The Shemitah Year Is Ending…What Does it Mean?
Over the course of any given year our ministry addresses and answers many questions. Oftentimes the questions are about Jewish friends or Old Testament/New Testament connections. Other questions come from something that was read in a popular book, depicted in a movie, discussed on YouTube, or heard in a sermon.
Following are just a few examples: Many years back there was a groundswell of information about the “Jubilee Year”
and how the “Jubilee Year” was going to affect America and the church. The “Four Blood Moons” was another recently popularized idea connecting naturally occurring lunar phenomena with events in Israel today and the red moons of the Bible.
From a prophetic standpoint we are often asked about: the rebuilding of the Temple, the “ashes of the Red Heifer,” the reestablishment of the Sanhedrin, reinstitution of the sacrificial system, or how numbers (biblical numerology) reveal certain “secrets” or “mysteries” from the scriptures. We are also asked about the Talmud, Kabbalah, and other rabbinic writings. Urban legends regarding Jewish customs abound...
We do not want to dwell on these issues or spend undue time criticizing, refuting, or correcting other people’s interpretations, views, or artistic license. We do, however, want to spend a little time to help you understand and parse some potentially relevant issues.
Our main intent is to keep you educated and equipped. We also want you to be...
Grounded in God’s Word: We have to make sure that we have biblical evidence to support what we believe. “Cherry picking” texts or taking scripture out of context is not acceptable. Rabbinic sources (even messianic Rabbis) are not always reliable guides when seeking biblical truth.
Focused on God’s Mission: In addition to investigating the sources of a particular Jewish roots teaching, the important questions to ask are, “Does it matter?” “Does it make a difference?” “Does it help me understand the Bible better and inspire me to love Jesus more?”
Executing the Mission Well: As we wait expectantly for the return of Jesus we have one central mission: to preach the gospel. Focusing on peripheral issues can distract us from that central mission.
Recently we have been getting an inordinate number of calls and emails asking us about the Shemitah (pronounced shmee-TAH). The Shemitah is mentioned in the scriptures but has recently been made popular by writer Jonathan Cahn in his book The Mystery of the Shemitah. Whether you are familiar with the book, or have never even heard of the Shemitah, we want to bring it to your attention.
There were biblical and practical implications of the Shemitah for the nation of Israel then, and there are applications for us as believers today. It is especially relevant during the Jewish fall festivals, the Jewish New Year, and the fall harvest, all of which are happening from September 25th to October 18th this year.
The Shemitah in the Bible
Shemitah is a Hebrew word meaning “release” or “remission.” The Shemitah is a “release” for all debts, as well as an extended agricultural sabbath for the land of Israel every seven years (this is the origin of the term “sabbatical year”). The Shemitah is first mentioned in Exodus, among the laws of justice and mercy, Sabbath and festivals:
“For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what is left. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.” (Ex 23:10-11)
Later God adds to the command:
“At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed.” (Deut 15:1-2)
The Israelite community failed to keep the Shemitah and there were severe consequences: As we read in 2 Chron 36:20-21 Jerusalem was sacked, and they were exiled to Babylon for 70 years – one year for each missed Shemitah.
After Rome destroyed the Temple in 70AD, the Shemitah was not observed for 2000 years. However after the establishment of the modern state of Israel in 1948, the Shemitah has been observed by Jewish farmers to different degrees with many religious loopholes. In actuality, the Shemitah given to Israel thousands of years ago is impossible to keep today as commanded in the Scriptures.
Relevance To Believers Today
God gave the Shemitah as a command to the nation of Israel and Israel alone. The laws in the Torah were given to them in order to mark them and set them apart as a special people. They were to behave differently than the nations surrounding them – they worshipped, ate, dressed, and practiced law differently than any other ancient culture.
It is critical to remember that the Torah (the Law), including the Shemitah, was given to Israel. God has never made a covenant with any other nation. This is the main issue that arises when attempting to apply these commands to modern nations like the United States, as some writers and teachers suggest.
While there may be some fascinating facts and engaging ideas... to say the Shemitah literally applies to us today stretches the Scriptures where they simply do not go.
Application for Believers Today
However, just because these laws were not expressly given to gentiles, does not mean that we can’t glean valuable wisdom from them! Through Jesus our Messiah we were brought into that covenant relationship that God made with Israel – we are supported by this foundation (Rom 11:17-21). There is so much richness in the Shemitah for us as followers of Jesus.
God gave Israel the Law, not only to set them apart, but also to demonstrate his character and to show the world who he is. He gave them the sacrificial system and Temple worship to be a reminder of his holiness, a visceral picture of the wages of sin and the need for blood atonement. He gave Israel the feasts and holidays of the Biblical calendar to show them his character and to celebrate his mercy and generosity.
The Shemitah has much to teach us about God and his relationship with us...
The Shemitah reminds us that God’s heart is towards the poor and those who are in need. He created a safety net for the vulnerable at the bottom rung of society in Israel – widows, orphans, and people in debt who were at risk of losing their land. He desires that those who have resources should share mercifully with those who do not. Our ministry takes this lesson and responsibility seriously. Our cooperative efforts with the Women’s Shelter in Tel Aviv and other organizations helping those in need in Israel speak to our commitment to this principle.
The Shemitah also reminds us that God cares how we treat the earth – all land and everything on it ultimately belongs to God, and we are his stewards. “The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me. And in all the land of your possession you shall grant redemption of the land.” (Lev 25:23-24)
Finally, the Shemitah, like the Sabbath, was given so that we would learn to trust God. ‘And if you say, “What shall we eat in the seventh year, since we shall not sow nor gather in our produce?” Then I will command My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years. And you shall sow in the eighth year and eat old produce until the ninth year; until its produce comes in, you shall eat of the old harvest.” (Lev 25:20-22)
The Sabbath, as well as the Shemitah, required Israel to forgo work – for a whole day or a whole year – and to trust God to provide what they needed. How nerve-wracking for a farmer to not grow any food for a whole year! God gave these laws so that we could learn to let go and trust him to provide for us.
God is not anxious or troubled by scarcity or lack, sickness or fear... any of the things that keep us up at night... but he is working in our situations as we trust in him. “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Ex 14:14). Our prayer for you is that you will know his rest and comfort in this season.