Leviticus 25:1-71And the Lord spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying, 2Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the Lord. 3Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; 4But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the Lord: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. 5That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land. 6And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee, 7And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat. (Leviticus 25:1‑7)
WE NOW come to a remarkable provision of God for His people and for His land. Every seventh year the land should keep “a sabbath unto the Lord.” This was never given to any other nation but Israel.
“Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; but in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.”
The Sabbath was the sign of God’s covenant with Israel, for He purposed that they should enjoy His rest. Here His people learn that even the land must keep its sabbath of rest every seventh year, for it was His land. God promised that the produce of the sixth year should be enough for three years so that there would be no scarcity even though the land would rest for a year.
Also in the sabbath year if a brother had become slave to an Israelite he was to be set free (Ex. 21; Deut. 15:1212And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee. (Deuteronomy 15:12)). It may have been a weakness or his own fault that brought him into bondage, and perhaps his master took advantage of his circumstances to further his own selfish interests; but we can see how the holy law of God put a check on man. At the same time it showed the Lord’s tender feelings for the poor. He would appeal to the hearts of those who had means on behalf of the poor brother who had not.
This gracious provision was not limited to the humble and needy Israelite, but it applied also to the stranger that sojourned in the land, to the cattle and even to the beasts of the field: none were forgotten, all was provided. What a testimony to the gracious goodness of God who made His mind known long before they ever entered the land (v. 1)!
But it seems that Israel heeded not the word of the Lord, that they did not observe these sabbath years. They disobeyed here as elsewhere. It is the old story of man’s failure in every duty he is called to perform.
What a favor bestowed upon God’s people that they should have every seventh year a year of rest! But alas, in their neglect and covetousness just as they used the weekly Sabbath for their own selfish ends, so did they use the sabbath years likewise. And yet how like ourselves, for how easy it is to become unsatisfied and always-wanting more. Israel were but tents in the Lord’s land, and we ought ever to remember that we are stewards for the Lord of all He has given us.
There was only one perfect and obedient Man, and how precious it is in the midst of man’s failure and wretched ways to turn to Christ, who “pleased not Himself,” but perfectly glorified God the Father and loved His neighbor as Himself. Israel lost their land through their disobedience, but the day is coming when because of the obedience of Christ all will be recovered by a poor, afflicted and repentant people under Him as their Messiah. All the pledges of the sabbath year will be fulfilled to Israel; and yet how much more, for all nations will be blessed, and we His heavenly saints will enjoy higher favors and richer blessings with Him in heaven.
ML-10/22/1972