Year of Jubilee

Leviticus 25

In America we celebrate different holidays, like the most recent Memorial Day. It is a day honoring and remembering those who have died in service for our nation. We have Independence Day coming up July 4th, which we celebrate our independence as a nation. The Israelites had many different celebrations and one of those was called the Year of Jubilation. This was not a once a year type of celebration, it was set apart on the 50th year. This only happened 2 times a century.

Year of Jubilee

The year of Jubilee is also a year of redemption. It was a time for many things to be redeemed. The land was to lay at rest and not be sowed. The land will produce what it produces but let it rest. The people of Israel are to be just in their business. In the Jubilee year everyone returns to their land of inheritance. The people were told not to take advantage of one another. We read in verses 23-38 that the Israelites needed to deal faithfully with one another because they are his stewards.

We are God’s stewards, every thing that we have has been given to us by God. What income we do get, God has allowed us the opportunity to receive. God has given us blessings of life and food to eat. We are held responsible with what we do with it. Israel was to give back a house to the one who purchased it because of debt owed. They were also required to release those who were slaves in the year of Jubilee. It was the year that their debt was forgiven. They would be released from the bondage of slavery.

Our Jubilee

The Year of Jubilee happened to redeem people and have their attention drawn to God’s grace. When people took care of the land and other people they were showing how God has provided for them and takes care of them on a daily basis. We have a different type of Jubilee to look forward to. It is when we will be with Christ and his 2nd coming. In Luke 4:17-19 Jesus was reading from the book of Isaiah. This section was talking about the beginning of the year of true Jubilee which was in Jesus’ earthly ministry. Jesus only read the first part of that section which was about preaching the good tidings and proclaiming liberty. The section that Jesus did not read was the fulfill of the promise to comfort, and to give. Jesus was pointing to that his earthly ministry was the beginning but the true Year of Jubilee will happen when he returns to conquer the world. We are redeemed and that is how we have experienced the Year of Jubilee. We have been set free from sin and from death because of what Jesus did for us.