Leviticus 利未记 25 — The Land and Jubilee 土地与禧年

Resources 资源

The Sabbatical Year (vv. 1–7) and the Year of Jubilee (vv. 8–55; jubal means “to blow a trumpet”) were based on two propositions: “The land is Mine” (v. 23), and “The children of Israel are My servants” (vv. 42; 55). God owns the land; we are stewards of what He has shared with us. We must use His resources wisely for His glory, for one day we must give an account of our stewardship (Luke 16:1ff.).

安息年(1-7节)和禧年(8-55节,jubal之意为“吹角”)是基于两个主张:“地是我的”(23节)和“以色列人是我的仆人”(42,55节)。地是属于神的;我们只是祂的管家。我们必须明智地使用祂的资源,为祂的荣耀而行,因为到了那日,我们必须为所经管的一切作交代(路16:1)。

 

Rest 休息

There was also an ecological purpose behind these laws, for obedience to them would grant rest to the land, to the beasts who helped work the land, and to the people. Along with the weekly Sabbath, the two events reminded Israel that rest and work go together and that people and God-given resources must not be exploited.

这些法律背后也有生态意义;若能遵守这些律法,土地、耕耘的兽禽和工人都能得到休息。与每周的安息日一样,这两件事都提醒以色列人安息与工作是并齐的,而他们也不能剥削工人和神所赐予的资源。

 

Riches 财富

There was an economic purpose, for God had a concern for the poor and afflicted (vv. 25, 35, 39, 47). Had Israel obeyed the law of the Year of Jubilee, it would have helped to balance the economy, and the rich would have had difficulty exploiting the poor.

这也包含了经济效应的目的,因为神关心困苦贫乏的人(第25,35,39,47节)。如果以色列遵守禧年的律法,这有助于经济的平衡,而富人也不能轻易剥削穷人了。

 

Responsibility 责任

But the overriding purpose was spiritual, a reminder that Jehovah was Lord of both the land and the people, and that Israel had the responsibility to trust Him for everything. They could not sow during either the forty-ninth or fiftieth year but had to wait for the harvest of the fifty-first year. That would take faith (vv. 18–22)!

但最重要的就是属灵的含义,因为律法提醒民众耶和华就是土地和百姓的主,而以色列有义务在一切事上信靠耶和华。他们不得在第49和第50年播种,必须等待第51个年头的收成。这是需要信心的(18-22节)!

 

Praying the Scripture 用经文祷告

 

  1. The focus in chapters 25 and 26 is on Israel in their land. In fact, the word “land” is used thirty-nine times in these two chapters. The Lord’s statement in verse 2 (“When you enter the land I am going to give you”) must have been a great encouragement to Moses, especially after Israel failed to claim their inheritance at Kadesh-Barnea and had to wander in the wilderness (Num. 13–14). God not only gave His people their land and their food, but He also gave them special “times” to observe so that the land would not be ravaged and spoiled. God is concerned about ecology and the way we treat His creation. Like the ancient Jews, we today are but stewards of God’s gifts; we must be careful not to abuse or waste them.

第25和26章的重点是以色列在他们的土地上当行的事。事实上,“土地”这词在这两章共出现39次。主在第2节所说的话(“你们到了我所赐你们那地的时候”)必带给摩西很大的鼓励,因为以色列未能在加低斯巴尼亚拿下土地而必须在旷野里流浪(民13-14)。神不仅将土地和食物赐给百姓,也要他们遵守特殊的“日子”,以确保土地不会被蹂躏和毁坏。神关心生态,也在意我们如何对待祂的造物。像古代犹太人一样,我们今日也只是神恩赐的管家;我们必须小心,不得滥用或浪费这些资源。

 

  1. We have no biblical evidence that the Jews ever celebrated the Sabbath Year, in fact, the Bible indicates that they didn’t: “To fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years” (2 Chron. 36:21). God sent Israel into Babylonian exile for seventy years in order to give the land the rest it needed (Jer. 25:8–11; 29:10). This suggests that for nearly 500 years, the Jews had disobeyed God’s law concerning the Sabbath Year.

我们没有圣经依据显示犹太人曾守安息日年;事实上,圣经说他们根本没守过:“这就应验耶和华藉耶利米口所说的话:地享受安息;因为地土荒凉便守安息,直满了七十年。”(代下36:21)神使以色列在巴比伦流亡70年,好让土地可以得到安息(耶25:8-11;29:10)。这意味着在过去的500年里,犹太人一直违背神安息年的律法。