Exodus 23 | Paul the Poke

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Sanhedrin to Prepare Holy Oil for Messiah

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Prophecy, Sanhedrin, Trend Update with tags Anointing Oil, Exodus 23, holy, Jesus Christ, Mashiach, Messiah, olive oil, qodesh, Rabbi Hillel Weiss, Temple Mount on November 10, 2021 by paulthepoke

Exodus 30:22-25 The LORD said to Moses, “Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, that is, 250, and 250 of aromatic cane, and 500 of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil.

The Sanhedrin is getting ready for the arrival of the Messiah. As part of the preparations, anointing oil is being made.

https://www.israel365news.com/201272/sanhedrin-begins-to-prepare-oil-to-anoint-king-messiah-kohen-gadol/

The announcement was made on the Temple Mount in a sermon by the Spokesman of the Sanhedrin, Rabbi Hillel Weiss.

“The Temple and the Temple service benefit all the nations. For that reason, we made the announcement on the 27th of Cheshvan, the day that Noah exited the ark and made a sacrifice to God. At that time, God made a covenant with the entire world, promising never to bring another such catastrophic flood but also requiring that mankind (nations) perform the Seven Noahide Laws.”

“Christianity is especially susceptible to the impurity that is flourishing under the idolatry of liberalism. To their credit, they have a deep connection with chesed (loving kindness). Liberalism grew out of this. But chesed can be taken too far. Christianity must engage in justice which is one of the Noahide commandments. They must judge that some things are impure and unacceptable.”

In the passages from Exodus 23 describing the oil, the oil is described as holy six times. The Hebrew word for “holy” is qodesh. It means apart or sacred, separate. This is the same word used to describe the Spirit of God in the Old Testament. That is the Holy Spirit.

https://benebellwen.com/2018/01/15/oil-of-abramelin-or-holy-anointing-oil/

The Sanhedrin is following the directions of Moses as given by the LORD. Here is the composition of the anointing oil as understood by the modern day Sanhedrin.

1 kg = 2.2 pounds

Pure myrrh, 500 shekels weight (about 6 kg)
Sweet cinnamon, 250 shekels weight (about 3 kg)
“fragrant cane” (sometimes translated as calamus) 250 shekels (about 3 kg)
Cassia, 500 shekels (about 6 kg)
Specially prepared olive oil, one hin (about 6 liters, or 5.35 kg or about 1.5 gallons)

Exodus 30:33 Whoever compounds any like it or whoever puts any of it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.

This oil is not to be reproduced by anybody for personal use. The would be perpetrator would pay a severe price. They would be “cut off” or karath in the Hebrew. This is the same verb used to describe Jesus the Messiah in Daniel 9:26. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy on the cross when He was “cut off”.

Daniel 9:26a Then after the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah (Anointed One, Mashiach) will be cut off (karath) and have nothing…

Additionally, the Sanhedrin has prepared ritually pure olive oil for the Menorah.

“We are now entering the time when the preparations for the Temple are almost complete. Now is the time for people to act, to show whether they will be part of the Temple or stand against the reappearance of God’s house in Jerusalem.” Rabbi Weiss, Sanhedrin Spokesman

https://www.israel365news.com/201272/sanhedrin-begins-to-prepare-oil-to-anoint-king-messiah-kohen-gadol/

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Sabbatical Year/Shemitah, Part 4

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Prophecy with tags 2 Chronicles 36, 70, Exodus 23, farmer, God, Harvest, Israel, judgment, Leviticus 26, Moses, Mount Sinai, Sabbatical year, Shemitah on October 10, 2021 by paulthepoke

Exodus 23:10-11 You shall sow your land for six years and gather in its yield, but on the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the needy of your people may eat; and whatever they leave the beast of the field may eat. You are to do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.

So what is the big deal? Does God really care if this law is followed? After all, farmers have to make money. We all have to eat. How can we survive during the seventh year if food is not grown? Is God being unreasonable? Is this practical? Does God know what He is doing?

Are there consequences for Israel not keeping the Sabbatical or Shemitah year? God’s response is straight forward. He told Moses and nation Israel at Mount Sinai. If you do not keep the commandments, I will kick you out of the land and disperse you. There will be pain and suffering. See Leviticus 26:14-39 for Israel’s complete consequences of disobedience. Specifically, these are the issues related to the disobedience of the Sabbatical or Shemitah year.

Leviticus 26:34-35 Then the land will enjoy its Sabbaths all the days of the desolation, while you are in your enemies’ land; then the land will rest and enjoy its Sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it will observe the rest which it did not observe on your Sabbaths, while you were living on it.

Leviticus 26:43 For the land will be abandoned by them, and will make up for its Sabbaths while it is made desolate without them. They, meanwhile, will be making amends for their iniquity, because they rejected My ordinances and their soul abhorred My statutes.

Eventually, Israel disobeyed God and His commandments. God counted 70 Sabbatical or Shemitah years Israel had not kept. Judgment came via the Babylonians. Jews of all ages were slaughtered. The temple was raided. The articles for worship and service were stolen and taken to Babylon. The temple was burned. The walls of the city were destroyed. Buildings and resources were plundered. Those who survived were taken into captivity in Babylon. And why did these events take place?

2 Chronicles 36:21 to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it kept Sabbath until seventy years were complete.

And when 70 years were completed, a decree went from Cyrus. Israel went back to their land (2 Chronicles 36:22-23).

This is what happened to Israel historically. The Jews were kicked out of the land again in 70 AD and scattered throughout the globe… Israel became a nation again in 1948.

For whatever reason, there is an element of the Jewish people who are interested in giving the land its rest this Sabbatical year ending 5782 or 2022 in a western Gregorian calendar.

The Shemitah started in the late Summer or early Fall of 2021 and ends in late September 2022 on the Gregorian calendar. To the Jew, this will be their civil New Year, Rosh Hashanah, 5783.

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Sabbatical Year/Shemitah, Part 2

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Prophecy with tags Exodus 23, Farming, God, Harvest, Israel, Leviticus 25, Moses, Mount Sinai, Sabbatical year, Shemitah on September 26, 2021 by paulthepoke

Leviticus 25:1-7 The Lord then spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you come into the land which I shall give you, then the land shall have a sabbath to the Lord. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its crop, but during the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord; you shall not sow your field nor prune your vineyard. Your harvest’s aftergrowth you shall not reap, and your grapes of untrimmed vines you shall not gather; the land shall have a sabbatical year. All of you shall have the sabbath products of the land for food; yourself, and your male and female slaves, and your hired man and your foreign resident, those who live as aliens with you. Even your cattle and the animals that are in your land shall have all its crops to eat.

Exodus 23:10-11 You shall sow your land for six years and gather in its yield, but on the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the needy of your people may eat; and whatever they leave the beast of the field may eat. You are to do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.

In Biblical times, the farmer would scatter and sow seed first. This occurred during the fall after the holidays and God’s appointed feasts. A team of two oxen would be yoked together to drag a plough and till under the seed. It was customary to use two of the same animals per the law.

Deuteronomy 22:10 You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

Farming was a year around job. The land was constantly being worked. It was necessary to keep the ground free of weeds by hoeing from December until February. With the harvesting of grain in late spring and summer, stalks were cut near the top and bundled. The remainder of the plant was left for animals to eat (New Manners and Customs of Bible Times). This cycle occurred for six consecutive years.

In the seventh year, the land is to rest. There is to be no physical labor or working of the land. Seed is not to be planted. The soil is not to be tilled or turned over. Weeds are left to grow unchecked. Olive trees are not to be trimmed or pruned. Grape vines are left unattended to grow wildly. Whatever grows will grow. The farmers are not to harvest or gather crops that do grow during the Sabbatical year. The food that grows is for the farmer, servants, workers, foreigners, and the poor. Of the food that is not eaten by people, the remainder is for the animals.

Imagine that, an economy with a built in one year vacation every seventh year. No need for a worker or union to negotiate time off.

Trust in the Lord to provide.

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Sabbatical Year/Shemitah, Part 1

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Prophecy with tags Deuteronomy 15, Exodus 23, Israel, Law, Leviticus 25, Moses, Mount Sinai, Sabbath, shamat, Shemitah on September 19, 2021 by paulthepoke

The following is the first installment of a five part series. This was originally posted seven years ago, arguably during the last Sabbatical or Shemitah year.

IF correct, the end of this Sabbatical year (Fall 2022) will mark the tenth complete set of seven for Israel since they became a nation again in 1948. As Jews mark time, this Shemitah year began on the Feast of Trumpets or Teruah on the sighting of the new moon, September 8th, 2021 on a solar based Gregorian calendar. This would be the first of Tishri on a Hebrew calendar. The land is supposed to rest.

The violation of this statute is the reason Israel was under God’s judgment as detailed by Daniel 9, 70 sets of 7’s.

Below is the Law as given to Moses by the Lord Himself.

These were words were given to Moses approximately 3,500 years ago from today. This is part of the ceremonial law, yet it has practical applications for Jews today. God wants His people to be holy or separate. God’s people should separate themselves from others by their behavior.

The word “Sabbath” in the Hebrew is transliterated. It is also “Sabbath” in English. The term is equated with rest. It is to be set apart, sacred, and holy.

“you shall let it rest…” The word is “shamat” in the Hebrew. It is defined by Strong’s Concordance as: to release, let drop or loose or rest or fall.

The Jewish people also refer to this as “shemitah”. It literally means to release.

Deuteronomy 15:1-2 At the end of every seven years you shall grant a remission of debts. This is the manner of remission: every creditor shall release what he has loaned to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother, because the LORD’S remission has been proclaimed.

“remission of debts…” In the original Hebrew text “of debts” is not present. “of debts” was added by the translators. Shemitah is the Hebrew word for remission. Shemitah as defined by Strong’s Concordance means: cancellation of debts, letting drop of exactions, (temporary) remitting, release (from debt).

Shemitah comes from the root word shamat.

The land is supposed to rest for one year. The remission of debt will occur on the last day of the year in the fall of 2022 or the Hebrew New Year 5783.

Historically, challenging geo-political and economic circumstances arise. Get ready…

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Shavuot/Pentecost/Feast of Weeks, 5779/2019

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Pentecost/Shavuot/Feast of Weeks, Spring Feasts with tags cheesecake, church, Deuteronomy 26, Exodus 23, Feasts of the Lord, Hebrews 5, Holy Spirit, Law, Leviticus 23, milk and honey, Moses, Mount Sinai, Promised Land, torah on June 1, 2019 by paulthepoke

Leviticus 23:15-16 ‘You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete Sabbaths. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the Lord.

On a Gregorian calendar in the year of 2019, the holiday of Shavuot/Feast of Weeks/Pentecost begins at sunset on Saturday, June 8. The God Appointed holiday ends at sunset Monday, June 10. The Feast takes place in the month of Sivan on the 6th and 7th of a Hebrew calendar. This is the Hebrew year 5779.

Exodus 23:14-17 “Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to me. You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. None shall appear before me empty-handed. You shall keep the Feast of Harvest, of the first fruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor. Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord GOD.

Shavuot is one of the three holidays where Jewish men are required to come to Jerusalem. The men were to make their presentation and sacrifice before God at the Temple. This holiday is one of seven holidays appointed by God.

https://prettysimplesweet.com/new-york-cheesecake/

For Shavuot, Jewish men have been commanded to come to Jerusalem for over 3,500 years since the time of Moses. One of the traditions of Shavuot is the consumption of dairy products. God’s word is being equated with milk. A favorite during the holiday is cheesecake. Some think the reason for cheesecake is a reminder the Promised Land flows with milk and honey. There are at least twenty references to a Promised Land flowing with milk and honey in God’s word.

Deuteronomy 26:9 and He has brought us to this place and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Get into God’s Word and eat some good food! Celebrate with cheesecake!

Hebrews 5:12-14 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

Shavuot, Feast of Weeks and Pentecost are synonymous. Shavuot is often associated with God giving the Torah, the birth of Judaism. Pentecost is often associated with God giving the Holy Spirit, the birth of the church. God chose His appointed holiday to reveal aspects of who He is.

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Sukkot/Tabernacles 5779/2018

Posted in Fall Feasts, Prophecy, Temple, Trend Update with tags Exodus 23, Exodus 34, fall, Feast of Booths, Feast of Tabernacles, Festival, Festival of Harvest, Festival of Tents, jerusalem, Leviticus 23, succot, Sukkot, The Feast, Tishri on September 22, 2018 by paulthepoke

Leviticus 23:33-36 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the LORD. On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work of any kind. For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the LORD; it is an assembly. You shall do no laborious work.’”

In God’s timing, Sukkot is scheduled to run from Tishri 15-21 (Hebrew calendar). Tishri 1 (Hebrew calendar) is declared when the new moon is sighted.

In September 2018 (Gregorian calendar), per the sighting of the new moon, “The Feast” is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, September 25th and proceed through Tuesday, October 2nd. On a secular Gregorian calendar, “The Festival” will begin on Sunday, September 23rd.

Tabernacles is the last of the seven of God’s appointed feasts or festivals. This holiday is known by many names. It is called the Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot, the Feast of Booths, the Festival of Tents, or the Feast of the Harvest because it was after the harvest in the fall. Simply put, it was also called “the feast” or “the festival”.

Exodus 23:14-17 Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to me. You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. None shall appear before me empty-handed. You shall keep the Feast of Harvest, of the firstfruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor. Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord God.

God makes it very clear. The Jewish men are required to come to the Temple three times a year. The Lord tells the Jewish men two times in the verses above, “Come to the Temple three times a year.”

Tabernacles is the last of three festivals where men are required to make a road trip to Jerusalem and go to the Temple. Sukkot is a thanksgiving for the fall harvest.

Photo: VideoBlocks.com

Again, the Lord God makes it crystal clear. He tells the Jewish men twice in Exodus 34. Appear before the Lord three times a year at the Temple.

Exodus 34:23-24 Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel. For I will cast out nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one shall covet your land, when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year.

God does offer three promises when the males are obedient and go to Jerusalem three times per year. This is a window into the future. The verses above in Exodus 34 imply there will be a Temple and the Jewish men will be coming three times a year. God’s promises above mirror later prophecy given in Scripture.

The United Nations is not going to like this. The geographical size of Israel will expand. The nations of the world will be kicked out of Israel.

…no one shall covet your land… We know the desire of the nations that surround Israel in the 21st century. The nations want the Israelis out of the physical geography they occupy. History tells us nations have repeatedly tried to remove Israel as a country and take the land. Prophecy tells us the nations will try again to capture assets and kick out the Jewish people.

To the nations, good luck with removing Israel from their land.

Jeremiah 24:6 I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up, and not tear them down; I will plant them, and not uproot them. -LORD God

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Our Daily Bread…Featuring Paul Beverly

Posted in Paul Beverly with tags Exodus 23, gossip, Proverbs 26, rumors, trash talk on October 26, 2017 by paulthepoke

Sadly, there will be those that want hurt you & destroy your reputation. It could be out of jealousy, bitterness, hatred, or whatever reason. For lack of a better word, it sucks. But not everybody will be on your side or a true friend. Not much you can do about it except avoid people like this & not let them get to you. There are a lot of people that like to spread rumors. My guess it is to make themselves feel better about their crappy lives. You can bet that if a person is talking crap about others to you, they are most likely talking crap to others about you as well. If you don’t know facts, keep your mouth shut. It will come back to bite you.

Exodus 23:1 “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wick man to be a malicious witness.”

Proverbs 26:20 For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisper, quarreling ceases.

Have a gossip free weekend my friends!!!

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Trend Update: Temple Infrastructure Build, June 2017

Posted in Prophecy, Temple, Trend Update with tags bus, cable car, Deuteronomy 16, Exodus 23, hotel, infrastructure, Israel, jerusalem, Mosaic Law, roads, Tel Aviv, Temple Mount, train, Yaakov Hayman on June 28, 2017 by paulthepoke

The Israeli government is on board for the construction of the third Temple. The building of the third Jewish Temple is no longer a fringe idea. The government is looking to facilitate the necessary infrastructure to allow for millions of Jews to travel to the Temple as required by the Mosaic Law three times per year.

The men are required to make their presentation and sacrifice before God at the Temple.

Exodus 23:14-17 “Three times a year you shall celebrate a feast to Me. You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. And none shall appear before Me empty-handed. Also you shall observe the Feast of the Harvest of the first fruits of your labors from what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field. Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord God…

Deuteronomy 16:16 “Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of Booths, and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed…

Government officials are anticipating the building of the third Jewish Temple. They are making preparations for the incoming millions making the road trip to Jerusalem.

A high speed train from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is currently under construction. The last stop in Jerusalem will be at the Western Wall.

A cable car system is being planned in Jerusalem. This has been approved by the Israeli government.

“We need to establish express service bus transportation to the Temple Mount from all parts of the country. The Temple Mount Express bus lines will have special blue and white bus stops enabling Jews to regularly travel directly to the Temple Mount, pray and return home.” -Yaakov Hayman, Chairman of the Friends of the Temple Organization

More hotels are required along with improvements to current lodging in the Jerusalem metropolitan. Discussions regarding improved wider roads are noted. Utility infrastructure is a necessary upgrade.

“We expect millions of Jews coming to the Temple Mount even before the Temple is built, so transportation is a potential bottleneck. We need to open up more entrances to the Temple Mount, since there is currently only one entrance available to the Jews.” -Yaakov Hayman

https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/90393/infrastructure-bring-millions-pilgrims-temple-mount-quietly-constructed/#rL7WrOjUJjKUhhkh.99

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Pentecost/Shavuot/Feast of Weeks: Reading the Book of Ruth

Posted in Pentecost/Shavuot/Feast of Weeks, Prophecy with tags Bethlehem, Boaz, bride, Exodus 23, ga`al, gentile, go el, groom, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Judaism, kinsman redeemer, Leviticus 23, redemption, Ruth, Sabbath, sandal on May 30, 2017 by paulthepoke

In the Old Testament and in the Hebrew, this holiday is referred to as Shavuot. The word means: weeks.

Shavuot is one of the three holidays where Jewish men are required to come to Jerusalem (Exodus 23:14-17). The men were to make their presentation and sacrifice before God at the Temple. This holiday is one of seven holidays appointed by God.

Shavuot and Pentecost are synonymous. Shavuot is often associated with God giving the Torah, the birth of Judaism. Pentecost is often associated with God giving the Holy Spirit, the birth of the church.

On a Gregorian calendar in the year of 2017, the holiday of Shavuot/Feast of Weeks/Pentecost begins at sunset on Wednesday, May 31. The God Appointed holiday ends at sunset Thursday, June 1. Although not indicated in the Bible, an interesting tradition of the holiday is King David died on Shavuot.

During Shavuot, Jews will read the book of Ruth. The story is about a gentile widow, Ruth. She was married to a Jewish man who died. His name was Elimelech (meaning “My God is King” per Strong’s Concordance). Ruth freely decided to follow her Jewish mother in law after her husband’s death.

Ga`al is the Hebrew word used in the book of Ruth of Boaz who is the kinsman redeemer. Boaz is a pattern or type for Jesus Christ. The custom of the kinsman redeemer is played out in Ruth 4.

There are two conditions for Boaz or any kinsman redeemer to meet. The land of the relative has to be purchased or redeemed and the bride of the deceased relative must be acquired if the deceased was married. In this case, Elimelech was the deceased relative.

The legal transaction was made in front of ten city elders. Another relative of Elimelech was on board with land acquisition. But he was not interested in acquiring Ruth, the gentile Moabite. Boaz stepped in and exercised his full right as a kinsman redeemer. Boaz purchased the land and acquired Ruth.

The legal contract was a sandal. Witnesses were present and confirmed the transaction.

Ruth 4:7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel.

It is from this prophetic transaction, blessing would come to Israel and the world. Over 1,000 years later, a Savior would be born in Ephrathah, the area in and around Bethlehem.

Ruth 4:11 All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem.

So a Jewish groom born in Bethlehem purchases a gentile bride…

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Sabbatical Year/Shemitah, Part 5

Posted in Prophecy with tags Exodus 23, Farmers, hydroponics, Israel, Land, Leviticus 25, Rest, Sabbatical year, Shemitah on November 9, 2014 by paulthepoke

Leviticus 25:1-7 The Lord then spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, saying,“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you come into the land which I shall give you, then the land shall have a Sabbath to the Lord. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its crop,but during the seventh year the land shall have a Sabbath rest, a Sabbath to the Lord; you shall not sow your field nor prune your vineyard.Your harvest’s aftergrowth you shall not reap, and your grapes of untrimmed vines you shall not gather; the land shall have a sabbatical year. All of you shall have the Sabbath products of the land for food; yourself, and your male and female slaves, and your hired man and your foreign resident, those who live as aliens with you. Even your cattle and the animals that are in your land shall have all its crops to eat.

Exodus 23:10-11 You shall sow your land for six years and gather in its yield,but on the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the needy of your people may eat; and whatever they leave the beast of the field may eat. You are to do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.

So there is the law. Read it for yourself. What does modern day Israel think of this? What is going on today? Do farmers comply? 21^st century responses are interesting. There are approximately 6,700 farms in Israel today (November, 2014). According to the Israeli government, about 50 farms did not comply with the statute. Roughly 450 farmers left their land for the year.

Last month the government sold the fields to a non-Jewish Israeli, a 25-year-old Russian immigrant named George. Because the fields are not Jewish owned, farmers can continue to work the land during the Sabbatical year. The farms will be returned to the original landowners after the Sabbatical year is over next fall. Technically, a farmer can continue to market their produce to Orthodox Jewish customers. Just a little bit of legal manipulation…

It is the spirit of the law that matters.

http://www.columbiatribune.com/arts_life/spiritual_life/israeli-farmers-observe-seventh-year-sabbatical-with-a-wink/article_388f2ac0-25d6-539b-bea0-cd674ee1f2d8.html

One particular farmer employs the practice of hydroponics. He grows plants in water instead of the soil. Technically, he is not working the ground. The vegetables are grown on platforms separate and apart from the land. Therefore, he is not breaking the law of God…so goes the thinking. Gilad Fine states, “We observe the Shemitah every year.”

http://jewishbusinessnews.com/2014/10/28/new-shmittah-app-helps-jews-avoid-sin-during-sabbatical-year/

Even your smart phone can help navigate the observance of the Sabbatical year. An app has been developed and can be downloaded. The app answers questions about the Shemitah year. The app has a list and map of land exclusions and exceptions to the Sabbitical land rest. The app comes with a list of Shemitah terms and definitions, a list of produce with explanations as to what rules of Shemitah apply, and two e books (one four pages long and the other 80 pages). The app is free and is only available for Android devices at this time.

http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-10-28/how-keep-farming-when-god-says-stop

Seems to be some skirting of the law…