Old Testament

Leviticus 26:14-39
Assured Curses

Palestine sits in sackcloth and ashes. Over it broods the spell of a curse that has withered its fields and fettered its energies. Where Sodom and Gomorrah reared their domes and towers, that solemn sea now floods the plain, in whose bitter waters no living thing exists—over whose waveless surface the blistering air hangs motionless and dead—about whose borders nothing grows but weeds, and scattering tufts of cane, and that treacherous fruit that promises refreshment to parching lips, but turns to ashes at the touch. Nazareth is forlorn; about that ford of Jordan where the hosts of Israel entered the Promised Land with songs of rejoicing, one finds only a squalid camp of fantastic Bedouins of the desert; Jericho the accursed, lies a moldering ruin, to-day, even as Joshua’s miracle left it more than three thousand years ago; Bethlehem and Bethany, in their poverty and their humiliation, have nothing about them now to remind one that they once knew the high honor of the Saviour’s presence; the hallowed spot where the shepherds watched their flocks by night, and where the angels sang Peace on earth, good will to men, is untenanted by any living creature, and unblessed by any feature that is pleasant to the eye. Renowned Jerusalem itself, the stateliest name in history, has lost all its ancient grandeur, and is become a pauper village; the riches of Solomon are no longer there to compel the admiration of visiting Oriental queens; the wonderful temple which was the pride and the glory of Israel, is gone, and the Ottoman crescent is lifted above the spot where, on that most memorable day in the annals of the world, they reared the Holy Cross. The noted Sea of Galilee, where Roman fleets once rode at anchor and the disciples of the Saviour sailed in their ships, was long ago deserted by the devotees of war and commerce, and its borders are a silent wilderness; Capernaum is a shapeless ruin; Magdala is the home of beggared Arabs; Bethsaida and Chorazin have vanished from the earth, and the “desert places” round about them where thousands of men once listened to the Saviour’s voice and ate the miraculous bread, sleep in the hush of a solitude that is inhabited only by birds of prey and skulking foxes. Palestine is desolate and unlovely. And why should it be otherwise? Can the curse of the Deity beautify a land? Mark Twain, 1869

Text Verse: “For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴ For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, ¹⁵ because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.” Romans 4:13-15

Where there is no law, there is no transgression. Thank God for those marvelous words. The law was given, it was agreed upon, and penalties for its violation are clearly stated. Nothing could be more dramatic than reading the words of Leviticus 26, and then comparing them to the words of Mark Twain. It is as if one was penned simply to confirm the other.

I attended a Jewish funeral where the rabbi who spoke mentioned Leviticus 26, and its many punishments. He dismissed what it said as if it was completely irrelevant to the Jewish people, and to the state of the world in which they have lived, and still live. And yet, Leviticus 26 exactingly explains their state now, and what has occurred to them as a people, in every possible detail.

Instead of dismissing what it says, they should be terrified by it, remorseful over how it has been proven true, and repentant in their actions of heart and deed. And even more, they should look to why these things came upon them the second time. It’s been staring them in the face for these past 2000 years. From time to time, one will realize and understand.

That rare soul is mentioned by Paul in Romans 11:5 as one of the “remnant according to the election of grace.” This means, he or she has come to Christ. That soul is now no longer under law, but under grace. For the rest, they are still bound to what has afflicted them all along. And sadly they will be judged by that same law when they stand before their God.

When you say your prayers each day, remember to include Israel. They are back in the land, but they are not right with God. Such truths are to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. If You Do Not Obey Me (verses 14-17)

¹⁴ ‘But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments,

Verses 3 through 8 gave the assurances of blessing for obedience to the Lord in keeping His statutes and commandments and performing them according to the law. A contrast to those verses is now given. The horrifying consequences for disobedience are now forthcoming. What will be presented as punishment to be inflicted upon those who stubbornly refuse to comply, is documented as having come about in the remaining pages of Scripture. The Lord promised blessing, and it came upon the people when they complied. The Lord now promises curses, and they have come upon the people when they refused to comply.

¹⁵ and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant,

A new word, ma’as is brought in here. It signifies to despise unto rejection. It comes from a root meaning “to spurn.” It will become common in Scripture as the people reject the Lord and His word, and He in turn rejects them, individually (such as in King Saul) or collectively (such as in the people rejecting the law). It is used in the 118^th Psalm when speaking of the Stone which the builders rejected, a prophecy of the coming Messiah.

What was a passive indifference noted in verse 14, is now an active attitude here. The words used, ma’as (despise), gaal (abhor), and parar (break) are purposeful and active, but they must be taken in their proper light. Individual sins, although regrettable, are not what is being spoken of here. The law provided for the atonement of such sins. Instead, the state of the people as a collective group is what is being addressed. As the overall attitude of the people came to despise the statutes, abhor the judgments, and willingly fail to perform all of the commandments, thus breaking the covenant, then the anticipated curses would be poured out upon them –

Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient.” Exodus 24:7

They had agreed to it as a collective group, and thus they would be collectively punished for failure to comply as they had promised. One might ask though how this could be collective when Paul says this in Galatians –

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” Galatians 3:10

The answer is that all who failed to do the things of the law were under a curse, but the Day of Atonement was there to cover those individual sins. As the nation moved away from accepting the need for national atonement for these individual sins, they collectively brought on the national curse. This is why even the individuals who were mournful over their sins were caught up in the national guilt.

¹⁶ I also will do this to you:

The word aph, translated as “also,” is not uncommon, but it hasn’t been seen since Genesis 40. Now, it will be used 9 times through the end of the chapter. It indicates addition. One might think of, “This, therefore, that.” The Lord will use this word in the negative six times until verse 41, and then he will use it in the positive three times in verses 42 through 44. There is a sense of increase in punishment due to Israel’s rejection of the covenant, and then an increase in the Lord’s faithfulness in keeping that same covenant.

^{16 (con’t)} I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart.

The word “appoint” is paqad. It comes from a root meaning “to visit.” In the words here, the Lord, in the first person, promises a purposeful, divine visitation upon the people. What will be described is from His hand and He is the Source of the calamity which will be described. The first curse is a new word bahalah, or terror. That is then defined by two more new words, translated as “wasting disease and fever.”

Those two words will be seen again in Deuteronomy 18:22 and then never again in Scripture. But the Lord promises the result will be mekalot enayim u-medivot naphesh, or literally “consume the eyes and pine away the soul.” The idea of this phrase is that the eyes – meaning the light of life – will extinguish, and the soul – meaning life itself – will pine away. Though different Hebrew words are used, these same troubles are recorded as having come upon the people in Lamentations. For those who follow these things, the word doov, or pine away, is found only here.

^{16 (con’t)} And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

This is probably speaking of the people laboring in the field, and others eating what is produced. However, the Hebrew says something that may be more terrifying. It more literally says, “you shall sow your seed to no purpose, and your seed will be eaten by your enemies.” The question is, “Why doesn’t it say “harvest” or “produce” instead of seed?” The other four times that zarakem, or your seed, is used in Scripture, it is speaking of descendants. As the first part of this verse is speaking of the dying of the individual, it makes more sense that this is speaking of one’s posterity, being eaten – either literally or figuratively – by the enemy. This would then be fulfilled in Jeremiah 10:25 –

“Pour out Your fury on the Gentiles, who do not know You,
And on the families who do not call on Your name;
For they have eaten up Jacob,
Devoured him and consumed him,
And made his dwelling place desolate.” Jeremiah 10:25

¹⁷ I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies.

For the Lord to set His face against Israel, means that He will direct He attention towards them in anger, and that will be poured out on them in indignation. Their enemies, the tool of His anger, will defeat them. The first person shows that the Lord determined and is acting, even if it is really their enemies who accomplish it. The defeat of Israel before her enemies is found throughout the OT.

^{17 (con’t)} Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you.

Israel was subjected to foreign powers on numerous occasions – in both testaments. After the close of Scripture, this continued, even until modern times. An instance of them fleeing when not pursued is found in Jeremiah 43.

The choice is yours, and it is clearly laid out
Will you choose life and walk closely with Me?
No, you will choose another path, there is no doubt
Time will tell, just wait and see

I have spoken in advance, and showed what lies ahead
There could be abundance, mixed with peace and life
But that will not be the case; you have chosen the “instead”
This will lead to nothing but sadness, trouble, and strife

Oh Israel! If you would just pay heed
Oh My people! If you would just cling closely to Me
But your hearts are wicked, lustful, and filled with greed
And great trouble for You is your woeful destiny

II. Seven Times Over (verses 18-39)

¹⁸ ‘And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.

The Lord now promises a second level of punishment, seven-fold punishment upon the people for failing to pay heed. This will be repeated four times. Each time there will be an increase in severity. Here, the word yasar, to chasten or punish, is used for the first time. It will be used three more times in this chapter.

The seven-fold punishment looks first to the meaning of seven, divine perfection. There will be a perfect execution of the anticipated punishment. As it is the sabbatical number, it is also to be a reminder of the breaking of the covenant by the people.

Also, if the punishments of verses 14-17 are an indication of punishment leading up to, and including, the first exile, then the number seven here would be a seven-times multiplication of punishment leading up to and including a second exile. Though the words of verses 14-17 are not nearly all that is recorded elsewhere as punishment before the first exile, they may simply be given as an all-encompassing thought. Now the terrors of verses 18-39 would reflect the absolute horror of what not obeying after the first exile would mean.

¹⁹ I will break the pride of your power;

The term geon uzekem, or “pride of your power,” is found here and in Ezekiel 24:21 where it speaks of the sanctuary of the Lord. It is debated if that is what is being referred to, but there is no reason to assume it is not. In destroying the temple by the Babylonians and then the Romans, the land was also destroyed. This led naturally to the plagues which follow…

^{19 (con’t)} I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze.

In the destruction of the cities, which included Jerusalem and the sanctuary there, the Romans built up siege works. In doing so, they cut down the trees of the land. In this, the natural rain cycles of the land were disrupted. If any rains fell, they were not enough to support crops and produce. This continued on until the return of Israel to the land. In their return, they began planting trees, and the cycle of former and latter rains returned to the land.

Two metals are named here, iron and bronze. Iron has only been mentioned once, in Genesis 4:22. It represents strength, be it in binding together, in government, in hard service, in bondage, etc. Bronze represents judgment. What is being said here is that the Lord will firmly fix up the heavens so that they will not rain. From that, judgment will be realized in the unproductive earth. This same punishment is restated in Deuteronomy 28:23, where the metals are reversed. Thus, judgment in the sky, meaning no rain, would lead to an unyielding earth. In the end, the result is the same as seen in…

²⁰ And your strength shall be spent in vain;

The word riyq, or vain, was introduced in verse 16. It means vain, empty, of no purpose. The people would work in the field, but the result would be completely wasted effort.

^{20 (con’t)} for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit.

What was promised as a blessing in verse 4, the yield of produce and the yielding of fruit, is now a resulting curse. The land fails to produce, and the trees fail to bear. Exactly the opposite of verse 4 is realized here. This sad state is recorded in Habakkuk 3:17 –

“Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;” Habakkuk 3:17

²¹ ‘Then, if you walk contrary to Me, and are not willing to obey Me, I will bring on you seven times more plagues, according to your sins.

A third level of punishment is now promised. The Lord uses a new word, qeri, translated as “contrary” here. It comes from qarah, meaning “to happen.” And so this gives the sense of people simply allowing life to happen without a care, and thus acting contrary. It will be used seven times; all are found in the verses to come in this chapter. It signifies opposition, and even hostility. If the Lord’s corrective measures are not heeded by the people, He takes it as a hostile act, and thus punishment seven times over is to be expected.

²² I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and make you few in number;

The term here is khayat ha’sadeh, or “life of the field,” and thus it is any living creature of the field, be it beasts or vipers. In Deuteronomy 32:24, this is described as “the teeth of beasts” and “the poison of serpents.” In 2 Kings 17, the Lord sent lions among the people. Such words are found elsewhere in Ezekiel. What is more the case though, is that wild animals of all kinds are specifically spoken of as evil people, wicked rulers, and so on. Thus, the wild beasts referred to here are as much to be equated with people as they are actual animals. This then explains…

^{22 (con’t)} and your highways shall be desolate.

The word shamem, meaning to make desolate or astonish is new here. It will become a rather common word after this, but it is notable that it will be seen seven more times in this chapter alone. The emptiness of roads and highways are noted several times in later books such as Judges 5, Isaiah 33, and Zephaniah 3. Such desolate highways are to be attributed more to human foes than actual wild animals.

²³ ‘And if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me,

If the previous remedial efforts are found ineffective, then a fourth elevation of punishment is needed. Such was the case at Jeremiah’s time. The people were chastened, and they still did not heed –

“In vain I have chastened your children;
They received no correction.
Your sword has devoured your prophets
Like a destroying lion.” Jeremiah 2:30

The Lord promises that if such is the case…

²⁴ then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins.

Now the word qeri, introduced in verse 21, is used as an action by the Lord instead of by the people. If you remember, it comes from a word meaning “to happen,” and thus it seems as if bad, or hostile, things are simply happening – as if God just gave up caring for them. But the truth is that the Lord is attentively punishing the people for their transgressions.

Despite not being a popular view of Jewish history, especially terrors such as the pogroms and the holocaust, Israel has only itself to blame for what has occurred. They have not been obedient to the Lord, and their punishment has come upon them seven times for their sins. Until they come to this realization, there can be no cure for what will continue to come upon them.

²⁵ And I will bring a sword against you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant;

The sword here is a devouring instrument. This is not merely the sword of the enemy being brought against them, but it is inclusive of it. What is being said here is that for their violation of the covenant, the Lord would bring vengeance on them by first bringing the enemy with their sword to destroy. In this, the people would then retreat into the fortified cities as is seen next…

^{25 (con’t)} when you are gathered together within your cities I will send pestilence among you;

This is then the second sword, the deber, or pestilence. In 1 Chronicles, this is exactly what the pestilence is called, kherev Yehovah, or the sword of Yehovah.

^{25 (con’t)} and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.

Due to the famine and plague which results from a city-besieged, the strength and numbers of the people would finally result in being forced to give up and surrender. This is seen in the fall of Jerusalem in Jeremiah, and it is recorded in detail by Josephus conncering the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans.

²⁶ When I have cut off your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall bring back your bread by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied.

b’shivri lakem matteh lekhem – “When I have broken the staff of your bread.” It is a proverbial expression indicating that the supply of bread, represented by the staff which supports man, no longer is enough to feed the people. Instead, the bread of ten families, represented by the women who bake it, would be baked in one oven. From there, the single loaf would be divided by weight, every crumb being precious to those who would share it at home. But what is brought to be eaten by the woman would not satisfy those who received it. This is literally recorded as coming upon Jerusalem in Ezekiel 4:16 and elsewhere.

²⁷ ‘And after all this, if you do not obey Me, but walk contrary to Me,

If after such terrible times as have been described, no change in the people’s contrary walk is noted, then a fifth level of punishment is to be meted out upon them…

²⁸ then I also will walk contrary to you in fury;

In verse 24, when the people continued to walk contrary to the Lord, He said he would also walk contrary to them. Now He says He will do so, but in fury. There is an elevation to His judgment.

^{28 (con’t)} and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.

There is a stress here on the personal nature of the punishment. It is not a by-happenstance thing which would occur to Israel, but rather a purposeful infliction of punishment, directly from the Lord. And the elevation of the punishment is again seven times for their sins.

²⁹ You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters.

The horrifying details of this warning are further described in Deuteronomy 28. And the warning became reality as is seen in the captivity of Samaria in 2 Kings 6, and again in the captivity of Jerusalem in Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Ezekiel. The horrifying practice then occurred again during the Roman siege of Jerusalem.

³⁰ I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars, and cast your carcasses on the lifeless forms of your idols;

Three actions against the Lord are promised to be corrected. The first is the destruction of their bamah, or high places. People would go to elevated locations to worship deities, including the Lord, even though they were only to worship the Lord in this way at the temple. The Lord promised these would be destroyed.

The next are the khaman, here translated as “incense altars.” The word comes from khamah, meaning “sun,” or chamam, meaning “hot.” Some translations thus call them “sun-pillars,” as if dedicated to the sun; others “incense altars,” because of the heat of burning incense to false gods. Surely they did both.

The third action is to cast their carcasses on the carcasses of their idols. The gilul, or idol is now first seen here. It comes from galal, meaning “to roll,” and so these are probably circular stones or logs. The irony is not to be missed in how the Lord compares the dead bodies of the people to the dead idols they served. The utter contempt of the Lord for both idols and idolaters is to be noted and remembered. Ezekiel 6 describes the Lord’s promise to bring these words about –

“Indeed I, even I, will bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places. ⁴ Then your altars shall be desolate, your incense altars shall be broken, and I will cast down your slain men before your idols. ⁵ And I will lay the corpses of the children of Israel before their idols, and I will scatter your bones all around your altars. ⁶ In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate, so that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, your idols may be broken and made to cease, your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be abolished. ⁷ The slain shall fall in your midst, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 6:3-7

The bodies of the people would be so thoroughly mixed with those of the idols, that it would form one putrid pile of garbage. What is to be especially noted about this verse, is that it presupposes that these things will probably be made. They have not even entered into the land yet, but the Lord identifies what they would make, and how they would prostitute themselves with those things.

^{30 (con’t)} and My soul shall abhor you.

This is exactly the opposite of the words of verse 11, “I will set My tabernacle among you, and My soul shall not abhor you.” Instead of the tabernacle and fellowship, there are idols and abhorring.

³¹ I will lay your cities waste and bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will not smell the fragrance of your sweet aromas.

The Lord promises to bring the cities to khorbah, or waste. It is a new word, indicating desolation or ruin. But the promise is on “your sanctuaries.” The word is plural, which could mean the several sanctuaries within the Lord’s house. It is used this way in Jeremiah 51:51. However, it doesn’t say, “the Lord’s house” or “My sanctuary” here. It says “your sanctuaries.” Thus, it is probably what is referred to in Amos 7 –

“Behold, I am setting a plumb line
In the midst of My people Israel;
I will not pass by them anymore.
⁹ The high places of Isaac shall be desolate,
And the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste.
I will rise with the sword against the house of Jeroboam.” Amos 7:8, 9

Even though these were false sanctuaries, they still burnt incense to the Lord at such places. Eventually, they would no longer even do this. He would utterly destroy them so that the incense would no longer burn.

³² I will bring the land to desolation, and your enemies who dwell in it shall be astonished at it.

The land itself was to be so completely destroyed that even their enemies who dwelt among them would be utterly astounded at what had occurred. Exact words to match this are found in Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

³³ I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you;

The Lord promises to zarah, or scatter, the people among the nations. This word has only been used so far to describe what Moses did to the golden calf that the people had made. Like that, which was crushed to powder and scattered upon the waters, so Israel would be scattered upon the nations. And there, the Lord promised to continue to draw out His sword against them, further scattering, and further destroying. There could be no turning back as the sword followed closely upon them. These words are the exact opposite of what was said in verse 6, “and the sword will not go through your land.” Instead of safety in the land, there would be terror outside the land. Can anyone not see this as fulfilled these past 2000 years?

^{33 (con’t)} your land shall be desolate and your cities waste.

With the destruction and dispersion would come desolation. The land would be ruined and it would turn to further ruin during its time of being unattended. But in this, there is also good seen…

³⁴ Then the land shall enjoy its sabbaths as long as it lies desolate and you are in your enemies’ land;

The land was to be given a sabbath rest every seventh year and every fiftieth year. It has been calculated by one scholar that from the entry into Canaan by Joshua, until the Babylonian captivity, there were approximately 863 years. In this, there should have been about 123 Sabbath years, and around 17 years of Jubilee. There is no record to say actually how many, or if any, of these were observed or not. But one specific reason for the exile is recorded in 2 Chronicles 36 –

“And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, ²¹ to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.” 2 Chronicles 36:20, 21

Seventy years then may be simply be a multiplication of the sacred number seven, decided upon by God as sufficient for what was lacking in the observance by the people. Regardless, we are told…

^{34 (con’t)} then the land shall rest and enjoy its sabbaths.

This is the second time in the verse this is stated, and it is almost therefore a note of bitter sarcasm. The land was burdened by the people, and now the land would enjoy rest apart from the people. While they were in captivity, the land would rest in freedom.

³⁵ As long as it lies desolate it shall rest—

for the time it did not rest on your sabbaths when you dwelt in it.

There is a note of patient waiting in these words. The assumption is that the sabbaths would be ignored. And yet, the punishment was delayed. Instead of acting on each failed Sabbath observance, the Lord would make a tally. As the people continued to assume that He would never act, another addition would be made to the ledger, but the promise is that action would come.

An arrears of Sabbath years had accumulated for the land while the greed of the people had led them to work when they should not have. Therefore, the land received its days of rest based on the years it was deprived, and the Israelites were deprived of their work based on the rest they had neglected. Justice was served for the land, and judgment was served upon the people.

³⁶ ‘And as for those of you who are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies;

A unique word is given here, morek, or faintness. It comes from a word meaning soft, and thus the heart would either be one which was cowardly, or it would not be able to withstand the pressures which troubled it, so much so that…

^{36 (con’t)} the sound of a shaken leaf shall cause them to flee;

they shall flee as though fleeing from a sword, and they shall fall when no one pursues.

Two more new and rare words are introduced here, nadaph (shaken), and menusah (flight). It is a sign of the horrifying nature of the events that Moses uses words that are wholly unique, or extremely limited in their use, in order to reveal the magnitude of what lay ahead for the people if, and when, they disobeyed.

It is sure that a single driven leaf makes almost no sound at all, and yet it would produce a thunderous, deafening noise in the ears of those who had failed to honor the Lord. That single leaf would be as a sword slashing by the ears, causing them to get up and run as if it would cut them to pieces. And so flee they would…

³⁷ They shall stumble over one another, as it were before a sword, when no one pursues;

The sense here is that when terror strikes, the people would simply run over one another like soldiers breaking ranks in a retreat, or a gathering of people running from an oncoming avalanche. Nobody would care about the next person, one would stumble and others would simply run them over. Such would be the terror, even when nobody was actually pursuing. The faintness of the heart would have each on such edge that they would constantly be in fear. As this was so, how much more fearful when facing a real challenge…

^{37 (con’t)} and you shall have no power to stand before your enemies.

The terror of the ordeal would leave few willing to fight, and none able to win. When the Lord stood against Israel, the enemies would have little trouble destroying their target.

³⁸ You shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.

The sense here is that either through life or death among the Gentiles, those who were dispersed would remain so. They would be lost among the peoples, and most would either lose their identity there, or they would die there. This is the sense of the term, “the land of your enemies shall eat you up.” It is a phrase used in Numbers 13, when the twelves spies went to search out Canaan, and it is used in Ezekiel 36:13 where the land of Israel is said to devour men. For the majority of the ten northern tribes, this was literally fulfilled. Most were absorbed into the nations and their identity was lost. Eventually, they died in those foreign lands while only a remnant of each tribe was left.

³⁹ And those of you who are left shall waste away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands;

One final new word today is maqaq, meaning to rot or fester. It will be seen twice in this verse and then not again until the Psalms. The idea here is that most of those who go into exile will simply rot away there without ever returning to the land of Israel. In saying they will waste away in their iniquity, it is referring to the punishment of the iniquity. In other words, the same word in Hebrew carries both the idea of sin, and punishment, because sin is its own punishment. As James says, “…when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.” Paul explains this in Romans as well.

*^39 (fin) also in their fathers’ iniquities, which are with them, they shall waste away.

As I said earlier, the Lord doesn’t simply punish the people for every missed Sabbath year. Instead, the fathers sinned, and eventually a time came when the people were punished in the sin of their fathers. The cumulative wrath of disobedience eventually has to be punished. This is the idea of the flood of Noah, and it is the idea of the coming time of Jacob’s trouble, or the tribulation period. The world is storing up wrath, but people keep sinning. Nobody thinks, “Oh boy, we really deserve to be punished.” And so the sin continues, and the wrath grows.

If nothing else has shown you this, a short and quick sermon on these 26 verses today should do so. As terrible as the content has been at some points, the magnitude of what was promised to Israel will be poured out on a global scale at some point. It will be wrath leading to punishment, including abundant death. For those who die apart from God’s grace and mercy, there will be the continuing eternal punishment which follows. All debts will be settled at that time.

If one looks at the verses today in a broad way, they can see standing out in the words the very cross of Christ. Though he was without sin, terror was appointed over Him. He suffered, as it were, carrying the diseases of the world, His light was extinguished, and His life wasted away. While on the cross, the Lord’s face was set against Him – against He who never sinned, but who bore our sins. Those who hated Him ruled over Him, judged Him, and sentenced Him.

Wild beasts surrounded Him, the vengeance of the covenant was poured out on Him, He was delivered into the hands of His enemy. He was deprived of bread; He the Bread of life. In Him is rest, and yet He was deprived of rest. We could go on, verse by verse looking at what Israel was promised for disobedience, and what Christ Jesus suffered in place of their (and our) disobedience.

Leviticus 26 shows us the penalties for violation of the covenant which Israel had agreed upon. There is nothing unfair in what occurred to them over the years, and there is nothing unfair which will come upon the world when it is judged for its own wickedness. But there is mercy because Jesus Christ accepted the punishment of the covenant for us. He received the pain, the agony, and the shame that others deserve. And in exchange, He has offered us a New Covenant. It is one of peace, fellowship with God, and forgiveness of sin committed.

Next week we will look at the faithfulness of God in keeping His promises to Israel, even in their guilt. In this, He will remember not the covenant at Sinai when He speaks to them, but this covenant to their ancestors – to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. It is not for the sake of the Law of Moses, but for the sake of the everlasting promises to the patriarchs that He will speak out those verses.

The importance of this is not to be missed. The Law of Moses has a termination point. That termination is in the cross of Christ. We will all be judged by that law. It will either be judged in us and we will be condemned, or it will be judged for us in Christ, and we will be saved. Let us understand this, and let us call out now accepting Jesus’ sacrifice for our misdeeds. By faith, we can once again be restored to God, fully and completely, and without fear of failure.

Closing Verse: “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, ²² even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.” Romans 3:21, 22

Next Week: Job 19:23-27 After a weary walk in this life that we trod… (In My Flesh I Shall See God – Resurrection Day Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if you have a lifetime of sin heaped up behind you, He can wash it away and purify you completely and wholly. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Assured Curses

‘But if you do not obey Me
And do not observe all these commandments
And if you despise My statutes
Or if your soul abhors My judgments

So that you do not all My commandments perform
But break My covenant, then hear the words I warn

I also will do this to you:
I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever
———-So I do submit
Which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart
And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it

I will set My face against you
And you shall be defeated by your enemies; My word is true
Those who hate you shall reign over you
And you shall flee when no one pursues you

‘And after all this, if you do not obey Me
Then I will punish you seven times more for your sins
———-so shall it be

I will break the pride of your power,
thus ending your mirth
I will make your heavens like iron
———-and like bronze shall be your earth

And your strength shall be spent in vain
For your land it produce shall not yield
Nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit
Barren shall be the trees of the field

‘Then, if you walk contrary to Me
And are not willing to obey Me
I will bring on you seven times more plagues
According to your sins shall it be

I will also send wild beasts among you
Which shall rob you of your children
———-a horrible state
Destroy your livestock, and make you few in number
And your highways shall be desolate

‘And if by these things you are not reformed by Me
But walk contrary to Me; such are your crimes
Then I also will walk contrary to you
And I will punish you for your sins yet seven times

And I will bring a sword against you
That will execute the vengeance of the covenant
When you are gathered together within your cities
I will send pestilence among you; until you are spent

And you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy
Surely this will come to pass; so shall it be

When I have cut off your supply of bread
Ten women shall bake in one oven your bread
And they shall bring back your bread by weight
And you shall eat and not be satisfi-ed

‘And after all this, if you do not obey Me
But walk contrary to Me; such are your continued crimes
Then I also will walk contrary to you in fury
And I, even I, will chastise you for your sins seven times

You shall eat the flesh of your sons for your meat
And the flesh of your daughters you shall eat

I will destroy your high places
Cut down your incense altars, so I shall do
And cast your carcasses on the lifeless forms of your idols
And My soul shall abhor you

I will lay yours cities waste
And bring your sanctuaries to desolation
And I will not smell the fragrance of your sweet aromas
You who were to be My holy nation

I will bring the land to desolation
And your enemies who dwell in it shall be astonished at it
I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you
Your land shall be desolate and your cities waste
———-for the crimes you did commit

Then the land shall enjoy its sabbaths
As long as it lies desolate and you are in your enemies’ land
Then the land shall rest and enjoy its sabbaths
Then shall the nations understand

As long as it lies desolate it shall rest, so I submit
For the time it did not rest on your sabbaths when you dwelt in it
‘And as for those of you who are left, so to you I address
I will send into their hearts in the lands of their enemies faintness

The sound of a shaken leaf shall cause them to flee
They shall flee as though fleeing from a sword
And they shall fall when no one pursues
According to My solemn word

They shall stumble over one another
As it were before a sword throughout the land
When no one pursues
And you shall have no power before your enemies to stand

You shall perish among the nations
And the land of your enemies shall eat you up; so shall it be
And those of you who are left shall waste away
In your enemies’ lands in their iniquity

Also in their fathers’ iniquities, which are with them
They shall waste away, like a branch broken at the stem

Lord God, Israel was warned, and yet they did not obey
They received what was just, right, and due
And we too have walked in a contrary way
We have neglected our duty and responsibility to You

But in Christ there is mercy, and in Christ there is grace
Through Him we are freed from the guilt we bore
And through Him we receive a smile from Your face
And that favor will last forever, and evermore

Thank You for Christ, our Lord Jesus!
Thank You for all, through Him, that You have done for us

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

¹⁴ ‘But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments,

¹⁵ and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant,

¹⁶ I also will do this to you:

I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart.

And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

¹⁷ I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies.

Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you.

¹⁸ ‘And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.

¹⁹ I will break the pride of your power;

I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze.

²⁰ And your strength shall be spent in vain;

for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit.

²¹ ‘Then, if you walk contrary to Me, and are not willing to obey Me, I will bring on you seven times more plagues, according to your sins.

²² I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and make you few in number;

and your highways shall be desolate.

²³ ‘And if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me,

²⁴ then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins.

²⁵ And I will bring a sword against you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant;

when you are gathered together within your cities I will send pestilence among you;

and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.

²⁶ When I have cut off your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall bring back your bread by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied.

²⁷ ‘And after all this, if you do not obey Me, but walk contrary to Me,

²⁸ then I also will walk contrary to you in fury;

and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.

²⁹ You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters.

³⁰ I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars, and cast your carcasses on the lifeless forms of your idols;

and My soul shall abhor you.

³¹ I will lay your cities waste and bring your sanctuaries to desolation, and I will not smell the fragrance of your sweet aromas.

³² I will bring the land to desolation, and your enemies who dwell in it shall be astonished at it.

³³ I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you;

your land shall be desolate and your cities waste.

³⁴ Then the land shall enjoy its sabbaths as long as it lies desolate and you are in your enemies’ land;

then the land shall rest and enjoy its sabbaths.

³⁵ As long as it lies desolate it shall rest—

for the time it did not rest on your sabbaths when you dwelt in it.

³⁶ ‘And as for those of you who are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies;

the sound of a shaken leaf shall cause them to flee;

they shall flee as though fleeing from a sword, and they shall fall when no one pursues.

³⁷ They shall stumble over one another, as it were before a sword, when no one pursues;

and you shall have no power to stand before your enemies.

³⁸ You shall perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.

³⁹ And those of you who are left shall waste away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands;

also in their fathers’ iniquities, which are with them, they shall waste away.

Leviticus 26:1-13
Promised Blessings

Chapter 26 of Leviticus details the blessings and the curses which were to come upon the people of Israel based on obedience or disobedience to the words of law which have been laid down so far, and which will continue to be laid down as the law continues to be relayed to the people.

Because these promises have been so exactingly fulfilled in the later pages of Scripture, objections have been raised by naturalistic and rationalistic critics of the Bible that Moses could not be the author of this chapter. Instead, they claim that the words were written during the times of the kings of Israel, as late as the 8^th or the beginning of the 7^th century BC.

They have done this, because they do not accept prophetic revelation as something which is possible, and therefore what is presented must have been written at a much, much later date. In other words, to them neither God nor man can tell the future except as far as logical deductions can be made.

For example, we can logically deduce that a team will win tomorrow’s game because their opponents are simply not in the same league as those they will be facing. We can logically deduce that the stock market will crash in X number of months or years based on repeatable patterns which have been documented in the past. And so on.

But, for these scholars the words of Leviticus 26, like many of those of the prophets, are so exact and specific – and the fulfillment of them is so exactingly detailed, and in line with what is written here – that it is simply not possible that they could have been penned by Moses. No amount of logical deduction could bring the two into such absolute harmony.

If one holds to a naturalist view of the world, the prophecies contained here can have no other possible explanation than having been written at a later date. However, the stupidity of this view is all the more evident – even apart from both logic concerning God’s nature, and mere faith itself – when one understands that the words of Chapter 26 presuppose not one, but two or more exiles for the people of Israel. There is no doubt, by anyone in reasonable schools of biblical scholarship, that Leviticus predates the second exile of Israel by many hundreds of years.

Even if it wasn’t penned by Moses, and it was instead penned in the 8^th or 7^th century BC as claimed by these knuckleheads, their logic breaks down completely in that a second exile did take place. The words of Leviticus 26 continue to describe exactingly what has occurred to Israel during this second exile, and even more, that the return of Israel to their land in 1948 more exactingly reflects the promises of the Lord contained in this chapter.

This is one reason, among others, that the modern state of Israel is considered an aberration by many supposed scholars. Claims are even made that the people occupying the land are not the same people being addressed in Leviticus 26. But if one honestly looks at Israel of today, in the land of Israel today, no other conclusion can be realistically reached except that the prophetic words of Leviticus 26 are, in fact, realized in Israel, and are thus the words of the Lord, given as a prophetic basis for what has come about.

Text Verse: “Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them. ³³ And when this comes to pass—surely it will come—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.” Ezekiel 33:32, 33

Prophecy, especially future prophecy, is an exceptionally tricky and complicated thing. Far too often, people claim they know what lies ahead based on what the Bible says about certain issues. However, it is an extremely rare thing that someone in the past would read Scripture and know exactly what would come to pass, and in the way and matter it in fact actually occurred.

Bible prophecy is given normally as a general outline of what lies ahead, and piecing together all of what is given on a future event is certainly both a challenge, and something which will be shown in error most of the time. In other words, the Bible is not intended for divination about what lies ahead. It is given in broad brushstrokes of what is coming, but not in minute detail.

However, when the event comes to pass, one can then look back on what has been prophesied and come to a truly “Aha” moment. All of the verses which pointed to what was coming suddenly come into crystal clear focus. In this, the prophet who relayed the words is seen to have been a true prophet, and the Lord who inspired the prophet, is seen as beyond the realm of the naturalist. Instead, He is the omniscient, sovereign Lord who transcends space and time.

In Leviticus 26, there are explicit prophecies which are obvious on the surface, and which were simply awaiting their obvious fulfillment. There are also portions of this chapter which, when taken together with other portions of Scripture, were only realized as prophetically fulfilled after the events took place.

Understanding this, for us in the church today, there are certain future prophecies which are obvious on the surface. We know they are coming, and we can simply await their fulfillment, fully trusting that they will come about because they are of the same reliable Source as other prophecies which have been exactingly fulfilled already. And then, there are things which are coming which will only be known as fulfilled after the events have taken place. The importance of not mixing the two types of prophecy together cannot be overstated. The Bible is not a tool for divination. Predictions about certain dates, and specific events occurring at specific times, are to be rejected outright. But those things which are said to be ahead, and which are carefully recorded for us to understand the broad outline of the future, are fair game to know that the future is set, and that those things will come about. As one example of hundreds, the Bible says there will be a rapture. That is open, explicit, and guaranteed.

However, the Bible does not tell us when that will occur. Therefore, no amount of study or speculation will ever bring us to an understanding of the timing of the event. Let us be wise in how we handle prophecy, and let us never set ourselves in the position where we claim to know what is reserved to God alone. These truths are to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

Promised Blessings to Israel

This chapter begins with no new introduction, such as, “The Lord spoke to Moses saying.” Thus, what is found here is a continuation of the discourse to Moses which has been ongoing since verse 25:1. Despite this, the chapter division here is appropriate because it will deal with the blessings and the curses which Israel can expect based on obedience to the Lord, or disobedience to Him.

The placement of the first two verses, however, are said by some scholars to be wholly inappropriate for starting this new chapter. Instead, it is claimed that they belong to the previous chapter. Charles Ellicott, in particular, finds this placement to be detrimental to our study of what is occurring. He says –

“The first two verses of this chapter are still a part of the previous section in the Hebrew original. By separating them from their proper position, and making them begin a new chapter, both the logical sequence and the import of these two verses are greatly obscured.” Charles Ellicott

He provides his logical reason for the claim by saying that the idolatry of verse 1, and the Sabbath law of verse 2, are tied into being a Hebrew slave in Chapter 25, warning them to abstain from idolatry and to keep the Sabbath, despite their indentured status.

This is a wholly unrealistic analysis. Both idolatry and Sabbath observance laws are given to all the people, regardless of their status as free men or slaves. Rather, the warnings of these two commands set the stage for all that will follow. In Leviticus 19, these same precepts are given at the beginning of the chapter, but the order of them is reversed. It first speaks of keeping the Sabbaths of the Lord in verse 3, and then not turning to idols in verse 4. From there, the rest of the chapter dealt with commands, statutes, and judgments for the people to follow.

The same is true here. The Lord is highlighting these particular commands at the outset of what is to follow, and then He will give the consequences for not following them. In other words, these two commands are being relayed again to call to mind all of the other laws which have been given. As Joseph Benson rightly says, “The substance of their religious laws are here recapitulated in two chief articles, on which all the rest very much depended; and God, by Moses, inculcates upon them.”

These two major precepts, along with reverence for the sanctuary which is also found in verse 3, are given to keep the Israelites from corrupt and superstitious practices. Further, the reversal of the order of these commands – idolatry and Sabbath-keeping between Chapter 19 and here is highlighted in the fact that back in Exodus 20, in the Ten Commandments, the commands are reversed from those in Chapter 19. Like here in Chapter 26, idolatry precedes the observance of the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments.

And so, not to beat the point to death, but so that you understand what is going on, the Lord is giving the first two verses of this chapter as a summary of all of the laws and precepts given to Israel. From this solemn reminder, He will then give them magnificent promises of blessing for obedience, and terrifying promises of curses for disobedience. The words of this chapter are exactingly revealed in the rest of the pages of the Old Testament, and in the second exile of Israel after their rejection of their Messiah, Jesus – just as the Lord promises here in Leviticus 26.

‘You shall not make idols for yourselves;

lo taasu lakem elilim – “no shall you make to you nothings.” The word elilim comes from the word al, or “no,” and thus it literally means “nothings.” These “nothings” then are set in contrast to that which is of the highest value, Yehovah, the One true God. Paul, understanding this nuance, repeats it in 1 Corinthians 8:4 –

“Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one.”

To make a nothing, and then to attribute value to it, reduces the maker of the nothing to the same level as the nothing they have made. In other words, to reverence the name of the Lord, is to bring glory to the Lord, who then returns His favor to that person. But to exalt a nothing will result in exactly the opposite. Psalm 115 explains that those who do such things hold the same value as what they produce. They become nothings –

“But our God is in heaven;
He does whatever He pleases.
⁴ Their idols are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.
⁵ They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
⁶ They have ears, but they do not hear;
Noses they have, but they do not smell;
⁷ They have hands, but they do not handle;
Feet they have, but they do not walk;
Nor do they mutter through their throat.
⁸ Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them.” Psalm 118:3-8

^1 (con’t) neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves;

The pesel, or image was first mentioned in the giving of the Ten Commandments, and it has not been seen since. It comes from pasal which means “to cut or hew into shape.” Thus, this is specifically a carved image. Such an image could be of either a false god, or an attempt to represent the true God. Both of these were forbidden. A false god would be a challenge to Yehovah, and an image claiming to be His likeness would be an affront to Him. Nothing in creation could represent His infinite glory and being.

The pillar, or matstsebah, was first seen when Jacob set up such a pillar when he had his dream of a stairway rising to heaven in Genesis 28. In this case, it is any sacred pillar which is used for worship and/or fertility rites. Such pillars will be seen throughout the times of the kings of Israel, including those to Baal.

^1 (con’t) nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it;

Here is a new word which will be seen six times in the Bible, maskith, or imagination. It is from sekvi which signifies the mind, and thus it is speaking of the imaginations of the mind in forming a carved image. Any carved stone image formed by a man’s mind, whether of something real like a bear, or something imagined, like a unicorn or a Sphinx, is surely included in this concept. This would be inclusive of images carved into stone as well, such as depictions in walls and the like. To have such images could, and would, inevitably lead the people to idolatry. This is made explicit with the words, “to bow down to it.”

^1 (con’t) for I am the Lord your God.

The reason for the commands concerning the conduct of the people, which has been given to them countless times already, is that Yehovah is their God, they committed to this fact, and they are accountable to Him as such. This remains unchanged to this day. Though the law is set aside in Christ, they have – as a collective group of people – not come to Christ. They are thus as accountable today to this law as they were when these words were spoken.

This precept is not to be missed. What is said in this chapter concerning His anticipated treatment of them did not end with the coming of Christ. The blessing and the burden remains. This is revealed explicitly in Daniel 9 where seven more years are given to Israel, under this law, to come to Christ as the fulfillment of it. In the meantime, the words of Leviticus 26 have continued to be revealed in and through Israel, even for the last 2000 years.

² You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary:

I am the Lord.

These words are an exact repetition of Leviticus 19:30, word for word, and even letter for letter. These two laws were given to draw the people near to Him. The intent was that in especially following these precepts, they would be more likely to guard against idol worship, and instead focus on the Lord.

Unfortunately, Sabbath observance, and even the honor of having the Lord’s sanctuary among them became markers of perceived self-goodness and acceptability because of who they were, not because of who the Lord is. Ezekiel shows that this is true, even from their inception as a people. He says that they profaned the Lord’s sabbath from the start, and they did it by allowing their hearts to go after idols, a thing which profaned the very reason for the giving of the Sabbath –

So I also raised My hand in an oath to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, ‘flowing with milk and honey,’ the glory of all lands, ¹⁶ because they despised My judgments and did not walk in My statutes, but profaned My Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols. Ezekiel 20:15, 16

Likewise, the prophet Jeremiah makes this perfectly clear to the people concerning their regard of the Lord’s sanctuary –

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. ⁴ Do not trust in these lying words, saying, ‘The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these.’

⁵ “For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, ⁶ if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt, ⁷ then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever. Jeremiah 7:3-7

^3 ‘If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them,

Verse 3 now begins what verses 1 & 2 prepared the people’s ears to hear. They were given the instructions on what to do in those verses as a summary of all of the laws they have thus far been presented, and of all the laws that are yet to be proclaimed. With that behind them, and yet as a reference for each section of what the Lord will now proclaim, the conditional statements of Leviticus 26 now begin with, “If you walk…” The Pulpit Commentary rightly says of these words, “The free will of man is recognized equally with God’s controlling power.” The statement is conditional – “IF.” It presupposes free will among the people. However, what follows will demonstrate that God will take those choices, and He will control the outcome of the people based on what they chose to do.

In this verse, the words are spoken to all of the people. In other words, the subject of the matter is not what individuals would do concerning their conduct, but what the people collectively would do in keeping the words of the covenant and adhering to the precepts of the Lord. If a miscreant was found among the people, would the people handle him in accord with the given law? It is the collective group to which these words are given.

The Lord will begin with explaining the blessings of what lay ahead if the choice was obedience to Him and to His word. The germ of this blessing was initially promised in the giving of the Ten Commandments. In Exodus 20:6 and 20:12 He gave promises of blessing for obedience to His word.

In Exodus 23, He continued with promises of what He would do for the people if they remained faithful and obedient to Him. These early references will now be fully developed and explained to the people. They are words of surety, they are words of encouragement, and they are words of warning. Israel must pay heed, or Israel will discover what it means to fail to pay heed.

⁴ then I

An important point right here at the giving of the first promise is that it is stated in the first person. This will continue all the way through the chapter. The Lord personally claims that He will fulfill His word in and towards the people – “I will do this,” and “I will do that.” This is in contrast to the comparable passage of blessings and curses noted in Deuteronomy 28. There Moses reiterates the main idea of what is stated here, but he does it in the third person – “The Lord will do this, and the Lord will do that.”

^4 (con’t) will give you rain in its season,

Beginning the blessings with geshem, or rain, is not a word to be taken lightly. Without rain, everything else in the land would come to ruin. With rain, there would be the possibility of abundance and satisfaction. Unlike Egypt where they had left, the land of Israel did not have a massive river running through it which could then be diverted onto the flat surrounding countryside. Instead, it is a land of hills and valleys. Without rain, it would be a barren waste.

But in obedience to Him, and to His word, He promises the rain to come in its season. For Israel under ideal conditions, there are two major rains – the former and the latter rains which are noted in Deuteronomy 11:14. The former rains are those which come at the time after the autumnal equinox, normally around late October to early November. That is when the winter crops of wheat and barley would be sown. After this, heavier showers would fall in November and December.

The latter rains begin to fall in March, before the winter crops are harvested, but at the time when the summer seed is sown. These rains last a few days, or even a period of hours. The clouds which told of the coming of this latter rain were so welcomed to the people, that Solomon equates it to the favor of the king –

“In the light of the king’s face is life,
And his favor is like a cloud of the latter rain.” Proverbs 16:15

Joel 2 speaks of both of these rains, and the blessing of them –

“Be glad then, you children of Zion,
And rejoice in the Lord your God;
For He has given you the former rain faithfully,
And He will cause the rain to come down for you—
The former rain,
And the latter rain in the first month.
²⁴ The threshing floors shall be full of wheat,
And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.”Joel 2:23, 24

James, in the New Testament, does so as well. He equates the coming of the former and latter rains in the land of Israel to the return of the Lord. As the cycle of rains in Israel was disrupted for 2000 years during their exile, and as these rains have returned to their normal cycle since their return in 1948, we find in the words of James comfort. The return of Christ is, in fact, near –

“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. ⁸ You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” James 5:7, 8

^4 (con’t) the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

Here the word yebul, or produce is introduced. It signifies that which is brought forth out of the land, and thus we would say “produce.” Along with such things, the Lord promises that the trees would likewise be fruitful. One can see in this fields of tomatoes, rows of apple trees, and every type of abundance in every field. The words of all of verse 4 closely match Ezekiel 34:26, 27 –

“I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing. ²⁷ Then the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase.” Ezekiel 34:26, 27

⁵ Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing;

Here is a unique word in Scripture, dayish, or “threshing time.” That is derived from dush, or the act of threshing. Another new word, batsir, or vintage is introduced. That signifies the clipping off of clusters of grapes, and thus the time of vintage. The idea here is that there will be such abundance that the productivity of the field will simply go on and on. There will always be work, and it will always be abundantly productive and fruitful. This will be so much the case that while they are still tending to one harvest, the next would be calling out for their attention to tend to it.

These words closely match Amos 9:13. But even more than matching, just after that, in verse 9:15 as the book comes to a close, is a passage which is predictive prophecy, and which has never been fulfilled in history. Thus, it is something which belongs to our future, and which points to Israel’s return to their land in 1948 –

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord,
“When the plowman shall overtake the reaper,
And the treader of grapes him who sows seed;
The mountains shall drip with sweet wine,
And all the hills shall flow with it.
¹⁴ I will bring back the captives of My people Israel;
They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them;
They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them;
They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them.
¹⁵ I will plant them in their land,
And no longer shall they be pulled up
From the land I have given them,”
Says the Lord your God. Amos 9:13-15

There has never been a time which Israel was planted and not pulled up. But the restoration of Israel in 1948 has made this prophecy possible. Other prophecies show us that before these promised blessings come about, many troubles and much loss of life will come to Israel, but the word of God states that they shall never again be uprooted. The word is faithful, and Israel will stand.

^5 (con’t) you shall eat your bread to the full,

These words correspond to Ezekiel 34:29, “I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land.” Again and again Ezekiel promises that which was promised by Moses. The people had rebelled, but the people would receive grace. For those at the time of Moses, however, when they left Egypt and were still on their way to Sinai, they complained against the Lord saying that in Egypt they ate bread to the full. It was at that time that the Lord gave them manna to sustain them. The Lord promises that in Israel, and in their obedience to His precepts, the people would be filled with bread, just as they were in Egypt. But they would be free, and they would be cared for in a better way. This is seen in the next words…

^5 (con’t) and dwell in your land safely.

These words are again reflected in Ezekiel 34. There the prophet says, “They shall be safe in their land;” (v 27). As Israel was delivered from the bondage of Egypt, the Lord sent them into bondage again for their transgressions, but he promised that like Egypt, their time for this would also end.

⁶ I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid;

Once again, Ezekiel 34 repeats the beautiful promises of Leviticus 26 to the downtrodden of his day with, “I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods” (v. 25). For obedient Israel, there was, and there is, the promise of safety in the land. Even with the immense abundance which overflows from the harvests, the Lord promises them safety. There was to be no terror at night that someone would come and steal their efforts away, or harm them as they peacefully lay sleeping.

^6 (con’t) I will rid the land of evil beasts,

And again from the same verse as before, Ezekiel’s words are a restatement of the original promises of Leviticus 26. There we read, “I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to cease from the land” (v. 25). The promise here is one of security, but the term “evil beasts,” means more than simply lions, bears, and jackals. Rather, the term khayah, or living, is used to describe the formation of man in Genesis 2:7. Therefore, this promise to Israel is to be taken euphemistically to include wicked men of the land who form plans and schemes against Israel.

The reference to Ezekiel’s prophecy of the future seems obvious when considering the many factions who are intent on Israel’s destruction, and who make them live in fear today – be they Fatah, Hamas, Hezbollah, or countless others who invade their land, terrify their souls, and swallow up the Lord’s people. Until Israel has set its heart on the Lord, meaning Jesus, this will not cease.

^6 (con’t) and the sword will not go through your land.

The words of this clause are seen substantially repeated in Ezekiel 34 as well. There in verse 28 he says, “And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them.” The Lord has tied the “evil beasts” in with “the sword” going through the land. Thus, Ezekiel’s words concerning the “beasts of the land” is speaking of the enemies of Israel euphemistically. They are as evil beasts, come to destroy the flock of the Lord.

But the flock of the Lord can only be considered as such when they are right with the Lord. Today, the evil beasts within the land, and the evil beasts of the surrounding lands, do come and destroy. A day lies ahead when this will no longer be the case. Israel was the Lord’s, and they betrayed Him. They have now received grace and have been returned to their ancient land, but their lot for the immediate future is one of uncertainty and sure grief. When they return to Him, He will be waiting with open arms.

⁷ You will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you.

The words here are fulfilled throughout the times of the judges and kings. When Israel was in favor with the Lord, they fell upon their enemies and destroyed them mightily. At one time, the power of Israel was so great that the Bible records this in 1 Kings –

“So Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.” 1 Kings 4:21

This had come about by the great battles won by Saul, and then his own father David. By the time Solomon reigned, there was peace on all sides because the enemies of Israel had been chased and destroyed by the hungry sword of Israel.

⁸ Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight;

your enemies shall fall by the sword before you.

The words here are proverbial and signify that a small number would be able to defeat a large multitude. The Hebrew word is revavah. It means a multitude. The Greek translation of the OT says murias, or a myriad. It is an unspecified number. At other times, different numbers are used to express the same thought. Further, they are given in relation to Israel defeating their enemies, and in Israel being defeated by their enemies. However, the precept, though proverbial, is found realized several times in Scripture. In Joshua 23:10, Joshua cites this precept as an assured promise of the Lord in order to spur on his people to battle. He says there that one could chase a thousand.

In Judges 3:31, Shamgar, the son of Anath had killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad. In Judges 15:15, Samson is said to have killed a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey. In 1 Samuel 14, Jonathan and his armor bearer came against a Philistine garrison, killed many, and this led to Israel seizing the initiative and wiping out many Philistines. In 2 Samuel 23:8, Josheb-Basshebeth is said to have raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter.

Finally, when Gideon and 300 men came against a camp of 135,000, they led the enemy into such panic that they killed one another while Gideon pursued them, encouraging other Israelites to join them, and killing as they went. It says that at the end of the battle, over 120,000 warriors had fallen. These and other stories show that while this is a proverbial saying, it is also one which holds more than a grain, but a bucketful, of truth.

⁹ ‘For I will look on you favorably

The words literally say “And I will turn unto you.” It signifies a sign of grace from the Lord. This sentiment is seen in Psalm 25 –

“Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me,
For I am desolate and afflicted.” Psalm 25:16

In turning to them, he promises three positive things. The first is…

^9 (con’t) and make you fruitful,

This is not merely multiplication, but abundant health, continuance, brilliance, renown, etc. It is one thing to have a whole brood of regular children, but another to have children who are warriors, kings, and the like. One cannot be considered a curse, but the other can be considered a blessing. This is the intent of these words.

^9 (con’t) multiply you

In addition to being fruitful comes the second promise, that of multiplication. Not only would Israel flourish in brilliance, renown, and so on, but these would be many in number. When people came to the land, they would say, “Every man is a giant among men.” Such is the intent here. But these first two merely lead to the third…

^9 (con’t) and confirm My covenant with you.

The Lord’s word to Israel refers back to His promises to Abraham. In Genesis 15:18, the first of such terminology is used –

“On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying:

“To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates.” Genesis 15:18

After that, the covenant was solidified with the sign of circumcision, and the promises which went along with it. That was recorded in Genesis 17:4-8 –

“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. ⁵ No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. ⁶ I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. ⁷ And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. ⁸ Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

The scholar Keil notes rightly that the words now in Leviticus are not merely the preservation of this covenant, “but the continual realization of the covenant grace, by which the covenant itself was carried on further and further towards its completion.” The promises are intended to keep the people in the land and increase them as they continued toward the coming of Messiah. The curses, though negative in nature, are intended for the same purpose. Israel would be controlled by God, but it would be a controlling of their own making, for good or evil, as they moved into a future where Christ would someday be revealed.

¹⁰ You shall eat the old harvest, and clear out the old because of the new.

The words here are necessary. He has already promised this type of blessing, but after doing so, He said that He would multiply the people. At what point would that turn south and mean lack? The answer is, “At no point.” As they multiplied, the Lord would continue to provide. There would be no lack, even in great multiplication of the people.

This would be so much so, that even as they ate the old store of food, they would eventually have to remove the old on account of the new. One can imagine great stores of older grain being carried over to the herds and given to them. The food of kings would become fodder for the beasts because of the abundance.

¹¹ I will set My tabernacle among you,

Two promises are made in this verse. The first is that the Lord will set His mishkan, or tabernacle, among the people. This is the greatest promise of all, and it is one which gives the idea of reposing. He will dwell among the people. The Greek translation of this word is used in the New Testament when speaking of Jesus –

“And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only begotten of a father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (YLT)

The coming of Christ was to be the fulfillment of this for Israel, but they rejected Him. From there, Christ went to the Gentiles and has dwelt among them for 2000 years, dwelling in those who have called out to Him for salvation. The second promise is that…

^{11 (con’t)} and My soul shall not abhor you.

The word gaal, or abhor, is introduced here. It is only used ten times in the Bible, but five of them are in this chapter. Four of those show an action by Israel, and a response by the Lord. If the people abhor His laws, He in turn will abhor them. The Lord, right at the beginning gave them the choice, and that choice is first given in the positive – “Obey Me, and I shall not abhor you.” Instead…

¹² I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.

To abhor is to take that which is vile and cast it away. But the Lord promised Israel that if they obeyed His precepts, He would do just the opposite. He would set up His dwelling place among them, and He would walk among them and be their God. To walk with someone is to be in agreement with them. This is seen in Amos 3:3 where the question is asked, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” The answer is, “No.”

The Lord did walk with Israel while they were obedient, and they were His people when this was true. However, in exile, the Lord was not among them, and they were separated from Him as His people. Instead, the promises given to Israel went to the Gentiles. In 2 Corinthians 6, we read this coming to pass –

For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”2 Corinthians 6:16

Paul cites Hosea with this same sentiment in Romans 9:25 to show that the Gentiles would replace Israel during their time of exile and punishment. However, Peter picks up on Paul’s words for the Jews of the end times, and he reapplies them to Israel saying that they were once “not a people, but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:10). A time lies ahead when the favor of God will turn from Gentile to Jew once again. The rapture will occur, and then His eyes will be fully and entirely on completing His redemptive plans for them, and for the world at large.

¹³ I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves;

The Lord has, on several occasions thus far, reminded Israel that He has brought them out of Egypt. They were brought from slavery to freedom, leaving a land of distress and heading to a land of peace and security. They had lived the former life and cried out in anguish because of it. Now they would be given a new direction and were admonished to take heed to the Lord’s word and live in that freedom; not return to bondage.

*^13 (fin) I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you walk upright.

Here we have terminology which shows how highly oppressive life in Egypt was. The Lord uses a new term, motah, or bands, of a yoke to describe their previous plight. These were poles or rods which were laid upon the necks of animals as a type of yoke, or inserted into a yoke, to fasten their heads together to keep them level. In this, they would render the animal completely helpless to resist, and they would be incapable of straightening up.

The idea is that Israel was so oppressed with labor, that it was a yoke which bent their backs, and kept them from upright freedom of movement. The Lord had broken those yokes from the people, and this allowed them to walk in freedom. Our verses today finish with a word which is used only here in the Bible, qomemiyyuth, or upright. Where there was bondage, there was now to be freedom. Where there was affliction, there would now be blessing.

Israel has been given the choice, and the promises based on obedience are magnificent in the extreme. Unfortunately, as we see in the rest of Scripture, they failed to obey. Eventually, they went back under a yoke, and they have continued under it for millennia. But returning one more time to Ezekiel 34:27, we see that someday that will change –

“and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them.”

Their time of freedom lies ahead, and as always, these physical truths, which really occurred, have a greater spiritual meaning in Christ. Israel being brought out of Egypt pictures man’s being brought out from the power of sin and the devil. The yoke upon their necks is that which bound us. Some of us had afflictions of drugs, sex, or alcohol. Some have been addicted to work.

Anything we put above God is a source of idolatry, and it is a source of separation from God. But Christ can and does free us when we come to Him. He resolves the sin problem the moment He redeems us. From there, if we will allow Him to work in us, He resolves the other issues in our lives as well. The yoke is already broken, but too many of us continue to carry it.

And there is another yoke which many Christians continue to carry as well. It is the yoke of the law. Paul warns us to not get entangled again with a yoke of bondage, meaning the Law of Moses. Christ has fulfilled it, and thus He is the end of the law for all who believe. Instead, we are to put our faith, our trust, and our hope in the completed work of Christ.

Let us keep ourselves from falling back into sin, pictured by Egypt, which Christ has redeemed us from, and let us keep ourselves from falling back into bondage to the law which Christ has fulfilled for us. Instead, we are to now live our lives in holiness and in intimate fellowship with God, through Christ our Lord. If you have never been freed from the yokes of this world, today is the day, good friend. Call on Christ, and live in Him, for Him, and in anticipation of Him always.

Closing Verse: “ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Next Week: Leviticus 26:14-39 Surely worse than needle-poking nurses… (Assured Curses) (49^th Leviticus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if you have a lifetime of sin heaped up behind you, He can wash it away and purify you completely and wholly. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Promised Blessings

‘You shall not make idols for yourselves
Not even of your favorite pup
Neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar
Shall you for yourselves rear up

Nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land
To bow down to it
For I am the Lord your God
And so to you this rule I do submit

You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary
I am the Lord; so shall it be

‘If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments
———-and perform them
Then I will give you rain in its season, the right amount to suit
The land shall yield its produce
And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit

Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage
And the vintage till the time of sowing shall last
You shall eat your bread to the full
And dwell in your land safely, nor shall you be downcast

I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down
And none will make you afraid, so understand
I will rid the land of evil beasts
And the sword will not go through your land

You will chase your enemies; so you shall do
And they shall fall by the sword before you

Five of you shall chase a hundred
And a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight
Your enemies shall fall by the sword before you
Such shall be your might

“For I will look on you favorably and make you fruitful
Multiply you and confirm My covenant with you
You shall eat the old harvest
And clear out the old because of the new

I will set My tabernacle among you
And My soul shall not abhor you
I will walk among you and be your God
And you shall be My people; to this word I will be true

I am the Lord your God
Who brought you out of the land of Egypt; that marvelous sight
That you should not be their slaves
I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you walk upright

Lord God, surely you have broken our yoke and set us free
And now You dwell in us and walk among us too
Such marvelous love! How can it be?
That we have received such blessing from You!

Thank You that You are our God because of Jesus
Thank You that we are now your people also
Such marvelous things You have done for us
Such gifts of love and mercy upon us You bestow

Hallelujah to You for Your kind and gracious hand upon us
Hallelujah to You, O God, for our King! Our glorious Lord Jesus!

Hallelujah and Amen…

Leviticus 25:39-55
The Year of Jubilee, Part III

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, ² to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

³ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴ I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, ⁵ hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, ⁶ that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. ⁷ For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.

⁸ Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, ⁹ yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ— ¹⁰ I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, ¹¹ who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me.

¹² I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, ¹³ whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel. ¹⁴ But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary.

¹⁵ For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, ¹⁶ no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

¹⁷ If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me. ¹⁸ But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account. ¹⁹ I, Paul, am writing with my own hand. I will repay—not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides. ²⁰ Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord.

²¹ Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. ²² But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you.

²³ Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, ²⁴ as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers.

²⁵ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Text Verse: “For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave. ²³ You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.” 1 Corinthians 7:22, 23

In last week’s sermon, we ended with a passage on lending to a poor brother Israelite. No interest was to be levied on him, and he was to be treated properly in the Lord’s eyes. The Lord had redeemed them, and they were thus the Lord’s possession. It was therefore ultimately a self-defeating prospect to harm another of the Lord’s redeemed. The law would be violated, the Lord would be displeased, and the loss would ultimately outweigh any gain.

Further, in causing greater trouble to the poor, he would ultimately have to sell himself off as a slave to another. In such a situation, the law would again require certain things to be done in order to ensure proper treatment of this poor soul. To not follow through with those things would then lead to the law being further violated, to the Lord being more displeased, and thus only greater trouble would arise for those who so conducted their affairs.

The Lord wasn’t just breathing hot air when He gave these laws, and He eventually followed through with judgment on the people because of not heeding them. Jeremiah 34:17-20 specifically deals with the issue of the inappropriate treatment of fellow Israelite slaves. The details of what He promised to do are not pretty.

Paul, writing to Philemon on behalf of the slave Onesimus, did not appeal to the law, but he appealed to the spirit of the law. What is mandated for Israel was given to show us hints of the greater work of Christ, our Redeemer. The Year of Jubilee in Israel points ahead to the full, final, and forever redemption which is guaranteed to us because of what He has done. In the meantime, though redeemed, we are asked to act in a way which is honoring of the Lord who has accomplished the redemption. Such will be seen again as we finish up this beautiful chapter on the Year of Jubilee. It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Israelites as Masters (verses 39-46)

³⁹ ‘And if one of your brethren who dwells by you becomes poor,

For the third time in one chapter, the word muk, or poor, is brought to our attention by the Lord. It was first seen in verse 25, and the context remains the same. It is speaking of a fellow Israelite who becomes poor. The word comes from a root meaning to be thin, and thus it is figuratively applied to one who becomes impoverished.

The Lord’s attention is on such a person, and it completely dispels the notion that He favors a person because of his wealth, status, or position. How important this is to remember as we sit in church, having come in a nice car, from a nice house filled with our life’s treasures, and after having eaten all we needed before we came. There is a feeling of satisfaction in such a state that “God must really favor me.” This is a dangerous mental trap which belies the truth of biblical favor. The Lord’s attention is carefully directed to all of His people, even the poorest, and His favor upon our physical prosperity cannot be equated to His favor on us as humans living in His presence. How evident this is from the next words…

^{39 (con’t)} and sells himself to you,

There are several ways this could happen. Exodus 22:3 showed that a person could steal, and if he could not repay according to the law, he could be sold for his theft. In 1 Kings 4, is another example –

A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.” 2 Kings 4:1

Other passages give more details on Israelites who had been sold into bondage. For them, the law has specific guidelines…

^{39 (con’t)} you shall not compel him to serve as a slave.

lo ta’avod bo avodat aved – “no shall you compel in him to serve as a bondservant.” These words follow after verses 35-38 where the Israelite has already been instructed to aid and assist one who has become muk, or poor. There should have already been an effort to stem his poverty, including loans without interest of any kind. Nothing more than what was given – be it money or goods – was to be expected in return.

Now, this impoverished person, who obviously couldn’t even pay back the principle, is obliged to sell himself to simply survive. The Lord specifically commands that if it is an Israelite, he is not to be taken on as a bondservant, meaning a slave or a servant who works for nothing. The onus is on the richer of the two. If he fails to act as the law requires, then who is it who is out of favor with God? Wealth is not a protection for the wealthy because of God’s favor, it is a responsibility intended for the poor, upon whom God favors.

As the Pulpit Commentary says about this state, “All alike, master and bondsman, were the slaves of God, and therefore not only were they, so far, on an equality one with another, but the master would be encroaching on the right of God if he claimed God’s slaves for his own inalienably.”

⁴⁰ As a hired servant and a sojourner he shall be with you, 

The hired servant’s rights have already been outlined, such as the Lord instructing the people to not withhold the wages of a hired servant. The sojourner’s protections have likewise been detailed. The Lord expected the treatment of such to be exemplary by the covenant people. In like manner, the bonded Hebrew was to also be treated. He was to be cared for, rather than manipulated. He was to be recompensed for his labors, not subjugated and oppressed. In this, the scholar Oehler rightly states that, “Through this principle slavery was completely abolished, so far as the people of the theocracy were concerned.”

^{40 (con’t)} and shall serve you until the Year of Jubilee.

Those who attack and challenge the Bible at every word come to these words and claim the Bible contradicts itself. It has already been seen in Exodus 21:2 that a Hebrew servant was to be released after six years of service. This is repeated in Deuteronomy 15. However, this verse says that he shall serve until the Year of Jubilee, an occurrence only once every fiftieth year. There is no contradiction at all here.

A bonded Hebrew could serve no more than six years, ever. If the Year of Jubilee occurred before that, he was to be released, even if it was but one year. The Year of Jubilee, which is the highlight of this chapter, was to take precedence over all other such laws. Total freedom was to be proclaimed, and total freedom was to be given, regardless of any other set times. The land was to revert to its original owners. It would thus require the care of that owner, even if he were serving as a bonded servant. With the reacquisition of his land, he would then be able to work towards the future on an even level with every other person in the society.

⁴¹ And then he shall depart from you—he and his children with him—and shall return to his own family.

The family of the bonded Hebrew was his, and could not be deprived him. However, Exodus 21 clarifies this law. If the master gave him a wife during his time of servitude, she was not to go out with him, and any children born to the union were likewise not to go out with him. To understand why this was, you can refer back to that sermon. It is just, fair, and proper when rightly considered.

In that passage, the bonded Hebrew could renounce his right to freedom and remain a permanently bonded servant. As a sign of this allegiance to his master, he was to be brought to the judges, and then taken to a door or doorpost and the master was to pierce his ear with an awl. In that act, he was bonded forever. The year of Jubilee would not override this sign of allegiance. Every detail of that points to Christ. If you don’t remember it, go brush up. Other than that exception, however…

^{41 (con’t)} He shall return to the possession of his fathers.

In sh’nat ha’yobel, or “Year the Jubilee,” the bonded Hebrew was to be released, and he was to be granted full rights, including his father’s land, once again. No government law, no edict of man, and no other arrangement under the Mosaic law could override this.

⁴² For they are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves.

This verse corresponds directly to verse 23 which said, “The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine.” These two verses form a link and are clues to the intent of the entire passage. The land is the Lord’s, and therefore it could not be considered as a weapon against another Hebrew. Likewise, the people were the Lord’s, and therefore they could not be mistreated. He delivered all of Israel, and therefore all of Israel was on an equal footing in His eyes. In this Adam Clarke rightly states, “It was in being his servants, and devoted to his work, that both their religious and political service consisted. And although their political liberty might be lost, they knew that their spiritual liberty never could be forfeited except by an utter alienation from God.” Therefore…

⁴³ You shall not rule over him with rigor,

Here, a word is given that has not been seen since the first chapter of the Bible, radah, or rule. It comes from a root meaning “to tread down.” Thus it is to subjugate another. Man was given dominion over all the fish, birds, and land creatures. He is also, to a point, given dominion over other men. But the Lord specifically says that it is not to be with perek, or rigor.

This is the same word seen only so far in Exodus 1. There it said that the Egyptians ruled over the people of Israel with perek, or rigor. As Egypt is symbolic of the world of sin, and thus bondage to the devil, we are being asked to look deeper than just a surface mistreatment of one Hebrew over another.

In what should point us to the Lord Himself, this word, perek, is the root of the word paroketh, meaning the veil which hung between the holy place and the most holy place. The veil thus signified that on one side there is cruelty and rigor of life, and on the other side there is peace with God. The veil was that point of division. That veil is the body of Christ which was torn for our transgressions. In His redemptive act, the rigor of His earthly life was fulfilled. Because of this, no servant of His was to be treated in that way. He took upon Himself what we are to be exempted from.

^{43 (con’t)} but you shall fear your God.

To fear God is to respect His position as Sovereign, and to acknowledge both His work for the people with gratitude, and His right to judge the people with justice. Considering the picture of the veil signifying the rigor which is prohibited to be laid upon the bonded Hebrew because Christ has taken that from us, the words of Ephesians 6 show that the precept of verse 43 only looked forward to Christ and His work –

“Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; ⁶ not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, ⁷ with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, ⁸ knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

⁹ And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.” Ephesians 6:5-9

⁴⁴ And as for your male and female slaves whom you may have—from the nations that are around you, from them you may buy male and female slaves.

Permanent slaves could be obtained from the surrounding nations. This could be through regular transactions, conquering them in war, and the like. These would not be released after a set time, nor even in the Year of Jubilee. Instead, they became a part of the property of the Hebrew owner. The term, “the nations that are around you” excludes any of the nations who were devoted to destruction who are named in Deuteronomy 20:16-18, with the reason for their being destroyed. The Lord had been patient with the inhabitants of Canaan for 400 years, their wickedness had reached its fullness, and they were to be destroyed.

However, in the conquest of Canaan, some of those devoted to destruction did become slaves of the Israelites anyway. The most noted example is that of Joshua 9 concerning the Gibeonites.

⁴⁵ Moreover you may buy the children of the strangers who dwell among you, and their families who are with you, which they beget in your land; and they shall become your property.

The toshav, or stranger, among Israel would be someone who had taken up residence in the land. They were among the Hebrew people, and they had submitted to various requirements, but had not been circumcised or embraced the faith of Israel. They could be bought and sold as property, with no chance of release unlike the bonded Hebrews. However, if they were bought as slaves, they were then required to be circumcised according to the law given to Abraham in Genesis 17 which said –

“…every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. ¹³ He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.” Genesis 17:12, 13

And so in a unique way, the slaves of the Hebrews were given this unique sign as a way of identifying them permanently with the covenant people.

⁴⁶ And you may take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them as a possession; they shall be your permanent slaves.

The purpose of these words is to show, without any debate, that these non-Hebrews were not provided with the rights of the Jubilee. Instead, they were permanent possessions of the Hebrews, even to bequeathing them as an inheritance to the next generation. Their status as slaves was permanent.

Within this seemingly unfair standard, there are still provisions for the slaves, including freedom itself. The slaves were to be treated without excessive force. If this was violated, they could demand their freedom. In Exodus 21 it said –

“If a man strikes the eye of his male or female servant, and destroys it, he shall let him go free for the sake of his eye. ²⁷ And if he knocks out the tooth of his male or female servant, he shall let him go free for the sake of his tooth.” Exodus 21:26, 27

Further, it is implied in Exodus 12 that if any person were to assume the requirements of joining the people of Israel, they were to be treated henceforth as natives of the land. This must apply to the slave as well as the free man. Great allowances for these slaves are seen, and are made explicit in the law itself.

^{46 (con’t)} But regarding your brethren, the children of Israel, you shall not rule over one another with rigor.

These words seem to imply that a non-Israelite could be ruled over with rigor, but we have seen that this went only so far, and no further. And more, the same words, radah and perek, of verse 43 are seen in this verse. We are being shown pictures of the Hebrew’s rights and privileges that are reflective of the rights and privileges of those who have been redeemed by Christ. He is our Sovereign and the One who has dominion over us. We have been brought out of bondage to sin, and we are given an exalted status because of it.

These people whom you see, each is My servant
Whom I brought out of Egypt the land
And so to My word concerning them, you shall be observant
Yes, you shall pay heed and understand

It is I who have redeemed, and I to whom they belong
With rigor you shall not over them rule
You shall not mistreat them, nor do them wrong
Surely over them you shall be kind, never shall you misrule

And on the Year of Jubilee
There shall be a release, final and forevermore
On that day, the riches of heaven you shall see
When at last you are conducted through heaven’s door

II. Israelites as Slaves (verses 47-55)

⁴⁷ ‘Now if a sojourner or stranger close to you becomes rich, and one of your brethren who dwells by him becomes poor, and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner close to you, or to a member of the stranger’s family,

Every possible case of servitude is covered in the law, including what is now proposed. The Hebrew here is idiomatic. It literally says, “And if becomes sufficient the hand of a foreigner settled among you, and becomes poor your brother with him.” There is then the sense of the one reaching up to wealth while the Israelite becomes low and depressed.

In such a case, the Israelite might decide to sell himself off to this non-Israelite, figuring his lot will be better under the stranger’s wealth than he will be in his own poverty. Or, he may even sell himself off to someone in the foreigner’s family. The word used is found only here in Scripture, eqer, or literally, an offshoot. In this case it is a non-Israelite related to another non-native in the land. He has rooted himself in the land, and possibly even among the people of God, having been incorporated into the commonwealth. Regardless of the status of the buyer, if a native Israelite were to take this course of action and sell himself off, then…

⁴⁸ after he is sold he may be redeemed again. One of his brothers may redeem him;

Regardless as to what the non-native desired in this matter, or even his status in regards to the Israelites, if he dwelt in the land, he had no say in this law. The law of a non-Israelite being sold to an Israelite is reversed here. The Israelite slave, like the land of original possession in Israel, was always redeemable. The Lord ultimately is the Owner of both, and therefore, there was no authority higher than the law which covers such redemption.

In this is seen the continued germination of the idea of what Messiah would come to do. Israel had been redeemed. They belonged to the Lord, but they could be sold off temporarily. However, it was never a permanent arrangement. The people could be redeemed at anytime by a redeemer. And even if that did not occur, the once-redeemed Israelite was to still be given total freedom in the Year of Jubilee.

This forms a picture of the absolute and eternal salvation found in Christ. We may be sold off to whatever possesses us, be it drugs or some other addiction, but there is no time that we cannot be bought back from that. And further, even if we are not bought back, in what is the true Jubilee, we shall be forever set free in our final release in Christ. The brother ere in this verse points directly to Christ Jesus where in Hebrews 2:11, it says, He is not ashamed to call us brothers.

The temporary ownership of our bodies by the world cannot negate the eternal ownership of our souls in Christ. Because Christ assumed a human nature, we are as brothers in humanity to Him, thus the brother is mentioned first as a possible redeemer. For now, and in the immediate context, any Israelite could be redeemed by his brother…

⁴⁹ or his uncle or his uncle’s son may redeem him;

The brother has already been mentioned, but then it curiously goes to the uncle in this verse. The Hebrew word for “uncle” is dod, literally meaning “beloved.” Then it says ben dodo, or “son of his uncle.” The letters used here form an anagram of ben David, or “Son of David.” Thus, we have hidden references to Messiah.

 

Christ is called the Beloved by Paul in Ephesians 1:6, in a passage where he speaks in detail of our redemption in Christ, thus connecting Him to one who can redeem here in Leviticus. He is also called the Son of David countless times in the gospels and epistles. In this, Christ Jesus is again the Redeemer. He is the Son of David, descending from Judah. He is the One who is qualified to provide the eternal redemption of the people of God. As John Gill notes –

“…they through the fall, and in a state of nature, are become poor and helpless, and in a spiritual sense have neither bread to eat, nor clothes to wear, nor money to buy either; and are in debt, owe ten thousand talents, and have nothing to pay, and so are brought into bondage to sin, Satan, and the law; nor can they redeem themselves from these by power or price; nor can a brother, or the nearest relation redeem them, or give to God a ransom for them; none but Christ could do this for them, who through his incarnation, whereby he became of the same nature, of the same flesh and blood with them, and in all things like unto them, is their ‘goel’, and so their Redeemer, and has obtained eternal redemption for them, not with silver and gold, but by his own precious blood.” John Gill

^{49 (con’t)} or anyone who is near of kin to him in his family may redeem him;

The Hebrew uses two words which essentially both mean “flesh.” It speaks of anyone who is mi’sheer besaro, or “from flesh of his flesh.” Although nearly synonyms, the first is flesh as in nearness – “I am of the same flesh as my father.” The second is flesh in substance – “We are all made of human flesh.” The catchall phrase here again speaks of Christ, who took on the substance of humanity, and likewise through that act also came into a family nearness with us in order to redeem us. And finally there is one more option for this Hebrew slave…

^{49 (con’t)} or if he is able he may redeem himself.

The question is, how could a person so poor that he had to offer himself as a slave in the first place find sufficiency at hand to redeem himself? The answer is certainly, “Through an inheritance.” Therefore, the person hasn’t directly redeemed himself, but it has happened through a granted inheritance. This again looks to the work of Christ. Paul in Ephesians 1 carefully writes out what is the inheritance of the saints. In particular, he says of Christ, “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will” (v. 11). It is Christ who works, and it is because of His works that we can receive the inheritance. The law, again, has pointed us to a greater spiritual truth for the redeemed of the Lord in Christ.

⁵⁰ Thus he shall reckon with him who bought him: The price of his release shall be according to the number of years, from the year that he was sold to him until the Year of Jubilee; it shall be according to the time of a hired servant for him.

What we have here is a calculation comparable to the redemption of property in verses 15 & 16. As the sale and redemption of the land is based not on the actual land, but on the number of crops available until the Jubilee, so the sale and redemption of an Israelite is based not on his person, but on his work and productivity. This does not take into account any speculation. For example, one cannot say, “Hey our brother here is 62 years old, and the Jubilee is 40 years away. We will pay only until the average age of death which is 70, and so we will pay you for 8 years.”

Instead, the payment is made solely based on the year of Jubilee, regardless of any extenuating circumstances. The favor of the deal goes to the owner of the slave, giving the greatest regard that it was handled in a perfectly fair manner.

And isn’t this what has happened in our redemption? Christ now possesses us. He has given us the guarantee of that redemption in the sealing of the Spirit. And yet, the payment rendered for our redemption, the blood of Christ, was the full amount required, meaning even to His death, to carry us through until the final time of release. We are not partially redeemed, but fully redeemed. No further claim can be laid upon us ever again. So much for “loss of salvation.” This continues to be explained…

⁵¹ If there are still many years remaining, according to them he shall repay the price of his redemption from the money with which he was bought.

The calculation is given in a standard form. If he sold himself for thirty pieces of keseph, or silver, and there were 20 years until the Jubilee when he did so, then if he is to be redeemed after 10 years, the master was to be paid fifteen pieces of keseph. More years till the Jubilee would mean a higher proportion to be paid, and less would mean a smaller proportion. This is seen in the next words…

⁵² And if there remain but a few years until the Year of Jubilee, then he shall reckon with him, and according to his years he shall repay him the price of his redemption.

Everything is based on the original sale, and the years until the Jubilee. That is the entire basis for redemption. Nothing is said here, however, concerning seventh-year Sabbath years. As a slave is not limited to agricultural work, one would logically not deduct those years which are deducted for land-rest each seventh year in the sale of property.

Further, nothing is said about the slave being released after six years, which would be the case if he had sold himself to another Israelite. That law of Exodus 21 does not apply to foreign masters, and thus it would be a very strong inducement for an Israelite to sell himself not to an outsider, but to another Israelite. The entire tenor of these laws is given to avoid, as much as possible, becoming entangled with non-Israelites in such matters.

⁵³ He shall be with him as a yearly hired servant,

What this means is that he is to be reckoned as a servant who could obtain his freedom at any time, and that his time of bondage was for a specified time, even if not sooner. He was never to be counted as a personal, permanent slave whom he could mistreat at will. And to ensure that this precept was held as absolute…

^{53 (con’t)} and he shall not rule with rigor over him in your sight.

The people of Israel were to individually keep watch over such an arrangement, carefully observing that the sacred care of one Israelite over another was not violated by a foreigner over an Israelite. The same high standard of care for him was to be maintained regardless as to whom he had sold himself to. This was a specific obligation, carefully recorded to avoid any chance of it being dismissed by the people.

This is now the last time that this word, perek, or rigor, will be seen until the book of Ezekiel where it will be seen just once more. As the Israelite had been redeemed by the Lord, the cruelty which the Lord would face for man’s full redemption is to be excluded from the treatment of the enslaved Israelite. The Lord took upon Himself what He will not allow in those He has redeemed in the process.

⁵⁴ And if he is not redeemed in these years, then he shall be released in the Year of Jubilee—he and his children with him.

The word “years” is not in the original. It simply says, “And if he is not redeemed in these.” It is not referring only to the years before the Jubilee, but of the process of being redeemed by another as well. Regardless as to whether he was redeemed by man, or in a set period, he had been redeemed by the Lord, and he was to be released as the Lord’s property in the Year of Jubilee. And then it adds in a note of exceptional grace, “he and his children with him.”

The Israelite belonged to the Lord, and those who issued from him did as well. The master could not claim that because they may have been born in his house, that they were his property. Rather, they were by blood, and thus by right, children of Israel and therefore by extension children of the Lord.

⁵⁵ For the children of Israel are servants to Me; they are My servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt:

In type, we are to look at these words, and we are to insert ourselves into what they merely picture. The Lord redeemed Israel out of Egypt; Christ Jesus redeemed us out of the bondage of sin and the yoke of the devil. In this, we belong to Christ, and we are now His servants. He did the work, we are to be obedient to the calling. To mistreat another Christian is a self-defeating prospect.

The Lord has given us our instructions, and to not pay heed is to only violate His word, and to grieve His Spirit. Paul explains this for us in Ephesians –

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. ³² And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:30-32

As with Israel, so with the church. And the reason for these things centers on one over-arching concept…

*^55 (fin) I am the Lord your God.

ani Yehovah elohekem – “I am Yehovah your God.” The Lord proclaims His name and position. In essence, what we are being told with these words is, “I am the self-existent Creator, and I am your Redeemer. You are my possession, and I am Your God. I am Yehovah your God; you are My redeemed. Treat one another well, watch out for one another, and do so with zeal as you await the final blast of the trumpet on that great day of Jubilee.”

In the final analysis of what has been seen in Leviticus 25, the highest and greatest significance of the Year of Jubilee is to be found in the restoration of all things which Peter refers to in Acts 3. It is the restoration of the kingdom of God which has been, through man’s disobedience and fall, left unrealized to this day. Israel’s fifty-year Jubilee was a call to restore to what was originally given, to level the playing field, to encourage and lift up the downtrodden, to free the captive, and to reflect that which was originally established and blessed.

We live now in anticipation of what that only pictured. We have been redeemed from spiritual Egypt, and all things have been restored in guarantee, but not yet in reality. Eden was lost, but in Christ it is, and it shall be, found. Our bodies grow old and die, but they shall be remade to last forever. Our wealth can be diminished or lost, but eternal gain lies just ahead. Brothers and sisters in Christ are held captive, but they shall be released. God fellowshipped with man, and soon enough He will do so again.

The Kingdom of God and of His Christ is prepared, the table is set, and the final day of Jubilee is just around the corner. Let us not be discouraged with the temporary woes we face, but let us rejoice and exult in the magnificent guarantee that we hope for. Christ has come among us, and through His work, our redemption is secured. Let the trumpet sound loudly, and let the people proclaim liberty throughout the land. May it be so, and may it be soon.

Closing Verse: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
² To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Isaiah 61:1, 2

Next Week: Leviticus 26:1-13 Good things will come. They are written down, so no need for guessings… (Promised Blessings) (49^th Leviticus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if you have a lifetime of sin heaped up behind you, He can wash it away and purify you completely and wholly. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Of Masters and Slaves

‘And if one of your brethren who dwells
By you becomes poor, his riches he does not preserve
And sells himself to you
You shall not compel him as a slave to serve 

As a hired servant and a sojourner with you he shall be
And shall serve you until the Year of Jubilee 

And then he shall depart from you
He and his children with him as well
And shall return to his own family
He shall return to the possession of his fathers; so to you I tell 

For they are My servants
Whom I brought out of Egypt the land
They shall not be sold as slaves
In this you shall pay heed and understand 

You shall not with rigor over him rule
But you shall fear your God; to him you shall not be cruel 

And as for your male and female slaves
Whom you may have, this I will not deny
From the nations that are around you
From them you may male and female slaves buy 

Moreover you may buy the children
Of the strangers who dwell among you, this is allowed to be
And their families who are with you, which they beget in your land
And they shall become your property 

And you may take them as an inheritance
For your children after you, it may be this way
To inherit them as a possession
They shall be your permanent slaves, as I tell you today

But regarding your brethren
The children of Israel
You shall not rule over one another with rigor
In tender care of them you shall dwell

‘Now if a sojourner or stranger close to you becomes rich
And one of your brethren who dwells by him, so you construe
Becomes poor, and sells himself
To the stranger or sojourner close to you

Or to a member of the stranger’s family
After he is sold he may be again redeemed
One of his brothers may redeem him
If in his eyes he is esteemed

Or his uncle or his uncle’s son may redeem him
Or anyone who is to him near of kin
In his family may redeem him
Or if he is able he may redeem himself again 

Thus he shall reckon with him who bought him:
The price of his release shall be
According to the number of years
From the year that he was sold to him until the Year of Jubilee 

It shall be for him according to the time of a hired servant
In this matter all shall be observant

If there are still many years remaining
According to them he shall repay
The price of his redemption from the money
With which he was bought on his redemption day 

And if there remain but a few years
Until the Year of Jubilee, on that day
Then he shall reckon with him
And according to his years the price of his redemption him he shall repay 

He shall be with him as a yearly hired servant, as is right
And he shall not rule with rigor over him in your sight 

And if he is not redeemed in these years
Then he shall be released in the Year of Jubilee—
He and his children with him
For the children of Israel are servants to Me

They are My servants whom I brought out of Egypt the land
I am the Lord your God, and so these things you shall understand

Heavenly Father, through Christ we have been redeemed
We are Your possession, and to You we belong
Our times of bondage now are to be lightly esteemed
As we sing in our hearts our final redemption song

Restoration is sure to come, and all will be restored
No longer will access to heaven be inhibited
The truth of this is recorded in Your word
And in the life of Christ, this certainty is exhibited

And so, our King, we give joyful shouts to You
As we await the trumpet blast, to receive our heavenly due

Hallelujah, we shall say it once again!
Hallelujah and Amen…

Leviticus 25:23-38
The Year of Jubilee, Part II

The many systems set in place in Israel for land, property, the produce of the land, and the like, and which are set up for the care of the people are amazing. In studying these laws in order, and one at a time, we learn all kinds of intricate details about how things operated. But it’s hard to actually place ourselves into the story and really see how it all fits together. The people of Israel, though, would have lived them out, not one at a time, but all the time.

The feasts of Israel were lived out in a continuous fashion each year. The seventh Sabbath year would be a regular part of this cycle. Within that cycle, there would also be the annual tithe which the people set aside year by year. And from that, the tithe would be given away once every third year. This means that there would be two such tithe-years for each seven Sabbath year cycle, or even a third if the tithe-year fell on a Sabbath year.

But… if the two happened on the same year, then there would be no reaping of the land, and so how the tithe was collected is rather difficult to determine. And yet, the Lord set each one of these things down as a precept for the people to follow. If they simply followed what was required, and did as they were instructed, the amount of blessing that would come upon them would have been truly remarkable.

We can’t place our society into what the Lord mandated for Israel, and we cannot take the precepts of Chapter 25 and apply them to the functioning of our lives today. But it is such a unique system of ensuring stability that it is hard to simply ignore without giving a great breath of awe at what the Lord did for them.

In Israel, anyone who became poor had numerous ways of at least staying at a basic level, and even the ability to slowly work himself out of his pit if he was industrious enough. And eventually, even if that was just not possible, at the Year of Jubilee, he could once again reclaim his land and make a clean start of life all over again.

The laws of Israel found here would help considerably in relieving highs and lows of economic issues. Everything would be kept on a much more even keel because of the ingenious laws which are presented here. And someday, an even more perfect system will be introduced for the redeemed of the Lord. How good that will be.

In today’s world, we are all just one economic collapse away from disaster, and there is no true security to be found. Wealth is a house of cards that could come tumbling down with the next major correction. So let us not put our hope in a failed system of digital readouts and shaky land deals.

Text Verse: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, ¹⁸ the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints… Ephesians 1:17, 18

Israel is being told what they are to do with their inheritance once again in today’s verses. There are all kinds of interesting provisions to be looked into, and these are the laws that the people were bound to all their days. It was a regular part of life for them, just as it is for us when we go to buy a house. We don’t think of it, we just do as the law requires and that’s that.

But, if we consider buying land in another country, there is a lot of checking on what can and cannot be done. Failure to understand what one is getting into could end with a rather sad result. But such is not the case with the inheritance of the saints. There will be no catches, no hidden deals, and nothing that will bring about buyer’s remorse. When we receive our inheritance, we will be eternally grateful for the unmerited grace which has been poured out on us through the work of Another, through the work of the Lord.

How Israel could complain about the deal they got is a bit hard to imagine. They were given land, they were given it forever, and they need do nothing to keep it. If they sold it off, it would eventually come back to them. There was never a permanent lack for those in the land.

And so how much greater is our eternal inheritance! The possibilities of the universe itself are awaiting us. So don’t have fear that the future won’t be bright. It will, in fact, be dazzling. Until then, we are here, and we can look at what God did for Israel as an ingenious hint into what lies ahead for us. Let us be confident of our inheritance, grateful to our Lord, and willing to be attentive to the many lessons about such things which are found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Redemption of Property (verses 23-34)

²³ ‘The land shall not be sold permanently,

The Lord now reverts to the instructions from verses 14-17. He had explained that the exchange of property was based upon the number of crops to be expected until the next year of Jubilee. This counting was exclusive of any Sabbath years where crops could not be harvested for profit. To ensure that this was an understood precept, the laws of the Sabbath year were then expanded on in verses 18-22. Now the property laws continue to be explained.

Here, a special word is given which is translated as “permanently,” tsemithuth. It will only be used here and in verse 30 in the whole Bible. It comes from a root meaning “to destroy.” The idea then is that the people are not to excise themselves from what has been ordained in the original granting of land. In so doing, there would be a destruction of what was originally intended. In both uses of the word, it is prefixed by “to.” In other words, “The land shall not be sold to extinction.” And this is not without reason…

^{23 (con’t)} for the land is Mine;

ki li ha’arets – “for to Me the land.” This sets the basis for all of the dealings with Israel, and any other group of people who would enter into the land. The Lord claims sovereign ownership over the land, and therefore, they have no right to permanently sell what is not theirs. They only have the rights to deal with the land as He lays out, but their rights go no further.

The words being placed here are a logical and necessary step in order for the next chapter to be introduced – that of the blessings and curses. The people had already bound themselves under the law, to include all such blessing and curses, but the issue of exile from the land becomes clear and understandable because of the placement of this chapter, and this statement – “for the land is Mine.” Israel is granted the land, but only so far as the Lord allows them to live in it. He is the Lord of the soil, and therefore, all land dealings are ultimately at His will, not Israel’s.

A beautiful example of fundamentally misunderstanding this precept by the people is found in Ezekiel. The only time Abraham is mentioned in the entire book, it is in connection with the land –

Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: ²⁴ “Son of man, they who inhabit those ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one, and he inherited the land. But we are many; the land has been given to us as a possession.’ Ezekiel 33:23, 24

They remembered that their father, Abraham, had possessed the land despite being just one man. How much more then did they figure they had a right to possess it when there were many of them who had inherited the right to the land! But they failed to accept the whole scope of this tapestry. The land was given to Israel. When they were obedient, it was theirs and they could live in it. When they were disobedient, the land was theirs and they could not. It was theirs to possess, but not as an unconditional right.

^{23 (con’t)} for you are strangers and sojourners with Me.

As Lord of the soil, Israel was (and is) a group of tenants at will. In failure to meet the requirements of this state, they gave up their right to dwell in their allotment. Again, all of this was with the intent of securing a set, and continuing, inheritance which would someday lead the people to the Messiah. It is a giant fabric of intricate weavings intended for that one, ultimate purpose.

²⁴ And in all the land of your possession you shall grant redemption of the land.

With the things already addressed in mind, the concept of geullah, or redemption, is now introduced. It is a word which will be seen 14 times, but 9 of them will be in this chapter. To see the practice in action, the Lord will provide two examples of it – one in Ruth 4, and one in Jeremiah 32. Because the land is the Lord’s, and because the people are but temporary dwellers with right of use, redemption of the property was expected. This then works into the greater theme of redemption as is found in Christ Jesus. Here in Leviticus, truths are being relayed which go backward to the fall of man, and forward to the work of Christ.

²⁵ ‘If one of your brethren becomes poor,

One of the very purposes of the land return in the Year of Jubilee was to avoid a permanent state of exactly what is detailed here, which is that a fellow Israelite become muk, or poor. This is a unique word, found only four times in this chapter, and once in Chapter 27. It comes from a root meaning “to become thin,” and thus it signifies being impoverished. By having a return of the land, it would balance out extremes of poverty and wealth. However, poverty could come between the Jubilees, and so provisions are made for such times.

^{25 (con’t)} and has sold some of his possession,

When times of thinness arise, a man could sell some, or all, of his possession in order to alleviate his plight. In fact, it is the only reason given for actually doing so. Outside of poverty, the law presumes that each would retain his land. However, in such a case, it was not automatically lost until the Jubilee. Instead, the provision of geullah, or redemption, was to be adhered to by the new owner…

^{25 (con’t)} and if his redeeming relative comes to redeem it,

A relative of the poor man had the full right to redeem the land which was sold. This wasn’t optional, as if the new owner could say, “No, I want to hold onto it.” Rather, when a near relative presented the fee, the present owner was under obligation to sell back that which he held. This is the meaning of verse 24, “you shall grant redemption of the land.”

^{25 (con’t)} then he may redeem what his brother sold.

The near relative had full right to reacquire that which had been sold away. In this is seen the germ of what is later explained by Paul concerning the work of Christ. Dominion over the earth had been granted to Adam, but he had lost his right. But Christ came, taking on flesh and becoming our near relative in humanity, in order to perform the redemption for us. In Luke 4 the devil said to Jesus –

“All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” Luke 24:7

Jesus didn’t question the truth of the devil’s claim. Instead, He went about, using this very law given to Israel, to reclaim what had been lost. In the end, He prevailed –

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Matthew 28:18

The heavenly scene itself is found in the book of Revelation –

And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. ² Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” ³ And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.

⁴ So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. ⁵ But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” Revelation 5:1-5

²⁶ Or if the man has no one to redeem it, but he himself becomes able to redeem it,

If a man found sufficiency to redeem the property on his own, then the law gave provision for that as well. This verse here presupposes that any human could have potentially reclaimed the title to what Adam lost, but the sad words of Revelation 5 show that such was not actually to be. No one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. The law gave the option nonetheless.

²⁷ then let him count the years since its sale, and restore the remainder to the man to whom he sold it, that he may return to his possession.

The idea here is one of simple mathematics. How many years had passed since the sale, how many had it been in the purchaser’s hands, and how many years of crops were yet ahead until the Jubilee. In figuring these in, the mandatory sale price could be determined. There was no haggling, and there was no actual dispute. The rightful owner would receive the property back based on the law itself, and his ability to meet his requirements under it.

²⁸ But if he is not able to have it restored to himself, then what was sold shall remain in the hand of him who bought it until the Year of Jubilee; and in the Jubilee it shall be released, and he shall return to his possession.

The words are obvious, but the beauty of them may be missed. The buyer of the land lost nothing. He paid for the crops which lay ahead, and nothing more. Therefore, he had received full for his purchase – be it five years or forty-five. And the one who had sold the land had received full compensation for the use of the land which he lost his right to during the time of absence.

However, with the coming of the Jubilee, meaning the sounding of the ram’s horn, the land returned to his hand once again. The playing field was level, and any time of poverty was potentially gone forever. Nobody became overly wealthy, nobody was permanently poor, and the government could not usurp the rights of the people because the law held final say over the entire matter.

²⁹ ‘If a man sells a house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year he may redeem it.

As all Israel was given an inheritance of land, those who either built or purchased a house within a walled city had merited the right to that property. Human effort was involved in the process, apart from the grace of an inheritance. This is true with a house built on inherited land, but it is the land, not the house, which the Lord considers.

A city with walls was a place specifically designed to promote a different type of industry than that of agriculture. There are artisans, business dealers, smiths, and all of the other things life in such a city included. The walls are man made protection, and it is a place of human effort and endeavor. If a person owned a house within such a place, a set time of redemption could take place; one year. After that, the property would be forever transferred to the new owner without further encumbrance.

³⁰ But if it is not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house in the walled city shall belong permanently to him who bought it, throughout his generations. It shall not be released in the Jubilee.

As the dwelling was never a gift of God in the first place, then it did not bear the mark of a permanent inheritance. Further, there was no danger in the confusion of tribes or families in the ownership of houses in walled cities. Because of this, such a transfer was given a set period of time to be reclaimed by the seller, but not a day beyond that. If after one year it was not bought back, the matter was settled forever. This verse has the Bible’s last use of tsemithuth, introduced in verse 23. Its use is permanently ended, and so with finality, we can bid it adieu.

³¹ However the houses of villages which have no wall around them shall be counted as the fields of the country.

A village without walls presupposes that the houses would be connected to the surrounding land for the purpose of agriculture. Instead of building a house on each piece of land like often occurs, some villages are started with the set purpose of community where the inhabitants daily went out to work the land of one’s inheritance. It is generally accepted that the later addition of walls, for protection or for some other reason, would not change the nature of the tie between the house and it’s acreage.

^{31 (con’t)} They may be redeemed, and they shall be released in the Jubilee.

Such houses were a part of the landed property which was given as grace at the original inheritance, they were necessary for reasonable cultivation of the land, and they were therefore released along with the land at the Jubilee, reverting to the original owner.

³² Nevertheless the cities of the Levites, and the houses in the cities of their possession, the Levites may redeem at any time.

Despite the book bearing the name of Levi, the only time that the tribe is mentioned by name in the entire book of Leviticus is here in verses 32 & 33. Their homes, even in walled cities, are a special exception to the rule for the redemption of houses. The reason for this is because the Levites were to have no inheritance of land among the people.

They were given forty-eight cities, scattered around Israel, as their dwellings. And instead of land to work, they were to be given the tithes of the common people as their inheritance. Thus their livelihood was far from being a guaranteed abundance. Instead, it was one which depended on the obedience of the people to the precept of the law which mandated the tithe. Further, if the crops of the land failed, the Levites would bear the weight of that loss as heavily as anyone, maybe more so.

As these things were true, this was as much a protection from permanent poverty as is the redemption/release of land for the common people in Israel. The Levite’s homes, despite being in walled cities, were considered just as landed property to all others. They possessed the full right of redemption at any time.

³³ And if a man purchases a house from the Levites, then the house that was sold in the city of his possession shall be released in the Jubilee; for the houses in the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel.

Talk about a complicated verse – both in Hebrew, and in scholarly commentary. The Hebrew of this verse is so difficult, that the variety of translations which come from it are numerous. The first clause is not speaking of a purchase, but of the ability to redeem. It’s hard to be dogmatic, but of all of the translations, the Holman Christian Standard appears to have caught the intent –

“Whatever property one of the Levites can redeem–a house sold in a city they possess–must be released at the Jubilee, because the houses in the Levitical cities are their possession among the Israelites.” HCSB

The sale of land in Israel is tied to the produce of the land. Because the houses of the Levites are tied to the produce of the land, meaning the reception of tithes, then for the Levite the house itself is what possesses the value. It might logically follow that the sale of the house of a Levite would be based on the same criteria as for that of land – how many years until the Jubilee, how many Sabbath years should be deducted, and so on.

The division of the tithes among the Levites would be according to the amount received from the surrounding farms of the Israelites. Remember, the Lord is their inheritance, and all land belongs to the Lord. We must always consider how verses point to Jesus.

³⁴ But the field of the common-land of their cities may not be sold, for it is their perpetual possession.

Here comes a new word migrash, or common-land, which will henceforward be quite common. It signifies pasture land. Numbers 35 will detail the measurement of land reserved outside of every city of the Levites to be used as common land. This land belonged to the city and its inhabitants in perpetuity.

Because it belonged to all within, no individual had the right to sell a portion of it. Nor could the city as a whole opt to sell any or all of it, because it didn’t belong to them any more than it belonged to their posterity. Therefore, it could not be sold in part or in whole. The word migrash comes from another word, signifying driving, or casting, something out. Therefore, this land was for the driving of herds which belonged to the Levites within.

The land is mine, and I give it to you
It is for your use, for life and prosperity
In following My laws, you are to remain true
You are to deal with this land in all sincerity

Each precept given is done so with intent
You are to adhere to My word in all dealings of the land
Under My care is found this special arrangement
Each precept is pure, and so follow each command

In the redemption of the land there is much more
There are hints of the Messiah promised long ago
What He will do has been anticipated since ages before
But in the days yet ahead, through Him, redemption I will bestow

II. Care for the Poor Brother (verses 35-38)

³⁵ ‘If one of your brethren becomes poor,

The law of slavery, including Hebrew servitude, follows on to the end of the chapter, but before the commands concerning that are given, we have these four verses which are provided to preclude that from being necessary if at all possible. The words are speaking of Hebrews only, and if following this verse in the KJV, a pen and ink correction of their translation is required.

In this first clause, the individual is identified as “one of your brethren.” It is referring to the redeemed people of Israel. If one of them becomes poor, the Lord would desire that they have their plight corrected. He further defines what this means…

^{35 (con’t)} and falls into poverty among you,

The Hebrew here is idiomatic, bringing in a new word, mot, or “waver.” A literal rendering would be, “and wavers his hand with you.” It gives the pitiful sense of someone who has lost the strength of his hand to simply support himself. Everything he touches falls into ruin. It seems obvious that such a person would have already attempted to rectify his lot by selling his inheritance until the time of redemption in the Year of Jubilee, but even that didn’t pan out.

Such a person is a perfect candidate for next selling himself into servitude in order to simply survive. If such occurred, he would be in that position until the time of release as well. In hopes of avoiding such misfortune and loss, a different course is sought out by directing the Israelites to be merciful to him…

^{35 (con’t)} then you shall help him,

The Hebrew reads, “then you shall strengthen in him.” His hand has wavered without strength, and that is to be corrected by strengthening him with one’s own hand – building him up and meeting his needs. It is a verse of expected mercy towards the poor, wavering soul.

^{35 (con’t)} like a stranger or a sojourner,

ger v’toshav – “stranger and sojourner.” The KJV incorrectly inserts the words, “though he be a stranger or sojourner.” The first clause has identified him as brother, meaning an Israelite. It should only say, “as a stranger and a sojourner.” In other words, in Leviticus 19 it said –

‘And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. ³⁴ The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19:33, 34

The law has already shown that Israel was to provide for the stranger or sojourner among the people. How much more willing then, should the people be to help out a brother who has fallen on great misfortune. His loss of land has put him in the same state as any stranger among the people, and maybe even in a worse state. Israel is being instructed to open their hand to such a person. To fail to do so would be a flagrant disregard for the high moral principles of the law towards one’s fellow man.

^{35 (con’t)} that he may live with you.

To keep him from unnecessary servitude, and to ensure that he could live among the people and be a productive citizen, every means of help possible should be made available.

³⁶ Take no usury or interest from him;

Two words are used in this clause – neshek and tarbuth. Neshek has already been seen in Exodus 22:25. It indicates interest on money, and literally means “to bite.” Just as a snake bites, causing pain, so interest is something which bites at another. This was forbidden in any amount on money lent to a fellow Israelite, and it was allowed in any amount when lent to a non-Israelite.

The second word, tarbuth, is introduced here and will only be seen one more time. It signifies “increase.” It comes from ravah, which means “to multiply.” Hence this is a multiplication of something. What is generally believed is that unlike usury which is interest on money, this is a type of interest on goods. In essence, “I will give you a bushel of wheat, but you must return one and one half to me when return payment is made.”

A passage which deals with exactly what is forbidden here is found in Nehemiah 5:1-13. The people mistreated one another, charged usury, and caused great consternation to arise in those who returned from exile, and who had hoped to start anew in the land of Israel.

^{36 (con’t)} but fear your God,

v’yareta me-eloheka – “and fear your God.” The meaning of this phrase should be obvious, but because of the fallen world, we all have misconceptions about father figures, we all have misconceptions about our relationship with the Creator, and we all have misunderstandings about what it means to have a reverential fear of something.

An electrician, from the first day of training, is taught to fear electricity. And yet, from the first day of training, he is told that electricity is our friend. Both are true at the same time. It all depends on how one treats their friend. As an enemy, a guy here in Sarasota was working close to a high tension wire with a hammer. He lifted his arm back in order to make a strike and touched the wire with the hammer. The electricity went through him, and blew off his opposite hand.

As a friend, electricity gives us light, heat, cooling, fun on the internet, and a million other helpful things which make life convenient and more productive. And yet, if one lets his guard down, electricity can bring a quick end to it all. Had the electricity not blown that guy’s opposite hand off, it would have destroyed his internal organs and killed him.

The Lord is God. He redeemed Israel in order to show them good. He set them apart with many glorious promises and assurances. He also gave Israel these laws and precepts, to ensure they pay heed to what is right and good. The Lord is a friend to Israel, but the Lord is to be feared by Israel. To fear one’s God then, is to admit that He is in control, that He works by certain laws, and when those laws are violated, only disaster can be the expected result.

Even to this day, Israel has failed to see the significance of this truth. The simple lesson of electricity which they seem to understand and apply with all care, is held in higher esteem than the far weightier lesson of fearing God and holding reverence to His being. But not to be too down on Israel, the same is true with the church at large as well. Our lack of respect for the Lord, and His word, places us in a very scary position as a group of people.

^{36 (con’t)} that your brother may live with you.

The words of verse 35 are repeated here again. The intent is that Israel would care for their financially weakened brother so that he could continue to live among them, and not under them. Should this course of action not be taken, the Lord would be displeased, and the man would become subject to the humiliating state of Hebrew servitude. For this reason…

³⁷ You shall not lend him your money for usury, nor lend him your food at a profit.

The two areas of increase which are explicitly forbidden are again noted. Neshek, or usury, and a new word which is very similar to tarbuth of the previous verse, marbith, again meaning “increase,” are both forbidden. No profit was to be made off silver or other commodities when helping out one’s neighbor. Instead, the people were to lend freely, and expect nothing extra upon return of the principle. And so, with a clear and precise statement as to why this was to be, the Lord closes out this short set of verses with a statement of perfect justification, beginning with…

³⁸ I am the Lord your God,

In all of our verses today, the only time that the word “God” has been seen is in these four verses about the poor, three times. And the name Yehovah, or “Lord,” likewise is only seen here. It is a clear indication that the Lord is tying in respect for His sovereignty over the people with tending to the poor among them. He begins this verse with ani Yehovah elohekem. He is Yehovah, and He is their God. They had agreed to this some time earlier when He appeared while giving the law. They had continued to agree to this at several times and in several ways. They had placed themselves under His authority and agreed to comply with His will for them – even in advance of all that would be said.

^{38 (con’t)} who brought you out of the land of Egypt,

Therefore, after stating His name, He relays to them again the reason for obedience which he has given several times now. He says it is He, “who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” He ties His redemptive act of bringing the people out of bondage in with their need for full compliance on this. They were slaves, and He redeemed them from that slavery.

Now He is petitioning the people to act in a manner which reflects that same goodness through tending to those who have become poor. They were in double distress, and He gave them relief. When a brother among them is facing his own distress, they are to act in a manner which emulates their God. They are to extend to him a hand of relief. This is actually reflected in his next words…

^{38 (con’t)} to give you the land of Canaan

Not only did he redeem them out of slavery, but his did it with a goal in mind. He would lead them from slavery to Canaan. This is the third and last time that Canaan is to be seen in Leviticus.

The name Canaan has several possible meanings. One is “a merchant.” Another is “servant.” But the word itself is derived from the word kana, which signifies to humble. It comes from a primitive root signifying “to bend the knee.” This gives the sense of bringing into subjection. Therefore, at least for the immediate context, we can see that a hint is being given with His mentioning the name of the place here.

A brother been humbled, and the Lord is asking those of His people who see this to act in a humble manner and show him kindness. In humbling themselves, it is a sign of agreement that they were once humbled, and they are now looking favorably upon one who has found himself, once again, in such a lowly state.

They had done nothing to merit redemption from Egypt, and they had done nothing deserving of entering the land promised to them. Each step has been an act of grace, and so they were to acknowledge this, and to display every level of kindness to one another, thus reflecting that which they had been granted.

*^38 (fin) and to be your God.

Not only is He their God, but He promised to be their God. His care over them would not end at the border of the land, but it would extend into the land itself, and it would extend for all times from that land. To be their God signifies prosperity, blessing, protection, security, and so much more. The promises of the Lord would all be realized for Israel when they paid heed to His word. In these verses are some of the most fundamental words of what it means to reflect His kind and gracious nature, and this is what He expected of them.

The Lord’s care for the poor of Israel extends today for His attentive care for the people of His beloved church. Though at times, the Lord may appear distant or uninterested in our affairs, that is the furthest thing from the truth. He didn’t come and walk among Israel in order to simply experience what it felt like to walk, talk, and laugh.

God knows all things, and so He already knew what it meant to do those things. He doesn’t need experiential knowledge in order to know, He just knows. Every smell of every flower was designed by Him, because He knows. The reason He came to dwell among us, is because without Him doing so, there would be no redemption of man. It was theologically necessary for Christ to come as a Man in order to redeem us.

And, it was necessary that when He did, that He would need to die as a man in order for the redemption to come about. Otherwise, there would never be access to God’s paradise. Instead, there would be only separation and condemnation. The coming of Christ shows us that God is not at all uninterested in us. Instead, He is minutely interested in us – to the finest detail of our existence.

If you come to Leviticus, and find anything but absolute attention to the plight of fallen man, you have missed the big picture. This chapter on the Year of Jubilee, and every other chapter found in this book as well, keeps showing us the wonderful truth that God is there, that God cares, and that He has it all figured out. Be of good cheer, and know that what Leviticus points to is one very good end for the people of God. But each step is given in order to get us there. The Year of Jubilee and all that it entails is a marvelous part of that walk.

I would hope that if you are out there struggling with theology, burdened with trying to cross every t and dot every i, that you will step back and take a breather. There is one gospel, it is very simple to understand, and its effects in your life are eternal. Let me tell it to you now. Then, you can work on all the t’s and i’s you want. But first, know that the necessary ones have already been handled for you by God. He sent Jesus.

Closing Verse: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’ Revelation 2:7

Next Week: Leviticus 25:39-55 It’s all about freedom and liberty, you see… (The Year of Jubilee, Part III) (48^th Leviticus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if you have a lifetime of sin heaped up behind you, He can wash it away and purify you completely and wholly. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Of Property and the Poor

‘The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine
For you are strangers and sojourners with Me
———-please understand
And in all the land of your possession
You shall grant redemption of the land

‘If one of your brethren becomes poor
And has sold some of his possession, so you are told
And if his redeeming relative comes to redeem it
Then he may redeem what his brother sold

Or if the man has no one to redeem it
But he himself becomes able to redeem it
———-No longer facing depression
Then let him count the years since its sale
And restore the remainder to the man to whom he sold it
———-that he may return to his possession 

But if he is not able
To have it restored to himself, so you see
Then what was sold shall remain in the hand
Of him who bought it until the Year of Jubilee

And in the Jubilee it shall be released
And he shall return to his possession
———-His time apart from it shall be ceased

‘If a man sells a house in a walled city
Then he may redeem it, so I submit
Within a whole year after it is sold
Within a full year he may redeem it 

But if it is not redeemed within the space of a full year
Then the house in the walled city shall belong permanently
To him who bought it, throughout his generations
It shall not be released in the Jubilee 

However the houses of villages which have no wall around them
Shall be counted as the fields of the country
They may be redeemed
And they shall be released in the Jubilee

Nevertheless the cities of the Levites
And the houses in the cities of their possession, so I say
The Levites may redeem at any time
It shall always be this way

And if a man purchases a house from the Levites
Then the house that was sold in the city of his possession
———-shall be released in the Jubilee
For the houses in the cities of the Levites
Are their possession among the children of Israel
———-as stated by Me

But the field of the common-land of their cities may not be sold
For it is their perpetual possession; so you have been told

‘If one of your brethren becomes poor
And falls into poverty among you, sad but true
Then you shall help him, like a stranger or a sojourner
That he may live with you 

Take no usury or interest from him, this you shall not do
But fear your God, that your brother may live with you 

You shall not lend him your money for usury
Nor lend him your food at a profit; such shall not be

I am the Lord your God
Who brought you out of of Egypt the land
To give you the land of Canaan and to be your God
So these things you are to understand

Lord God, in Christ the world has been redeemed
Our faithful Brother came and dwelt among us
When all hope was lost, or so it once seemed
You sent Your Son to purchase us back; thank You for Jesus

And so help us to remember this thing that You have done
Help us stretch forth our own willing hand
Help us to be gracious to each and every one
Soften our heart, and help us to understand

When the need is seen, may we not be slack
But give willing hearts to every one of us
Not because we must pay some debt back
But because of gratitude for our full redemption, found in Christ Jesus

And may this bring You glory now and forevermore
While we praise You here, and also upon that heavenly shore Hallelujah and Amen…

Leviticus 25:8-22
The Year of Jubilee, Part I

The Year of Jubilee as detailed in this chapter is filled with enough exciting details, and enough references pointing to a fulfillment of its precepts in Christ, that one would think what is detailed here would be sufficient to be a valid and remarkable passage all by itself. For the most part, everything about the year is recorded right in this chapter. There are a few references to it elsewhere, but there is little else about the year than what is found here in Chapter 25.

Unfortunately, like other passages which people manipulate in order to sell books or tickle the ears, the same is true with this passage as well. One of the popular teachings on this is the cycle of Jubilees going back to creation itself. This is based on a book known as The Book of Jubilees, otherwise known as “Little Genesis.” It is a pseudepigraphal book, written about the 2^nd century BC, and which claims to follow sets of Jubilees, or periods of 49 years, from creation and which continue throughout history.

From this, modern writers have developed an entire theology on the years of Jubilee in order to predict when things will happen in the future. In other words, they are practicing divination and calling it Christianity. There are a few problems with this. First, among them is that the year of Jubilee was initiated by the Lord, through Moses for when the people entered the land of Israel. The Book of Jubilees has nothing to do with the truth of the Bible.

Secondly, nobody knows when the first Year of Jubilee was observed, or if it actually was ever observed. The Bible says nothing about its observance all through the rest of its pages. Third, as this Year of Jubilee cycle only pertains to the land of Israel, the question is, “Do years of Jubilee continue on during periods of exile?” No. It cannot be. The purpose of the Jubilees is restoration. That can’t occur during exile. For these reasons, it is absurd to try to attempt to guess what year a Year of Jubilee would be. We have no starting year, we have gaps in Israel’s time in the land due to exile, and Israel isn’t observing these cycles now that they are back in the land. If you’re curious about whether the books out there on this subject have even a hint of truth in them, I will tell you – they don’t. Save your money and try reading your Bible.

Forth, the year of Jubilee points to Christ and His work. It is fulfilled in what He has done. Therefore, the prophetic picture of what this year looked forward to is over. There is no expected future fulfillment of it scheduled, just expected results because of His completed work.

Text Verse: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1

Paul says that the law is a yoke of bondage. Its principle sign was that of circumcision. The one thing, above all, that made a person show that he was an adherent to the law was that of circumcision. But in Galatians, Paul eviscerates the argument that we somehow need to be circumcised in order to be pleasing to God. In fact, he argues vehemently against it. In the very next verse he says that for those who get themselves circumcised in order to show off their religiosity, to them Christ profits nothing.

Instead of drawing nearer to God, they fall from grace, become a debtor to the entire law, and stand condemned before the law. In order to avoid that legalistic trap, he tells us to stand fast in the liberty by which Christ has made us free. He has freed us from all bonds and chains. The captives have been set free. Let us trust in this, and learn what it means to observe the Year of Jubilee in Christ, who is our freedom.

These are the things we will hope to accomplish in the next few sermons which comprise the rest of Leviticus 25. It is a great passage waiting to be unwrapped, and that is because it points to a great, great Savior. It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Restoration – As It Was, So Shall It Be (verses 8-17)

⁸ ‘And you shall count seven sabbaths of years for yourself,

With these words, a new development is introduced, but it is still following the same overall theme which was initiated in verse 1. There, the Lord spoke to Moses. With no new introductory statement, what will be presented continues the same theme.

Here we have the same type of synecdoche which was found in verse 23:15. The term, shabetot shanim, or “sabbaths of years,” signifies “weeks of years.” The single Sabbath stands for the whole. And so the people are being instructed to build upon what was described concerning the Sabbath years in verses 1-7. There was to be a remembrance of the Sabbath years, because they were to lead to a greater event after the observance of seven of them.

This then finds a parallel in the Feast of Weeks of Leviticus 23. There was a particular Sabbath, after which came the Feast of Firstfruits. From the day after that Sabbath there was a counting of “seven Sabbaths” which would bring the people to another particular day, thus commencing the Feast of Weeks. The same pattern, but in “sabbaths of years,” is to be seen here.

^8 (con’t) seven times seven years;

This explains the meaning of the previous words. A “sabbath of years” is a period of seven years. That amount is then to be multiplied by seven of these periods.

^8 (con’t) and the time of the seven sabbaths of years shall be to you forty-nine years.

The pattern here follows directly along with that of the Feast of Weeks. But instead of days leading to weeks of days, it is years leading to weeks of years. There was to be a counting of seven sets of sabbatical years, totaling forty-nine. At the end of this period of time, the Lord next directs Moses concerning what is expected…

⁹ Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee

The “trumpet” referred to here is the shophar. It signifies a cornet or a curved horn that gives out a clear sound. The word comes from shaphar, which signifies beautiful, as in fair or comely. It was first seen in the sounding of it in Exodus 19 & 20 at the giving of the law, and it has not been seen since. Further, this is the last time it will be seen in the Pentateuch. Curiously then, the shophar ushered in what began the law, and the shophar is used to signify that which reveals the ending of the law as well.

The word translated here as Jubilee is teruah. It was first seen in Leviticus 23:24, and it signifies a shout or blast of war, or of alarm, or of joy. In the case of this sounding, it is to be one of great joy. This in turn is from rua, which gives the idea of splitting the ears with sound, such as in a great shout or sounding. The note was to resound throughout the land. The Hebrew words are literally translated then, “Cause to resound the shophar of loud sound.”

^9 (con’t) to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month;

This time is one-half way through the year of the redemptive calendar which started each year in the springtime. However, it is the first month of the creation, or civil, calendar. It is on the tenth day of the seventh month, which is the same day as…

^9 (con’t) on the Day of Atonement

b’yom ha’kippurim – “in day the atonements.” It is plural. On the most sacred day of the annual calendar, the day which the people’s sins were atoned for, and full restoration with the Lord was granted for their many sins, they were to observe this special sounding of shophars. This rather clearly shows that the true liberty, which this year of liberty looks forward to, could only take place after the atoning sacrifice of the Lord.

^9 (con’t) you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land.

The blast of the shophar was to be heard everywhere, meaning that it was a directive for every locality to be prepared to sound. It may even be that every man would be asked to blow his own shophar if he possessed one. The reason for this will become obvious, but in short, the day would affect everyone, and so everyone should be reminded by hearing it.

¹⁰ And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants.

One of the most difficult aspects of this observance to pin down is the meaning of “the fiftieth year.” Scholars note that it is the forty-ninth year, and therefore some say the cycle is actually only forty-nine years, and is simply rounded up to the number fifty. But that doesn’t square at all with the intent of the passage.

But the fiftieth year, if using the redemption calendar, doesn’t begin until the spring. So how could the freedoms mentioned be proclaimed here, and yet not take effect until the next spring? If the Sabbath year cycle was based on the creation/civil calendar, meaning beginning in this seventh month, then it would make more sense. But why then call it the seventh month? In short, it would be to maintain consistency of what each month was for the standard, redemptive calendar. If you’re confused, don’t worry. For 3500 years, this has confused the reader, and it remains a complicated part of the law.

Regardless, the fiftieth year was to be considered as one consecrated, or set apart, as one of liberty. The word deror is used here. It has only been seen once, in Exodus 30, to describe the liquid myrrh of the holy anointing oil. It means, “free flowing.” The myrrh flowed freely from the plant, rather than it being cut to induce flow. Such is the idea here – spontaneity of outflow, and thus liberty. The word won’t be used again in the books of Moses, but it will be referred to in Isaiah 61, Jeremiah 34, and Ezekiel 46 – all in relation to this chapter’s instructions.

^{10 (con’t)} It shall be a Jubilee for you;

The word translated here as Jubilee is not the same as verse 9. It is yobel. It signifies the ram’s horn as an instrument, and thus the festival which the ram’s horn introduces. Literally, the verse reads, “It shall be a ram’s horn for you.” The horn stands in place of what it accomplishes. Yobel comes from yabal, meaning to bear along, or lead. As the ram’s horn is given a long continuous blast, carrying along its message, so the Jubilee is introduced.

^{10 (con’t)} and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family.

Two separate aspects of freedom are given in these words. The first is freedom of land, and the second is freedom of person. This is to demonstrate to the people two fundamental truths: 1) It is the Lord who was the true owner of the land, and 2) that it is the Lord who is the true owner and possessor of their souls. Notwithstanding their temporary ownership of either land or person, in the end, the Lord is ultimately who all were accountable to – from the poorest inhabitant, to the king in Jerusalem.

In a greater regard then, it is a year of restoration. On the Day of Atonement, the people’s sins and uncleanness were covered over, thus restoring them to a right relationship with Him. Likewise, this fiftieth year was intended to undue all of the entanglements of life which come through human interactions. By granting this year, things were brought back to the original state at the beginning of their time in the land. The verses from 11-34 deal with the first half of the equation, the land as the Lord’s possession. From 35-55, the subject of people as the Lord’s possession is then explained.

¹¹ That fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee to you;

It is again clear that this is not a number simply rounded up from forty-nine, but rather it is speaking of the fiftieth year. The forty-ninth year was a sabbatical year without sowing or reaping. That was made explicit in verses 1-7. Now that is to be repeated…

^{11 (con’t)} in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of its own accord, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine.

As in verse 5, the two commands are again given. The admonition to not reap what grows of its own accord means to reap for the sake of a harvest, including storage. Rather, they could reap it for individual consumption only. And further, anyone could do so. The land was totally freed up for any and all. Likewise, the grapes of the Nazirite, meaning the untrimmed vines were not to be gathered. Again, this means “gathered as a harvest.” They were to be left as common food for any and for all. Here again we see the truth that Yehovah is the Lord of the land. Its soil, its growth, its harvests, the dwellings, the seasons it enjoys, the roads where people walked – everything ultimately belongs to Him. He has the final say, because He is the ultimate Authority to be deferred to.

¹² For it is the Jubilee; it shall be holy to you; you shall eat its produce from the field.

This is also a repeat thought as for that of the Sabbath year. As a yobel, or Jubilee, the produce of the ground was consecrated as holy. Therefore, people could go out to the fields and remove what was needed for the day, but they were not to store up the produce as one would in a year of harvest. The Lord had promised to provide, and the people were to trust in His provision, and to confidently gather that which they needed. It is almost a year long reminder of the times when the manna was given. The people were to gather and trust, and on the seventh day, to rest.

If we just stop here for a moment and contemplate what is going on, we can then see why this is so important. There is an amazing and intricate cycle of life which is being presented in these days and years of remembrance. They begin with the Sabbath day which is consistently held as the great reminder of God’s creative and redemptive hand among the people. Each time the Sabbath has been presented since Exodus 16, it has given us one insight after another into the accomplished work of the Lord, and in the coming work of Christ.

From the Sabbath day, came the Sabbath-month, the seventh month, which detailed the three fall feasts. Christ’s birth into humanity, His atoning death, and His dwelling among and in His people were highlighted in these feasts. And then from there came the Sabbath year. It looks forward to a time when the Lord would tend to the people’s needs apart from any work. They could rest in Him and find that He will provide for them apart from their effort.

And those Sabbath years were to accumulate into the great year of Jubilee where debts would be released, properties would be restored, the land would produce on its own, and captives would be set free. A total restoration of all things was prefigured in this great year of Jubilee. It is reflective of the words of Paul concerning our position in Christ now –

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

But our position in Christ now is only an anticipatory taste of what will be realized in its fullness at the restoration of all things. Christ Jesus’ words found in Revelation 21:5 reflect this –

Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” 

If we look at the Sabbath year as picturing the Millennium where man rests from his striving with God, we can look at the Year of Jubilee as a step beyond that, where total restoration of all things is realized. Each step of the Sabbath cycle is intended to elevate the people of Israel to an understanding that the Lord has something better awaiting His redeemed. The process must go through to its completion, but when it is accomplished, it will be glorious.

Think it through now with these sevens. The seventh day Sabbath acknowledges the Lord’s Creation and Redemption. The seventh month is an acknowledgment of His incarnation, atoning death, and dwelling in His people. The seventh year Sabbath anticipates His millennial reign. And the year of Jubilee anticipates total restoration of what was lost at the beginning. All of it, every detail looks to the Lord and His work in the grand plan of redemption. From the creation and fall,  each step is fulfilled in Jesus, until we are again in the presence of God.

¹³ ‘In this Year of Jubilee, each of you shall return to his possession.

Though seemingly a verse about reacquisition of land, the words here point directly to Christ. How so? It is because of this law of entailment that the people’s rights could never be taken away from them. The government or king had no authority to do so, the banks had no authority to do so, and the priests themselves had no authority to do so. The land belonged to the one, or his representative, to whom it originally landed.

The wisdom of the law led to meticulous preservation of the family registers as evidence to establish ancestral lines, and thus rights. And so, both the tribe and family of Christ were readily discernible at His coming. Pick up the scroll, look for the name, check the inheritance… wahlah! A potential for messiah can be confirmed –

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. ³ So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:1-7

The ancestral scrolls would be used for many things, but they were maintained most especially because of the exacting and ingenious provisions of Leviticus 25. With these records destroyed along with the temple in AD70, a truth must readily be discerned from that fact… Messiah has come. No other biblical conclusion is possible.

¹⁴ And if you sell anything to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor’s hand, you shall not oppress one another.

Four times in this chapter, the amith, or “neighbor” will be seen. The term doesn’t literally mean a neighbor, but a fellow of Israel in general. It is used only thirteen times total, and this is the last time it will be used until the book of Zechariah where its final use will be found in a prophecy about the Shepherd Savior, Christ. It is a word which is always used concerning dealings between two people which should be kept fair, and honorable.

To oppress one another would be to over-value the property by the seller, or to undervalue it by the buyer. There was to be only straight dealing between the parties as they agreed to a fair sale of the land. To avoid such a thing as much as possible, the Lord gives clear guidance for such sales…

¹⁵ According to the number of years after the Jubilee you shall buy from your neighbor,

When Israel finally gets back to the Land of Promise, they will divide it up by lot, and within territories set apart for each tribe. No land was to pass permanently from one tribe to the next. It was to forever remain a part of the tribe to which it was granted. However, if Al from Asher bought a plot belonging to Ned from Naphtali, unless it went back to its owner at the Jubilee, there would be mixture, and thus confusion in the land.

The possession of each family then was an inalienable right. But it could be sold temporarily. Therefore, the value would begin to be set based on the number of years since the last Jubilee. Thus Al would say, “The Jubilee was 21 years ago, and so I am buying the next 29 years of owner’s rights.

^{15 (con’t)} and according to the number of years of crops he shall sell to you.

In turn, Ned would say, “Ok Al, my new friend and pal. There are 29 years left, and so I am going to sell you the land based on that.” But Al, knowing the law says, “Yes, Ned, but I can’t sow and reap on a Sabbath year. You need to first deduct those, I fear.”

The word for “crops” in this verse is tebuah. It signifies the produce of the land. As no produce was harvested on a Sabbath year, it was not to be counted in the reckoning of the sale. That was seen in Exodus 23, where tebuah was used to explain this –

“Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce, ¹¹ but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave, the beasts of the field may eat. In like manner you shall do with your vineyard and your olive grove.” Exodus 23:10, 11

The amount of expected produce, and the years when produce could be gathered were a part of dealing fairly and not oppressing a neighbor. Ned was looking like he might be taking advantage of things, but Al was not one to be easily misled. Unless Al can overestimate the size of the expected crop each year, the land will go for exactly what it is worth. Al refrains from any such fish stories, and a fair deal is transacted.

¹⁶ According to the multitude of years you shall increase its price, and according to the fewer number of years you shall diminish its price; for he sells to you according to the number of the years of the crops.

The sales price is not based on the land, but on what the land produces. Therefore, the number of, and expected size of, crops is what the sale is to be based on. In the end, the land belongs to the Lord. He has given it to a tribe and a family. Therefore, they only have the right to sell it for what it produces, and the buyer may only purchase those years of produce. If each year was worth 10 units, and there were 20 years left after deducting Sabbath years, then the price would be 200 units. If there were 30 left, the price would be 300 units, and so on.

What must be considered then, is that in buying the crops, there is the truth that if the Lord blesses the land, there will be an abundance of crops; a great deal for the buyer. If there is a famine, there will be minimal crops; a loss to the buyer. As it is the Lord who ultimately directs these, then one is actually placing his faith in the provision of the Lord. What is this picturing? Think it through – crops are a harvest. What are you willing to sew into the harvest which the Lord has set before you? How many will come to Christ because of your efforts?

¹⁷ Therefore you shall not oppress one another,

A completely different word is used than in verse 14. Rather than “oppress,” it should say “mistreat.” This then shows the gravity of the Lord’s words. In essence, “You have oppressed, and you have mistreated, and Me you did not fear.” The varying of the verb is its own type of warning that there will be consequences for violating a precept which should be held as sacred. And the reason for this is…

^{17 (con’t)} but you shall fear your God; for I am the Lord your God.

Despite the rather long chapter, it being 55 verses long, the name of the Lord is used rather sparingly, only six times. And only three of them are in this declaratory form. Therefore, when He declares it, the words He speaks are to be taken to heart and carefully acted upon. This is especially true here where He begins with stating their God was to be feared, and that He is Yehovah their God.

Everything about the sale of the property is based upon the year of release. And the year of release is based upon the sounding of the trumpet on the Day of Atonement. The Lord’s forgiveness and covering is the key to initiate the entire process. Hence, to mistreat one another is to fail to recognize the Lord’s goodness over one’s own wrongdoing.

And yet, we as Christians have the full realization and the complete forgiveness of every debt in our lives in Christ, but we still mistreat one another, and we are unwilling to overlook being mistreated. If there is one truth seen time and time again, it is that Christians do a much better job of oppressing and mistreating one another than the world at large could ever hope to attain.

The Year of Jubilee, when all is restored
A time when things past are brought back again
Come and see, look to the workings of the Lord
What He has done for the sons of men

What was lost is now open for His redeemed
The marvel of Paradise stands before us
We were shut out forever, so it seemed
But then God sent… yes, God sent – His Son Jesus

And in His life and work all is made new
Heaven’s access for us is safely secured
Marvelous things for us God did do
In the sending of His Son, Jesus our Lord

II. Providing for the Sabbath Year (verses 18-22)

¹⁸ ‘So you shall observe My statutes and keep My judgments, and perform them;

Although these words are certainly inclusive of all of the Lord’s statutes and judgments, they are more specifically intended to refer to everything in this chapter since verse 2. The people have been given specific commands, and the Lord expects them to be adhered to. Having said that, like the Sabbath year observance, there is nothing in Scripture to show that the people ever observed a Year of Jubilee. Like the failure to give the land its Sabbath rest, failing to observe the fifty year Jubilee was probably another of the multitude of reasons for the people’s punishment and exile. This can almost be inferred from the next words…

^{18 (con’t)} and you will dwell in the land in safety.

This is something that rarely occurred. Times of peace are noted, but times of being hemmed in by enemies are as frequent as the next turn of the page. The people failed to heed the Lord, and the land was a very unsafe place. As a major land bridge between great nations, Israel’s only hope of not being entered and crushed was to act in accord with God who carefully placed them there.

When Israel danced, it was always on the edge of a very sharp sword, and this was intentional. There is a price for obedience, and there is a price for disobedience. The Lord need do nothing but withdraw His hand of restraint, and the enemies would come flooding in. And He withdrew His hand frequently over years and generations as a means of bringing them back to their senses, or as a way of punishing them for their failures. But when they were sensible and obedient, the Lord was faithful to perform His end of the bargain…

¹⁹ Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill, and dwell there in safety.

Israel isn’t just dependent on border security. As a land bridge, this is surely true, but it was, and remains to this day, wholly dependent on the favor of the winds and rains as well. Unlike Egypt which received water all year long, and which can be drawn into canals for use during the low flow season, Israel is a mountainous land. When the rains come, they quickly flow down the hills and towards the lowest elevations, eventually heading out to the seas.

For crops to grow, rains would need to be on time and consistent. The obedience of the people implied conditions would be favorable for the land to yield its fruit, even to abundance. The people would eat their fill, and they would be content and safe as they did. In fact, this is one of the promised blessings found in the next chapter for obedience, the very first one in fact. The Lord promises by Himself that this will be true. But when a contrary attitude and a stiff neck was seen, correction came in fields which lay barren and unproductive.

Reading the Bible only from an agricultural aspect, at times one can almost tell when the people were obedient, and when they weren’t. But they could never say they weren’t warned. The law was received, the books were written, and Moses’ writings stood as a witness to them, and against them, that the Lord had spoken through him. What the Lord sought from them was faith leading to faithful obedience…

²⁰ ‘And if you say, “What shall we eat in the seventh year, since we shall not sow nor gather in our produce?”

Here the Lord, through Moses, anticipates the most obvious question one could imagine. Though it is a question of very little faith, it is a valid one nonetheless for someone who simply had no comprehension of who the Lord really is. Thus, they are surely bound to ask, “What shall we eat in the seventh year?”

If there is no plowing and sowing because the Lord had forbidden these things, then where will the food for all the people come from? And even more, what about the animals, and the eighth year when seed would be so desperately needed for sowing that crop? If the people were restrained from sowing and gathering, how would these needs be met?

²¹ Then I will command My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years.

This verse shows either the utterly ridiculous nature of the writings of Moses… or they show that what he wrote was relayed from a Divine source. No other option is even credible to consider. The people were to enter Canaan in just a few week’s time. It would be a short time after that for the first Sabbath-year cycle to begin. In due time, the proverbial proof would be in the pudding.

Really, only a lunatic or a democrat would promise a triple portion of something they had absolutely no control over at all. If this were not true, the result would be selecting a new leader while Moses lay at the bottom of a cliff, and there would not even be one Sabbath year observed. And so to make this claim, the Lord puts His own stamp of credibility on the leader he has selected. The fact that it would actually be forty years before they entered, and without Moses at that, makes no difference at all at this point in time.

The Lord has spoken, He has made the claim, and it was Moses who would have had to face the consequences if things did not progress as was originally assumed that they would. The promise then is actually a step greater than that of the giving of the manna to the people. In that, the people were told they would receive a double portion each Friday. They were further told that it would not fill with worms and stink like that of the other five days.

The miracle of the manna proved reliable, but this would require not just an extra portion. It would require one above that. It would have to be enough to carry the people through the Sabbath year, and into the next as well. To show the exemplary nature of the promise, the Lord says He wouldn’t just provide enough to get them started in the eighth, but it would carry them all the way through the eighth, a true and full triple portion…

*²² And you shall sow in the eighth year, and eat old produce until the ninth year; until its produce comes in, you shall eat of the old harvest.

Throughout the entire eighth year, there would be no need to eat what was harvested during the season. Instead, they would still be eating the grain of year six as the entire harvest of year eight was fully and finally being finished and gathered in. Here in this verse is a new word to close us out, yashan, or old. So, even though it’s a new word, it’s an old one at the same time. It indicates “old things” and it is rather rare, being seen a total of just six times, two of them being in this verse.

The miracle of this promise is so great, that the Lord will use the same precept again in the time of Hezekiah, king of Judah. When Sennacherib, king of Assyria came against Jerusalem, threatening to destroy it, the Lord gave a long and beautiful reply to Hezekiah’s prayers for deliverance. In that reply, He promised to handle the situation, and to give a sign to prove that His word was what accomplished the task. A portion of that reply said –

‘This shall be a sign to you:
You shall eat this year such as grows of itself,
And in the second year what springs from the same;
Also in the third year sow and reap,
Plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them.
³⁰ And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah
Shall again take root downward,
And bear fruit upward.
³¹ For out of Jerusalem shall go a remnant,
And those who escape from Mount Zion.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.’ 2 Kings 19:29-31

Like the crops which had taken root downward, and which would bear fruit upwards for two full years, the people of Israel would likewise not be cut off. They would take root and bear fruit, all for the sake of the Lord’s glory, which Hezekiah had sought in his time of great distress.

And this is the point of the entire body of Scripture – the glory of God. Everything He did in creation and since creation is to proclaim His glory to His creatures, and to invite them to share in that glory as observers of His magnificence. The Year of Jubilee was given to Israel to demonstrate this glory to them, but it was also given to anticipate the coming of Christ who would take the shadow and make it substance.

Christ Jesus did just that. He gave release of the land, and He gave release to those held in captivity. The only bondage that remains is that of time. The redeemed of the Lord are, in fact, set free. But we must still await the time when that is realized. The sounding of that trumpet isn’t far off, and it is the blessed hope of those who eagerly await His appearing. May that day be soon.

The one thing about that Day though, is that there will be some who aren’t going. There is a dividing line in who will hear the sound of the shophar and go, and who will be ignorant of it and be stuck behind. The dividing line is what each individual has done about Jesus. It is, after all, all about Him.

Closing Verse:“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
² To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn, Isaiah 61:1, 2

Next Week: Leviticus 25:23-32 More great things about the Jubilee to sort through… (The Year of Jubilee, Part II) (47^th Leviticus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if you have a lifetime of sin heaped up behind you, He can wash it away and purify you completely and wholly. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Year of Jubilee

‘And you shall count seven sabbaths of years for yourself
Seven times seven years
———-just think of all the good times and tears!
And the time of the seven sabbaths of years
Shall be to you forty-nine years

Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee
To sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, let it resound!
On the Day of Atonement you shall make
The trumpet throughout all your land to sound

And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year
And proclaim liberty
Throughout all the land to all its inhabitants
It shall be for you a Jubilee

And each of you shall return to his possession, so shall it be
And each of you shall return to his family

That fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee to you
In it you shall neither sow nor reap
What grows of its own accord
Nor gather the grapes of your untended vine
———-Whether just a few, or a whole whopping heap

For it is the Jubilee
It shall be holy to you
You shall eat its produce from the field
This is what you are to do

‘In this Year of Jubilee, please do heed and learn
Each of you shall to his possession return

And if you sell anything to your neighbor
Or buy from your neighbor’s hand
You shall not oppress one another
Rather in peace with him you shall stand

According to the number of years
After the Jubilee you shall from your neighbor buy
And according to the number of years of crops he shall sell to you
By the number of crops you shall classify

According to the multitude of years you shall increase its price
And according to the fewer number of years
———-you shall its price diminish
For he sells to you according to the number
Of the years of the crops, until they finish 

Therefore you shall not oppress one another
But you shall fear your God
For I am the Lord your God
Walk circumspectly therefore on this land that you trod

‘So you shall observe My statutes
And keep My judgments, so you are to understand
And perform them
And you will dwell in safety in the land 

Then the land will yield its fruit, so to you I tell
And you will eat your fill, and there in safety dwell

And if you say
“What shall we eat in the seventh year…
Since we shall not sow nor gather in our produce?
Pshaw, I am the Lord, so have no fear

Then I will command My blessing on you in the sixth year
———-despite your fears
And it will bring forth produce enough for three years

And you shall sow in the eighth year
And eat old produce until the ninth year, so I attest
Until its produce comes in
You shall eat of the old harvest

Lord God, we look ahead as yet
To the day when Christ comes for those already released
The moment is ahead, the hour is set
And we wait until the ticking clock has ceased

Until then, we thank You for our Lord Jesus
Who has restored the land and opened heaven’s door
Great things through Him, O God, You have done for us
And we shall exalt and praise You forevermore

Hallelujah and Amen…