Dictionary of Bible Themes: 4208 land, as a divine responsibility

4208 land, as a divine responsibility

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Dictionary of Bible Themes » 4000 Creation » 4200 Places » 4206 land » 4208 land, as a divine responsibility

Israel's land is a gift from God, though ultimately it remains under divine ownership. Life in the land is therefore characterised by both privilege and responsibility.

The land is a gift from God

Deuteronomy 26:5-9

It is Israel's inheritance

Deuteronomy 26:1 See also Exodus 32:13; Deuteronomy 4:21,38; Deuteronomy 15:4; Deuteronomy 19:10

Eleven full tribes share the inheritance

Numbers 26:52-55

Inherited land east of Jordan allotted by Moses

Numbers 32:33 See also Joshua 12:6; Joshua 13:8,15,24,29

Inherited land west of Jordan allotted by Joshua and others

Numbers 34:17-29 See also Joshua 14:1,13; Joshua 15:1,20; Joshua 16:4; Joshua 18:11; Joshua 19:1,10,17,24,32,40,51

Levi receives no inheritance of land

Numbers 26:62; Deuteronomy 18:1; Joshua 13:14,33

Israelite households to hold their inheritance in perpetuity

Numbers 36:7-9 See also 1 Kings 21:3; Ezekiel 46:18

The land remains under divine ownership

Leviticus 25:23

Responsibility to God for the land

See also

Matthew 21:33-46

The tithe

Leviticus 27:30 The tithe of the land's produce given to the LORD, is a kind of rent, a way of acknowledging his ownership.

Harvest festivals

Exodus 23:16 See also Leviticus 23:15-21,33-43

Sabbath rest

Leviticus 25:1-7

The Year of Jubilee

Leviticus 25:8-13

Responsibility to fellow Israelites in the land

Individual property rights to be respected

Deuteronomy 19:14 See also Deuteronomy 27:17; Proverbs 15:25; Proverbs 22:28; Proverbs 23:10; Hosea 5:10

Violation of these rights severely condemned

Responsibility to the poor in the land

The fallow (sabbath) year

Exodus 23:10-11 See also Leviticus 25:6-7; Deuteronomy 15:1-3 Debts probably include the labour of a debtor's dependants, working to pay off his debt.

The Year of Jubilee

Leviticus 25:8-13

Harvesting conventions

Leviticus 19:9-10 See also Leviticus 23:22; Deuteronomy 24:19-22; Ruth 2:2-3

The land reflects God's blessing and curse

Blessing

Deuteronomy 28:1-6,11-12 See also Leviticus 25:18-19; Deuteronomy 11:13-15; Psalm 65:9-13; Psalm 67:5-6

Curse

Deuteronomy 28:15,18,21 See also Leviticus 18:24-28; Leviticus 20:22-24; Leviticus 26:42-45; 1 Kings 17:1