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God's Laws Are Good - Lev 24-25
God's Laws Are Good - Lev 24-25
God's laws were 'for their good'. Such goodness was not just on an individual basis, but also was good for the nation. His law not only governed sin, sacrifice, and religion, but it covered the whole of their living together as a nation. These laws allowed not only for the protection of the individual but the perpetuity of the nation.
The weekly sabbath rest was enlarged to a sabbath year every 7th year. Upon the 7th 7, (i.e., the 50th year), there was another rest. Upon this Jubilee year the land (with certain exceptions) returned to the original families. During hard times, circumstances would cause people to 'sell themselves' or their family into an indentured slave situation. Such slaves were set free during this Jubilee year.
These instructions teach us much about God.
· God's sovereignty - the land and the people are HIS (25:23). He distributed it as HE saw fit, and He governed how it was to be 'owned'.
· God's fairness is shown in the provisions for both rich and poor.
· God's care is shown in that he provided EXTRA to tide them through these extra times of rest. At first there was extra manna for the 7th day. There then would be extra harvest to provide for the 7th year (read 25:20-22).
· God's righteousness can be seen in the penalty for various crimes being proportional to the degree of evil and damage of the crime; an eye for an eye, an animal for an animal, etc. (24:17-21). These laws were to be meted out without favor of rich or poor, and it would include any foreigner that dwelt among them (24:22).
Many lessons about life as God's people were to be learned from these laws. They would learn to TRUST God as He provided for them. They would learn OBEDIENCE. In fulfilling these laws they would learn to be FAIR in their treatment of ALL the people. They would learn to be MERCIFUL to those who were less fortunate and in difficult situations.
Moses would later remind them: "Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the Lord’s commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?" (Deut. 10:12-13).
Hugh DeLong
