LEVITICUS 60


     We will begin this lesson in Leviticus 25:22 "And ye shall sow
the eighth year, and eat [yet] of old fruit until the ninth year;
until her fruits come in ye shall eat [of] the old [store]."

     In the last lesson, we were learning about the jubile. In the
seventh, seventh year, they were not only to rest that year, but on
jubile, as well, which was the fiftieth year.  God had promised, if
they would follow His commands, he would keep His covenant with them.
On the 48th year their crop would be so bountiful, that they would
have 3 years supply of food to carry them through this time of rest.
At the end of jubile, they were to plant their crops again. They would
be cared for by the store of food from the year that provided 3 years'
supply.

     Leviticus 25:23  "The land shall not be sold for ever: for the
land [is] mine; for ye [are] strangers and sojourners with me."

     The land could only be sold for the amount of time left until
jubile. All the land reverted to the original owner at jubile.  The
land really was just on loan, or as we would say, {long term leased}.

     Leviticus 25:24 "And in all the land of your possession ye shall
grant a redemption for the land."

     The land was definitely not to be sold for an extended period.
Each sale would have to bear a clause that the land would revert to
the original owner on jubile.

     Leviticus 25:25  "If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold
away [some] of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem
it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold."

     This is a further exclusion that was to be in every transaction.
If a person, because of poverty, had to sell their land, there was a
clause stating, if he or some of his relatives could raise the money
to buy it back, he could. This was a conditional sale. They were to
have compassion for each other, and help each other. This was one of
the things that separated these people from the world. The world dealt
hard and would not sell back, but an Israelite thought of his
brother's needs before his own.

     Leviticus 25:26 "And if the man have none to redeem it, and
himself be able to redeem it;"  Leviticus 25:27 "Then let him count
the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man
to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his possession."

     As we read in a previous lesson, they were to deal fairly with
each other. They were not to charge each other interest, or want the
better end of the deal. They were to figure out how many harvests
would come and pay an equal portion of the time left until jubile.

     Leviticus 25:28 "But if he be not able to restore [it] to him,
then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath
bought it until the year of jubile: and in the jubile it shall go out,
and he shall return unto his possession."

     This is just saying, if he cannot raise the money to buy it back,
he can wait and get it back at jubile.

     Leviticus 25:29 "And if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled
city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold;
[within] a full year may he redeem it."  Leviticus 25:30 "And if it be
not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that [is]
in the walled city shall be established for ever to him that bought it
throughout his generations: it shall not go out in the jubile."

     We see that houses in cities are under a total different set of
rules. The year of grace, if you will, is to see if the person selling
is content without the house. This is a little like the law of truth
in lending in our time. There is a period of grace to make sure the
person is satisfied with the deal.  Many older people in our society
today are selling their longtime homes. Sometimes it would be good if
they could have a year to think it over, before the deal would be
final forever. Sometimes, if they could, they would get their old
house back. There are so many memories that they would stand a few
inconveniences.  At any rate, this selling of the house in a city was
a final sale after one year. The house would not be returned to the
original owner at jubile.

     Leviticus 25:31 "But the houses of the villages which have no
wall round about them shall be counted as the fields of the country:
they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the jubile."

     A house with acreage, or a house in the country, fell into the
same law as acreage. It would be restored at jubile.

     Leviticus 25:32 "Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, [and]
the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem
at any time."  Leviticus 25:33 "And if a man purchase of the Levites,
then the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, shall go
out in [the year of] jubile: for the houses of the cities of the
Levites [are] their possession among the children of Israel."

     We see one exception to the house in town. Since the tribe of
Levi had no land inheritance, their house was part of their
inheritance, so they had a right to redeem it any time. If they were
not financially able to redeem it, they received it back at jubile. It
was, in effect, their land.

     Leviticus 25:34 "But the field of the suburbs of their cities may
not be sold; for it [is] their perpetual possession."

     The cities or the land surrounding the city, which would someday
be part of the city, could not be sold. This is very similar to an
individual in a church cannot sell the church. This city belonged to
all the Levitical tribe to use as long as they lived. The Levite's
work was in the sanctuary, or temple.  They were not to work in the
fields. They lived of things of the sanctuary.

     Leviticus 25:35  "And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in
decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: [yea, though he be] a
stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee."

     We see the teaching about families here. They were to help each
other, not turn them out to the world. The following is a New
Testament teaching on the same thing. I Timothy 5:8 "But if any
provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he
hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."  We must never
turn our brothers and sisters away when they are in need.

     Leviticus 25:36 "Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear
thy God; that thy brother may live with thee."

     Usury, in the Scripture above, means interest on a debt. They
were not to try to make money of this brother who is already in bad
financial shape. They were to help each other.

     Leviticus 25:37 Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor
lend him thy victuals for increase.

     In other words, feed him and don't charge him later for the food.
It seems that any money loaned to him was to be loaned without
interest. This is his brother. He is not to leave him in worse shape
by charging interest on the loan.

     Leviticus 25:38 "I [am] the LORD your God, which brought you
forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, [and]
to be your God."

     We see from this, that God reminds these people, what you have
and what you are is because God blessed you. God has gone into
covenant with these people to bless the people.  The only thing they
have to do is to believe  God and keep His commandments. We Christians
are in covenant relation with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Our
covenant was sealed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.  Our part
of the covenant, we must keep is spoken of in Romans 10:9 "That if
thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in
thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved." Romans 10:10 "For with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Romans 10:11 "For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him
shall not be ashamed." Romans 10:12 "For there is no difference
between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto
all that call upon him."  Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved."




                             Questions 60

1.  What year were they to plant a crop again after the jubile?
2.  What will they eat of until the crop comes in?
3.  What year was jubile?
4.  Why was the land not to be sold forever?
5.  What did the Lord call the Israelites in verse 23?
6.  What happened to the land at jubile?
7.  What clause was in all land sales by the Israelites?
8.  Who could redeem the land for them, if they were very poor and
    sold the land?
9.  What would be the redemption price, if he could raise the money to
    buy it back?
10. If he was too poor and could not redeem it, when did he get his
    land back?
11. How long did a person have to redeem a dwelling house in a city?
12. What happened, if they did not redeem it in this period of time?
13. Houses that were not inside a walled city were treated as what?
14. The houses of whom were exceptions to the rules about the houses
    inside walled cities?
15. Why were the rules different for them?
16. Why could the fields of the suburbs of their cities not be sold?
17. What can we relate this to today?
18. What does 1 Timothy chapter 5 verse 8 teach us?
19. What is usury?
20. Could they charge their relative for what he ate?
21. What 3 things did God remind these people of in verse 38?
22. Who are we Christians in covenant relation with?
23. What are we obligated to do to keep the covenant with Him?