Leviticus 25:1-22
And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan. – Leviticus 25:10
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Last week, we learned about the Sabbath and festivals, reminding us that God is the sovereign Lord over human history. This week, we will explore the core lesson we can glean from the Sabbath year and the Jubilee year.
The Sabbath year is like a sacred rest, hard-coded into the rhythm of the life of the Israelites. After the harvest in the sixth year, people will stop farming and let the land rest for a whole year. In the seventh year, the land will be returned to its creator. In the fiftieth year, the Jubilee Year, all debts will be written off, and those who sold themselves into slavery will regain their freedom, and any lost land will be returned to the original owner.
The Sabbath year reveals that the true owner of the land is God. God declared decisively: “The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers” (v. 23). It turns out that we are only sojourners and temporary stewards of this land, whereas God is the true owner of the land.
In addition, the Sabbath year also challenges human greed and fear. When God commanded a stop to the farming, the people’s insecurities inevitably surfaced: “What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or harvest our crops?” (v. 20) God had promised this long ago: “I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years.” (v. 21) This promise requires us to embrace it with faith.
This is the essence of the Sabbath year: let go of control, trust God completely, learn to loosen the hand that holds resources tightly, admit our own limitations, and learn to rely on our Creator. The Sabbath year system challenges our deep trust in God: Do we really believe that His supply will never be lacking? Are we really willing to entrust our livelihoods to Him completely?
Today, the core message of the Sabbath Year still strikes at our hearts. In the busyness of our city lives, steeped in a materialistic culture that is never satisfied, the reminder of the Sabbath Year is like a spring of fresh water, awakening our hearts that are bound by greed and anxiety. We are not the masters, but God is. We are God’s stewards, entrusted to manage and steward what He has given us.
God had set an example of rest when He created the world, will we follow Him? Our bodies, energy and creativity all need rest. The real rest is to loosen our hands in front of God, lay down our worries and burdens, and rely on His abundant provision for each day.
Reflection:
What areas of your life are like the land that never rests (such as children, finances, work achievements), which you might be overly controlling and dare not let go? Is the knowledge of God’s provision just head knowledge to you, or would you open your hand to let go and trust Him fully today?
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father God, Please help me to rest in You and to break free from the endless striving in my life. I want to loosen my hands that have been clinging so tightly to many things in this earthly life. Help me to let go of my fear of the future and trust You to provide exactly what I need. Not more and not less. Lord, please give me faith to witness Your wonderful supply and Your abundant grace as I learn to let go and to rest in You. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen.
Click to read
Last week, we learned about the Sabbath and festivals, reminding us that God is the sovereign Lord over human history. This week, we will explore the core lesson we can glean from the Sabbath year and the Jubilee year.
The Sabbath year is like a sacred rest, hard-coded into the rhythm of the life of the Israelites. After the harvest in the sixth year, people will stop farming and let the land rest for a whole year. In the seventh year, the land will be returned to its creator. In the fiftieth year, the Jubilee Year, all debts will be written off, and those who sold themselves into slavery will regain their freedom, and any lost land will be returned to the original owner.
The Sabbath year reveals that the true owner of the land is God. God declared decisively: “The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers” (v. 23). It turns out that we are only sojourners and temporary stewards of this land, whereas God is the true owner of the land.
In addition, the Sabbath year also challenges human greed and fear. When God commanded a stop to the farming, the people’s insecurities inevitably surfaced: “What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or harvest our crops?” (v. 20) God had promised this long ago: “I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years.” (v. 21) This promise requires us to embrace it with faith.
This is the essence of the Sabbath year: let go of control, trust God completely, learn to loosen the hand that holds resources tightly, admit our own limitations, and learn to rely on our Creator. The Sabbath year system challenges our deep trust in God: Do we really believe that His supply will never be lacking? Are we really willing to entrust our livelihoods to Him completely?
Today, the core message of the Sabbath Year still strikes at our hearts. In the busyness of our city lives, steeped in a materialistic culture that is never satisfied, the reminder of the Sabbath Year is like a spring of fresh water, awakening our hearts that are bound by greed and anxiety. We are not the masters, but God is. We are God’s stewards, entrusted to manage and steward what He has given us.
God had set an example of rest when He created the world, will we follow Him? Our bodies, energy and creativity all need rest. The real rest is to loosen our hands in front of God, lay down our worries and burdens, and rely on His abundant provision for each day.
Reflection:
What areas of your life are like the land that never rests (such as children, finances, work achievements), which you might be overly controlling and dare not let go? Is the knowledge of God’s provision just head knowledge to you, or would you open your hand to let go and trust Him fully today?
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father God, Please help me to rest in You and to break free from the endless striving in my life. I want to loosen my hands that have been clinging so tightly to many things in this earthly life. Help me to let go of my fear of the future and trust You to provide exactly what I need. Not more and not less. Lord, please give me faith to witness Your wonderful supply and Your abundant grace as I learn to let go and to rest in You. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen.