The Shemitah refers to the release or fall or collapse or shaking of whatever nation we live in. (The Biblical account, of course, relates to Israel.) The Scripture we are talking about here is in Exodus 21:2-11 concerning Hebrew servants. The most important verse, however, is verse 2: “If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything." Thus every seventh year the land was to lay fallow and rest. Then, at the end of that year all financial debts and accounts were released. The slate was wiped clean, making the way for a fresh start.
So basically, every seventh year they (the Hebrew servants/slaves) are to go free. Hebrew servants are never to be perpetual servants. It's giving us an understanding of enslavement. See also Exodus 20:10: "but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns." It's another understanding of slavery showing Israelites obeying their God and slaves participating in the rest too. From this we see the release bit mentioned above. In fact, all four words: release, fall, collapse, shaking are part of the same plan. The Shemitah wipes out accounts and realities that are built up both for good and for bad.
So, we are to let the land rest and the servants too on the seventh year. The Israelites might then reasonably ask: (Leviticus 25:20) ("You may ask,) “What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or harvest our crops?” But God answers in verse 21: "I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years." They never did, however, obey it! Hmmm. So instead of a blessing they received judgment.
In this refusing to cooperate with God's ways, the nation turned against Him becoming a curse or judgment instead. By 586B.C. the nation of Israel had broken the Shemitah seventy times! So into servitude and captivity they went.
That's all very well for Israel you may say. How does that relate to our country now? For all of us now the Shemitah becomes a prophetic sign. The seven year cycle shows how God still deals with nations today. The year we are in now is 5775, (or 2014/15) from the creation, (as shown in first paragraph,) a Shemitah year. Another example of a Shemitah year is 1917 (in our western calendar). In it the German, Hungarian, Russian and Ottoman Empires all collapse. At the same time the American Empire was starting to climb and become a world power. Another example is 1959 when the European Economic Community was founded now known as the European Union. Will anything happen to them during this Shemitah year?
I was also born in the Shemitah year of 1959 (5719 from creation). I was born on either Nisan 27 (before sunset) or Nisan 28 (after sunset). This Torah portion for this day (Leviticus 19-20) describes behaviour that leads to holiness, e.g. giving charity to the poor, refraining from negative speech, being honest in business, and the golden rule: "Love your neighbour as yourself." This fits me to a tee! I'm sure I could find a few people who agree with this! The difference of one day, depending on whether it was before or after sunset, will make for different notes in Hebrew history. Just to complicate it more my mother did say I was born in the evening around 7p.m. (So it probably was after sunset.) For the sake of argument let's look at both days:
Nisan 27: Holocaust Remembrance Day. This is the day we honour the memory of the Six Million martyrs. We honour their memory by recalling their heroism in the face of inhumanity, and exploring the roots of anti-Semitism. So if it's that I stand in my birth with the Jewish people in their suffering. Identifying with them. Loving my elder brother in the faith. I've also discovered it is the day of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1943 so again identifying with Israel.
Nisan 28: Counting the Omer.
The Jewish people left Egypt on Passover, and 50 days later received the Torah at Mount Sinai. Today, beginning on the second night of Passover, we "Count the Omer" -- actually counting aloud each of these days and weeks (Leviticus 23:15). This time is traditionally one of introspection and self-improvement, in preparation for receiving the Torah.
I can also stand with them in their Conquest of Jericho!! (1415 BC) which is also labelled in Wikipedia as this day. (The first city to fall to the Children of Israel in their conquest of the Promised Land was the fortified city of Jericho. For seven days, the Israelites marched around the city walls carrying the Holy Ark, proceeded by kohanim sounding the Shofar (Ram's horn). On the 7th day, the walls crumbled and the city was conquered.) So I stand with them in faithfulness both in victory or defeat. The Name of the LORD is to be praised!
Also, my name Martin is most closely related to Mordecai. Mordecai means "warrior." (Mordecai appears in the Bible as a prophet and the husband of Queen Esther, who saved the Jews in the Purim story from Haman's genocidal plot.) I am a prayer warrior!
However you look at it my destiny is with the Jewish people and in the Shemitah year which theirs and our God started with Moses on Mount Sinai around 3000 years ago.