The Feast of the Sabbatical Year, also known as the Shemitah or the Sabbath Year, is a biblically mandated observance found primarily in the Old Testament. It is a year of rest for the land, occurring every seventh year, and is deeply rooted in the covenantal relationship between God and the people of Israel. This observance is detailed in the Torah, specifically in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy.

Biblical Foundation

The primary scriptural basis for the Sabbatical Year is found in Leviticus 25:1-7 : "The LORD said to Moses on Mount Sinai, 'Speak to the Israelites and say, "When you enter the land I am giving you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath to the LORD. For six years you may sow your field and prune your vineyard and gather its crops. But in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of complete rest for the land—a Sabbath to the LORD. You are not to sow your field or prune your vineyard. You are not to reap the aftergrowth of your harvest or gather the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest. Whatever the land yields during the Sabbath year shall be food for you—for yourself, your manservant and maidservant, the hired hand or foreigner who stays with you, and for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. All its growth may serve as food."'

This commandment emphasizes the importance of rest and reliance on God's provision. The Sabbatical Year is a time when the Israelites were to cease agricultural activities, allowing the land to rejuvenate and preventing the exploitation of its resources.

Theological Significance

The Sabbatical Year serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and the Israelites' dependence on Him. It is a practical expression of faith, trusting that God will provide for their needs even when they do not actively cultivate the land. This observance also underscores the principle of stewardship, recognizing that the land ultimately belongs to God and that humans are merely caretakers.

Moreover, the Sabbatical Year is a time of social justice and compassion. Deuteronomy 15:1-2 states, "At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel the loan he has made to his fellow Israelite. He shall not require payment from his fellow Israelite or brother, because the LORD’s time of release has been proclaimed." This release of debts serves to prevent the accumulation of poverty and to promote economic equality among the people.

Historical Observance

Historically, the observance of the Sabbatical Year was a significant aspect of Israelite society, although adherence varied throughout different periods. The prophets often called the people back to this practice, highlighting its importance in maintaining a just and holy community. The neglect of the Sabbatical Year was one of the reasons cited for the Babylonian exile, as seen in 2 Chronicles 36:21 : "to fulfill the word of the LORD through Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept Sabbath, until seventy years were complete."

Contemporary Relevance

In modern times, the principles of the Sabbatical Year continue to resonate, particularly in discussions about sustainable agriculture, environmental stewardship, and economic justice. While the specific legal requirements of the Sabbatical Year are not typically observed outside of traditional Jewish communities, the underlying values of rest, renewal, and reliance on divine provision remain relevant for believers today.

The Feast of the Sabbatical Year, therefore, is not merely an ancient agricultural practice but a profound theological statement about God's provision, human stewardship, and the pursuit of justice and equality within the community of faith.Leviticus 25:2
Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, When you come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath to the LORD.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Sacred Officers and Sacred Occasions.
... (7) The Feast of Purim ... and during it the soil was unfilled just as on the Sabbatical
year. ... and the finished work of redemption as the Sabbath commemorated the ...
/.../the way of salvation in the lutheran church/chapter iii the sacred officers.htm

Ten Reasons Demonstrating the Commandment of the Sabbath to be ...
... the world, was at the end of a sabbatical year, and the ... died on the same day of the
year that he ... of Jereboam's greatest sins, that he ordained a feast from the ...
/.../bayly/the practice of piety/ten reasons demonstrating the commandment.htm

Leviticus
... to the feast of unleavened bread; the feast of weeks ... xxv."the sacred years"(a) the
sabbatical year: the land ... like the man, must enjoy a Sabbath rest, vv.1-7 ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/leviticus.htm

The Book of Jubilees
... were more or less connected with the sabbatical system ... The Passover and the feast
of Tabernacles lasted each of them ... in the seventh month of the year, itself a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the book of jubilees.htm

The Pentateuch.
... in connection with this the establishment of the feast of the ... etc., with the law
for the sabbatical year and the ... that followed to the thirty-eighth year of the ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xix the pentateuch.htm

Book ii. Jerome Answers the Second, Third, and Fourth Propositions ...
... had the same Passover, the same Feast of Tabernacles ... In the seventh, the Sabbatical
Year, all prisoners were released ... of persons, and in the year of Jubilee all ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/book ii jerome answers the.htm

Outward Bound
... hoped in vain) we should have our feast of zoophytes ... then the first coconut, with
its last year's leaves pale ... a Sabbath, whether you are in a sabbatical mood or ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter i outward bound.htm

From the Close of the General Conference of 1792 to the Close of ...
... in all our societies and congregations, with Sabbatical strictness " that ... so continued
until the fortieth year of his ... Abbott's death, in the love feast, Mr. W ...
/.../chapter 1 from the close.htm

What is the Feast of Purim? | GotQuestions.org

What is the Feast of Trumpets? | GotQuestions.org

What is the meaning of the Parable of the Wedding Feast? | GotQuestions.org

Feast: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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