The Law of God Miscellanies (12)

“And if you say, ‘What shall we eat in the seventh year, since we shall not sow nor gather in our produce?’ Then I will command My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years.”Leviticus 25.20, 21

Reflect and discuss.
1.  Certain teachings of God’s Word are difficult to understand and seem impossible to obey. Does this mean we can simply set these aside? Explain.

2.  Every Scripture must first be understood in its original context. Then we look for a general principle that will apply to our context. The context for today’s passage is quite different from our own. Should we nonetheless expect to discover some principle we can apply?

Think about it.
The Lord promises to provide for His people. The provision of the Lord encourages us to obey Him, and obedience to the Lord leads us into further blessings. Our responsibility is to understand the will of the Lord and what He requires of us, and to be faithful in obeying and serving Him, out of sincere fear and love. 

By so doing we do not earn His blessings. Rather, we enterHis blessings through faith and obedience, and we find His Word and promises to be abundant for our needs. The ultimate provision of our needs – not just our daily bread, but everything we need to live as witnesses for Christ – does not depend upon us. We must be faithful as good stewards of our time, resources, and opportunities. God will meet us at the point of our need, just when we need Him. We do not always understand how He does this, but that He does is certain.

It must have been puzzling to Israel how they could have their daily bread supplied by taking a year off from working the land. But God commanded it, to reinforce the people’s need to rest in Him at all times. If they would obey, He would be faithful. If they would let the land rest, He would cause their harvests to abound. That they did not obey Him, never once keeping a year’s Sabbath for the land, was the reason for their being carried off into captivity in Babylon (2 Chron. 36.20, 21). 

It might puzzle us to think that God could use us as witnesses for Christ. But He will, as long as we are faithful in making His Good News known.

Our Father knows what we need even before we ask Him. Why should we ever worry about this? To worry or be anxious is not only to doubt the Lord; it also distracts us from giving full and glad attention to the stewardship of our moments. God will provide. Everything you need – whether for daily sustenance or daily witness – comes by His blessing and according to His promise. Trust and obey: this is what God is looking for from you.

Plan well. Commit your work to the Lord. Do your work with excellence. Grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord and stir up the gifts that are within you. Be accountable for every moment. Obey God’s Word as fully and completely as you can. This is the way into the presence and sustained blessing – as well as the power – of the Lord.

Meditate and discuss.
1.  God explained how He would provide for His people during the sabbath year of the land (Lev. 25.21). But that seemed impossible to the people of Israel. Our Lord promises to make you His witness (Acts 1.8). Does that seem impossible to you? Hard? Explain.

2.  Israel couldn’t see how the sabbath year would work, so they simply chose not to obey it. You may not be able to see how you could possibly be a confident, outspoken, and effective witness for the Lord. But the Lord will provide. Meditate on Luke 12.11, 12. How can this help you obey the Lord’s calling?

3.  The Lord provides the power and words for our witness as surely as He provides our daily bread. But we need to “be ready” for every such opportunity (1 Pet. 3.15). What does being ready to bear witness entail?

“The Christian should not fear or be distressed in difficult circumstances and thus be distracted from trust in God. He should take courage as if the Lord were at hand directing his affairs and strengthening him against all his adversaries.” Basil the Great (330-379 AD)

Lord, thank You for providing my daily bread. I do want to be a faithful witness for Jesus, and though I may not be able to see how, I know You will provide the power and words I need. For my part, I intend to…

Pray Psalm 107.
As you pray, respond in faith to the Lord’s charge to bear witness. Can you find in the various vignettes presented in this psalm one that fits your own experience? Pray it back to the Lord with thanks for His mercy and grace.

Psalm 107.1-3 (Faithfulness: Great is Thy Faithfulness)
Lord, You are good, we give thanks and we praise You!
Your steadfast love will forever endure.
Let the redeemed, who from trouble You rescue,
Gather and say that Your mercy is sure!
Refrain vv. 1-3
Lord, for Your wondrous works, and for Your steadfast love,
We give You thanks, we exalt Your great Name!
We who from east and west, north and south gather,
Boldly redemption in Christ we proclaim!

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006.