I know that a lot of criticism towards the Bible is directed towards the supposed “injustice” of God. How He’s harsh. How He’s violent. How He’s prideful and jealous and possessive and all the other adjectives people want Him to be.
My study of Deuteronomy has led me to the opposite conclusion: In a sea of otherwise selfish kingdoms and societies, the way that God structured Israel should have led to the most hospitable nation on earth.
That fact is seen in the smallest of details, such as the taking of a pledge regarding a debt that is owed.
Deuteronomy 24:10-13 has two distinct parts. The first is in verses 10-11, where God says that you are not to enter a man’s house in order to take his collateral for a debt. You stay outside, and he brings it out to you.
Why? Because entering a man’s house usurps his authority in the most intimate of places—his home. If you barge in and take something—even if it is owed to you—you’ve disrespected him in front of others, especially his family. That’s not cool.
The second section is in verses 12-13, and is probably more well-known than the other. These two verses deal with the pledge of a poor man, and how you are to return the pledge to him every night if it’s something he needs in order to survive.
The example Moses gives is that of a blanket used to sleep at night. If that’s what the poor man offers for his pledge, you are to return it every night so that he doesn’t get cold. In the eyes of Deuteronomic law, a good night’s sleep is a basic human right.
The ancient Jews extended this law to everything else that could be seen as a basic necessity, such as a cooking pan or a change of clothes (if they only had one of each). While you were within your rights to take the pledge, you were also required to return it every night for their personal use.
Practically speaking, there’s more to this law, though, than just basic human kindness. If a man takes and gives a pledge every single day, the debtor is reminded of the debt that is owed, and is thus more likely to repay.
On the flip side, taking the pledge and keeping it makes it more likely that the debt will be forgotten. Since the pledge is taken, the poor man will simply adapt. If he can.
It’s entirely possible that other civilizations had provisions like this written into their law code, but at the very least, God made sure it was included in His. Despite what people think, He took care of the defenseless in ways that many everyday people would almost never think of.