In verses 1-7, the Lord commands his people to give the land a Sabbath rest every seven years. This allows the land to restore its nutrients to continually be productive. Spiritually, by denying themselves from a profitable harvest during the Sabbath year, it taught his people several things. Firstly, the Promised Land belonged to the Lord. Secondly, it also taught them to depend on his providence. During the Sabbath year, they were to eat the wild, untended produce of the land. Thirdly, they should be good stewards of the land and mindful of its cultivation to be fertile in the future.

In verses 8-22, God teaches them that the fiftieth year is the Jubilee. The Lord commanded them not to plant or sow, but enjoy the fruits of the land as he provided. It was a holy time to rejoice, thank God, and enjoy his freedom in the land. This law also stipulated that in the year of Jubilee, the land must return to its ancestral owners. The price of land that is sold must be relevant to the number of years until the next Jubilee. This protected people from greed. God ordered them not to take advantage of each other and to fear him. If they obeyed him and kept the Sabbath rest for the land, God promised an overflowing harvest the sixth year that would last them easily for three years. It was a test of faith to trust in him for all things and live holy lives by faith.


Application: Father, help me to rest on the Sabbath and trust in you to live a holy life by faith.
One Word: Keep the Sabbath holy and trust God