Jubilee

Today's readings come from Leviticus 24 & 25.

One of the most distinctive aspects of life under Yahweh was the way that Sabbath's were done. For example, all of chpt 25 details the celebration and Sabbath of the Jubilee Year. In Israel work was never to dominate life. Work for an agrarian culture was hard and depended upon the land; but that dependence and hard work could serve to harm rather than bless without God at the center of life. So how could they remember that the land, although extremely important, was not something to be used without regard, but rather something to be stewarded with God in mind? The answer was the celebration of Sabbath years, every seven years so that the land could rest, and the celebration of Jubilee years every 50 years to bring about restoration and remembrance of God in relation to the land.

First the land was to be rested every seventh year: "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. For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest, a sabbath to the lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards."

The principle is "stewardship" of the land. It is their livelihood, but it is also something that needed to be respected and cared for. That seventh year allowed the land to "rest", to replenish valuable nutrients and to be taken out of rotation. God had in mind something that we need to grasp hold of.

After 7, 7 year Sabbaths, the Jubilee year occurred.

"'Count off seven sabbath years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbath years amount to a period of forty-nine years...
Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan."

The Jubilee was a consecrated year...the land was to be rested and also restored to the original family. In that way, the land became a part of the life of the nation and not the possession of a few. God reminded them:
"'The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers."

There has always been a temptation to hang on to possessions as "mine". We earned it, we worked hard for it, we deserve it. God says, it's mine, and I give it to you as a gift to use...only use it with care and use it with a sense of privilege.

Peace

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad