“You shall not charge interest” (v. 25). So, is Moses saying that it’s wrong to be a banker? No, he’s not talking about someone borrowing money in order to start a business. He’s talking about someone needing a loan to get his crop in the ground or to feed his animals. This is a loan made out of necessity, not as an investment.

Yes, I think we can all agree that it would be wrong to take advantage of someone else’s poverty in order to make a profit off of him. There’s no way that charging interest to someone in desperate need would be the loving thing to do.

And however necessary it might be to take someone’s coat as collateral for a loan, I think we can understand how callous it would be to hold on to that coat on a cold night. So, of course it would be the loving thing to let the poor man have his coat to keep warm.

But how can we translate these rules for an ancient, agricultural society into the modern era? Well, it’s clear that, once again, the Law of Moses upholds the right of people to their property even while it consistently elevates the value of human life over anything we might own. In short, while loans must be repaid, taking advantage of people or making their lives miserable in the process is in no way the loving thing to do.

But in verse 27 the Lord also helps us understand the attitude we should have toward all those who have found themselves in difficult financial straits when He says, “I am gracious.” After all, God has forgiven each of us so much. He has treated each of us far better than we deserve. So instead of extending help in a reluctant, grudging way, maybe we should rejoice in the opportunity to help others, showing them the same kind of grace God has shown to us. What better way could we have to show our love both for the poor and for God?

Exodus 22:25-27 (NASB)

25 “If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest.
26 “If you ever take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, you are to return it to him before the sun sets,
27 for that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his body. What else shall he sleep in? And it shall come about that when he cries out to Me, I will hear him, for I am gracious.