LEVITICUS 59


     We will begin this lesson in Leviticus 25:1 "And the LORD spake
unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,"  Leviticus 25:2 "Speak 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."

     Since this law was separated from the other laws given at mount
Sinai, it was important to state here that this was, also, given at
mount Sinai.  It would be impossible to let the land rest, before they
owned any land, so, of course, this law was to be in force, after they
came to the promised land. The sabbath was not only for the people and
the land, it is, also, associated with the 6000 years of the earth in
a state of work, and then the 1000 years of rest during the millennium
reign of Jesus Christ.

     Leviticus 25:3 "Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years
thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;"
Leviticus 25:4 "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 land is God's and the fulness thereof. This sabbath of rest
for the land certainly drives home the fact, that God wants us to set
aside a time for nothing but worshipping Him and rest for our body.
This also lets us know that God has a schedule that we must abide by.
As we said in a previous lesson, for the covenant of blessings from
God to be activated in their lives, or in fact in our lives, this time
of worshipping God must be observed.

     Leviticus 25:5 "That 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."

     Perhaps, this, was to be for the widows, orphans, and strangers
passing by. The Israelite was strictly forbidden to even gather that
which grew voluntarily.

     Leviticus 25:6 "And 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,"

     The food provided by this bountiful harvest the year before will
be sufficient for the owner of the land's family, and all of his
servants, and all of these other people listed in the verse above. It
appears, also, that all of these people took a year of rest, as well.
This would give them plenty of time to hear the law completely read
again, and then to think upon the things of God. It should, also,
teach them, that God truly is their provider, and not just the work
that they did in the fields provided the food. Except God bless the
harvest, there would not be a crop, anyway.

     Leviticus 25:7 "And for thy cattle, and for the beast that [are]
in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat."

     The reproduction of cattle, and other animals is directly brought
about by God. We see from this that this type of animal is put on the
earth, so that man will have meat to eat.

     Leviticus 25:8  "And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years
unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven
sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years."

     Seven, as we have mentioned so many times, is a spiritual number.
These seven sevens would just magnify the spirituality of this time.
We see then, that during these 49 years, work was to be done only 42
of the years.

     Leviticus 25:9 "Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile
to sound on the tenth [day] of the seventh month, in the day of
atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land."

     This blowing of the trumpet would pronounce the beginning of the
year of jubile. This is the seventh month by the spiritual calendar.
This was, also, the first month of their civil calendar. Day of
atonement, which we dealt with in a previous lesson, was an extremely
important time for these Israelites. This was the one time of the year
when the high priest carried the blood into the holy of holies for the
sins of the people and for his own sins, as well. We find from the
statement {throughout the land} that this was not just a local
celebrated day, but all must observe this day. This jubile would be a
new beginning for those who will be set free.

     Leviticus 25:10 "And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and
proclaim liberty throughout [all] the land unto all the inhabitants
thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man
unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family."

     This is total restoration. Not only are they set free, but their
land is returned to them, as well. Hallow means to make clean. This
could be ceremonially clean, as well as physically clean.

     Leviticus 25:11 "A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you:
ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor
gather [the grapes] in it of thy vine undressed."  Leviticus 25:12
" For it [is] the jubile; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the
increase thereof out of the field."

     It seems that there was a separation between, using this
foodstuff for a cash crop and just eating it. It appears that it was
alright to eat the food that voluntarily grew, but not to harvest it.
The stranger, the widow, or any who did not have food, could eat it
also.

     Leviticus 25:13 "In the year of this jubile ye shall return every
man unto his possession."

     It appears that this was not an option. This was law for the
Israelites. The land was purchased for the amount of time left in the
jubile. I would suppose, it was more like a lease, than a sale.

     Leviticus 25:14 "And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbour, or
buyest [ought] of thy neighbour's hand, ye shall not oppress one
another:"  Leviticus 25:15 "According to the number of years after the
jubile thou shalt buy of thy neighbour, [and] according unto the
number of years of the fruits he shall sell unto thee:"  Leviticus
25:16 "According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the
price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt
diminish the price of it: for [according] to the number [of the years]
of the fruits doth he sell unto thee." Leviticus 25:17 "Ye shall not
therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I [am]
the LORD your God."

     All of this is saying, that within the 50 years, before another
jubile, there would be 42 crops. The amount of money for the use of
the land then should be determined by what the crop would produce
before another jubile. If it was just 5 years to jubile, pay for the
number of crops produced in that 5 years. He was trying to teach them
that they were brothers, and as brothers, they should have compassion
one for another.  The main reason for them obeying God, is because
they feared Him.  The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.

     Leviticus 25:18  "Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my
judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety."
Leviticus 25:19 "And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat
your fill, and dwell therein in safety."

     The main lesson to be learned in this, is the fact that God will
keep the covenant with them, and bless them, if they keep the
statutes He has placed upon them.  He reminds them of some of the
blessings they will receive when they keep His statutes. They will
never go hungry, and they will dwell in the land safely. The following
Scriptures say it best.  Psalms 37:25 "I have been young, and [now] am
old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging
bread."  Proverbs 16:7 "When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh
even his enemies to be at peace with him."

     Leviticus 25:20 "And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the
seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase:"
Leviticus 25:21 "Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth
year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years."

     We see that God is proving to them, over and over again, that He
is their provider. God is saying here, that if they will keep this
sabbath for the land, they will not lose any of their crop at all. God
will have the crop on the 6th year to bring three times as much as it
would on an ordinary year. This would be a beautiful year of rest,
that they would not have to be thinking of the commercial side of
life. They could rest and keep their minds and hearts stayed on God.


                             Questions 59

1.  Where was Moses, when God spoke to him  in verse 1?
2.  When was the practice of the sabbath of the land to be carried
    out?
3.  What does the author believe this rest of the land to be
    associated with?
4.  What two things are specifically mentioned not to do in verse 4?
5.  The land is _____ and the fulness thereof.
6.  What message does this sabbath for the land drive home to
    believers?
7.  For the covenant of God to be activated in their lives, what must
    they do?
8.  Was it O.K. to reap the voluntary growth?
9.  What does the author believe, perhaps, the crop was for?
10. How was the owner of the land to live in sabbath year?
11. Who was the owner of the land obligated to feed, besides his
    immediate family?
12. What would this year of rest give them plenty of time to do?
13. Who was their real provider, and ours?
14. The reproduction of animals is brought about by whom?
15. Why were cattle and like animals put on the earth?
16. What does the number 7 mean spiritually?
17. What was to happen at the passing of seven of these seven years?
18. What year was the jubile?
19. What day was the trumpet of jubile to sound?
20. What other celebration was on this same day?
21. What did the blowing of the trumpet proclaim?
22. What does the statement {throughout the land} tell us?
23. What one word describes how they were to treat the year of jubile?
24. What wonderful thing happened to a slave on jubile?
25. What happened to the land on jubile?
26. What does hallow mean?
27. How was the price of the land determined, since it went back to
    the original owner on jubile?
28. What had God warned them not to do to their neighbor?
29. In a 50 year span, how many crops could be produced?
30. What was God trying to teach these people about their land?
31. What is the beginning of wisdom?
32. What is the main lesson to be learned in all of this?
33. Where do we find the Scripture that says {I have never seen the
    righteous forsaken, or his seed out begging bread}?
34. When does God make a man's enemies to be at peace with him?
35. How did God answer the question, what will I eat the seventh
    year?