Gleaning

Israelʼs Past • As you may or may not know, the Jewish people were not always inhabiting the land of Israel.

• Their beginnings were of more humble origins. They were slaves.

• They were constantly in want, and troubled by their oppressors.

• The first chapter of Exodus uses the terminology: afflicted with heavy burdens, oppressed, treated ruthlessly, slaves, bitterness, hard service.

• They were poor, suffering, slaves to the Egyptians.

• They had nothing.

• When God brought them out of the land, he had promised to bring them to a better land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the promised Land.

• In this land they would experience the antithesis of Egypt... abundance, peace, and plenty.

• When Moses was speaking to the Israelites on behalf of the Lord, he spoke about this new existence with the following words: Deuteronomy 15:4-5 4 However, there should not be any poor among you, for the LORD will surely bless you in the land that he is giving you as an inheritance, 5 if you carefully obey him by keeping all these commandments that I am giving you today.

• This seems like an impossible reality, like something that is not real.

• God speaks to them and tells them that because of how good the land which he is giving to them is, that there will not be any poor, if they keep the Lordʼs commandments.