Date: 02-24-2021

Title: Jubilee Respect

(S) cripture:
    Leviticus 25:14-17 (NLT2) “When you make an agreement with your neighbor to buy or sell property, you must not take advantage of each other. 15 When you buy land from your neighbor, the price you pay must be based on the number of years since the last jubilee. The seller must set the price by taking into account the number of years remaining until the next Year of Jubilee. 16 The more years until the next jubilee, the higher the price; the fewer years, the lower the price. After all, the person selling the land is actually selling you a certain number of harvests. 17 Show your fear of God by not taking advantage of each other. I am the LORD your God.

(O) bservation:
    In the year of Jubilee all purchased property was returned to the seller. These instructions take into account that return at the Jubilee year. The price was based on the number of years until the next Jubilee. The people were to deal honestly with each other out of their reverence and respect for God.

(A) pplication:
    The church I served in Michigan had a number of farmers that owned large amounts of land. Some of them leased the land to other farmers to farm. Those leases could be for any number of years depending on the agreement made. The land remained the property of the owner, but the crop was the property of the lessee. I see something similar in the Year of Jubilee instructions. Although I do not have land to lease nor am I inclined to lease land from someone else I am struck by the thought that the command to “Show your fear of God by not taking advantage of each other. I am the LORD your God” is one that goes far beyond selling or leasing land but to every relationship I have. Today I will treat those I meet with respect and will not intentionally take advantage of anyone.

(P) rayer:
    Lord, Let me walk in integrity with you and treat the person in front of me as you would treat them. Amen