Fields & Vineyards

Adonai is instructing Moses to tell the family of Israel that there is a

rest for people and land as well. He says when you enter the Land that the
land itself is to observe a Shabbat rest for Adonai. Meaning to desist from
exertion, to put away suffering, and to rest and to celebrate! Every 7
th
year
the land has a Shabbat Year of rest. But in the seventh year is to be a
Shabbat of complete rest for the land, a Shabbat for ADONAI; you will
neither sow your field nor prune your grapevines (vineyard).
Pruning was essential for ensuring the growth of grapes. According to
Etz Hayyim commentators there were two prunings each year; one in the
winter, or rainy season, when the shoots hat had not produced grapes the
previous year were snipped off, and the second in June of July, when the
new blossoms had already appeared. You are not to harvest what grows by
itself from the seeds left by your previous harvest, and you are not to gather
the grapes of your untended, or undressed (KJV) vine; it is to be a year
of complete rest for the land. Identified as Strongs number 5139, the word
is naw-zeer meaning separate, consecrated (as a prince, a Nazirite), an
unpruned vine (like an unshorn Nazirite). Nazir literally means one who is
separated which is taken from Strongs number 5144 and is the root word
naw-zar (nun Zayin resh) meaning to hold aloof, to abstain from impurity,
and to set apartconveying much in the same way the choices resultant
from taking the Nazirite Vow.
In the Paleo it comes from the root word m'and means to
dedicate, or a Crown, like an ornamental placed on the head as a sign of
dedication. Interestingly by observing the two letter root of the nun resh,
we see the familiar word found in the center of another Hebrew word,
Menorah. Ner means Lamp, or Light. Zayin means to scatter. So by
leaving the field fallow, that is by choosing not to plow and to not scatter
physical seed during the 7
th
year accomplished three things; One it showed
you were being obedient to YHVH, two it allowed the field to rest, and three
it showed that you were trusting in faith that HaShem would supply all your
needs by dedicating the land Hed given you back to Him.
The field in Paleo-Hebrew looks like this, T=* (C S-DH), a Samech,
a Dalet, and a Heh, often translated as field, country, land, wild, ground
and soil. Inside, within the field is the 2-letter root Samech-Heh meaning
sheep. The central letter is the dalet and means the door, the path to enter,
or wayThen said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I
am the door of the sheep. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall
be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (Joh 10:7, 9). The field
is to be dedicated unto YHVH because it is the place by which The
Shepherd will call His sheep to return to Him.

Vineyard, in the paleo looks like this; x (C2 K-RM), often
translated as vineyard, vines, or vintage {str# 3754}. From the Paleo we can
pictographically translate a Vineyard as man receives an open blessing
from Gods mighty Hand!. Both the field and the vineyard are gifts from
YHVH when He brings His people back. He redeems the field or land where
then the vineyard can be sown, tended, pruned and reaped to produce that
cup of joy which make his heart glad (Ps. 104:15). But its also rich in
symbolism speaking of the Nazereneour Yeshua Messiah, as He
eloquently spoke on the significance of faith properly combined with
obedience to the commandments, commonly recognized today as Messianic
Judaism. After reading Matthew chapter 9 verses 14-17, David Stern wisely
asserts


If one tries to put new wine, Messianic faith, into old wineskins,
traditional Judaism, the faith is lost and Judaism is ruined. But if Judaism
is freshly prepared, reconditioned so that is can accommodate trust in
Yeshua the Messiah, both the faith and the renewed Judaism, Messianic
Judaism, are preserved. The meaning of the figure is that the new wine of
Messianic living cannot be poured into old religious forms if they remain
rigid. But if the old religious forms become fresh, they can accommodate
Yeshua. (ps. 36-37)


In light of the fact that Messiah was recognized as a Nazerene, that we
dedicate our life to him, and that life as a farmer, especially a farming
family dedicated to faith in YHVH and obedience to His commandments,
cant we see the vineyard and dedicating it to YHVH as a beautiful picture
rich in the symbolism of our Messiah Yeshua? So how does Gods family
survive a whole year without sowing or reaping? Stay tuned

The Jubilee

But what the land produces during the year of Shabbat will be food
for all of you- you, your servant, your maid, your employee, anyone living
near you, your livestock and the wild animals on your land; everything the
land produces may be used for food. You are to count seven Shabbats of
years, seven times seven years, that is, forty-nine years. Then, on the tenth
day of the seventh month, on Yom-Kippur, you are to sound a blast on the
shofar; you are to sound the shofar all through your land; and you are to
consecrate the fiftieth year, proclaiming freedom throughout the land to all
its inhabitants. It will be a yovel (Jubilee) for you; you will return everyone
to the land he owns, and everyone is to return to his family. That fiftieth
year will be a yovel for you; in that year you are not to sow, harvest what
grows by itself or gather the grapes of untended vines; because it is a yovel.
It will be holy for you; whatever the fields produce will be food for all of
you. (Lev 25:8-12 CJB)
The word Jubilee comes from the word Jm> ("2`` YW-BL) or a
Trumpet; as an instrument of flowing air to make a sound, also the horn of
a ram used as a trumpet. Oftentimes we see yovel in the King James
translated as jubilee, rams horn, trumpet from Strongs# H3104. It comes
from Jm> ("2` YBL) meaning to flow, as a stream, or as a flowing of
wealth, water or sound. What we see in the paleo here is that in the 50
th

year, as property and family members were set free and returned to their
family, it was a time of liberty and blessing coming back to the family. Yod-
Bet-Lamed means to flow, as a stream, or as a flowing of wealth. While the
celebration ensued on that 50
th
year on the Day of Atonement, it was
absolutely pivotal as people and land and homes
and fields and vineyards were restored to
those, especially those who had suffered
oppression and separation for so long that it
was Gods doing that brings restoration and
blessing to our lives. He wants us to all have second chances, and by
abiding by His word we see that every 50 years is just another spectacular
way that He does it. In the Hebrew Jubilee is H3104 yobel, yo-bale',
apparently from Strongs# H2986; the blast of a horn (from its continuous
sound); specifically the signal of the silver trumpets; hence the instrument
itself and the festival thus introduced: - jubile, rams horn, trumpet. The
horn itself is called a yobel, apparently from a ramby the way, wasnt it a
ram ( Gen.22:13) that was caught in the thicket after the angel ordered
Abraham not to harm his son Isaac that they were able to offer as the
acceptable sacrifice?
So we sound Gods Trumpet on the day of His Covering us, and
looking at the paleo for Jubilee we observe the Yod(hand of God), a
Vav(tent peg/used to secure the tent), a Bet(a house, a family), and a
Lamed(shepherds staff, shepherds authority). Trans-lated
pictographically we see in the picture that the Jubilee is from Gods
mighty arm or hand that secures the wealth that flows to His Set-Apart
people by our obedient walking in faith! Baruch HaShem! Another
direct interpretation can be read that The Hand of YHVH (His Right
Hand, which refers to Yeshua, Secures His House or Family by way of
The Shepherds Authority(which are His commandments)!
Notice again we have 2 references to Messiah in the year of Jubilee
word. One is the Yod, representing the Hand, or outstretched arm of
YHVH, as it is Yeshua who is at the Right Hand of The Father; and the
Lamed, that looks akin to a Shepherds staff means Shepherds
Authority, drawing the comparison of the shepherds staff was is used to
direct, protect, and discipline His flock. Gods Word came in the flesh
and lived out Torah for all to have and see as an example to live by.
Lev. 25:18-22
This is a case of sowing in faith, or sowing to The Spirit, versus
sowing to the flesh. We read in Galatians chapter 6:7-10 Do not be
deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also
reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap
corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap
eternal life. And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall
reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do
good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the
faith. (Gal 6:7-10 NAS)

Is God going to bind your hands on the Sabbath and say, no, you
cannot go to work today? No. Is He going to supernaturally prohibit you
from reaching into your wallet to buy and sell on the Sabbath? No He wont.
He has faithfully instructed us over and over But the children rebelled
against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to
observe My ordinances (Mishpatim), by which, if a man observes them, he
will live; they profaned My sabbaths (Eze 20:21 NAS). YHVH says
repeatedly to sanctify His Sabbaths and if we observe them, we will live! If
we read further down in that same passage in Ezekiel it says when we
profane His Sabbaths by doing that which is contrary to His Word, were
making an idol out of that act of disobedience. I say this, and its a bitter pill
to swallow, because I am guilty of opening my wallet on the Sabbath. I have
treated the commandment casually, and I am ashamed of that. But no
moresome may say I doth protest too much, but if real change is going to
occur it requires for us to first be willing to be honest.
We cant wink at sin gang. If were going to get it out we have to sweep
up all of the leaven right? Because we do this every year and re-learn why
we need to get it all, because if we leave even a little bit of leaven what
happens? It will eventually take over! A little leaven leavens the whole
lump. This is why it is so confusing to people who look at us say one thing
and do another. We proclaim holiness, but privately conduct our lives
differently. I love YHVH and I want the blessings that come from obedience
to Him, and I certainly dont want to make an idol out of the blessings Hes
provided to meet my physical needs. So what do we do? We prepare
beloved. The 6
th
yearHe gives us a supernatural harvest that lasts for
three years! It doesnt cover just the food required to live for the 6
th
year,
but it covers the 7
th
and the 8
th
as well!

Houses, Fields, & Vineyards:
Weve discussed some about fields & vineyards, but now we read in
verse 31 that homes within villages or hachatzerim like people and fields
and vineyards have redemption rights as well. Interestingly the homes
located in these unwalled areas are villages under the protection of the
nearby walled city. Villages in Hebrew possess the root word chat-zer
meaning to blow. When the trumpets from the city were sounded as an
alarm of invasion, the inhabitants of the surrounding fields and villages, or
yards, were to go to the walled city for protection.

The beauty of this is if a person is struggling in poverty, loses their
house in the village and has to sell their property, their home, and perhaps
even themselves to become like a hired hand, on the year of Jubilee both
they and their land and their home will be redeemed and they will be able
to go back home. And isnt that what Messiah does? Doesnt He tell us that
Hes come to set us free. If were poor, were His freedman, if were rich were
His slave of righteousness. Either way He redeems and restores us giving us
life and blessing. We sound the Shofar, and celebrate the fact that we have a
Kinsman Redeemer Who has redeemed us from a life of oppression in
service to an evil master, to walk as children of light, dedicated to Him so
that we can have security in the land, fresh wine and a supernatural
harvest! YHVH is good, all we have to do is obey.

Blessed to Be Called Slaves
In closing we read in chapter 26 we are not to make idols, rather to
keep YHVHs Sabbaths and revere His sanctuary. Hes telling us we each
have a part in placing a protective hedge around His Shabbat and His
sanctuary. This is significant, but a clue to the heart of this points us to the
last verse in chapter 25, verse 55 where He says For the sons of Israel are
My servants; they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of
Egypt. I am the LORD your God. (Lev 25:55 NAS) What is the word for
servant here? The word is eh'-
bed taken from
Strongs#H5650,
meaning servant, or
slave & comes from the
root word of Strongs#5647
for aw-bad' meaning to work, to serve,
till, to dress, worshipper.
Many of us recall Shaul wrote the Ephesians YHVH has created us
for a life of good works. If we examine this root word for service it traces
all the way back to the creation account. The first occurrence of the word is
in Beresheet chapter 2:15 ADONAI, God, took the person and put him in
the garden of 'Eden to cultivate and care for it. The word there for cultivate
is the word aw-bad'. He was purposed to serve, to work, and to till the
adamahor ground from which he himself was fashioned. Here we strike
at the heart of the matter. The ground or adamah was an especially
designated holy place by Our Father for us to serve Him by way of tending
and tilling the soil, but more than that the working of the land is symbolic
of His work and His service in our hearts echoed through His Living Torah
when Yeshua shared a parable and said A certain man (YHVH) had a fig
tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and
found none. Then said he unto the dresser (Yeshua) of his vineyard
(Israel), Behold, these three years I come
seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it
down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he
answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this
year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after
that thou shalt cut it down. (Luk 13:6-9 KJV)
Also it was a reflection to Adam of the principle
of sowing and reaping not just physically, but
what happens when we till the soil of ourselves,
serving our Father faithfully as we tend this
especially holy soil of our heart, albeit outside the gardenin temporary
exile, but sowing His word within it, tended, watered and guarded so that in
due time, the fruits of our labors would yield a miraculous increase.
Hence why The Father emphatically instructs us not to set up any
idols, graven images, or stones in our fields to bow down to! Hes speaking
of the land in Israel, but He is also speaking directly about our heart! It is
also why He entreats us to revere His Holy Sanctuary and to keep and to
guard His Sabbaththat it would do a miraculous work in your heart and
so yield in our life the promised bountiful increase! May it be so! Ahmein!
Baruch HaShem.