Today’s reading: Leviticus 23:26-25:55
My selection: Leviticus 25:54
54 And if he is not redeemed by these means, then he and his children with him shall be released in the year of jubilee. 55 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.
My reflections: God set a limit on the length of time an Israelite could be held as a servant by a stranger or foreigner, although it was voluntary slavery. If redemption (the purchase of freedom) did not occur first then the servant was set free at the year of jubilee, which occurred every fifty years. The reason given was that the people of Israel were to be the servants of the LORD their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt. He bought them and they belonged first of all to Him. Through economic hardships they might, for a time, sell themselves as servants but they could not belong permanently to a stranger.
My challenge:
1. See yourself correctly. God’s people need to see themselves as His servants. Though we have jobs in the marketplace we work for Him. 2. Be available. Because we are His people, we should seek to maximize our availability to Him and His purposes for our lives. If I have enough to leave the marketplace, I free myself to pray and to serve using my gifts. 3. Be generous. Because we are His people, we should assist our brothers and sisters to maximize their availability for His purposes. This will be by giving strategically to genuine cases of need and by teaching others to apply sound financial principles to their personal lives.
Tomorrow’s reading: Leviticus 26:1-27:34
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