Leviticus 25: A Radical Vision of God’s Justiceনমুনা

God’s ownership and our stewardship

Israel was an agricultural society, so land was seen as both capital and the main way of producing wealth. It is clear from scripture, that at first, land was divided more or less equally between the tribes and families. This is something that God wanted to continue so that every family could earn a decent living, which is why it was written into law: the jubilee year. 

In this jubilee year (which was to take place every 50 years), several things were required of the Israelites: resting the land, forgiving debt, dealing fairly when buying and selling property, allowing the poor to buy back land they sold to pay debts, and freeing indentured laborers and slaves.

Leviticus 25 opens with, “When you enter the land I’m going to give you…” From the outset, God declares this is His land to give. He defines the rules for those who receive it. The Israelites had only temporary custodianship of Canaan. They were to be stewards, caring for the land according to the wishes of the owner, but never absolute owners themselves. These scriptures talk about justice in a way that does not just see people giving “handouts” or charity to those less fortunate. It is actually an example of God putting into place a structure that would promote just living in community.

We, too, are to be stewards of what God entrusts to us, whether much or little. Stewardship is a disposition of our hearts before it is an outward work of our hands—it is our statement of faith that everything belongs to God.

REFLECTION:

What is God saying to you about stewardship?