What does Leviticus 25:20 teach about reliance on God's promises? Leviticus 25:20 in Context “ ‘But if you say, “What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not sow or gather our produce?” ’” What the Question Reveals • A natural, practical fear: “Will we have enough?” • A testing point between human calculation and divine assurance. • An invitation to remember who issued the command—the covenant-keeping God. God’s Immediate Answer (v 21) “I will send My blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it will yield a crop sufficient for three years.” • The issue is settled by God’s promise, not by human resourcefulness. • Provision precedes obedience: the blessing comes before the sabbatical year arrives. Keys to Reliance Drawn from the Verse • God anticipates our questions before we ask them (cf. Isaiah 65:24). • He ties obedience to a specific promise of sufficiency (cf. Deuteronomy 28:1–12). • The command is literal; the provision is literal—God stakes His reputation on both. Echoes Throughout Scripture • Manna in the wilderness (Exodus 16:4–30): daily dependence with a double portion on the sixth day. • Elijah and the widow’s jar (1 Kings 17:8–16): resources multiplied when obedience seems risky. • Jesus on anxiety (Matthew 6:25–34): “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” • Paul’s assurance (Philippians 4:19): “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory.” Practical Takeaways for Today • Trust precedes sight—obedience often arrives before evidence of provision. • Calculate less; remember more—rehearse past faithfulness when new fears arise. • Rest is part of God’s economy; He funds the faith-filled pause. • Generosity is safe because supply is guaranteed (2 Corinthians 9:8). • Questioning is permitted; doubting His promise is not. Living It Out • Set aside regular “Sabbath” margins—time, finances, or land—to witness His sufficiency. • Record literal answers to prayer as modern “sixth-year blessings.” • Speak the promise aloud when tempted to ask, “What will we eat?”—replacing fear with faith in the God who already answered. |
    |