Rules For Farming, Work, Rest, Worship, And Cooking (Exodus 23:10-19) Series

At the same time, we understand that God gave the OT law to his people for their benefit, out of kindness. God has very real, very clear expectations for his people. But those expectations all point his people down a good road, to a good way of life.

The Sabbath laws we read this morning are a great example of how this should work. The NT is clear that we don't have to keep the Sabbath. Colossians 2:16-17 is the kind of classic text that you build everything else around (NIV no reason):

16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

If you choose to work on a Saturday, or shop, or cook, or whatever, it's okay. Sometimes, you do what you have to do. My own employer forces everyone to work every Saturday during the Christmas season. It is what it is.

However, God gave the Sabbath as a gift to people. The Sabbath is for people; people aren't for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27-28). And if you choose to make a practice of working seven days a week, you're going to find that your life stinks. God knows you need a break. You need time to "rest," and be "refreshed." If you don't take that time, you will be unhappy, and miserable. You'll probably die before you get your 70 or 80 years in. And, ironically, you'll probably be less productive over time.

I think all of this, about the Sabbath, transfers over to land management. And again, grain of salt. I'm speaking about things I don't understand.

I think a good starting point for any thinking about land, is Exodus 23. You should view the land like Exodus does-- as a living being (so also Romans 8:18-22). Your land is like a servant, or an ox. It needs a break. It needs a time when it can be "dropped," and "released." If you work the land as hard as possible, seven days a week, seven years straight, for 150 years straight, it won't hold up.

Now, how do you give your land a break? How do you help it rest?

The simplest answer to that, would be what God commanded Israel in Exodus 23. Every seven years, you take your fields out of production. This follows the cycles of life that God set up, and Jews to this day continue to rest their fields every seven years.

So you could do that. That's an option. You could take all your fields out of production every seven years, maybe even following the Jewish calendar (because maybe God is still faithfully rewarding people for obeying/trusting him on that), and find another job in town for that year. Or you could do it on a rotating basis, so that there's always something to farm.

That's one option. But some of you, hearing this, maybe hear this as too much of a stretch. The idea of taking fields out of production, in rotation, and maybe putting down a cover crop, and giving up that income, is too much.

And maybe, you find yourself really upset. Here's a city slicker, telling you how to farm.