2Chr 36, 21 Until the land has retrieved its lost sabbaths

2 Chronicles (chosen pages)

(2Chr 36, 21) Until the land has retrieved its lost sabbaths

[21] All this was to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah: "Until the land has retrieved its lost sabbaths, during all the time it lies waste it shall have rest while seventy years are fulfilled."

(CCC 2172) God's action is the model for human action. If God "rested and was refreshed" on the seventh day, man too ought to "rest" and should let others, especially the poor, "be refreshed" (Ex 31:17; cf. 23:12). The sabbath brings everyday work to a halt and provides a respite. It is a day of protest against the servitude of work and the worship of money (Cf. Neh 13:15-22; 2 Chr 36:21).