Martin Luther wrote, “The idea that service to God should have only to do with a church altar, singing, reading, sacrifice, and the like is without doubt but the worst trick of the devil. How could the devil have led us more effectively astray than by the narrow conception that the service of God takes place only in the church and by works done therein. … The whole world could abound with services to the Lord … not only in churches but also in the home, kitchen, workshop, and field.” Kingdom ministry involves cultivating your spiritual and emotional life, upholding true justice, trusting God for physical needs, equipping the poor toward productivity and pursuing humane work environment as seen in Lev. 24-25.
Cultivate Your Spiritual and Emotional Life
Command Israel to bring clear oil from beaten olives for light to make the lamp burn continually. Keep the lamps in order on pure gold lampstands before the Lord continually. Take fine flour and bake 12 cakes on the pure gold table before the Lord and put pure frankincense to be memorial portions for bread as an offering by fire to the Lord every Sabbath and eat it in the holy place (Lev. 24:1-9). To stay spiritually sharp, walk in the power of the Holy Spirit through continual prayer and meditation on God’s word.
Uphold True Justice
A son of an Israelite woman whose father was an Egyptian struggled with a son of Israel. The former cursed the Name and they brought him to Moses and put him in custody so the command of Lord was made clear to them. The alien and native who blasphemes the Name would be put to death. A man taking the life of any human would be put to death as an eye for an eye with one standard for the stranger and alien (Lev. 24:10-23). God judges everyone equally and renders capital punishment to those who kill another.
Trust God for Physical Needs
When you came into the land that God gave, it would have a Sabbath to the Lord. Sow the field and prune the vineyard for six years but the seventh year would be Sabbath rest. Everyone had Sabbath for food, themselves, slaves, aliens and cattle. Count seven sabbaths of years or 49 years. On the 10th day of the 7th month for the day of atonement, consecrate the 50th year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants as a jubilee so everyone could return to his own property and his family. Don’t sow or reap in the 50th or holy year, but eat its crops out of the field. You would increase or diminish the price in proportion to number of years left. Don’t wrong another, but fear God, for He is Lord. Keep His commandments to live securely in the land that would yield produce so you could eat your fill. When you say, “What are we going to eat on seventh year if we do not sow?” God would order His blessing in the 6th year that it would bring forth crops for three years. (Lev. 25:1-22). Trust and obey God to see needs met.
Equip Poor toward Productivity
The land would not be sold permanently since God owned it and you are aliens and sojourners with Him. You provide redemption for every piece of property. If a person became poor and had to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman would buy back what his relative sold but could return to his property at the jubilee. The redemption right remained valid for one year after purchase for a dwelling house in a walled city. If not bought back within one year, it passed permanently to the purchaser and did not revert in the jubilee. Levites had the permanent right of redemption for the houses of the cities (Lev. 25:23-34). Since God owns everything and encourages ownership of private property, help people break the cycle of poverty.
Pursue Humane Work Environment
Sustain the poor countryman like a stranger and do not charge usurious interest but revere God so the countryman may live with you. Sons of Israel are His servants whom He brought out from Egypt. If countryman became so poor that he sold himself to you, do not subject him to a slave’s service but he would be a hired man until the year of jubilee where he would return to his family and the property of his forefathers. Do not rule over him with severity. One of his blood relatives may redeem him or if he prospered, he may redeem himself with the price proportional to the number of years left (Lev. 25:35-55). Work toward mutual respect and good environment in the workplace.
How has Lev. 24-25 expanded your view of ministry? How can you integrate your kingdom ministry with your family, neighborhood and work so it is not separate from the rest of your life?
