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| Leviticus 25:4-7 |
“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”
(Leviticus 25:6).
God’s economy of rest called for the Israelites to sow and reap their crops for six years, but in the seventh year let their fields and vineyards rest. They were not to sow in the seventh year, but live off of what was produced naturally. This was not just for their own sustenance, but for that of their servants, hired hands, strangers, and livestock.
This sounds great, like a one-year vacation! Yet, can you imagine working for six years and trusting God to provide you with enough for the seventh year? Can you imagine trusting Him to stretch your bank account out for a whole year in which you did nothing to produce income? Can you go further to imagine you are still expected to entertain strangers, guests, do payroll, care for pets? What about trusting Him with just one Sabbath day? I’m sure we would be hard pressed to trust Him with a full year.
While the Lord does not ask us to take a year off every seven years, He does bring us to places and circumstances beyond our control. This is sort of the point here; don’t you think? Don’t break up your fallow ground. Don’t sow, don’t fertilize, don’t prune, and don’t harvest, but expect increase. Why?! How?!
For six years Israel was faithful to break up their fallow ground, sow, care for, and reap a harvest. They were faithful to produce increase and income. It was in the seventh year God said, “I am Jehovah Jireh. I will provide.” He gave them a sabbath year to show us rest is not the enemy. He shows us in this rest for the land was also a faith-rest in God. He is ultimately the provider regardless of our participation. Yet there is still more to find here.
For six years the Israelites did the work to produce the crops which were their income and increase. Spiritually, we have work to do. We are to break up the fallow ground of our hearts so the Lord can plan His seeds of righteousness there. He prunes us so we might bear more fruit. It is for us to seek Him and His will for us so we might produce the fruit of righteousness and so He might reap a greater harvest upon the earth.
He has commanded a sabbath for us, as well. He asks us just one day a week. We are meant to rest as well as work. He gave us the tithing principle, too (Malachi 3:10-12). We are to trust Him with the tenth He has required so He can show us His miracle-provision. It is only when we adhere to those things He has prescribed for us that we will truly walk in the abundance He desires to provide for us. It is there for us when we stop relying on our own strength and begin to trust Him beyond what we can do. When we have done all we can do, we will have rest when we come to the places where we can do nothing. We will trust in and rest in our Jehovah Jireh.
“Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy;
break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord,
till He comes and rains righteousness on you” (Hosea 10:12).