February 11, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Leviticus? Here’s today’s reading:
Leviticus 25 (NIV)
The Sabbath Year
1 The Lord said to Moses at Mount Sinai, 2“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the Lord. 3 For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops.……Continue Reading
The Sabath year is such a physical demonstration of faith and trust in God’s provision. I am sure for the Israelites that survive through the harvesting of their land, to take an entire year not to plant and trust that God will supply their needs must have been scary. Many times in our life we know that following God where He is calling us can be scary, but as He has always done for His people: when we are faithful, He provides!
The society, laws and rules, God is establishing in these chapters is a picture of peace, balance, and harmony. It is sad how much man lets pride, greed, and idolatry come in the way of doing the right thing. God’s expectation was that all could live a good comfortable life with us all working together for each other’s good, but we certainly are no where near that today.
Read Acts 4 this morning; independent study.
Matthew 1-28; Psalms 113-118, Leviticus 24-25
Leviticus 25
Leviticus 25
Leviticus 25
This is an interesting thing that God instituted for Israel. To have a Sabbath rest every seven years and to also have also a Sabbath every fifty years. The people were to have no work on each of these seven years and also on the fiftieth year. This fiftieth year was to be one of jubilation on the Day of Atonement sounding trumpets. No Israelite was to be a slave to another Israelite. They could be hired servants until the year of jubile which was every 50 years. Everything would go back to the way it was after 50 years. The land, no debt, houses, etc. The exception would be if a house was bought within a walled area. For that they only had one year to redeem it. After that it was lost to someone else. Can you imagine living without debt? For all the Israelites were required by God to be there for each other whether for provisions. working the land. health concerns, etc. A society where the strong and abled looked out for the fail and weak. Where no one was misused or mistreated. Where the elderly were treasured and honored and not thought of being a nuisance. I also seem to remember that when a newly married couple got married they didn`t have to work for one year. This was so they could focus on each other without the distractions of every day life. What a great design God did here. Actually this is how the body of believers is supposed to act. The examples are given in scriptures. 1 John 4:7 { Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.} 1 John 3:17,18 { But whoso hath this world`s good, and seeth his brother hath need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word. neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.} Anyways this is how God wants us to be in the body of Christ. May we all grow and learn as we desire to grow closer to the One who redeemed us by His blood.
What a simply incredible chapter expressing the power and care of God for His people and the care He called them to in their treatment of each other. What a sheer privilege a sabbath year would be if they would just be willing to stop working and let God work. It is very sad that the Bible never reports the Jews celebrating a Sabbath year or a Jubilee year. In fact, their exile to Babylon is expressed in the terms of God giving the land rest by kicking them out because they wouldn’t. It really is reflective though of all the things we put on ourselves because we don’t trust God…not availing ourselves of all the grace provisions He gives us….or not trusting Him in prayer and even to pray.
But how amazing also is the kind of society God puts together to say don’t take advantage of each other. If you find someone down, help him….don’t step on him. Clearly we are born differently, with different skills and abilities and some more adept than others. We are not born equal. I believe God does it that way to see whether we would live in this way. How sad as we look throughout human history just the opposite of that. That history reflects the heart of man. This chapter reflects the heart of God.
It could had been so wonderful for Israel if they had only trusted God and followed His direction of the jubilee year. Pastor I never thought about what you said about them never recording in the Bible about them actually celebrating this jubilee. I never have never read either. Thanks for the information and wise words.
Sorry for the bad writing. I should have said I also have never read that.
Leviticus 25