The Seventh Year
Leviticus 25:4, “But in the seventh year the land is to have a Sabbath of rest, a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards.”
Rest. Does it even sound possible in today’s busy world? I know I long for it, yet can’t seem to find it in the midst of rushing around from one demand to the next. As I have prepared my heart and life for a new year, I have spent much time pondering what I want that year to hold. My thoughts led me to the Bible, as I remembered God saying something significant to the Israelites about the seventh year. I found that God had indeed commanded the people to allow the land to rest in the seventh year.
Now, I am not a Biblical scholar or a theologian, so I can’t tell you anything about the Hebrew calendar or what the seventh year means to the Jewish people. But I do know that we have just entered the seventh year of a new millennium, which sounds pretty significant to me. I don’t want to overlook the fact that the number seven is important to God.
* He created the earth and everything in it in seven days. Genesis 2:2
* He told Joshua and his people to march around Jericho seven times on the seventh day. Joshua 6:4
* The Bible tells us there are seven things God hates. Proverbs 6:16
* Jesus said to forgive seventy times seven. Matthew 18:22
* Revelation tells us of seven churches and seven seals. Revelation 1:4, 6:1
As I investigated what God told the Israelites to do in the seventh year, I realized that there were some good lessons for me in His words. He said that the seventh year was a time for forgiveness, rest, and instruction. While the land was resting, the people spent time doing other things. They were told not to worry about having enough; that God would provide all their needs. This time of rest was actually a time for spiritual growth, as they set aside a period of time for forgiving others, trusting God and drawing close to Him. I can spend this year pursuing these three things:
Forgiveness: Luke 6:37
Trusting God: Matthew 11:28
Drawing Close To God: Matthew 11:29
At the end of the year, my desire is to claim these things as what I spent my seventh year doing. I don’t want to spend another year chasing after trivial pursuits or pursuing a list of silly goals I won’t follow through on. Instead of looking to my usual demands, I want to trust God to take care of all the things I have on my plate. In the meantime, I will turn my focus to loving Him and His people. By doing so, I am not just allowing the land to rest, I am finding rest for my soul.
Challenge: Look up the verses mentioned. Which ones specifically speak to you? Ask God to help you make 2007 a spiritually significant year.
