Leviticus chapter 25 vs 1 to 6 (New King James Version)
The Sabbath of the Seventh Year
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying,
2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a Sabbath to the Lord.
3 Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit;
4 but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard.
5 What grows of its own accord of your harvest you shall not reap, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine, for it is a year of rest for the land.
6 And the Sabbath produce of the land shall be food for you: for you, your male and female servants, your hired man, and the stranger who dwells with you, 7 for your livestock and the beasts that are in your land – all its produce shall be for food’.”
ALSO READ: From the Word: Keep walking … despite the fear and frustration
IT seems almost incredible that the Israelites would take a whole year off working the land. A whole year?
The world is currently in the grip the Covid-19 pandemic, with most governments around the world forcing their citizens and residents into a lockdown.
It’s been a disaster for the economy, to say the least, never mind the health of people.
But perhaps, bearing these scriptures in mind, that somehow, things will ‘right themselves’ in the course of time despite the current fear, frustration and anger.
Obviously, the Israelites would have prepared themselves for the fallow season, but it least showed that things can recover, even if nothing is done for a whole year.
In fact, some may argue they have a better chance of recovery.
And that six years of fruitfulness with a rest year is more productive overall than seven straight years.
That’s one for the farmers and scientists to confirm.One wonders what our modern world would look like if we all took a break for a whole year every seven years.It seems too ridiculous and preposterous to even suggest it.
It’s hard to try and imagine it in a modern world, where people work themselves to the bone and yet still remain in ever deepening debt.
But perhaps many of our current ailments would not exist if this was so.
Maybe the secret is to not to work harder, but smarter, and to force yourself to rest at the right times.
The purpose of this article is not necessarily to try unravel the scriptures and force them on anyone, nor even necessarily to try and understand the way the Israelites did things back all those years ago.
Rather, the words in the text can serve as an inspiration and a message of hope… that even in a time of ‘doing nothing to help yourself’ that God still provides, refreshes and restores.
The message then is to take this time, more than ever before, to look to God and find your strength and sustenance in Him.
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