do: Practice one of the three on purpose today.
Module Quiz
- 1.
Proverbs 22:7 says the borrower is:
- 2.
Exodus 22:25 forbade:
- 3.
Leviticus 19:35–36 teaches:
- 4.
According to Proverbs 19:17, showing pity to the poor is like lending to the LORD.
- 5.
What did Elisha tell the widow to do with the oil (2 Kings 4:7)?