120402 - Leviticus 25-26 - Ownership: all is the LORD's
S: For it is to me that the people of Israel are servants. They are my servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 25:55)
O: Leviticus 25 is a chapter about the Sabbath year, the Jubilee year, and laws of redemption.
A: That's a sermon right there, as far as I'm concerned. God makes it very clear that because of HIS redemption, ownership is holy. The redeemed slaves didn't really own property; they had it assigned to them by family. They could lease it out to others, but it returned to the ones to whom it was assigned in the Jubilee year. They could farm it, but they were to trust God in allowing it to rest on the Sabbath year. They could hire themselves out to work someone else's land, but not permanently. The right of redemption was always preserved. A system for providing work for the poor was always preserved. But there was to be no such thing as permanent slavery. A relative could buy you out of servitude. You could buy yourself out of it. And at the Jubilee year, you and your family would be released. All because ownership was reserved by God, because He brought them all out of Egypt and provided everything they had.
The idea that real ownership is holy - it all belongs to God - has such deep implications. Here are verses identifying a few of them:
And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5:15)
Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. (Romans 14:4)
Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. (Psalm 100:3)
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:27-28).
For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. (Ps 50:10-15).
Then whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all things to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31).
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever. (Revelation 5:9-14)
Finally, there is the idea that ownership will one day be consummated:
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:18-23).
Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. (Hebrews 2:8).
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 11:15)
P: Father, thank you for giving us the basis of the laws of ownership and redemption in your ownership and redemption. I can't express the comfort I feel, knowing I am yours. The enemy only comes to kill, steal and destroy. But no one is able to pluck me out of your hand. No one is able to bring me to condemnation or destroy the purpose you have for me, to bring you blessing, honor, glory and power.
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