Our Year of Jubilee

            God chose a man, Abraham, and told him he would become a great nation.  One son became twelve sons, until at the time of the exodus they have become twelve tribes of over two million people.

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.”  Lev. 25:38

 As He moved them from Egypt to the Promised Land, He began to make them a nation, a unique people whose very civilization would be marked by His nature.  As He organized this new nation, He established the Year of Jubilee.

            Every 50^th year was to be a year of celebration for the people.  The shofar would blow, and freedom and restoration would follow.  The Year of Jubilee had three main components; all slaves or bondsmen were set free, land was returned to it’s original owner, and the land was given a year of rest.  These ensured that the Israelites remained a separate culture, as these laws were far different from those of the peoples around them.  They ensured that the people would never forget that they were once slaves to Egypt, and reminded them of the nature and provision of God.  The people could not permanently sell the land because it belonged to God.  They could not permanently enslave another human being.  Humans were created in the image of God, and God created us for freedom, as they had learned first hand in Egypt.  For two years their land would be uncultivated (the Sabbath Year and the Year of Jubilee), but it didn’t matter, because God was in control of their well-being.  He would provide.  God had brought them out of Egypt.

            Those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus are living in Jubilee.  Through the work of Jesus on the cross, our debts are forgiven.  We are no longer slaves.  One day the shofar, or trumpet, will sound, and we will be completely restored to living the way we were created to live.  We have put ourselves into God’s hands, and He will provide.

            The challenge today is to live our liberty.  We are no longer slaves to sin, and yet we continue to offer ourselves for bondage. We treat others as our slaves, those who owe us or belong to us in some way, ignoring the image of God that we could see if we looked for it. We are set apart for God, and so should be different from the world around us, reflecting his nature in everything we do. Raising children, folding clothes, interacting with neighbors, loving our spouse, each activity we engage in should be purposeful and intentional, imbued with holiness. We are free to do whatever God asks us to do. We are free to live secure in his love, bathed in grace.

Our freedom is a reality.  The Year of Jubilee is a permanent state of being for us.  It’s up to us to live in joy and freedom, and to reflect the nature of the One we have chosen to be our God.

“If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”  John 8:36