I simply have no trouble borrowing...
[and]
If you are talking about Deut. 28:12, you've taken that verse completely out of context. It is not a command it is part of the "blessing" indicating that Israel as a nation will not have to borrow but instead will be able to lend to others. If borrowing were a sin, wouldn't lending be a sin as well?
This claim of yours is especially troubling.
Let’s take a look at that chapter (Deu. chap. 28) to learn who has taken what “out of context.” First, have a read of the chapter for yourself
here.
The chapter is a description of what will befall those who do NOT follow God’s commandments e.g. you will eat the flesh of your sons and daughters, etc. etc. It is an incredibly vivid description of what happens to those who pursue self-will rather than God’s will. AND, as a part of God’s judgment, it tells us that God will give those disobedient people over to the
BONDAGE WROUGHT OF THE LENDERS. There are only two verses in that chapter that mention “lend”:
FIRST MENTION OF LEND:
The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and
thou shalt lend unto many nations, and
thou shalt not borrow. And
the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them: (Deu 28:12-13).
SECOND MENTION OF LEND:
He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail. (Deu 28:44).
Do you prefer being the tail and not the head? Do you understand the implications of that in your daily walk?
Consequence of Obedience: When they lend only, and do not borrow, they become the head and not the tail; they are above their enemies and not below them. (verses 12 & 13).
Consequence of Disobedience: When they borrow only, and do not lend, they become the tail and not the head; they are below their enemies and not above them. (verse 44).
The conclusion is obvious. The first part of your chapter details the blessings they would enjoy if they were OBEDIENT to God, and the second part of the chapter details the calamities they would endure if they were DISOBEDIENT to God.
And God’s preferred status for us, as LENDERS and
NOT BORROWERS, as described in the first part of Deu. chap. 28, has been commented on by others:
They should have honour among their neighbours (v. 1):
The Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations. He made them so, by taking them into covenant with himself, ch. 26:19. And he would make them more and more so by their outward prosperity, if they would not by sin disparage themselves. Two things should help to make them great among the nations:-
First, Their wealth (v. 12):
"Thou shalt lend to many nations upon interest' (which they were allowed to take from the neighbouring nations), "but thou shalt not have occasion to borrow.” This would give them great influence with all about them; for the borrower is servant to the lender. It may be meant of trade and commerce, that they should export abundantly more than they should import, which would keep the balance on their side.
Secondly, Their power (v. 13):
"The Lord shall make thee the head, to give law to all about thee, to exact tribute, and to arbitrate all controversies.' Every sheaf should bow to theirs, which would make them so considerable that
all the people of the earth would be
afraid of them (v. 10), that is, would reverence their true grandeur, and dread making them their enemies. The flourishing of religion among them, and the blessing of God upon them, would make them formidable to all their neighbours, terrible as an army with banners. -- Matthew Henry
It doesn’t get any plainer than that. The listed consequences of the lend/borrow/debt issue rest with our obedience, or
disobedience, to God’s commandments.
The borrower is servant to the lender. Do not borrow. Be a lender and not a borrower.
BTW, because the citizens of USA continue to violate God’s commandment (e.g. do not borrow), the consequences of that disobedience are listed in the second half of the cited passage, i.e. Deu. 28:15-68. Suffice to say, it’s a terrible and dreadful read.
The borrower is slave to the lender. Scripture is simple. Very simple. And usury is condemned. Period.
As you’ve been shown
with scripture, it’s GOD’S absolute standard, not ours. You can scream “context” all day long, however, your failure to rebut from the word of God tells the true story.
The spirit of iniquity is an amazing phenomenon. The often colorful excuses are all based in self-will, rather than in God’s will; they are varied and endless. The denials usually begin with fleshly phrases such as “Personally, I do not believe...,” or, “In the context of...,” or, “That’s OT....,” and they never include scriptural imperatives that would support the practice of borrowing money -- because there aren’t any.
...[borrowing] provides me with the means to acquire more wealth.
It is important that we should remain separate from the unclean things of the commercial world. Our Father has made it clear that we cannot serve both him and mammon (wealth, riches, money, etc.). When men are pursuing riches, or "a living," they will often times do whatever it takes to get what they "want." It is that pursuit that we must avoid.
Merchants are condemned in scripture, because their mode of commerce not only involves thievery and war, but it also creates a form of slavery for those who are "captured" by it. Governments regulate all business and corporations, because commerce is thievery. Governments regulate the commerce of the merchants, as well as their "customers," in an attempt to keep the thievery and slavery at a manageable level. That is why those who engage in such activity are "presumed" guilty until proven innocent, because they are guilty according to God's Law.
Capitalism is a license to steal; the government simply regulates who steals and how much. Most of the governmental codes, rules, regulations, ordinances, statutes, public policies, etc., are designed to regulate those partaking of the ways of the lex mercatoria, the Law Merchant. That law, as distinguished from God's Law, is a private law.
The law recognizes the fact that men will naturally overstate the value and qualities of the articles which they have to sell. Kimball v. Bangs, 141 Mass. 323, Morton. C.J. ; Mooney v. Miller, 102 id. 220; Gordon v. Butler, 105 U.S. 557, Southern Development Co. v. Silva, 125 id. 256.
The world continually encourages everyone to join with and obey the Law Merchant. It continually offers the benefits of the world. When you look to man for your benefits, a duty attaches to you and man becomes your lord, lording over you. The "bait and switch" of the crafty serpent is this: the resulting duty greatly outweighs the benefit received! They can only give you a portion of that which they take from you to begin with! So you end up with less, and you give them more power because they're keeping a large percentage of it. And remember, the beast has no power except that which it is given by its obedient servants.
However, by not partaking of the commercial benefits that the world offers, we are not submitting ourselves to those particular laws governing commercial activity. Therefore, those laws do not apply to those who are not engaged in their mode of commercial activity.
To make a clarification, if God
blesses us with riches that's one thing, but if we
chase after riches that's another. Our life is not to revolve around gain, but around Christ. Why chase things that are temporal which will be lost anyway? We are to pursue a relationship with God, letting our soul be after him, and he will provide everything we need as we walk in his ways (Matthew 6:30, Luke 12:28, Philippians 4:19, Psalms 34:10).
Regarding “ownership” of “stuff,” you claimed to “own three of them outright.” I told you to look at the deed, where it lists you not as “owner” but as tenant. And the proof is the fact that you MUST CONTINUE PAYING or they will take what you would claim is yours.
Why would I [miss the tax payments]?... Why shouldn't I continue to pay for those things?
Rather, the truth is, you have no choice. It's called '
RENDERING TO CAESAR WHAT IS CAESAR'S.' You MUST pay, and pay again and again, otherwise “your” stuff will be taken from you -- with force, if necessary. The God-less State maintains an interest in what you think is your stuff. Like I said, they lied to you about being the “owner.” God, and not you, is the owner of everything.
My religion teaches obedience to government and so does Christianity.
So does my God teach obedience to his Godly government. But you need to figure out which master is the real deal, and then live your life in accord with his sole authority.
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
I don't feel trapped in the least.
Neither did those partying outside the ark...The truth of God’s word, rather than one’s feelings or financial savvy, is the born again’s guidepost.
