Leviticus 25

Notes

[Ver. 7. The sabbatical year required, (1) A total cessation from agriculture, but not from pasturage in common between masters, servants, and regular sojourners. (2) Similar commonage of fruit-trees. (3) Remission of debts, De. 15. 2. (4) The public reading of the law, De. 31. 10-13. Whether viewed as a political, religious, or typical institute, nothing can give greater evidence of divine wisdom and goodness. (1) The rest of the land afforded a periodical remedy against the exhaustion of over-cropping, weediness, and the larvæ of insects. (2) It necessitated a septennial increase of cattle from the neighbouring countries, and consequent improvement of breed. (3) It encouraged servants to acquire property. (4) It taught masters a due regard to the interests of servants. (5) It inculcated the doctrine of providence; upon faith in the spiritual, and covetousness in the natural man; and thereby encouraged the one, and condemned the other. (6) It set forth the rest (the sabbatism, keeping of sabbath) that 'remaineth for the people of God,' He. 4. 9;—'Even so, come, Lord Jesus,' Re. 22. 20. C.]

Ver. 9. Jubilee: the derivation of this word is uncertain; the facts included are plain. Some derive it from Jubal, the inventor of musical instruments, Ge. 4. 21, and suppose it to intimate the music of the trumpet with which it was to be introduced; others, as Rabbi Kimchi, derive it from jobel, signifying a ram's horn, because it was proclaimed with trumpets of rams' horns; others derive it from jabal, to restore, because, in the year of jubilee, possessions were restored to their original owners. The Septuagint accordingly renders it remission, and Josephus liberty. Another etymology derives it from jubal, a stream, because, like the stream of time, it carried all things along with it. The English word jubilee is derived immediately from the Latin jubilo, to rejoice with shouting. It is an institute eminently typical of Christ, as the particulars will demonstrate. C.]

Ver. 10. [The Jew might be compelled to surrender his own freedom; he might sell his children, or they might be arrested in payment of their father's debt, see ver. 39; Ex. 21. 2, 7, 8; 2 Ki. 4. 1. But while this compulsory sale of freedom was intended, and admirably calculated, to prevent fraudulent debts, or punish fraudulent debtors; the law of the year of release, Ex. 15. 12, and of the jubilee, was equally calculated to prevent the granting of fraudulent credits, with a view to enslave either the debtor or his family. Viewed as a political institute, the power of parents over their children's freedom amounts not to more than the power of apprenticeship: common, and even necessary, in all civilized nations. The proclamation of liberty was a lovely emblem of our deliverance from 'the bondage of corruption' into 'the glorious liberty of the sons of God,' Ro. 8. 21; and a glorious type of our great Deliverer, who said, 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach deliverance to the captives, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord,' Lu. 4. 18. But the jubilee restored the Jew not only to liberty, but property; so are believers restored to 'an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for those who are kept through faith unto salvation,' 1 Pe. 1. 4, 5. The Jew was restored to his family. What happy meetings on the morning of jubilee! So, the believer is restored to 'the household of God,' 'of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,' Ep. 2. 19; 3. 15. C.]

Ver. 23. [The earth, like its inhabitants, is 'sold under sin;' still 'the earth is the Lord's,' Ps. 24. 1, and 'the god of this world,' 2 Co. 4. 4, will not be permitted to retain it for ever; it is Christ's ? and so is the church, Ep. 1. 14; Ps. 74. 2; Ac. 20. 28; 1 Pe. 2. 9; it is his by right of conquest from the usurping enemy, Ps. 98. 1; He. 2. 14; 1 Co. 15. 25, 26, and will soon be his by the baptism of fire, and the establishment of everlasting righteousness, 2 Pe. 3. 7-13. C.]

Ver. 30. [The house in a walled city, being purchased as a place of safety and of trade, could not be reclaimed after a year's possession. As a political ordinance, this operated as a needful prevention of monopoly, while it promoted intercourse, enterprise, and improvement; as a religious ordinance, it was emblematic of that 'city of the living God,' He. 12. 22, which 'God hath prepared,' He. 11. 16, and in which salvation (a blessing inalienable from the lawful possessor) 'God hath appointed for walls and bulwarks,' where he 'keeps him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on him,' Is. 63. 1, 3. C.]

Ver. 32. [The Levites had no great division of the land like the other tribes, but forty-eight cities and suburbs selected throughout the entire country, including the six cities of refuge, Nu. 35. 1-8; as the appointed instructors of the people; Ne. 8. 7, 9, and, because of the cities of refuge, the magisterial guardians of the public peace, they were thus dispersed through the tribes, and, as such, possessed the special right of redeeming their houses at any time; a privilege not bestowed for their private benefit, but necessary to the public welfare—an emblem of the inalienable right of reformation with which God has invested the church, and to which he specially commissions his 'pastors and teachers,' Ep. 4. 11-15, 22, 23; Mal. 2. 4-7; 3. 7, 17, 18. C.]

Ver. 36. [This is not a law against legal interest for money lent, but the fourth-provision of the Mosaic poor-law—an appeal to benevolence, which is 'always merciful and lends,' Ps. 37. 26; a restraint upon covetousness, ever ready to traffic in the poor man's necessities, Am. 2. 7; 4. 1; 8. 6. C.]

Ver. 46. [This law of bondmen is neither to be explained nor defended, as if it were founded on a special order, like the extirpation of Amalek; or as the merciful but temporary-correction of an existing and unavoidable evil; for God legislates not by temporary expedients, but by eternal principles: but it is to be explained and defended on its own merits, which are these. (1) These services were bought at their just price; not from men-stealers, traffickers condemned of God, Ex. 21. 16, but from the parties themselves. (2) They might be redeemed or manumitted without any legal hindrance, as is evident from the case provided for, Ex. 19. 20. (3) They are under the protection of the law, Jos. 9. 20, 21. (4) By comparing Ju. 1. 27, 28, 30, 33, 35, with 1 Ki. 9. 20, 21, the bond-service, in a most remarkable instance, will be found a mere rent-charge or tribute, either in labour or money, in return for the possession of houses or lands. And farther, from Ezr. 2. 21; Ne. 7. 5, 6, 57, 61; 10. 28, compared with Ex. 12. 44, and with the everlasting covenant with Abraham, Ge. 17. 12, 13, 27, it will appear that bond-servants were (as in the case of Solomon's servants) legally incorporated with the church and kingdom, and entitled to all the covenant privileges of Abraham's lineal descendants. (5) By the Mosaic law every servant, and therefore, in a special manner, the privileged bond-servant, was protected by law from every form of oppression, De. 24. 14, 18. Now a system of servitude, under these restrictions and with these privileges, cannot in any sense be called slavery, nor be employed to countenance slavery; nor does it require any apologetic explanation; for, as God authorized it, it was a system both of mercy and justice: for man's perversion of it, neither explanation, apology, nor defence can be offered. C.]

Reflections.—While in these sabbatical years I call to mind the happiness of Adam in paradise, and by faith discern the rest, the liberty, the happiness, the common salvation of a spiritual state, of the gospel period, and of the celestial state, all accepting Jesus' atoning blood, and published and offered to us in the gospel, may I be disengaged from all undue affection to created comforts, and never hasten to be rich, but depend on God for daily bread, in following the ways of religion and charity. In view of my eternal jubilee, let me consider wisely the cases of the poor; study equity in all my dealings; and stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made me free. Blessed be his glorious name—though I have forfeited all my happiness—though I have sold myself a bond-servant to Satan and my lusts—my kinsman-redeemer Christ has paid all my debt, all my ransom! And whom the Son hath made free, they are free indeed! Let me adore his goodness, that, while almost all the world are wilfully in bondage, the true and faithful, according to the Spirit, are made the Lord's freemen.