February 24th, Leviticus 24-25: Memorial offering and rest for the land

Leviticus 24 describes the LORD’s instructions for the memorial offering. The pure gold lampstand must be tended continually, and a certain type of bread set before the LORD Sabbath after Sabbath, representing the lasting covenant between God and the Israelites.

Then the son of an Israelite woman and an Egyptian father blasphemed the Name of the LORD. It is even mentioned that his mother’s name is Shelomith, daughter of Dibiri the Danite. They waited until the will of the LORD was made clear.

Leviticus 24:15-16 says:
15 Say to the Israelites: ‘If anyone curses his God, he will be held responsible; 16 anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him. Whether an alien or native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death.

And so the Israelites took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him, obeying the LORD’s commands.

Leviticus 25 sees the LORD giving the instructions to let the land rest after six hears of harvest. Then the LORD issues values for the prices of slaves and land. Notably, everyone is to return to his own property in the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:13).

Leviticus 25:54-55 says:
54 “‘Even if he is not redeemed in any of these ways, he and his children are to be released in the Year of Jubilee, 55 for the Israelites belong to me as servants. They are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.