◄ Leviticus 25:18 ►
You are to keep My statutes and carefully observe My judgments, so that you may dwell securely in the land.
Study Bible
You are to keep My statutes
This phrase emphasizes the importance of adhering to God's laws, which were given to the Israelites as part of the covenant at Sinai. The statutes refer to the specific decrees and commands that God provided through Moses. These laws were not merely legalistic requirements but were intended to guide the Israelites in living a life that was pleasing to God. The emphasis on keeping these statutes highlights the need for obedience and faithfulness, which is a recurring theme throughout the Old Testament. In the New Testament, Jesus affirms the importance of God's commandments, summarizing them in the two greatest commandments: love for God and love for neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40).

and carefully observe My judgments
Judgments refer to the decisions and ordinances that God has established. These are the divine principles of justice and righteousness that the Israelites were to follow. The call to "carefully observe" indicates the need for diligence and intentionality in applying God's judgments to daily life. This reflects the broader biblical theme of justice and righteousness, which is central to God's character. The prophets often called Israel back to these principles when they strayed (e.g., Micah 6:8). In the New Testament, Jesus is portrayed as the ultimate judge who embodies God's perfect justice (John 5:22).

so that you may dwell securely in the land
The promise of dwelling securely in the land is contingent upon obedience to God's statutes and judgments. This reflects the covenantal relationship between God and Israel, where blessings, including security and prosperity in the Promised Land, were tied to their faithfulness. The land itself was a significant aspect of God's promise to Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 12:7). The concept of security in the land also points to the eschatological hope of ultimate peace and rest in God's kingdom. In the New Testament, this is fulfilled in the promise of eternal life and the new creation, where believers will dwell securely with God (Revelation 21:1-4).

Persons / Places / Events
1. God (Yahweh)
The speaker of the command, emphasizing His authority and covenant relationship with Israel.

2. Israelites
The recipients of the command, who are to obey God's statutes and judgments.

3. The Land of Canaan
The promised land where the Israelites are to dwell securely if they obey God's commands.

4. Moses
The mediator through whom God delivers His laws and statutes to the Israelites.

5. Sabbath Year and Jubilee
Contextual events in Leviticus 25, where God commands rest for the land and release of debts, illustrating trust in His provision.
Teaching Points
Obedience and Security
Obedience to God's statutes is directly linked to security and peace in life. Just as the Israelites were promised security in the land, believers today find spiritual security in following God's Word.

Trust in God's Provision
The context of the Sabbath Year and Jubilee teaches reliance on God's provision. Trusting God means believing He will provide even when we rest from our labors.

Holistic Observance
Observing God's commands involves both action and heart attitude. It's not just about external compliance but internal commitment to God's ways.

Covenant Relationship
The statutes and judgments are part of a covenant relationship. Our obedience is a response to God's faithfulness and love.

Application in Modern Life
While the specific laws of Leviticus may not apply directly, the principles of obedience, trust, and reliance on God are timeless and applicable in our daily walk with Christ.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the promise of dwelling securely in the land relate to our spiritual security in Christ today?

2. In what ways can we practice trusting God's provision in our lives, similar to the Sabbath Year and Jubilee?

3. How can we ensure that our obedience to God is both external and internal, reflecting a true heart commitment?

4. What are some modern-day "statutes and judgments" that God calls us to observe, and how can we apply them in our lives?

5. How do the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament reinforce the principles found in Leviticus 25:18?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 5:32-33
Reinforces the importance of walking in obedience to God's commands for a prosperous life.

Psalm 119:1-2
Highlights the blessings of following God's laws and seeking Him with all one's heart.

Matthew 5:17-19
Jesus affirms the importance of the Law and the Prophets, emphasizing obedience to God's commands.

Hebrews 4:9-11
Discusses the concept of rest, connecting the Sabbath rest to a spiritual rest in Christ.

James 1:22-25
Encourages believers to be doers of the Word, not just hearers, for a blessed life.
Sermons
The Sabbatic YearJ.A. Macdonald Leviticus 25:1-7, 18-22
A Sabbath of Rest unto the LandW. H. Jellie.Leviticus 25:2-55
Deliverance from SinHoward James.Leviticus 25:2-55
Freedom Through ChristT. De Witt Talmage.Leviticus 25:2-55
Jubilee GladnessJ. Cairns.Leviticus 25:2-55
Land Laws Among Other NationsM. M. Kalisch, Ph. D.Leviticus 25:2-55
Land TenureT. T. Munger.Leviticus 25:2-55
Laws of Trade-WagesHom. ReviewLeviticus 25:2-55
Lessons from the Sabbatical YearF. W. Brown.Leviticus 25:2-55
Liberty Through ChristRichard Newton, D. D.Leviticus 25:2-55
Man Need not Despair of -ProvidenceBp. Babington.Leviticus 25:2-55
Practical Reliance Upon GodIndian Witness.Leviticus 25:2-55
Released from DebtChristian AgeLeviticus 25:2-55
Results of Jubilee YearT. Guthrie, D. D.Leviticus 25:2-55
Sojourners with GodHomilistLeviticus 25:2-55
The Hebrew System of Land TenureR. Reid.Leviticus 25:2-55
The Joyful SoundC. S. Robinson, D. D.Leviticus 25:2-55
The JubileeHomilistLeviticus 25:2-55
The JubileeHomilistLeviticus 25:2-55
The Jubilee a Type of the GospelWm. Sleigh.Leviticus 25:2-55
The Jubilee Year: its Fourfold SignificanceW. H. Jellie.Leviticus 25:2-55
The Oppressor Rebuked and the Oppression RemovedC. F. S. Money, M. A.Leviticus 25:2-55
The Purpose of the Sabbatical YearM. M. Kalisch, Ph. D.Leviticus 25:2-55
The Resemblance Between the Year of Jubilee and the GospelT. B. Baker.Leviticus 25:2-55
The Sabbath of the FieldsH. Macmillan, D. D.Leviticus 25:2-55
The Sabbatic Year and JubileeJ. A. Seiss, D. D.Leviticus 25:2-55
The Sinner's Chains are Self ForgedPreacher's Lantern.Leviticus 25:2-55
The Year of JubileeA. G. Brown.Leviticus 25:2-55
The Year of JubileeA. H. Currier.Leviticus 25:2-55
The Year of JubileeWalter Roberts, M. A.Leviticus 25:2-55
The Year of JubileeD. C. Hughes, M. A.Leviticus 25:2-55
The Year of JubileeT. Binney.Leviticus 25:2-55
The Year SabbathDr. Ide.Leviticus 25:2-55
What Shall We Eat the Seventh Year?A. G. Brown.Leviticus 25:2-55
The Year of JubileeR.A. Redford Leviticus 25:8-34
The JubileeR.M. Edgar Leviticus 25:8-55
Year of JubileeW. Clarkson Leviticus 25:8-55
Year of Jubilee: Ii. the World's RedemptionW. Clarkson Leviticus 25:8-55
Year of Jubilee: Iii. the Blessed KingdomW. Clarkson Leviticus 25:8-55
People
Israelites, Levites, Moses
Places
Canaan, Egypt, Mount Sinai
Topics
Careful, Carry, Confidently, Decisions, Decrees, Dwell, Dwelt, Judgments, Laws, Obey, Observe, Ordinances, Perform, Rules, Safe, Safely, Safety, Securely, Statutes, Thus, Wherefore
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Leviticus 25:18

     8454   obedience, to God

Leviticus 25:18-19

     4208   land, divine responsibility
     5511   safety
     8257   fruitfulness, natural

Leviticus 25:18-22

     4510   sowing and reaping

Leviticus 25:18-27

     4464   harvest

Library
Sojourners with God
'The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is Mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with Me.' --LEV. xxv. 23. The singular institution of the Jubilee year had more than one purpose. As a social and economical arrangement it tended to prevent the extremes of wealth and poverty. Every fiftieth year the land was to revert to its original owners, the lineal descendants of those who had 'come in with the conqueror,' Joshua. Debts were to be remitted, slaves emancipated, and so the mountains …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

God's Slaves
'For they are My servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as bondmen.' --LEV. xxv. 42. This is the basis of the Mosaic legislation as to slavery. It did not suppress but regulated that accursed system. Certainly Hebrew slavery was a very different thing from that of other nations. In the first place, no Jew was to be a slave. To that broad principle there were exceptions, such as the case of the man who voluntarily gave himself up to his creditor. But even …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Kinsman Redeemer
'After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him.'--LEV. xxv. 48. There are several of the institutions and precepts of the Mosaic legislation which, though not prophetic, nor typical, have yet remarkable correspondences with lofty Christian truth. They may be used as symbols, if only we remember that we are diverting them from their original purpose. How singularly these words lend themselves to the statement of the very central truths of Christianity--a slavery …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Boniface viii Ad 1294-1303.
PART I In Celestine's place was chosen Benedict Gaetani, who, although even older than the worn-out and doting late pope, was still full of strength, both in body and in mind. Benedict (who took the name of Boniface VIII) is said to have been very learned, especially in matters at law; but his pride and ambition led him into attempts which ended in his own ruin, and did serious harm to the papacy. In the year 1300 Boniface set on foot what was called the Jubilee. You will remember the Jubilee which …
J. C. Roberston—Sketches of Church History, from AD 33 to the Reformation

The Kinsman-Redeemer
'Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of Hosts is His name: He shall thoroughly plead their cause.'--JER. l. 34. Among the remarkable provisions of the Mosaic law there were some very peculiar ones affecting the next-of-kin. The nearest living blood relation to a man had certain obligations and offices to discharge, under certain contingencies, in respect of which he received a special name; which is sometimes translated in the Old Testament 'Redeemer,' and sometimes 'Avenger' of blood. What the etymological …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Day of Atonement
Now, I shall invite your attention to the ceremonies of this solemn day, taking the different parts in detail. First, we shall consider the person who made the atonement; secondly, the sacrifice whereby the atonement was typically made; thirdly, the effects of the atonement; and fourthly, our behaviour on the recollection of the atonement, as well set forth by the conduct prescribed to the Israelites on that day. I. First, THE PERSON WHO WAS TO MAKE THE ATONEMENT. And at the outset, we remark that …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 2: 1856

Appeal to the Christian Women of the South
BY A.E. GRIMKE. "Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not within thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place: but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this. And Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer:--and so will I go in unto the king, …
Angelina Emily Grimke—An Appeal to the Christian Women of the South

Sin and Forgiveness Between Brethren.
(Autumn, a.d. 29.) ^A Matt. XVIII. 15-35. ^a 15 And if thy brother sin against thee, go, show him his fault between thee and him alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. [Having warned against giving offense, Jesus now shows how to act when offense is received. The fault is to be pointed out to the offender, but for the purpose of gaining him--not from a desire to humiliate him. The offended is to seek the offender, and the offender is likewise to seek the offended (Matt. xv. 23, 24), …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Commerce
The remarkable change which we have noticed in the views of Jewish authorities, from contempt to almost affectation of manual labour, could certainly not have been arbitrary. But as we fail to discover here any religious motive, we can only account for it on the score of altered political and social circumstances. So long as the people were, at least nominally, independent, and in possession of their own land, constant engagement in a trade would probably mark an inferior social stage, and imply …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

"And the Redeemer Shall Come unto Zion, and unto them that Turn,"
Isaiah lix. 20.--"And the Redeemer shall come unto Zion, and unto them that turn," &c. Doctrines, as things, have their seasons and times. Every thing is beautiful in its season. So there is no word of truth, but it hath a season and time in which it is beautiful. And indeed that is a great part of wisdom, to bring forth everything in its season, to discern when and where, and to whom it is pertinent and edifying, to speak such and such truths. But there is one doctrine that is never out of season, …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Eighth Commandment
Thou shalt not steal.' Exod 20: 15. AS the holiness of God sets him against uncleanness, in the command Thou shalt not commit adultery;' so the justice of God sets him against rapine and robbery, in the command, Thou shalt not steal.' The thing forbidden in this commandment, is meddling with another man's property. The civil lawyers define furtum, stealth or theft to be the laying hands unjustly on that which is another's;' the invading another's right. I. The causes of theft. [1] The internal causes …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Baptism
Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them,' &c. Matt 28: 19. I. The way whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemptions, is, in the use of the sacraments. What are the sacraments in general? They are visible signs of invisible grace. Is not the word of God sufficient to salvation? What need then is there of sacraments? We must not be wise above what is written. It is God's will that his church …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Leviticus
The emphasis which modern criticism has very properly laid on the prophetic books and the prophetic element generally in the Old Testament, has had the effect of somewhat diverting popular attention from the priestly contributions to the literature and religion of Israel. From this neglect Leviticus has suffered most. Yet for many reasons it is worthy of close attention; it is the deliberate expression of the priestly mind of Israel at its best, and it thus forms a welcome foil to the unattractive …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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