Year 4, Day 114: Leviticus 25

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: Rhythm, Semi-Circle

• Rhythm: We are designed to work from rest, not rest from work.  God has created us to be a people of rhythm in which we rest (abide), grow, work (bear fruit), and prune.  The better we understand this natural rhythm in life, the more satisfied we will feel in life and the more we will be able to be in tune with succeeding in what God desires our life to be about.

Leviticus 25 is one of my favorite chapters when it comes to thinking about the semi-circle and rhythms in life.  Here we have what I believe is the grand-daddy of all explanations for needing rhythm.  We need rhythm because we live best when we understand that everything truly belongs to God and we are merely stewards of what He has given to us.

You see, we as human beings like to long for possession.  We like to own things.  We like to believe that things we purchase are ours forever.  Life becomes a grand collection of stuff.  Rather than focusing on relationships and spirituality our life becomes the pursuit of things and places.  We strive to own our way into stability – and by stability I mean keeping things just the way we like them so that we don’t need to change, work, or be under any agenda but our own.  That leads us to self-centered living.

In this chapter we hear about Sabbaths.  Each week is to have a Sabbath.  Every seven years is to have a Sabbath year.  Every fifty years is to have a special additional Jubilee.  All of this reminds us that the things that we work for are not ours.  This whole world belongs to God, and He is responsible for giving to each of us.  What should be important to us is our relationships, our freedom, and our spirituality.  These are things that are given to us by God.  These are things that cannot be taken away.  These are things that remain while the world is passing away.

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