Bro. Bruce's commentaries for the books of Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus are
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DEUTERONOMY
CHAPTER 15

1 At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. 2 And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD's release.

WHAT A GREAT IDEA! Wouldn't it be wonderful if ALL loans were released at the end of every seven years?
Of course that would mean interest and finance charges would be higher. But then, we wouldn't have as many loans - would we? People wouldn't be as apt to borrow.

3 Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release; 4 Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it: 5 Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.

Now this law only applied to those within their own nation (Israelites and proselytes).
Notice that God promised prosperity, but it is conditional. That prosperity is based on their obedience to His law (verse 5).

6 For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.

God's promise to that nation (Israel) was that they would have PLENTY to lend other nations, and would not NEED to borrow from other nations.
This is an EXCELLENT economic policy, which our U.S. government follow for almost 200 years.

7 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: 8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth. 9 Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee. 10 Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.

Help the poor: lend to them, and give to them.
Some people who are poor only need a loan. A caution is given in verse 9 against exhorbitant interest if the year of jubilee or the seventh year was near.
Some people who are poor need more than a loan - they need a gift without repayment (verse 10). God promises that if a gift without repayment is given out of a pure heart, He will bless the giver (verse 10).
It is true that there are always poor people in the world. Some people are poor because of physical inability or disability. They are made poor by the Lord. He intends for us to help them.
Some people are poor due to ignorance that may be willing or caused ignorance. And some people are poor because of the oppression by other people and governments.

11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

Therefore, we ALWAYS have poor people in the world.
Jesus referred to this, and it is mentioned three times in the New Testament (Matthew 26:11, Mark 14:7, John 12:8).
We should always be prepared to help the poor.

12 And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee. 13 And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: 14 Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.

If one Hebrew indentured himself to another for a certain sum, then he contractually agreed to work for the other a certain period of time. The law stated the contract could not exist more than six years (Exodus 21:2). After these six years, the indentured (or servant) must be set free.
He was to be furnised clothing and food when he left. Other restrictions upon the lender were stipulated also (Exodus 21:1-11).

15 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.

If anyone is indebted to us, we should remember that we owed a debt to God that we could never pay. But He set us FREE!

16 And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee; 17 Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise. 18 It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.

If the indentured desired to stay as a servant, these are the restrictions. He must willingly submit to marking himself for the owner.
That's the way it is with Christians. We owed a debt we couldn't pay; but God sets us free. And when we desire to stay with God, we willingly allow ourselves to be MARKED with the characteristics that God designates (baptism, Bible study, prayerfulness, church membership, witnessing to others, etc.).

19 All the firstling males that come of thy herd and of thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy bullock, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep. 20 Thou shalt eat it before the LORD thy God year by year in the place which the LORD shall choose, thou and thy household. 21 And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame, or blind, or have any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the LORD thy God. 22 Thou shalt eat it within thy gates: the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck, and as the hart. 23 Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water.

The first-born male of flock or herd was consecrated to God in remembrance of the fact that God spared their first-born children in Egypt (Exodus 13:2,15).
Today, we are under no such restriction. God, Himself, consecrated His own First-born Son as a Servant to Him; and for OUR sake He was sacrificed on Calvary's cross.
God payed the DEBT we could NEVER pay!
Let us then consecrate the FIRST of our strength and time for GOD!

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