Leviticus 19:20-25 - In the fifth year you may eat its fruit

19:20-22

This section gives us some insights into how slavery operated. A female slave could be married. However, until she was married, even if she was betrothed, her status as a slave was paramount. However, the man who slept with her was still guilty of sin. It is because she was not married that the man was not to be put to death. However, God was still sinned against, hence the requirement for an offering.

19:23-25

When they entered the land the fruit from a fruit tree was not to be taken until the fourth year. In that year the fruit was to be offered to the Lord. After that the fruit could be used in the normal way. The Hebrew actually talks about the tree being uncircumcised, it was to be treated as uncircumcised in the first three years. Now one might think that this would make the people poorer, but God assures them that their harvest will actually increase. In the same way giving to the Lord does not actually make us poorer, for the truth is that we are dependent upon the Lord for everything.