Care For Trees (Leviticus 19:23-25).
“And when you shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then you shall count its fruit thereof as their uncircumcision, three years shall they be as uncircumcised to you, it shall not be eaten.”
When they arrive in the land and begin to plant trees they are to allow them to grow for three years without picking their fruit. They are to look on them as though they were like uncircumcised babes, not yet a part of the covenant, and therefore not available for their use.
“But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, for giving praise to Yahweh.”
Then in the fourth year they were to be seen as now within the covenant, but with all their fruit seen as holy and available for giving praise to Yahweh. It was His, and still not to be eaten. It was to be seen as an offering of praise and gratitude and a recognition that the trees, like everything else in the land, were His.
This practise was good for the trees which thus had time to develop without being depleted. It was good horticultural practise. The ancient Babylonians also gave a similar time for trees to mature before they picked their fruit.
“And in the fifth year you shall eat of its fruit, that it may yield to you the its increase. I am Yahweh your God.
From the fifth year onwards, they could eat the fruit from the tree, and its increase would be theirs. It was given to them by Yahweh their God. Thus this provision resulted in healthy trees, acknowledged God's ownership of the land, and finally was beneficial to all. It was also a reminder of the good things which were to be theirs.
This practise would remind them that He was Yahweh their God. The phrase ‘I am Yahweh' in one form or another now become predominant (Leviticus 19:28; Leviticus 19:30-32; Leviticus 19:34; Leviticus 19:36-37). These final short commands are to be seen as being given with the full force of His authority.