Bible Discussion Thread

Leviticus Chapter 25, verses 1-34 continued

The poor were not able to store up from a harvest from the year preceding the Sabbath like those who did own land. So, God provided for them to eat of what grew up on its own in the fields. But God did promise that the year preceding the Sabbath would be exceedingly bountiful enough to supply enough food to get through the Sabbath year. The land was to "rest" from being farmed. The farmer was not to work in the fields or vineyard, which was their primary occupation. Verse 6 says the farmers, the servants, and the animals could eat of the produce of the field, but they were not to harvest the field as they would do normally. They were to gather what they could for meals, but leave the rest of the produce to the animals and poor. They were to primarily use the food stored and preserved from the preceding year as the bulk of their food source.

Every 50th year was a special Sabbath year called a Jubilee, beginning on the Day of Atonement (in September-October). The previous year's harvest would have been completed and preserved for the whole year until the next Day of Atonement. God's promise was that the preceding year would be super-abundant, providing enough food for three years time.

One of the statutes given concerning the Jubilee was that any land that was sold was to be returned to the original owner. This preserved the alottments of lands for each tribe to remain intact. It allowed for the Israelites to make a fresh start. They can remember how God had brought them into the land against all odds and enemies and gave them each a portion of the land for each tribe/family. So, in returning land to the original owner/family, they can remember how they came to possess the land. It was a gift, given by a promise from God. They should be thankful and not greedy. They should want all of their countrymen to prosper in the land. They should not be oppressive to anyone who needed to sell their land, but freely return the land