Looks like we're having a party folks...not just any party either, but a JUBILEE. I would say its a once in a lifetime party, but for theses folks it could very well be a 3 or4 in a lifetime party.Here we have a sort of Sabbath year every 49 or 50 years. When looking this up for further info, I found a some confusion on whether it was actually to be on the 49th or the 50th year. I may need some clarification on this whole shindig.
So in this year you allow your farm land to rest. I think your debts get forgiven, and indentured servants are freed. I could totally get into this, the way I figure it, I could stave off the student loan people for at least 45 yrs. I could pay them a little here, a little there; in 50 yrs, taa daa I would be free.
Then we learn about what happens if you DON'T follow these rules that God has set forth. All sorts of bad stuff happens. Your fields won't produce, it won't rain, wild animals will kill your kids, you will be given to the enemy....it goes on and on.
I thought we learned earlier though that it wasn't about God punishing the bad guys and rewarding the good guys. I was told that's not the way it works. But here it says pretty bluntly that if you do good, good will happen to you. If you do bad, bad will happen to you.
He even says that He WILL NOT smell the fragrance of your sweet and soothing odors......I'm pretty sure, He means business. Do as I say or you will suffer greatly, I will break your pride, your children will suffer...its all just really bad.
This leads my thinking to this questions. Don't you think people who super duper sin, and claim to be Christians, don't really believe deep down in any of it. I'm just thinking if you really, really believed in this stuff, why would you EVER do anthing wrong.
1 comment:
That's a good point. I think that some people who despite wanting to always do the right thing, simply arent perfect enought to accomplish that. We do have a sinful nature, remember?
This notion of letting a field rest every so many years is/was actually done by many farmers and is wildly successful. That field actually produces more when they start using it again.
Here we get into more private property issues - proofs. I keep bringing this up because as you know Christianity for me isn't just about theology it's an entire worldview. And I am fiercely against socialism. So private property rights and capitalism are paramount. It speaks of people getting rich and the exchange of private property, etc. Something that is not possible in socialism and communism, so I believe the Bible supports capitalism and the free market.
Punishing the bad, rewarding the good. Contractural obilgations....the Israelites have entered (willingly) into a covenant with God. It never said if they chose not to enter the covenant with God that he'd do any of this to them, but after. I know many people think there shouldn't be responsibility or accountability, but apparently God does. Just like in any contract (big to me cause I'm in business) you have rights, rewards, reception of goods/services, but you also have consequences for non payment, breaching the contract, etc. This is God reminding them that, as a people, they agreed to a covenant with Him. He will be faithful to fulfill His part and they'd better be faithful to fulfill theirs. I don't see what's wrong with that. You'll see as we go along, that God sticks to the contract besides the fact that the Israelites breach it over and over AND over again. If that's not mercy, then there's no such thing.
Again, with the graven images..this time it even says not to bow down to them (like when you enter a Catholic church and everyone bows to Mary). 26:1. You notice that when God is talking about the Jubilee years, He says He will not only be faithful to provide during the regular years, but that He will provide so much they will have enough for three extra years. And in 26:10 He even says He will provide so much that when they do start producing again they will have some left over they'll have to throw out to make room. THAT's abundance and overflow. That is God. This is interesting about the timeline, modern economists know that we go through a slow down period (or recession) almost every 8 years. I believe if you're faithful to God, He will provide enough for you every six years that you can make it through these slow times. Where's that coincidence calculator when you need it?
And we start seeing more of the tithing and the emergence/hinting of the 10% rule.
One more thing God comes right out and tells them that even if they breach the covenant, He will not completely fulfill His rights under the covenant to destroy them, but will wait and see if they return to Him (something He's not required to do under the covenant - mercy), He says in 26:42, He will EARNESTLY remember His agreement with them, despite them breaching it, if they decide they want to return to Him. He is faithful, good, merciful.
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