Series on Old Testament Festivals and Sacred Days – Sabbath Year
(Click on the
link below to read the verses.)
Leviticus 25:1-7;
Matthew 26:17-30
[Many of the
festivals and sacred days from the Old Testament don’t seem to be relevant for
us today. They may have been significant for the Jews at the time, but not now.
In this series, we’re going to take a closer look at the festivals and sacred
days to learn what the significance was for the people of Israel at the time.
And to learn what the significance is for us today.]
It’s nice when people remember you on your birthday.
This year was especially nice because multiple people sang “happy
birthday” to me independent of one another. A friend from Reno sang to me
during our weekly Zoom call; a Facebook friend typed it in her “direct message”;
my siblings sang to me on the phone; and our men’s church choir sang to me at
our rehearsal.
The most unexpected was after playing pickleball. The lady who organizes
our weekly games brought cupcakes to celebrate my birthday. Before eating them,
they all sang happy birthday to me! Afterwards, three of them took me out to
lunch. They went out of their way to remember me on my birthday.
Israel had lived in Egypt for 430 years. This means
that they were immersed in the Egyptian culture including their gods, their values
and their laws. For 400 of those years, Israel had been slaves. As a result,
they were oppressed by the Egyptians politically, economically and socially. They
may have been more Egyptian than Jewish.
When the Lord finally freed Israel, they needed to
know how to live as a free nation; how to follow the Lord; how to be holy and
consecrated to the Lord. This begs the question: how long would it take to get “Egypt”
out of Isreal?
To do this, Israel needed structure for their lives
politically, socially and religiously. They also needed structure as they
claimed the Promised Land so that they could withstand the pressure to “give in”
to a pagan culture and the temptation to worship other gods.
According to the fourth commandment, they were to work six days but rest on the seventh known as the Sabbath. This was to be a holy day for the Lord. It was to remind them “that I am the Lord who makes you holy”.
In addition to the Sabbath Day, the Lord instructed them to
observe the Sabbath Year.
4 But in the
seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest, a sabbath to
the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. NIV Leviticus
25
Most of us aren’t farmers, so the Sabbath Year would
appear to be irrelevant for us. However, the underlying principle still applies.
It was a tool to remind the Israelites who the Lord was and whose they were. It
was to remind them that the Lord would provide for them. It was to remind them
that he was faithful.
Like my pickleball friends honored me, we need to find
ways to honor and celebrate the Living God, our Lord and Redeemer. His Son Jesus
did just that. He provided a way to remember and honor him until he returns.
26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread,
and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples,
saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he
took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them,
saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is
my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of
sins. NIV Matthew
26
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