Topical Bible: The Feast of Sabbatical Year: Kept Every Seventh Year

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Topical Encyclopedia

The Feast of the Sabbatical Year, also known as the "Sabbath Year" or "Shemitah," is a biblically mandated observance that occurs every seventh year. This practice is rooted in the Torah and is primarily detailed in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. The Sabbatical Year is a time of rest for the land, a period of release for debts, and a reminder of God's provision and sovereignty.

Biblical Foundation

The concept of the Sabbatical Year is first introduced in Exodus 23:10-11: "For six years you are to sow your land and gather its produce, but in the seventh year you must let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor among your people may eat; and the wild animals may consume what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and olive grove." This command underscores the importance of allowing the land to rest, reflecting the Sabbath principle of rest and renewal.

Leviticus 25:1-7 provides further instructions: "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."'" This passage emphasizes the land's rest as an act of obedience and trust in God's provision.

Social and Economic Implications

The Sabbatical Year also had significant social and economic implications. 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 served as a reset for the community, preventing the accumulation of insurmountable debt and promoting social equity.

Additionally, the Sabbatical Year provided for the poor and the stranger. Leviticus 25:6-7 notes, "Whatever the land yields during the Sabbath year will 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 provision ensured that all members of society, including the marginalized, had access to sustenance.

Theological Significance

Theologically, the Sabbatical Year is a profound expression of faith in God's provision. By ceasing agricultural work and releasing debts, the Israelites demonstrated their reliance on God rather than their own efforts. This observance reinforced the understanding that the land ultimately belonged to God, as stated in Leviticus 25:23: "The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is Mine and you are but foreigners and residents with Me."

The Sabbatical Year also foreshadows the ultimate rest found in Christ. Hebrews 4:9-10 speaks of a "Sabbath rest for the people of God," pointing to the spiritual rest and redemption offered through Jesus. The principles of rest, release, and reliance on God in the Sabbatical Year find their fulfillment in the New Covenant.

Historical Observance and Modern Relevance

Historically, the observance of the Sabbatical Year varied, with evidence suggesting that it was not consistently practiced throughout Israel's history. However, its principles continue to resonate, offering insights into sustainable living, economic justice, and spiritual rest.

In contemporary times, the Sabbatical Year serves as a reminder of the importance of stewardship, community care, and trust in divine provision. While the specific agricultural and debt-release practices may not be directly applicable, the underlying values remain relevant for believers seeking to honor God in all aspects of life.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 23:11
But the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie still; that the poor of your people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner you shall deal with your vineyard, and with your olive grove.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Leviticus 25:4
But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest to the land, a sabbath for the LORD: you shall neither sow your field, nor prune your vineyard.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

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

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

Book ii. Jerome Answers the Second, Third, and Fourth Propositions ...
... the proceeds among the people, and kept nothing for ... had the same Passover, the same
Feast of Tabernacles ... In the seventh, the Sabbatical Year, all prisoners were ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/book ii jerome answers the.htm