God's Judgment on the Usurer and Regard for the Poor

Exodus 22:25-27 forbids taking interest from the poor—a command rooted in covenant mercy. Joseph Exell preserved two Victorian illustrations of this principle in action.

A minister knew a poor widow requiring £20 to open a shop. The lender advanced the sum but deducted £5 as interest, handing her only £15. When the widow prospered and repaid the full £20, the minister confronted the usurer: "You have robbed this widow, and you will be damned!" Within six months, Adonai struck the man dead.

Contrast this with President Ulysses S. Grant's response to a widow's pencilled note at a Hartford reception in 1869. A young politician dismissed "an old woman in tatters" seeking help. But Grant read her letter: her son had fallen in battle under Grant's command, and she possessed neither funds nor influence to secure a pension. Grant immediately left the reception to find her.

The first narrative shows Elohim's swift judgment against those who exploit the defenseless through usury. The second reveals how true leadership honors the vulnerable. Both illustrate that regard for the poor—whether through obedience or active mercy—aligns the heart with divine justice. The widow's advocate and the general's compassion mirror Yahweh's own character toward those without recourse.