Leviticus 25-26: Sabbaths and Poetry

Let's try something different. Let's try bullets!

• “And the Lord spoke to Moses...” We see that phrase a lot throughout this portion of the Bible. So much so that it can be easy to pass over it without a second thought. But this time it caught me a bit. Just what was that like? I can't even begin to imagine. Well, actually I can. But I can't.
• This whole deal of a Sabbath for the land kinda boggles my mind. The land isn't the type of thing that can get tired and be in need of a rest right? We have seen though, that God is pretty serious about the Sabbath commandments. I think I'm missing something. Seeing the importance the Sabbath has in Scripture I don't think I fully grasp what is going on.
• I've heard some people say the rest for the land on the 7^th year was to keep all the nutrients in the soil from being used up. This may be true for all I know, but it doesn't seem to be the complete explanation for the importance God seems to be putting on it.
• This sounds like it was a largely agrarian society, which means this Sabbath is like a year long vacation for a large segment of the population.
• I wonder if this command was given today, whether or not the command would be to give the electrons in all the technology a break for a year?
• Year of Jubilee sounds great, but I'm guessing it would wreak havoc on our current economic system.
• The redemption of property during the year of Jubilee is weird for me. I figure if I bought something it's mine. I shouldn't have to give it back. After all that's why I paid money, so I wouldn't have to give it back.
• Leviticus 25: 20 “What shall we eat in the seventh year?” This would have been exactly my question.
• If I was in the position of relying on what I could grow to provide a living for my family and myself I don't think I would have been happy with the answer God gives. That's a lot of trust.
• I've actually been thinking a lot about gluttony recently.
• Gluttony didn't come up in this passage. I was just hoping that for a brief, beautiful, moment you might have panicked that you read the wrong chapters today.
• Perhaps this stream-of-conscious post wasn't such a good idea. :)
• Chapter 26: It's pretty cool that there is epic poetry about the blessings and retributions of God.
• Poetry is something that I've got a love/hate relationship with. But I'm consistently puzzled and impressed at how large a portion of the Scriptures are in poetic form. I have no idea why this is so or what it means. Or if it means anything at all.
• God says “If you don't obey Me these bad things will happen to you.” Then, four more times through chapter 26 He says “If you haven't paid attention to the prior discipline, it's going to get even tougher for you.” This slow progression of discipline seems to me to be a rather merciful way of dealing with insubordination.
• I still think it's awesome that even after going through all of that, beginning in 26:40 God says “If you repent, I will forgive and restore. Turn back to Me.”
• I find that very comforting. Even through all my rebellion He is working to humble me, bring me back to Himself, and restore the relationship marred by my own sin. He is not standing off in the distance waiting for me to extricate myself and return, but He is extending his arm to draw me back through the discipline of His love.