Today's readings: Exodus 35-36, Leviticus 25, and Psalm 81.
I. Moses reminds the Israelites about God's command about the Sabbath (35:1-3), invites the people to freely give gifts for the Tabernacle (35:4-9), calls for skilled workers to construct it (35:10-19), and the Israelites respond generously (35:20-29). Finally, the skilled master craftsmen Bezalel and Oholiab are acknowledged by Moses for the building of the Tabernacle (35:30-35). In the next chapter, the actual construction of the Tabernacle is described.
II. Leviticus 25 lays out laws for sacred time, land use, and social justice in Israel, centered on trust in God and restoration:
- The Sabbath Year: No sowing or harvesting for profit, but whatever grows naturally is shared by everyone (owners, servants, foreigners, even animals). The land itself is treated as belonging to God (25:1-7). This sounds like a wise command to prevent overusing the soil. It also helps the Israelites to trust in the Lord to provide for them.
- The Jubilee Year: Every 50 years, private land is returned to original family owners, Israelite slaves are freed, people return to their ancestral property, and all sales of land are really long-term leases based on the number of years until the next Jubilee (25:8-17). I'm not even sure how this would work in our modern world if still required.
- The people are to trust that the Lord will provide for them (25:18-22) and all land belongs to God, with none of it being permanently sold (25:23-28). Rules are given for houses in walled cities and in villages, with the Levites having special protections for their cities and property (25:29-34).
- Israelites who fall into poverty shall be cared for, with no usury allowed (25:35-38).
- Rules given for the treatment of slaves, both Israelites and foreigners (25:39-55).
III. Psalm 81 is one of prophetic exhortation. The subtitle given to it, "God's Appeal to Stubborn Israel," gives one an idea of that. As the Ignatius Bible notes: It opens with a call to divine worship (81:1-5b); it includes a brief remark from the Psalmist, who received instruction from God by divine inspiration (81:5c); and it features the words of this divine message, which admonishes Israel to respond faithfully to God's voice (81:6-16). (p. 900)
That's all for today!