Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Proverbs chapter 28. Proverbs chapter
28. Spirit of God moved upon Solomon
to pin a word of wisdom concerning the practice of usury and unjust
gain. And we, as the people of God,
would profit from hearing such a word. Here's what Proverbs
28.8 says. He that by usury and unjust gain
increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that
will pity the poor. Now, naturally speaking, you
know, we've always say this, I'd like to tell you the practical
application. In this book of Proverbs, there's
always a practical application to this. It's always, good word of advice. But that good word of advice,
unless the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ is seen, is nothing
more than good advice. But I want to tell you what the
scripture is saying first, so we might understand what's being
set forth, then Lord willing, may the Lord open our eyes to
see the glory of the gospel in this passage description. Naturally speaking, when we hear
the word usury, we know that it's talking about interest.
Interest that's earned on a loan. That's usury. And it means it's
a percentage of money. You go down and borrow some money
from a bank or something like that, and they're gonna tack
on some interest. That's usury. It's the interest. An unjust gain is something that
would be added on top of the customary usury. Monetary interest plus something
else. And this subject was something
that was dealt with there the Old Testament and warned against. We were warned against. I want
you to hold your place right there and turn to Exodus 22.
Exodus 22 verse 25. Exodus 22, 25. Here's a word that was given
by the Lord through Moses for the nation of Israel. Exodus 22, 25, if thou lend money
to any of my people that is poor by thee, there's somebody in
your midst, and they're poor, thou shalt not be to him as a
usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him any usury. Okay, what does that mean? That
means if there's somebody in your midst, a brother, Now this
was talking to Jews to Jews, Jews between Jews and Jews. If
you, somebody's poor among you and they need some help, help
them, but don't make any money off of them. I'll just, that's
what it means. Okay? Turn to Leviticus 25. Leviticus 25, verse 35 to 38.
Leviticus 25. Verse 35, and if thy brother
be waxen poor and falleth in decay with thee, that means here
again, still in your midst, then thou shalt relieve him, yea,
though he be a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with thee, take
thou no usury of him, or increase, same word, unjust gain. But fear
thy God, that thy brother may live with thee. Thou shalt not
give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals, food,
or anything else that you're giving. It may not be money.
For increase, I am the Lord your God, which brought you forth
out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to
be your God. So what was the stipulation concerning
the giving of usury or increase among the Hebrews. What was the
rule? What was the regulation? If one
was poor and needed some help, help him. And don't make a profit
off of him. Now, usury or interest didn't
always mean financial. It covered into, it turned to
Deuteronomy 23. Deuteronomy 23. Deuteronomy chapter 23, I'd like
to read verse 19. Deuteronomy 23, 19. Actually,
we always think about money. Deuteronomy 23, 19, thou shalt
not lend upon usury to thy brother, usury of money, usury of victuals,
usury of anything that is lent upon usury, whatever it was to
be. Now, for the Jews, that was the
rule. But now, if the Jews would be
lending money or something else to a stranger, Deuteronomy 23.20
said there was a stipulation. Deuteronomy 23.20, unto a stranger,
thou mayest lend upon usury. But unto thy brother thou shalt
not lend upon usury, that the Lord thy God may bless thee in
all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest
to possess it. So an Israelite, here was the
rule. I'm just giving you the rule,
the law of the Lord concerning the people of God when they were
dealing with each other. If they were dealing Hebrew to
Hebrew, If he's in trouble, if he's poor, if he's fallen upon
providentially times of hardship, he needs some help, help him,
help him. Don't make any money off of him. Don't abuse him.
if a Hebrew was lending money to a stranger, someone that wasn't
a Hebrew. And it was a business transaction. It was a capital
investment. Didn't have anything to do with
poverty. Maybe you wanted to borrow some money to buy some
land, raise some fruits and vegetables. You could do it then. So that
was the rule. So the prohibiting of usury between
Jews set forth in type, the mercy and the compassion and the generosity
of the Lord toward his people. He was teaching them something.
Turn to Ephesians 4, 32. Ephesians chapter 4, 32. Ephesians
4, 32. And be ye kind one to another. tender-hearted, forgiving one
another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you." So
this harsh spirit, the Lord forbid his people. When he was dealing
with them, he said, it's not going to happen. Not going to
happen. The scripture says in Galatians 6, 9, and 10, let us
not be weary in well-doing, but in due season we shall reap if
we faint not. As we have opportunity, let us
do good unto all men, but listen to this, especially unto them
who are the household of faith. So if what we do or give is according
to the will and direction of the Lord, out of a spirit of
love to Him and for His glory, the Apostle Paul says, don't
grow weary, don't be discouraged in doing that. In time, now or
in the world to come, the Lord's blessing is going to be known
and as we have opportunity, as we have ability, when the occasion
arises, let us do good to all men. whether it be believers
or unbelievers, but especially to the people of God. That's
what he taught. So this letter, I'm back in now
in Proverbs 28, the letter of the law, that's what I wanted
to set forth here. What is usury? What is unjust
gain? What is it? What is it? What
is it? When was it forbidden? And why
was it forbidden? That's what we're set for. Now,
having an understanding of the practice. Now we understand what
usury is. Let's look back now at Proverbs.
Let's see if we can behold the gospel in this precious passage. Proverbs 28, eight. He that by
usury an unjust gain increaseth his substance. He shall gather
it for him that will pity the poor. Now, he that by usury,
interest, interest, that is it, but the word is from another
that means to strike, to bite, or to oppress. He that by usury,
he that does something, And he does it to strike or press or
bite. He that by usury and unjust gain. Now, again, ill-gotten bonus. He that by usury and unjust gain
increaseth his substance. What he does is he brings in,
or he's going to increase his wealth, but he's going to get
what he desires. He's going to get it. He's going
to get it. But the scripture says he's going to gather it
for him that will pity the poor. He's not going to get it and
keep it. He's not gonna prosper by getting
it. The Lord will not bless it, but
rather he's gonna turn it for God's glory and for the good
of God's sheep. Now that's what that scripture's
saying right there. He that by giving something, he's giving
it out of an ill spirit. He's giving it to bite somebody. He's giving it to hurt somebody.
He's giving it to oppress somebody. And the one that's getting it,
he's gonna receive it, but there's some unjust gain associated with
it. The one giving it didn't give
it out of a spirit of love for God. He didn't do that. He gave
it because he had an ill-devised motive. And the one that gets
it, He has to receive it, but it's got unjust gain associated
with it. And it's going to increase him
for a while, but he ain't going to keep it. You know what he's
getting it for? He's getting it that the one
that's going to pity the poor, he's going to get it. Now that
scripture right there sets forth exactly what happened in the
betrayal of our Lord and the benefit that was received by
the people of God through his betrayal. Great light is shed
on that passage of scripture right there. Something was given
and something was received in order to bite or strike or oppress. That something did cause somebody
to increase there for a while, but then the one that it was
gotten for was the one that was going to pity. I looked that
word up, that would pity who would bend or stoop in kindness. Him that was going to deal graciously. He did it for him that would
pity the poor. That is, the dangling, the weak,
the needy. And when we consider this verse
of scripture in light, of the betrayal of our Lord. Therefore
the great benefit received by the sheep of God from that betrayal,
we see it. Now when the agreement was made
between, turn with me to Matthew 26. Matthew 26. Matthew chapter 26, verse 14
to 16. When this agreement between the
chief priest and Judas was made, what was the agreement? Here's
what the agreement is. Matthew 26, 14, 16. Then one of the 12 called Judas
Iscariot went unto the chief priest and said unto them, what
will you give me? And I will deliver him unto you.
And they covenanted with him for 30 pieces of silver. And
from that time, he sought opportunity to betray him. When the chief
priest covenanted with Judas, gave him 30 pieces of silver. Was it because Judas was poor,
needy, helpless? No. Was it given with a spirit
of love for God and love for God's people? No. It was given because they hated
the Lord of glory. They hated Him. And when Judas
received the money, was there not an evil stipulation associated
with that money? was there not unjust gain, not
only was the money loaned, there was an ill-gotten bonus that
the chief priest wanted, wanted to be tied to this bargain. 30 pieces of silver, I tried
to look up, find out what that was worth, just under $265 in
today's money. And it was given that the Son
of God might be betrayed into their hands. Now, was there not,
for a while, an increase of substance on both parties? There was some
unjust gain. They gave some money, but there
was going to be a stipulation with this money. We're going
to give you this money, and we want you to betray. That's what
we want. There was some unjust gain associated
with it. Judas got his blood money. He
got what he wanted, and the chief priests got what they wanted,
because soon they would take the Lord Jesus Christ in the
garden, them knowing who he was, by the betrayal of a kiss. But what happened was the guilty
conscience of Judas, and not a heart, regeneration by grace,
moved him to try to right that which was wrong. Matthew 27,
verse 3 to 5, Matthew 27, 3, then Judas, which had betrayed
him when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself and brought
again the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priest an elder
saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent
blood. And they said, what's that to
us? See thou to that. And he cast
down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed and went
and hanged himself. Now here was a man that once
walked with the Lord that preached the gospel that he heard. He was a treasurer of the group,
which were the apostles that were with the Lord, but a man
that didn't know God. There's a man that the Lord himself
revealed, was not one of his own. Turn to John 6, John chapter
6. John chapter six, verse 64. The Lord speaking, he said, there
are some of you that believe not, for Jesus knew from the
beginning who they were that believe not and who should betray
him. Verse 70 and 71, Jesus answered
them, have not I chosen you 12? And one of you is a devil. He
spake of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for he it was that
should betray him, being one of the 12. Judas did that which
he absolutely wanted to do. He covenanted with the chief
priest for 30 pieces of silver. He betrayed the Lord, and he went to his place. That's
in Acts, book of Acts. But our passage back in Proverbs
28.8 reveals, he that by usury, an unjust gain, increaseth his
substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.
While the guilt of the betrayal of our precious Lord and Savior
was totally laid at the feet of Judas. He did what he wanted
to do. And that unjust gain that was
gotten, that additional bonus over and above, we will give
you this money, but it's not because you're poor. We want
Him. We want Him. The Lord's betrayal
was absolutely according to the everlasting will providence. Pleasure of Almighty God, Acts
chapter 2. And I'm gonna wrap this up, Acts
2. Acts chapter 2, Peter preaching
on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2, 22, 23. You men of Israel,
hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved
of God among you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God
did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know. Him
being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain,
whom God hath raised up, having loose the pains of death, because
it was not possible that he should be holden of it." Judas gathered
that unjust gain in order. He did what he did, absolutely.
He did what he did because he wanted to. That's what he wanted
to do. We all do. He did what he did in order to
receive money. He wanted increase. And God allowed
him to do just exactly what he did and turned it for the good
of his people. By Judas doing what he did, that
unjust gain that was associated. Was Judas without fault? Oh,
absolutely not. He was guilty. God let him do
just exactly what he did. Just let him go on, go on, go
on. And in the end, God turned it
for his glory and the good of the people. The scripture declares
that when Judas turned him over to be taken, to be spit upon,
to be lied about, beaten, crucified, he did that according to Judas's
desire. But God did it, allowed it to
be done, let me say it like that, that he might redeem his people.
from their sins. There's a remnant according to
the election of grace of people that have been everlastingly
loved of God, a people chosen in Christ from before the foundation
of the world that they might be holy and without blame before
Him in love. But a people that fell in Adam's
transgression and now they themselves are poor. They're born poor,
spiritually poor. dead, trespasses and sin, and
they need pity. They need pity and compassion. And the Lord of glory is who,
is he who shows pity. God Almighty, the Lord Jesus
Christ, according to God's covenant of grace, he was made flesh,
came into his own, came into this world to save his people
from their sins. He lived among them. live establishing
by His righteous obedience, the righteousness that is imputed
to them. He died for them, bearing their
sins in His own body, made sin that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. And in time, the Spirit of God's
going to bring them under the sound of the gospel, message
of God's sovereign grace in the Lord Jesus Christ. And God's
going to save them. He's going to save them from their sins.
Judas, again, he meant, he meant those actions. Chief priest meant
those actions for evil. God meant them for good. All
things, we know that all things work together for good to them
that love God. You mean even this? He that by usury and unjust gain
increases his substance He shall gather it for him that will pity
the poor. You know who rules in heaven
and earth? The Lord. The Lord. He does as he will
among the inhabitants of the earth and the army of heaven.
No man stays, you see. God does what he will according
to his will and purpose. And he takes all this is going
on. Look around. Isn't this a pitiful
state this world is in? And this is a pitiful state,
this nation, this nation right here. I think about, you're vexed
with the evil that we see just blatantly open up. You know what's
gonna happen? God's gonna take this and he's
gonna turn it for good. And God's people are gonna be
blessed by it. You say, I don't see how. That's okay, that's
okay. The scripture declares that it
will be. May the Lord bless this to our hearts for his glory and
our good. Amen. All right, let's take a
break.