Sunday June 17, 2012
Lesson Focus:
Manage Your resources
Using God's economics
Lesson Scripture:
Leviticus 25:8-12,25
35-36,39-40,47-48,55
INTRODUCTION.In this week’s lesson, we will see how God put in place laws to help those who had fallen on hard times get a fresh start.Old Testament Israel, unlike most modern societies, had a simple agricultural, pastoral, and commercial economy.But even such a simple economy could suffer from inefficiency and unfairness. God therefore included in Israel’s law certain mechanisms to give a series of fresh starts to individuals, families, and the nation.Just as the Israelites were to observe the weekly Sabbath every seven days, they were also to set aside Sabbath years.Every seventh year was a Sabbath Year (see Leviticus 25:1-7), and every fiftieth year after those seven Sabbath years (49 years) was to be a Year of Jubilee (see Leviticus 25:8-10).In general, the Year of Jubilee was meant to be the occasion of a fresh start particularly for those Israelites who had been reduced to poverty.
(vs. 8). Our lesson begins with “And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.” God gave Israel a specific formula for calculating the periodic observance of Jubilee. Forty-nine years, or seven Sabbaths of years, were to be counted from the previous Day of Atonement (the tenth day of the seventh month). The next year or the fiftieth year was to be set aside and designated as a time of restoration.
(vs. 9). After telling Israel how to calculate the Year of Jubilee, God said “Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.”On the Day of Atonement which was the tenth day of the seventh month in the Jewish civil calendar, the trumpet was to be blown announcing the year of Jubilee.The term “Jubilee”comes from the Hebrew word for the blowing of the ram’s horn or “shofar.”
(vs.10). “And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.” The term “hallow” means to “consecrate” or “set aside.” The “fiftieth year” was to be set aside and with the blowing of the trumpet, “proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants therof.” The word “liberty” here refers to the release and return of “every man unto his possession.” The term “possession” refers to the land. Based on the truth that the land belonged to the Lord and that families held it only as tenants, it was not to change hands, or be sold permanently. Land that had been sold was to be restored without cost to the original family in the Jubilee Year (see Leviticus 25: 23-28). In addition God said “ye shall return every man unto his family.” This referred to situations in which Israelites had become slaves because of debt. If they were not able to gain their freedom sooner, they were to be freed in the Year of Jubilee and returned to their families.
(vs. 11).This verse gives one rule or regulation of the Year of Jubilee.It says “A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed.” Just as the weekly Sabbath Day was a time of rest for humans and animals, so the Jubilee was a time of rest for the land. God said farmers could not “sow” or plant; “reap” or gather anything that grew by itself; nor could they work the fields or vineyards gathering grapes. The whole year was considered holy. Actually this rest for the land did not have to wait until the Jubilee. It was commanded for each Sabbatical Year (see Leviticus 25:1-7).
(vs. 12). Here God said “For it is the jubile; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field.”The phrase “ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field” would answer any questions a farmer may have about what they would eat if they allowed the land to go un-worked for a whole year (or two years when the Jubilee arrived).This question was asked in Leviticus 25:20, “What shall we eat the seventh year?”God’s answer was “Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years” (see Leviticus 25:21).If Israel would trust Him for their needs and be obedient and let the land rest, God would provide enough crops in the sixth year of the seven year period to cover the next three years. God would show His love and grace but only if they demonstrated their faith and obedience.
(vs.25). God also gave rules to provide for the poor until the Jubilee arrived. This verse says “If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold.” If at any time an Israelite had to sell his land to provide for his family, the land could be redeemed or bought back at some point before the Jubilee. If the man who sold it because of his poverty later regained enough resources, he could buy it back (see Leviticus 25:26-27). But if he remained too poor, “if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold.”The word translated “any of his kin” actually refers to his nearest kin. The closest relative, if he had sufficient funds, had the responsibility to “redeem” or “buy back” his relative’s possessions.
(vs. 35). Continuing the command regarding a brother who has become poor, this verse says “And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.” In this verse “brother” should be understood in the broad sense as any fellow countryman. The term “decay” speaks of hard times. Therefore the phrase “if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee” means that a fellow Israelite has fallen on hard financial times and his resources have dried up and he is unable to support himself. In a case like this, his brethren were to provide relief or help for him. This same treatment would apply to “a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.” It made no difference even if the person was a foreigner (stranger) or a temporary resident (sojourner), everyone was to be treated fairly and taken care of.
(vs. 36). Still referring to the poor brother, this verse says “Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.”The word “usury” means interest. If this poor brother, or stranger had borrowed money, he was not to be charged interest (see Exodus 22:25; Deuteronomy 23:19). All of this was to be done out of fear, or reverence for God.
(vs. 39). In addition, “if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant.”In this case a poor brother who “be sold unto thee” or sells himself and his labor to another man because of his hopeless financial situation, the one who buys him “shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant.”In other words, the person who buys the poor man’s service could not force him to serve as a slave.
(vs. 40). The Israelite brother was not to be treated as a slave “But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubile.” The Israelite brother was to be treated as a “hired servant” or hired laborer, and as a “sojourner,” or temporary resident. This hired laborer was to serve until the year of Jubilee when he would be released from his agreement. Here there is a distinction made between an Israelite “brother” and a stranger or foreigner. Foreigners could be taken as slaves and even left to serve their children (see Leviticus 25:44-46). But fellow Israelites were to be treated as hired laborers for a temporary period; thus they were to be considered sojourners (temporary residents) by the employer (see Leviticus 25:40).
(vs. 47). As an additional help for the poor God commanded “And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger's family.” This verse gives a possible situation that could occur. A “sojourner or stranger” (a non-Israelite) in Israel who had become rich may purchase a poor Israelite as a slave in order for the poor Israelite to pay a debt.
(vs. 48).This is a continuation of verse 47 referring to th poor Israelite who was purchased by a rich non-Israelite.The Lord said “After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him.”The law stated that this poor man could be“redeemed”or bought back by “one of his brethren.” The term “brethren” here means any relative.
(vs.55).In our final verse, God tells why He gave the rules regarding redemption.He said “For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”The Lord said that since He and He alone had redeemed or “brought forth”the children of Israel out of Egypt, they were His servants and were not meant to be perpetual servants to others.God finalized His statement with “I am the Lord your God" indicating that Israel belonged to Him and no one else.
Conclusion. The provisions of the Jubilee Year revealed God’s emphasis on compassion. As God’s people we must recognize that we are His servants. He must always be acknowledged as our Master. The Year of Jubilee reminded the Israelites of this relationship and provided the practical procedures that would enable them to live in hope and keep in focus their role as God’s servants.
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