**The Year of Release: A Story of Mercy and Obedience**

In the land of Canaan, nestled among the rolling hills and fertile valleys, the people of Israel had settled after their long journey through the wilderness. The Lord had given them this good land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and with it, He had given them His laws—commandments to live by, so that they might prosper and remain in His favor.

Among these laws was the commandment concerning the Year of Release, as spoken by Moses, the servant of the Lord, in the book of Deuteronomy. Every seventh year, debts were to be forgiven, and Hebrew slaves were to be set free. It was a year of mercy, a year of remembrance—a reminder that the children of Israel had once been slaves in Egypt, and the Lord had redeemed them with a mighty hand.

### **The Faithful Landowner**

In a small village near Hebron, there lived a man named Eliezer, a wealthy landowner who feared the Lord. His fields were abundant, his olive trees heavy with fruit, and his flocks multiplied under his careful watch. But Eliezer was not only rich in possessions; he was rich in faith. He meditated often on the words of Moses and sought to obey the Lord’s commandments with all his heart.

As the seventh year approached, whispers spread through the village. Many of the poor had borrowed from Eliezer in years past—some to plant their own fields, others to feed their families in times of famine. Now, the Year of Release was near, and the debtors wondered: Would Eliezer truly forgive what was owed to him?

Among them was a man named Jotham, a laborer who had borrowed a large sum to save his family from starvation after a failed harvest. He had worked tirelessly, yet he could not repay the debt. Fear gnawed at his heart as he thought of his wife and children. Would they be forced into servitude?

### **The Day of Release**

On the first day of the seventh year, Eliezer called all who owed him debts to gather at the town square. The villagers came, their faces lined with worry, their hands clasped tightly. Jotham stood at the back, his heart pounding.

Eliezer raised his hands for silence, his voice steady and kind. “Hear me, my brothers and sisters! The Lord has commanded us that in this year, all debts among His people are to be released. He has blessed me abundantly, and so I obey His word. From this day forward, none among you owes me anything.”

A murmur of disbelief rippled through the crowd. Then, as the truth of his words sank in, cries of relief and gratitude rose up. Women wept, men embraced, and children laughed, not fully understanding but sensing the joy around them.

Jotham fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. “My lord,” he choked out, “how can I thank you?”

Eliezer lifted him up, his own eyes glistening. “Do not thank me, Jotham. Thank the Lord, for it is His law and His mercy that compels me. He has been gracious to us all.”

### **The Test of Generosity**

Yet not all in Israel were as faithful as Eliezer. In a neighboring village, a wealthy man named Shechem hardened his heart. When the poor came to him, pleading for mercy in the Year of Release, he scoffed.

“Why should I forgive what is rightfully mine?” he sneered. “The law may command it, but who will enforce it? Let them work until they repay me in full.”

His servants whispered among themselves, fearing the wrath of the Lord, but Shechem would not listen. He turned away the needy and hoarded his wealth, trusting in his own strength rather than in the Lord’s provision.

### **The Blessing and the Warning**

As the years passed, Eliezer’s household flourished. His fields yielded more than before, his flocks increased, and his name was honored among the people. When drought came, the Lord sustained him, for he had shown mercy, and mercy was shown to him in return.

But Shechem’s fortunes turned. A blight struck his crops, his herds grew sickly, and his wealth dwindled. The very people he had oppressed now looked upon him with pity, for they remembered the words of Moses:

*”Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,’ and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing… For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.’”* (Deuteronomy 15:9, 11)

### **A Legacy of Obedience**

When Eliezer grew old, he gathered his children and grandchildren to bless them. “My sons,” he said, his voice trembling with age but firm with conviction, “the Lord has been good to us because we have kept His commandments. Do not fear the Year of Release, for it is not a loss but a blessing. Give freely, as you have been given much, and the Lord will provide.”

And so, the legacy of mercy continued in Israel. Some, like Eliezer, obeyed and prospered. Others, like Shechem, learned too late the cost of hardness of heart.

For the Lord had spoken, and His word stood firm:

*”You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand.”* (Deuteronomy 15:10)

And those who listened found that the Lord was faithful to His promises.