Every seven years, the Lord commanded a time of release — a sacred moment when debts were to be forgiven. Each Israelite who had lent to another was to cancel what was owed, for this was the Lord's appointed time of mercy. Foreigners could still repay their debts, but among the people of Israel, no one was to demand payment.
God promised that there would be no poor among them if they obeyed His voice. In the land He was giving them, His blessing would overflow — they would lend to many nations but borrow from none, rule over many but be ruled by none.
If anyone among them fell into need, they were not to harden their hearts or close their hands. Instead, they were to open their hands freely and lend whatever was required. They were warned not to think wickedly, saying, "The year of release is near," and refuse to help, for the Lord would hear the cry of the poor, and guilt would fall upon them.
The Lord encouraged generosity — to give freely and not grudgingly, for such kindness would bring His blessing on all their work. There would always be poor people in the land, so His command stood firm: be openhanded toward the needy and the afflicted.
If a fellow Hebrew, man or woman, sold themselves into service, they were to serve for six years and be released in the seventh. But they were not to be sent away empty-handed. Instead, they were to be provided for generously — from the flock, the threshing floor, and the winepress — just as the Lord had blessed them. They were to remember that they too had once been slaves in Egypt, and the Lord had redeemed them.
If, however, the servant chose to remain because of love for the master and his household, an awl was to be used to pierce his ear at the door, marking him as a servant for life. The same applied to a maidservant. Yet, they were reminded that freeing a servant was not a burden — for the servant's years of work were worth twice that of a hired hand, and in obedience, God's blessing would rest upon them.
Finally, every firstborn male of the herd and flock was to be set apart for the Lord. They were not to be used for labor or shearing. Each year, families were to eat of them in the Lord's presence at the place He chose. If any firstborn had a defect — lame, blind, or flawed — it was not to be sacrificed but eaten at home by both the clean and the unclean alike, like gazelle or deer. Only the blood was forbidden — it was to be poured out on the ground like water.