DeniseMJ

For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. But in the seventh year the land is to have a sabbath of rest, a sabbath to the LORD . Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. Do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. The land is to have a year of rest. Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year will be food for you-for yourself, your manservant and maidservant, and the hired worker and temporary resident who live among you, as well as for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.

That's Leviticus 25:3-7. For those 7th day adventists that can't work on Saturday because they are "honoring the sabbath," this says that they shouldn't be working every 7th year. How many do you think really take a year off?!? 'Tis the command of the lawd thou hypocrites!!! :thumbs:

Lunawalk

AS an ex adventist I must you have an point. I remember the sabbath was an burdone for me. I could not wait until it was over. of course that verse you quoted means that the land or fields is to have a year of rest not the people. Adventists and other christians would say that these were ceremonial laws and ended with Jesus' death. But the real reason is that laws in exodus and Leviticus just do not apply today.
Lunawalk

DeniseMJ

I think the idea is, though, that you are not to work that year, just live off the other years' harvests. Yes, the land rests, so don't the livestock and the people. The sabbath is made for rest, and that's why they don't work on that day. I'll have to look, but I think there's a part of Scripture that specifically says that you aren't to work that year. Adventists say that the command of the sabbath will never pass away, and it's wrong to work on the sabbath, and that's from old testament ceremonial law, too. Thanks for the reply though.

Toto

Jews in Israel still observe the "Sabbath Year" (called "Shmitta" in Hebrew) in a fashion - some farmers sell their land to a gentile and buy it back at the end of the year. The ultra-Orthodox refuse to recognize this, and consider the food grown on the land in that year non-kosher. The last Sabbath year was 2000, and prompted a theological blow up:

Sabbath year shenanigans in 2000

DeniseMJ

Very interesting! Thanks.

Lunawalk

I also thought that article was interesting. but I am wondering how they determined 2000 was an sabbath year. I also saw the verse that explains how the Israelites would eat in the sabbath year. Which is:
And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase.

Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years.

And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store. -Lev 25:20-22

An miracle in the sixth year but since miracle don't happen, this law like others in the Torah are burdensome to daily life.