Lev 25:23-38 | MHM | STEP | Leviticus 25:23–38: Laws about Land and Helping the Poor This section describes God’s laws about owning and selling land in Israel. God made it clear that the land really belongs to Him, and the people are only tenants. The law gave special rules for selling, redeeming, and returning land, especially during the year of Jubilee. There are also important instructions about helping the poor, showing mercy to those in need, and not taking advantage of them (Leviticus 25:23–38 ). v. 23 : No land in Israel could be sold forever. The reason is that God owns the land, and the Israelites are like strangers living with Him. This was to remind them that all they had really came from God (Leviticus 25:23; 1 Kings 21:3 ).

‏ Leviticus 25:23-38

Leviticus 25:23–38: Laws about Land and Helping the Poor

This section describes God’s laws about owning and selling land in Israel. God made it clear that the land really belongs to Him, and the people are only tenants. The law gave special rules for selling, redeeming, and returning land, especially during the year of Jubilee. There are also important instructions about helping the poor, showing mercy to those in need, and not taking advantage of them (Leviticus 25:23–38 ^a).

v. 23: No land in Israel could be sold forever. The reason is that God owns the land, and the Israelites are like strangers living with Him. This was to remind them that all they had really came from God (Leviticus 25:23; 1 Kings 21:3 ^b).

vv. 24, 26–27: If someone had to sell their land because they were poor, they or a close relative could buy it back before the Jubilee. The price was based on how many years until Jubilee (Leviticus 25:24,26,27 ^c).

v. 25: If the owner could not buy back the land, the nearest relative (called a “kinsman redeemer”) could do it. This points forward to Jesus Christ, who is our Redeemer and restores what we have lost because of sin (Leviticus 25:25; Numbers 5:8 ^d; Ruth 3:9; Job 19:25 ^e).

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v. 28: If the land was not redeemed before the Jubilee year, it would automatically return to the original owner or his family. This shows God’s grace in restoring what has been lost .

vv. 29–30: There was a difference between houses in walled cities and land in the country. If a person sold a house in a city, they had one year to buy it back. If they did not, it stayed with the new owner even after the Jubilee. But country houses were treated like land and returned at Jubilee (Leviticus 25:29,30 ^f).

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vv. 32–33: The Levites had special rules. They could always redeem their houses in the cities, and if not, the houses would return to them at Jubilee. This was because the Levites had no other land, only their cities (Leviticus 25:32,33 ^g).

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v. 34: Fields around the Levite cities could never be sold. They belonged to the Levite tribe as a whole and were always to stay with them (Leviticus 25:34; Numbers 35:4,5 ^h; Genesis 47:22 ⁱ).

v. 35: God commanded the people to help their poor brothers. Even if someone was a foreigner or stranger, they should be treated with kindness and given help when they are in need (Leviticus 25:35; Malachi 2:10 ^j).

vv. 36–37: Israelites were not allowed to charge interest (usury) when lending to poor people. God wanted them to be generous, not greedy, and to remember that He had been generous to them (Leviticus 25:36,37 ^k).

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v. 38: The reason for showing mercy and kindness to the poor is that God saved the Israelites from Egypt. Those who have received God’s mercy should show mercy to others .