Taking a Shemitah Year Off Requires Faith

Often what looks "un fun" and appears to ruin our enjoyment of life would turn out the exact opposite if we obeyed God. (Tweet that!)

Israel was told to observe the Shemitah. God gave them specific instructions to follow.

When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a Sabbath unto the LORD. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit; but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the LORD.  (Leviticus 25:2-4) 

Six years you shall sow your land and gather its produce, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat. (Exodus 23:10-11) 

At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts. And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the LORD's release [Shemitah]  (Deuteronomy 15:1-2, Jonathan Cahn's translation)

But I can see how hard it would be to obey these instructions. It just doesn't make sense, humanly speaking. Instead of being rich by working hard for material gain, wouldn't they end up poorer? Could taking a year off instead make them richer? (Tweet that!)

Obeying the Shemitah would make the people of Israel richer by discovering God's fabulous provision while taking a year-long vacation! (Tweet that!) So why not let God do the work?

But often people think they know better than God.

Taking that year off required faith. (Tweet that!)

Following and obeying God always requires faith. (Tweet that!) Faith that the One True God will provide and bless, not make us poorer. 

Related Articles:

• June 20: This is a Test. Do You Believe the God of the Shemitah?
• June 18: The God of the Shemitah
• June 16: Why Would God Insist on the Shemitah? The Spiritual Parallel
• June 13: What Would this Shemitah "Release of Debts" Look Like?
• June 11: When is the Shemitah?
• June 9: Closed … for the Shemitah?
• June 6: Does the Shemitah Turn things Upside Down? Or Right Side Up?
• June 4: The Lord's Release = Shemitah 
• June 1: Taking a Closer Look at the Shemitah
• Join the Shemitah Watch Facebook Event. Click "Going" then invite your friends.