Deuteronomy 15:19-23 (ESV)
“All the firstborn males that are born of your herd and flock you shall dedicate to the LORD your God. You shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock. You shall eat it, you and your household, before the LORD your God year by year at the place that the LORD will choose. But if it has any blemish, if it is lame or blind or has any serious blemish whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to the LORD your God. You shall eat it within your towns. The unclean and the clean alike may eat it, as though it were a gazelle or a deer. Only you shall not eat its blood; you shall pour it out on the ground like water.
This is the last section in the description by Moses of the sabbatical year. Every seven years the nation of Israel was to do something so profound, the world would be in shock if it was actually completed in our societies today. In the seventh year all slaves were to be set free. All debt was to be forgiven. All land was to be restored to its original owner. And, in the above, no first born of the flock was to be spared regarding dedicating it to God (unless it had blemish). The Sabbatical Year was scared. It smacks completely at the capitalism of the modern world. Capitalism is worshipped as an idol. The markets are observed and treated as gods. Image a country dismissing all debt and restoring order every seven years. The concept of meritorious achievement would be put on its head. Israel failed to accomplish this. We read little of their observation of it. But the Law was to demonstrate the heart of God and the Sabbatical Year did just that. The first born was to be used to commemorate such a change in society. Today we would never see anything like this, under any religion or society or government. Yet this was God’s way of showing His grace, mercy and love.
No comments:
Post a Comment