Giving the land a needed "Rest" (Midrash "B'Har) Leviticus 25-26

[Jacob Ben Avraham]

Torah/Bible study : "BHar“(on the Mountain) LEVITICUS 25:1-26:2


“Give it a rest! Will ya?” I am sure you have heard that expression before, or “Give it a rest already!”

People tend to say that when one continues in some theme or argues over a point that is not worth it, HOWEVER, this is what God is saying when He sees the earth, soil, and ground being over-worked; “Give it a rest!” just as people need to rest and take their “Shabbat rest” so does the land which really belongs to HIM, we are just using it. Does not Psalm 24:1 state just that? "The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;

This Bible/Torah deals with giving the land a rest after six years of planting and harvesting, on the seventh year the land shall rest. This, agriculturally, is very sound and comes from the mouth of the creator of all the earth. The reason is quite simple to understand. Crops, such as corn, wheat, barley, vegetables, etc., when they grow in the soil, take in nutrients, quite like us, when we eat, we absorb nutrients from the food we eat. Imagine the land after 6 years of planting and harvesting, all those nutrients, minerals, and chemicals from the soil, are being absorbed by the crops sown, if the land does not have a chance to rest and renew itself, it will soon become useless, quite void of nutrients…so… a year’s rest will give the soil enough time to replenish itself.

We can apply this commandment today, to allow the land to rest after six years of planting and harvesting, even families that have little vegetable gardens in the back of their houses. May they enjoy six years of vegetables and then in the seventh year, just dump compost in the soil, food that goes bad, moldy bread, etc., don’t put it in the garbage, bury it in the garden, do that in that seventh year, and then the next year, plant and harvest again.

We can similarly look at ourselves. How do we count our lives? By a 365-day year? Or by sabbaticals? If we were to count our years by the day, we could say we have many days and years ahead of us! Really? Do we know tomorrow? (didn’t think so). However, if we were to count our years on earth by counting by sevens? How many “sabbaticals” have we lived? How many “might” be left? If I were to count my sabbaticals, I would have to count starting in 1954. 1954-1960 first seven years, 1961-67, the second sabbatical. I would have to ask myself, what have I done or accomplished in each of these periods of seven years? Anything of importance? Have I influenced other lives? If we count by sabbaticals, we will find that we don’t have many sabbaticals to live.

This commandment was given to the Children of Israel when they were at Mt. Sinai. They would put this into practice once they got into the Promised Land, the Land of Canaan, (40 years later). Yet we can also apply the wisdom and instruction from God to our own fields, gardens, and so on. On a smaller scale.

All in all, Parasha "B'Har"(On the mountain) deals with giving the land a physical rest after 6 years, and also, the "Year of Yovel" or the "Year of Jubilee" where on the 50th Year, all properties and personnel in service of others, go free, it is a time of "Liberty" for those in service for debts or land that is "rented out" Again, we see that "GOD OWNS ALL" including us. Were we not made from the dust of the earth? so, if the earth is the LORD's so are we.

We can look at this in the spiritual realm as well. We are like the crops, which are planted, by Adonai, on this earth, to grow in HIM, and reach maturity, yet there comes a harvest time, when we will be harvested to go back home, to our eternal Sabbath’s rest, to enjoy our “Yovel” our time of “Jubilee” to reap what we have sown, souls that have come to YESHUA through our testimonies, believers who have grown to maturity through “teachers of the WORD” it is not enough to give out the WORD of God, there must be the ones who teach it, like seeds that are planted and watered. For this reason, spiritual gifts are given, and among those are the “teachers of the WORD” the ones who water the seeds so that they may grow, mature, and in the end, be harvested.

From a Hebraic perspective, we can look at the word "Yovel" (Jubilee) as "Liberty" or "freedom" in year 50. "50" from a Hebraic perspective, we can see "grace eternal" The number "5" in Hebrew signifies "grace" and "0" like the number "8" has no beginning nor end, so it is something "eternal" the name "HaAdam" in Hebrew means "The Man" or "Humanity" This word also sums "50" when we use Hebrew gematria. So, is there a connection? One way we can look at this is; "At the time of harvest, at the time of "Yovel" (liberty) we will leave our bodies and return to Him who gave us life.

We will be FREE of the sin which we are born with, inherited from Adam, yet we will become like "HaAdam" who was made pefect and sinless before he disobeyed and brought sin into the world. "Liberated" from our sinful tabernacle, we will rejoice in our "Yovel" and become like Messiah Yeshua/Jesus. pure and without sin.

The parashah also talks about slaves and servants. An Israelite could not be considered a slave, but a servant, yet a foreigner could be considered a slave. Yet both treatments of the slave or servant had to be humane, and they had to be released during the time of Jubilee, every 50 years. Normally, a slave or servant would be released at the end of 6 years, however, if the slave or servant wished to remain with the master, the time with the master ended at the time of Jubilee.

What this portion of Torah is saying is that ALL possessions, both material, animal, and human, belong to Adonai. We have each other, our material blessings for only a season. We should enjoy each other and the blessings that the LORD has given us, for a season, employers should treat their employees with respect and with honor (they would be like the slaves and servants in Biblical times) Employers have their employees, just for a season. I would repeat Psalm 24:1 again.

Someday, when we stand before our Heavenly Father, we will be accountable for all the things we have been given, both human, animal, and material things. For the season in which they were given to us, how did we treat them? In the time of Jubilee, how will be stand before Yeshua? Something to think about.

He has liberated us from the curse of sin by His death on Calvary's cross. His "Yovel" made us free, free to follow HIM and follow his commandments.

 

It might seem a bit cloudy, but the sun will shine tomorrow.  Clouds are part of life, and so is the SON shine! 

Key Largo, FL 

 

 

[kwikphilly]

7th year Jubilee!!!

These principles have always intrigued me- and I've seen the fruit of the application throughout life,in many different areas

The 6 or 49 years we can see how the cycle repeats itself but what I've learned through personal experience is how very important it is to " rest" for RESToration,rejuvination,reparation & REJOICE in it!To God be the Glory!

Funny you mentioned animals- as a professional trainer I've worked with hundreds of horses,99% of the time,given enough time I can resolve any issues,bad habits or undesirable behaviors BUT once in a blue moon there comes a horse who has been so badly mistreated ,abused or handled misappropriately that he's so sour the best thing you can do is turn him out to pasture for a year to "rest" - what is simply amazing is the animal will remember his basic training & forget every bad habit and bad behavior- you can start fresh and re-establish his early training so you can move forward to reset,he is willing and ready to trust & be lead by someone he can trust

Anyway,just brought that to mind.....and some terrible legal process I endured for 6 yrs when the Deed to my home was stolen- it just " ended" the 7th year after just Trusting God for a Miracle & in the Year of Jubilee it was laid to rest- Praise Jesus!

Anyway,I've witnessed this Cycle many times in nearly 70 yrs on earth- With or without even my own knowledge or deliberate participation it prevails.....

Good to see you,been awhile- God Bless you

With love in Christ,Kwik