This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "New Rules For A New Land", Leviticus 25:1-13, 11/27/2022

 NEW RULES FOR A NEW LAND

Leviticus 25:1-14

 

CELEBRATE A HOLY YEAR TO THE LORD

V:1. The Lord said to Moses on 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. 4 But in the seventh year the land is to have a sabbath of rest, a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards.

God prepared the Israelites for entry into the promised land. The Israelites were made responsible

for the health and prosperity of the land. Not only were the Israelites to worship the Lord’s

Sabbath day each week, but worship Lord by allowing the Land to rest in the Sabbath year.

The Sabbath year allowed the people to rest for a full year, the animals to rest for a full year

, and the land to rest to replenish itself. We are responsible to take care of everything God

puts in our possession.

Notice that the command to celebrate a Sabbath year was a promise from God that

crops of the sixth year would be enough to provide for all their needs and the needs

of the animals for the Sabbath year. The Sabbath year of rest for the land would

allow the leaves and fruit that fell on the ground to be absorbed and replenish

the nutrients in the ground for the next six years. Not pruning the vines provided more

surface area for photosynthesis which provides oxygen for the plants.

By honoring God’s commands, we glorify Him, the one who blessed us. God gives the

best directions for taking care of His creation which includes us.

WHAT GOD PROVIDES IS ENOUGH

V:5 Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest. 6 Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year will be food for you — for yourself, your manservant and maidservant, and the hired worker and temporary resident who live among you, 7 as well as for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.

God is inconclusive in His provisions for His people, all those associated with His people,

their animals, and even the wild animals. Notice God prospers His people’s hired workers,

servants, and residents passing through their land. During the Sabbath year, the land itself

provided food for all involved. The Sabbath year is a Holy year of rest when the Lord

provides for His people without their labor.

CELEBRATE A YEAR OF ATONEMENT

V:8 "'Count off seven sabbaths of years — seven times seven years — so that the seven sabbaths of years amount to a period of forty-nine years. 9 Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land.

Faithfully celebrating the Sabbath days and the Sabbath years, set the Israelites up for the

Day Of Atonement and the year of Jubilee. The Year of Jubilee was the 50^th year

of harvest. The year of Jubilee was counted by 7 times 7 Sabbath years plus one.

The Day of Atonement was described in Leviticus as the sacrifices made by

the priest for the sins of the nation. The year after the 49^th year was the Year of Jubilee

It is up to us to work for the future according to God’s commands.

Notice God laid out 50 years of prosperity for His nation.

CELEBRATE A YEAR OF JUBILEE

V:10 Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan. 11 The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines. 12 For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields.

Obedience to God’s commands endures God's will for your life. We may have trouble in our lives

due to decisions, we make, but in the end, our faithfulness ensures God’s blessings.

There were some Israelites who were good in business and some who did poorly in

business. Before going into the promised land, all the families were blessed with

property and the promise of success in the land. Financially, they all started equally.

There were no poor Israelites entering the promised land.

God knew in advance that some families would become in debt and lose possession

of the land He allotted to them. Faithfulness to God’s commands would provide

three years of provisions. The Sabbath year (49^th year), the year of Jubilee (50^th year)

and the first year of the next 50 years until the next harvest

CELEBRATE YOUR REDEMPTION

V:13 "'In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to his own property.

 

The land was not permanent to the families. It was a lease to them

from the Lord while they lived.

Every fifth year God provided for the return of the land lost by poor management

to the original families. He canceled all debts.

Today, because of the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ all of our debts

have been canceled. Jesus has redeemed us from our past so we can enter into

His gates with thanksgiving.

LET US CELEBRATE THE YEAR OF JUBILEE

 

REV. M. MITCHELL