Leviticus 25, Sabbath and Other Laws

The land is fundamental to Israel’s existence.  That is what is behind the Sabbatical Year (25:1-7) and the Year of Jubilee (25:8-55).

·       The key word for the Sabbatical Year is REST.  Every seventh year the land was to be a year of no planting of crops.  Thus, it was a sabbath of solemn rest for the land (v4).  Again, we see the goodness of God in His laws.  With everyone doing the same, no one takes unfair advantage.  Today, in Israel, this is an acknowledged issue.  While not all farmers keep the Sabbath year, many do and with various approaches.  Here is a link to an article I found interesting as we don’t have space to discuss this in our blog (The Israeli farmers who are giving their land a year’s rest (jns.org)).

·       The key word for Jubilee is LIBERTY (v10).  The Year of Jubilee occurs every 50 years.  Thus, it is the year after the 7^th Sabbatical Year. 

o   25:13: Everyone returns to their own inherited land.

o   25:14-17: There were regulations about buying and selling that kept “greed” at a minimum, if you will.  The key line is: you shall not oppress one another.

o   25:18-22: God promised a good harvest in the 48^th year that would sustain them through the 49^th Sabbatical year and then the 50^th Jubilee year.

o   25:23-24: Here is the basic purpose of Jubilee.  The land actually belonged to God; thus even the people of Israel were strangers and sojourners.  Yet, it is their possession (v24), given to them by the LORD (v38).

o   25:25-28: This illustrates how and why the land needed to be returned to the heirs of the property.

o   25:35-38: Throughout the year there was care for the poor and oppressed.

In anticipation of the next post on Lev. 26 I want to share a simple outline.  The chapter is about blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.  It is a chapter that it is clear the later prophets (such as Isaiah, Jeremiah) knew well.

·       26:3-13: Blessings for obedience (v3-5: blessing on the land; v6-8: peace and security in the land; v9-13: a relationship with God).

·       26:14-39: Curses for disobedience (v14-17: disease, crop failure and defeat at the hands of their enemies; v18-20: drought; v21-22: more plagues, wild beasts; v23-26: sword, pestilence, scarcity of bread; v27-39: God’s FURY (v28; i.e. the worst chastening: cannibalizing their sons and daughters, death, their offerings rejected by God, desolation, v31-33, scattered among the nations, faintness of heart, v36-39)!

·       26:40-45: How to return to the LORD (v40-41: confession, accepting their guilt; v42-43: then God will remember His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; v44-45: God will not cast them away).