Leviticus 25:1 "And the Lord spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,"

Leviticus 25:2 " "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, `When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a Sabbath unto the Lord."

This chapter points back to Exodus 34:32, which was the beginning of the Sinai laws. It will close all the laws together into one group.

Leviticus 25:3 "Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;"

Leviticus 25:4 "But in the seventh year shall be a Sabbath of rest unto the land, a Sabbath for the Lord: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard."

The Sabbatical year does not begin with the first day of Abib, but at the end of the Harvest, in the month of Tishri.

Leviticus 25:5 "That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land."

Farmers know that if they plant a crop in a field for six years, and let the field rest for the seventh year, [no crop is not planted] there will be some crop left growing. This crop is from the seed that was planted from a prior harvest, and it is to be left alone by the farmer.

Leviticus 25:6 "And the Sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee,"

Again, that left over crop in the seventh year is to be left in the field for the poor and hired servants, and the stranger in your land.

Leviticus 25:7 "And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat."

It will be good food for all that it is intended for, including the cattle. The owner of the field could eat of the food from the field, but could not take it into his barns as a harvested crop.

Leviticus 25:8 "And thou shalt number seven Sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven Sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years."

So every seven Sabbaths, we came to the year of jubilee. The farmer could work his fields for six years, and rest on the seventh, but on that seventh series of seven year periods, the field had to rest for an additional year. That year became the year of Jubilee, so the field would actually rest for a two year period.

Leviticus 25:9 "Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land."

The tenth day of the seventh month [Tishri] is the day of atonement, and the fifteenth day starts the feast of the Tabernacles or Booths. So on that fiftieth year; on the day of Atonement, the trumpets are to sound all over the land to start the year of Jubilee. Just as the Day of Atonement was for the cleansing of the hearts and minds from sin in the land; this day of Jubilee starts the year where land and property was to be returned to its rightful owners. When Joshua entered into the land, each family was to receive their rightful inheritance, and the rights to the crops and fruit off this land would of course change hands from time to time, but on the year of jubilee all the land rights would be returned to its rightful owner.

Leviticus 25:10 "And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family."

Every man of the the children of Israel will regain his rightful possession of inheritance, and every slave or bond men or women would be set free on the first day of this jubilee year.

Leviticus 25:11 "A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed."

"Jubilee" means "a blast of the horn", and when the blast of the horn on the day of Atonement came, on that jubilee year, all slaves and bond servants were free, and the land rights were all returned. So there would be two years that there would be no harvesting of crops in the land of Israel. One for the seventh sabbatical year, and the next for the year of jubilee.

Leviticus 25:12 "For it is the jubile; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field."

The farmer could eat of the crop in the field an a daily basis, but he could not take it in for storage or sale.

Leviticus 25:13 "In the year of this jubile ye shall return every man unto his possession."

Remember that this chapter was written 38 years before the Israelites even entered into the land of Canaan, and it would be several years after entry before Joshua and the Elders of Israel would have control to where the land could be divided into lots, and distributed to the people. The land was given to each family of all the tribes, except the Levites for their possession and inheritance was YHVH Himself.

Leviticus 25:14 "And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbour, or buyest ought of thy neighbour's hand ye shall not oppress one another:"

It was forbidden to sell the land from one person to another, but the rental rights to grow crops and produce on the land was permitted. No contract could go beyond the day of Jubilee, or even extend into a day of that year. So the value of each contract was based on how many years was left before the year of jubilee would come. The purpose for allowing this agreement from God, was so that people could not misrepresent any land. The only things that could be dealt with in contracts were the crops off the land. This type of stuff goes on today all over the world, stating that a certain land produces say a thousand bushels per acre, when in fact it produces only 400 bushels per acre. The rents were based on the production off the land, and the time span to the next jubilee year. This is where "oppressing the people" comes from.

Leviticus 25:15 "According to the number of years after the jubile thou shalt buy of thy neighbour, and according unto the number of years of the fruits he shall sell unto thee:"

Each jubilee all land returned to its original owner, the family that it was assigned to at the time it was allotted by Joshua and the Elders of the tribes, when they first possessed the land. The person selling the produce off the land, also has the right to redeem the rights that he had sold. If he sold the land for forty nine years, and twenty five years went by, he had the right to redeem the production off the land.

Leviticus 25:16 "According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it: for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee."

Again this deals with the selling of the land rights back to the original owner, after it was contracted out for a particular number of years. This is called "redeeming the land".

Leviticus 25:17 "Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am the Lord your God."

"Oppress" as stated here is by "misrepresenting the productivity off the land".

Leviticus 25:18 "Wherefore ye shall do My statutes, and keep My judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety."

God is promising that if you follow all of His statutes and judgment that are given under the law, He will bless them and they shall dwell on their lands safely. God will protect them both as individuals and as a nation.

Leviticus 25:19 "And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety."

Leviticus 25:20 "And if ye shall say, `What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase:' "

This is talking about the sabbatical year. In that year they were not allowed to sow crops or take in a harvest. God made a promise that He would provide for them and bless them in that sixth year so that they would not have to worry about the seventh year.

Leviticus 25:21 "Then I will command My blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years."

God made this promise that if the people of Israel would keep His commandments and judgment, on that sixth year He would provide for the seventh sabbatical year that followed. He would give them crops that would take them through three years, the sabbatical, the jubilee and the year that follows. It become as matter of faith, do you trust Father to keep His Word?

Leviticus 25:22 "And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store."

Again, this year of sowing would be taking care of by the increase in crops three year prior.

Leviticus 25:23 "The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me."

God is the creator of all things, land and people, and it all belongs to Him. We are here on earth for a short period of time, and we are on the land as caretakers for Father. Each of us are just passing through this earth age in our flesh body, and then we die and are gone. So the inheritance that God places on the land is assigned to an individual to oversee and reap the harvest of the land.

Leviticus 25:24 "And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land."

Again this is stating that if you bought the right to the produce off the land, the owner was granted a right to redeem it back from the one it was contracted to. This is not a choice, but up to the one owning the land.

Leviticus 25:25 "If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any redeem that which his brother sold."

If your brother became poor to where he sold off some of his land, a next of kin had the right to buy it back from the buyer. This is where the term "kinsman redeemer" came from. The person that is the nearest of kin that has the wealth to redeem the property; under the law, can exercise that right and make the purchase.

Leviticus 25:26 "And if the man have none to redeem it, and himself be able to redeem it;"

If there is no one in the family that can make the redemption, then he could buy it back himself, at the price that the buyer paid for the land rights.

Leviticus 25:27 "Then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his possession."

The one that bought the rights to the land, can only charge the man redeeming his land back the annual amount that was in the original contract.

Leviticus 25:28 "But if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it unto the year of jubilee:" and in the jubile it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession."

However if the man that sold the rights to the land has no kinsman redeemer, and he cannot buy it back himself, then he must wait unto the day of Jubilee and it will be returned to him. No contract could be extended into the year of the jubilee. God set this system up some thirty eight years before the Israelites moved into Canaan, to protect his people from being taken advantage of; as is so common in many land transactions today. In that forty nine year period, man can really get himself messed up, but God's law has a way of making it all right on the day of Jubilee.

Leviticus 25:29 "And if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year may he redeem it."

If a man sells his home that is built within a walled city, that person can go back to redeem that house for a full year after the sale. The seller has the right to redeem the house he sold.

Leviticus 25:30 "And if it be not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be established for ever to him that bought it throughout his generations: it shall not go out in the jubile."

If the seller of the house does not redeem the house after that first full year, then the man that bought the house has the right to keep that house from then on. It will become part of that man's inheritance, through all generation. A house within a walled city is not under the law of the Jubilee, and will not be returned to its original owner.

Leviticus 25:31 "But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be counted as the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the jubile."

All houses outside of a walled city are considered part of the land, and thus must be returned to the original owner at the day of Jubilee.

Leviticus 25:32 "Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time."

This refers back to verse 29, in the case of the walled cities. However if a Levite sold his house that was within a walled city, that law of walled cities did not apply. The Levite could go back and redeem his house at any time. This meant that taking a house from a Levite was nothing more than rental of that house.

Leviticus 25:33 "And if a man purchase of the Levites, then the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, shall go out in the year of jubile: for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel."

All houses that belonged to Levite priests and were given to their families as original possessions are covered under the year of jubilee, and must be returned to the original owner. The reason for jubilee was to return everything to its original owner and condition, just as God had appointed it from the entering into the land of Canaan. So we see that the priests were given rights that the common man did not have within the walled cities. The common man's rights of redemption were for only one year, and there was no limit to the rights of redemption for the Levitical priest.

Leviticus 25:34 "But the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession."

Along with the houses in the walled cities, the Levites had the same rights of redemption of their fields for growing crops and cattle outside the city, in the country side.

Leviticus 25:35 "And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee."

This verse starts a new subject, that of people who sell themselves into bondage, when they become poor. When a person did sell themselves into bondage, when the day of Jubilee came, they became free. However in verses thirty five through thirty eight God is urging people to not allow their brother to sell himself into bondage, but we are to help him during those times of need. When you see your brother or relative falling into poverty, and growing deep into debt, we are to go to him and work things out to where he will not have to be sold into bondage. Many times a person can work his way out of his debt when given time to do so. God is advising here that you even take that brother into your home, and let him stay as a visitor, and help him in his time of trouble.

Leviticus 25:37 "Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase."

God is warning you that if you do charge a brother usury when you make a loan to him, God will judge you for it. The point here is that we are not to get involved with usury. If you give your brother food when he is down and out, don't expect anything in return for that gift. It is your duty to help him. If he pays you back for what you gave him, then don't take more than what you gave him in the first place.

Leviticus 25:38 "I am the Lord your God, Which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God."

Our Heavenly Father is reminding us that He redeemed the people of the children of Israel when you were in bondage in the land of Egypt, and He gave them the land of Canaan.

Leviticus 25:39 "And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:"

This is dealing with a person that is poor and is sold to a brother, meaning another Israelite; That brother is not to be treated as a slave, but as a hired hand.

Leviticus 25:40 "But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubile:"

He is to be treated as a day laborer, just as you would hire a person to do a job for you. If he is to be committed to you for a period of time, that time cannot extend beyond the first day of the jubilee year. This may sound like it contradicts Exodus 21:2 "If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing." The requirement here is for only six years, where as in Leviticus 25:40, it is until the year of jubilee. Both of these verses are true, for if either of the conditions exist, the man is to be set free. If the day of Jubilee comes first, before the sixth year is over, than that condition is met and the man goes free.

Leviticus 25:41 "And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return."

So not only will the man go free, but if his children and wife has been taken in bondage also, the entire family will be set free. In Exodus 21:5, 6 it is possible that a servant does not want to go free. "And if the servant shall plainly say, `I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:' " [5] "Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever." [6] Many times a person can be working for an employer, and he finds himself far better off than living with his family out on his own. If this is done, and the hole is bore in the ear of the man, than that man will not be affected ever again by the law of either the six years, or the law of the day of Jubilee.

Leviticus 25:42 "For they are My servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen."

God is stressing here that He redeemed them out of their bondage in Egypt, and God promised that they would never again be sold into slavery.

Leviticus 25:43 "Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God." 

If an Israelite is serving another Israelite, the man in charge is not to rule over the worker with rigor, force or fear.

Leviticus 25:44 "Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids."

This verse is hard for many to take, considering the history our our land in America. A war was fought in the United States over freeing a group of foreigners that were bought and brought here for the sole purpose of serving in slavery. What this verse is saying is that one Israelite can buy and have bondmen and bondmaids, but they are not to be of the bloodline of Israel; of the lineage of the tribes of Israel. However, slavery is not in existence in our land today, but people seek out their own employment, to earn a wage to provide for their families.

Leviticus 25:45 "Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession."

This is saying that strangers and sojourners that come into your land, may be bought and kept as a possession. That means that these bonded-workers could also be passed on in an inheritance from generation, including their offspring.

Leviticus 25:46 "And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigour."

This is stating that slaves that were purchased, that are not of the lineage of Israelite tribes, are property, just as you would buy a horse or a mule. If a owner died, then his horse or mule, and the slaves would be passed on to the next generation, his sons, as their inheritance. An Israelite may not treat another Israelite, no matter what his tribal lineage was, as a slave.

Leviticus 25:47 "And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger's family:"

This verse starts another condition where a person could be sold to another person, but this sale is to a non-Israelite. The person is sold to a foreigner. This is saying that a foreigner moves into your area and he becomes rich while living in your community; and your brother becomes poor and sells himself to this rich foreigner; or to his family. "Stock of the stranger's family", means that he has lived in the land and "became a naturalized citizen of the land".

Leviticus 25:48 "After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him:"

The "redeemed" as used here, in the Hebrew text is #1350; "Ga-al, a kinsman redeemer." Any Israelite, after being sold into bondage could always be redeemed or bought back by a next of kin.

Leviticus 25:49 "Either his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself."

Redeemed as used here means that these relatives are able to pay off the debt that is own by the one in bondage. Remember from Matthew 27:55-60 where Joseph of Arimathaea, the rich uncle of Jesus went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. The only way that Pilate could release the body of our Lord Jesus Christ to him under Roman law was that he was the kinsman redeemer of the our Lord.

Matthew 27:59, 60 "And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth," [59] "and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed." [60]

This law of kinsman redeemer is even part of our law today, for when a person passes on, the next of kin comes and makes the final arrangements for that next of kin.

Leviticus 25:50 "And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubile: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years, according to the time of an hired servant shall it be with him."

This verse deals when a Israelite had sold himself to a stranger and put himself into bondage. To redeem that person in bondage by one of his next of kin, the time left until the year of Jubilee comes, or the seventh year of release had to calculated with the amount per year of the bondage contract, for the value of that Israelite's release.

Leviticus 25:51 "If there be yet many years behind, according unto them he shall give again the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for."

Leviticus 25:52 "And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubile, then he shall count with him, and according unto his years shall he give him again the price of his redemption."

This process of redeeming a next of kin that was sold in bondage was the same that was used in buying back land rights that were sold to another person. Value was established by the earning power, times the number of years remaining on the contract.

Leviticus 25:53 "And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigour over him in thy sight."

Within the land of Israel, this foreigner was not to rule over the Israelite with rigour, but to treat him as a brother or hired laborer making a living.

Leviticus 25:54 "And if he be not redeemed in these years, then he shall go out in the year of jubile, both he, and his children with him."

If a man could not be redeemed by a kinsman, then in the year of jubile, he and his family would go out to freedom. However in Exodus 21:3 this condition applied only if the wife and children went into bondage with him. If the master provided him with a wife, and he had children by that wife, the wife and children would stay in bondage with the master.

But in verse six we see also that if the man in bondage wanted to stay with his master, that provision was also made for him. And he could make the commitment to his master for the rest of his life. He would become the property of the master.

Leviticus 25:55 "For unto Me the children of Israel are servants; they are My servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God."

God is telling us that He is the redeemer of Israel, all the tribes of the children of Israel. Jubile was a time for to remember, for it was the prelude of the Anointed on that would come in the future. Jesus Christ is our Kinsman Redeemer, He would preach the gospel to the poor; go to those prisoners in bondage to preach the gospel; heal the sick; and then offer Himself to be the perfect unblemished sacrifice for one and all times. He is the Kinsman Redeemer of all those souls that by faith accept the gift that He so freely gave, and by our repentance in His name, each soul that accepts that precious shed blood of Christ is freed from their bondage of sin.

We now look forward to that day of Redemption, which comes at his return at the seventh and final trumpet. The trumpet sounded the feast of trumpets, and the "jubile" blast of the trumpets lets the people know that the year of Jubile had started. What a glorious day to look forward to, when we will live and reign with in in the Millennium age Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ right here on earth, and on into the eternity.