Pay It Back

Pay It Back

Q: According to the book of Numbers, if a person took something from another person, he was to return it plus an additional ____.

• a. 4 percent
• b. 10 percent
• c. 20 percent

There was a story on the news about a pet scam. A man advertised free pets—all people had to do was pay for the shipping. A few hours after people wired the money for the flight, the man contacted them again, pretending to be an airport official. He told them that their pet needed flight insurance or a new crate to make the second half of its flight. The people were asked to send more money. Sometimes people were so excited about the new pet, they sent the money without checking into it. One lady spent $3,000 before she found out her two Siberian huskies not only weren’t on their way, but they didn’t even exist.

According to the law God gave Moses, that pet scammer would need to make restitution. Restitution means giving back, repaying, or making right the wrong that was done. Under the law given to Moses, the man would be required to repay the original $3,000 and 20 percent more. That would be an extra $600.

We don’t live under Old Testament law anymore, but making restitution is still a good idea. If you accidentally break your brother’s earphones, buy him a new pair even if you have to clean the garage to earn the money. If you steal your sister’s candy and eat it, replace it—along with giving an apology.

The first step in making something right is to confess it to God. The second step is to make restitution.

For You

God doesn’t require you to add an additional 20 percent when making restitution, but it’s important to make things right when you hurt or wrong someone. Is there someone you need to make things right with today?

Answer: c

The LORD said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: If any of the people—men or women—betray the LORD by doing wrong to another person, they are guilty. They must confess their sin and make full restitution for what they have done, adding an additional 20 percent and returning it to the person who was wronged.”   Numbers 5:5-7

(The Whole Story: Numbers 5:5-8)