Leviticus
25 reminds us once again that all we possess belongs to God and it
presents a wonderful picture demonstrating no matter how far we have
fallen, God is ready to restore us. The chapter begins with God’s
instruction to Moses, “When
you enter the land that I am going to give you, the land itself must
observe a Sabbath to the Lord. For six years sow your fields… but
in the seventh year… do not sow your fields“.
It is very interesting how quickly we humans begin to put our
confidence in ourselves when we prosper, but here God forces everyone
to trust God for their daily needs (at least one year out of seven).
Have you put your confidence in your job, your education, your
skills, your strength? Listen to the blessing you’re missing; to
those that trust God, “I
will send you such a blessing on the sixth year that the land will
yield enough for three years“.
God does not give sparingly to His own, He give in abundance! God
also promises, “Follow
My decrees… and you will live safely in the land“.
Sadly, the nation later rebelled against God and did not allow the
land to have its Sabbath. We are told in 2 Chronicles 20-21 that
after God judged the nation and the Babylonians destroyed the temple
and everything in Jerusalem, “the
land enjoyed its Sabbath rest”
and their exile was determined by the number of years the nation did
not observe this Sabbath command! Don’t miss your blessing;
acknowledge all that you have belongs to God.
The
chapter next explains God’s “Year
of Jubilee“.
He declares, “Count
off seven Sabbaths of years- seven times seven years… on the Day of
Atonement… Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty
throughout the land to all its inhabitants“.
On the fiftieth year, “everyone
is to return to his own property“.
God commands, “The
land must not be sold permanently, because the land is Mine and you
are but aliens and tenants“.
We are told the land may be “sold”, but “leased”
based on “the
number of years since the Jubilee“.
On the year of Jubilee, the owner was to take possession of his
property once again. God also provided a method of redemption to the
poor for the in between years, “his
nearest relative is to come and redeem what his countrymen has sold“.
We are also told if one becomes poor and sells himself into servant
hood, he may be brought out of slavery by a blood relative who must
pay the price of his wages until the year of Jubilee. This is what
Christ did for you and I. He was born into humanity to become our
blood relative and He paid the price of our wages (the wages of sin
is death), so that we may be redeemed, paid in full before God. Even
if one is sold to an alien, he still retained the right of
redemption. 1 Corinthians 6:20 tells us, that spiritually we were
slaves to sin, yet Jesus Christ, our near kinsmen redeemer paid the
price for our freedom. “You
were brought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body“.
There
is one group that does not have access to liberty given in the year
of Jubilee, those that are not God’s people. “Your
male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from
them you may buy slaves“.
The redemption and jubilee are given to God’s people alone. The
chapter concludes, “Even
if he is not redeemed in any of these ways, he and his children are
to be released in the Year of Jubilee, for the Israelites belong to
Me as servants. They are My servants whom I brought out of Egypt. I
am the Lord their God“.
The Year of Jubilee is coming for believers as well. Jesus will
take possession of His church and call us to our heavenly home.
Anyone that has not accepted Christ’s invitation for redemption will
be left behind. Galatians 4:7 explains that the moment we accept
Jesus Christ as our Savior, we become a child of God. “So
you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God
has made you also an heir“.
The Year of Jubilee is coming, where is your home?