Read: 2 Chronicles 36:20-23, Leviticus 25:1-7
It was the darkest time ever in Israel’s history. What was once a proud kingdom that stood over a huge area in the ancient world had now been decimated by war. Now, the few who had survived the war were being carried off as captives to a foreign, pagan nation. God’s people had been defeated and carried away from their land to serve foreign gods. It is impossible for us to imagine the devastation and the despair the people would have felt. Had God abandoned His people? What happened to His promises?
But God had not abandoned His people. Even as they went into exile He was watching over them and would provide for them in their time in Babylon. But this was a time of punishment for a disobedient and stubborn nation. For hundreds of years the people had deliberately disobeyed God’s commands and worshipped other Gods. This was the time of reckoning. After hundreds of years of patience God had finally poured out His wrath on the nation.
Here in 2 Chronicles we see one of the reasons that God is punishing His people. When God gave His law to the people He commanded not only that they observe a Sabbath day once a week to rest from their labour but that they also give their land a Sabbath year once every seven years so that the land might be refreshed. Israel had not obeyed God’s command so God stepped in punishing the people
It is interesting that this is the reason given here that God’s people are sent into exile. They are being punished for breaking God’s law by not giving the land a Sabbath year every seven years. This was not some obscure, unimportant law hidden in some corner of Leviticus that didn't really matter if the people kept it or not. This was a law important enough for God to unleash a terrible punishment on the people and cause them to be carried off as captives into a foreign and pagan land.
This is a powerful illustration to us of how seriously God takes the principle of the Sabbath. This principle is even important for the land the people are farming on. This is not some irrelevant law that we can safely ignore and isn’t really important. This, like the rest of God’s law, is very important. Why should we think that God doesn’t take this seriously anymore?
Most of us don’t have land that we can allow to rest every seven years but the Sabbath principle still applies to us. We are to set aside one day out of seven to rest from our normal work and to spend the day in worship of God and in fellowship with His people. Since Jesus’ resurrection we observe this principle together as God’s people on the Lord’s day.
What do your Sonday’s look like? Do you set aside the day to rest from your normal work and worries and to prioritise worshipping God? Do you place a high priority on gathering with God’s people? Let’s take seriously this command of God.
Prayer:
Use the Bible passage from today and the reading notes to write down your prayer points before you pray.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
¥ Pray for the gathering of God’s people tomorrow at your church and around the world. Pray that wherever God’s people meet that God’s word would be faithfully and boldly preached. Pray that believers around the world would be encouraged and stirred up to love and good deeds. Pray that God would help you to encourage others tomorrow.
The Old Testament law reveals a lot to us about who God is and His desires for His people. While we cannot be saved by keeping the law it still reveals much to us about what God is like, what He desires for us and how we ought to live. Now that’s worth some study.
1. The story of Israel’s exile is one of the important moments in the biblical story. As a group see if you can explain what happened. Consult a Bible Dictionary if you need help.
2. How does this passage change the way you think about Sabbath?
Intro: It’s important to keep the rules that we are given and to obey those in authority over us, even when we don’t understand why.
Share: A time when you didn’t understand a rule. What did you do? Did you keep the rule?
Read: Leviticus 24:3-4 Sometimes God commands things that we don’t understand. What did God command in these verses? Should we obey God’s commands even when we don’t understand? Why or why not? If we love God we will want to obey Him, even when we don’t understand.
Pray Together: Thank God that He loves us so much. Pray that He would help us to always obey Him.
Read: Leviticus 24:3-4 Sometimes God commands things that we don’t understand. What did God command in these verses? Should we obey God’s commands even when we don’t understand? Why or why not? If we love God we will want to obey Him, even when we don’t understand.
Pray Together: Thank God that He loves us so much. Pray that He would help us to always obey Him.
Intro: It’s important to keep the rules that we are given and to obey those in authority over us, even when we don’t understand why.
Share: A time when you didn’t understand a rule. What did you do? Did you keep the rule?
Read: Leviticus 24:3-4 Sometimes God commands things that we don’t understand. What did God command in these verses? Should we obey God’s commands even when we don’t understand? Why or why not? If we love God we will want to obey Him, even when we don’t understand.
Pray Together: Thank God that He loves us so much. Pray that He would help us to always obey Him.
Read: Leviticus 24:3-4 Sometimes God commands things that we don’t understand. What did God command in these verses? Should we obey God’s commands even when we don’t understand? Why or why not? If we love God we will want to obey Him, even when we don’t understand.
Pray Together: Thank God that He loves us so much. Pray that He would help us to always obey Him.
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