This chapter gives guidelines on good husbandry of land [letting it lie fallow every 7 years] and has proved its truth down the centuries, right up to modern farming and good gardening!
The year of jubilee [particularly something we can identify with this year if in a rather different context] was God’s plan to cancel all debts, free all slaves and return land to its original owners. There is nothing in the bible, however, to indicate that the Israelites actually obeyed this command. It was one way God designed to alleviate poverty, and the chapter goes on to emphasise His care for the poor and needy, and our responsibility for them. If we are overwhelmed by the world’s needs, it’s good to remember that even though we can’t change the world for everybody, we can change the world for somebody. And as in chapter 19, there’s the reminder that the land and its riches are God’s – not ours. We are merely tenants. How encouraging it is to know that what we have is on loan from God, and our responsibility is to hold it lightly, share it generously and if at all possible leave it in a better state for us having been there!
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