Three important responsibilities “before the LORD ” (Leviticus 24:3, 6, 8 ) are given in this chapter.

Providing the oil (Leviticus 24:1–4). Only God and the priests saw the light, but the lamps had to be kept shining, for there was no other source of light in the Holy of Holies. The purest olive oil had to be used, supplied by the people themselves. Do we today, as God’s people, help the light of the church to keep shining continually (Revelation 1:20)?

Presenting the bread (Leviticus 24:5–9). Twelve loaves were put on the table each Sabbath, and then the old loaves were given to the priests to eat. They were a reminder that God fed the twelve tribes both physically and spiritually, and that they in turn were to feed the world the truth about the Lord.

Protecting the name (Leviticus 24:10–23). The man could not be blamed for his parentage, but he could be blamed for blaspheming. Would someone with Egyptian ancestry glorify Israel’s God? (See Exodus 5:2) Like Moses, we should wait on God for direction (James 1:5). It was a capital offense, and the man was stoned to death. God emphasized again the basic principle that He stated in Exodus 21 – equal justice and not personal vengeance.

The Sabbatical Year (Leviticus 25:1–7) and the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:8–55; jubal means “to blow a trumpet”) were based on two propositions: “The land is Mine” (Leviticus 25: 23), and “The children of Israel are My servants” (Leviticus 25:42; 55). God owns the land; we are stewards of what He has shared with us. We must use His resources wisely for His glory, for one day we must give an account of our stewardship (Luke 16:1).

There was also an ecological purpose behind these laws, for obedience to them would grant rest to the land, to the beasts who helped work the land, and to the people. Along with the weekly Sabbath, the two events reminded Israel that rest and work go together and that people and God-given resources must not be exploited.

There was an economic purpose, for God had a concern for the poor and afflicted (Leviticus 25:25, 35, 39, 47). Had Israel obeyed the law of the Year of Jubilee, it would have helped to balance the economy, and the rich would have had difficulty exploiting the poor.

But the overriding purpose was spiritual, a reminder that Jehovah was Lord of both the land and the people, and that Israel had the responsibility to trust Him for everything. They could not sow during either the forty-ninth or fiftieth year but had to wait for the harvest of the fifty-first year. That would take faith (Leviticus 25:18–22)!

Redemption. Jesus used the Year of Jubilee to picture salvation (Luke 4:16–21). Today He offers rest and freedom to all who will trust Him. We are living now in the Year of Jubilee!