Leviticus 25:8-13 ~ Year of Jubilee ~ Sweet Release!

Oh, what a beautiful morning!  Breathe in the fresh air, lift your face to the sun ... smile for the joy of a fresh new day!  Our Father's mercies are new every morning!  Great is His faithfulness!

Yesterday, we found rest and refreshment in Leviticus 25:1-7.  Our Father, through Moses, gave the Israelites the Sabbatic Year.  Once they entered into God's Promised Land, they were to work the land for 6 years and rest it during the 7th, the sabbath year.

Leviticus 25 is characterized by Release, Rest, and Restoration ~ Triple R ~ During today's study, we get to learn about the Year of Jubilee!  Even the name brings joy, doesn't it? 

Come on in and let's see what the LORD has for us this morning:

Leviticus 25:8 ~ And you shall number seven Sabbaths of Years unto you, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven Sabbaths of years shall be unto you forty and nine years.

OK, now we have:
1 sabbath day out of every 7 days
1 sabbath year out of every 7 years
1  jubilee year out of every 49 sabbath years
1 Jubilee Year on the 50th sabbath year

The Jubilee Year began after the last sabbath of the 49th Sabbatical Year ... on the next sabbath, at the beginning the 50th Sabbath Year.

How wonderful it would be, to actually observe all those mandated times of rest today.  We would be rested, relaxed, less stressed and healthier physically, spiritually, financially, and even socially!  God's ways are always SO perfect!

:9 ~ Then you shall cause the Trumpet of Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the Day of Atonement you shall make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.

The closest to this date for us today, is October 10, during Yom Kippur.  The Day of Atonement is a sabbath of rest, fasting, reflection on the past year, and sacrifice to the LORD.  It is the only day of the year that the high priest enters into the Holy of Holies to make atonement for the sins of the nation, himself and his family.

The entire nation is already gathered together for the holy day and has just been released from their sins of the entire past year!  Then they hear the unmistakable sound of the Shofar (ram's horn) ... everywhere, over every other sound.  Can't you just imagine the hush that must have come over all of Israel?  Wow .... 

One day, my sisters and brothers, we will hear the sound of that Jubilee Trumpet ... and we will be released from the bonds of this earth and return to our Real Home!!  Now THAT my friends, will be the ultimate JUBILATION!!!!

Leviticus 20:10 is imprinted on the Liberty Bell, that resides in Philadelphia PA.
  For an Interactive 3D Virtual View: click here or on the picture!!

Photo and Liberty 360:History in 3D by http://www.nformationdesign.com/

:10 ~ And you shall hallow (set apart) the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all of the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and you shall return every man unto his family.

This liberty was to be all inclusive!  Already all sins were paid for  ... now all servants were released, all bondages of men were annulled, slaves were set free, all mortgages were cancelled, lands reverted to original owners,  all debts were forgiven, and everyone returned to their homes and families completely free!  They were able to start their business all over again, as at the beginning ... and based upon another year of release 50 years in the future!  Woo Hoo!!!!  The biggest celebrations, in Times Square, would be as nothing, compared to this!!!

Wouldn't it be wonderful if our slate of mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt was wiped clean every 50 years???!!!  Wait a minute: we would only get to experience one Jubilee Year in our lifetime!  And we would be lucky if it occurred in our adult.  Hmmmm ...  I guess it wouldn't work in modern times, afterall.  Or would it?

Thank You LORD, for Your promises!  And for making every provision for us!

Luke 4:18) ~ The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me; because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor, He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the recovery of sight to the blind.  To set at liberty those who are oppressed; :19) to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.

 :11 ~ A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you: you shall not sow, neither reap that which grows of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of your vine undressed, (unpruned)
:12 ~ For it is the jubile: it shall be holy unto you; you shall eat the increase thereof out of the field.
:13 ~ In the year of this jubile you shall return every unto man his possession.

According to Jon Courson, if a piece of land had been sold to cover a debt or rescue a household financially, it would be restored to the family of the one who had sold it.  Our God's plans for us are SO good and SO merciful!

Nowhere is there any evidence that the Israelites ever actually observed the Jubilee Year.  As a nation, would we, if we had the opportunity?  I don't think so ... I doubt that any nation would.  Probably all for the very same reason ... greed ... and unwillingness to let go.  Most of the Israelites did not want to give their property back.  However, if they had, they would have received blessings far greater than anything they gave up.  :(

Would you like to experience Jubilee in your own life?  I sure would ... not only would I like to, but I seriously need some jubilation in my life!  Here is what one of my favorite Pastors, Jon Courson, suggests in his Application Commentary ~ Old Testament:

"Begin by releasing people from the captivity in which you hold them, because you think they let you down, disappointed you, or hurt you." 

WHOA!  Wait a minute. Time out.  People really have let me down, disappointed me and hurt me.  How can I be holding them captive?  

Courson states, "It is the one who doesn't set the debtor free who remains bound in misery.  Even though you don't feel it emotionally, you can decide today to do that which Israel never did: to cancel all debts and experience jubilee in your soul." 

I say AMEN to that, Jon!  If we are holding any trespass against anyone, it is time to let it GO!

*And then there is this: Matthew  6:14) For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive your trespasses. :15) But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.  Ahem!

We will experience jubilation only to the degree that we quit trying to earn blessings from God.  When the trumpet was to have sounded to begin Jubilee, it would have applied to everyone equally.  Every person could have reaped the benefits of the blessings of Jubilee.  All they had to do was receive them. 

"So too, it is by grace that we're saved, the Year of Jubilee will dawn in your soul, if you just relax and receive." ~ Jon Courson  Oh, how beautiful is that?!


I wonder, how many of us would be able to wipe our slates completely clean ... today??!  Forgiving debts is one thing; giving up something we have is even harder!  I do know one thing, for sure ... God would not have given that law if it did not work!

The absolute coolest thing is, that Jesus Christ already perfectly fulfilled this law and all the others!  All we have to do is release our hold, let go ... and just relax and receive God's blessings. 

What a lovely place to stop and relax and ponder the sweetness of such precious liberty!

So, until tomorrow my friends, peace and joy ....

I am blessed every day

with some new revelation of God's Word.

I will be sharing my measure of manna

with all who come to my "tent."

Please, let me know if you have been blessed

by the way it was prepared for you this day.

~Shalom~

Leviticus 25:1-12~Sabbatic Year~Give it a Rest!



 

Welcome Friends ~ Have you missed us?  *asking baitedly*  We have been missing our fellowship with you.  I got so far behind in blogging that our Morning Measure of Manna was no longer fresh.

So, we decided to move our tent from Exodus 20:17 all the way to Leviticus 25.  This is where I currently, actually, am in my morning study with the LORD.  We shall attempt a fresh start this morning, with a super-fresh measure of manna.  Which, of course, was the whole idea at the genesis of this blog.

I just finished Leviticus 24, an awesome chapter of Responsibility.  The LORD had given the children of Israel rules that would protect the HIS name.

As usual, all bold and underlined emphasis' are my own: merely the way the Lord impressed His Word to me, on the day I share it.  He may emphasize different aspects to you.  Your time with the LORD should be individual and personal ... and glorious!  :D  If anything in or about my blog stumbles you, please let me know.

OK, come on in, sit down and get comfortable:  I pray that you will be blessed: 

Leviticus 25, according to Jon Courson, is a chapter of Refreshment.  Every 7th year was to be one of rest to the land; the Sabbatical or Sabbatic Year.

The subject of verses 1-7 is the Sabbatic Year.

:1 ~ "And the LORD spoke unto Moses, in Mount Sinai, saying,
                    
:2 ~  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When you come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD.
                    
:3 ~  Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather the fruit thereof;

:4 ~  But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest  unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD:  you shall neither sow your fields nor prune your vineyard.

These verses remind me of our study of the weekly sabbath in Exodus 20:8-11.  We noticed a pattern there: one out of 7 days belongs to the LORD and one out of 7 years also belongs to Him.  How about one out of 7 hours?  Or one out of seven of minutes?  Do you think this could be a Biblical principal that pertains to everything?  We do know that the number 7, as used in the Scriptures, symbolizes perfection.  Should not rest follow perfection?
Also, similar to the 4th Commandment, where we are to work 6 days, then on the 7th day rest ourselves.  Here, in verse 3, the Israelites were to sow their fields, prune their vineyards, and gather in the the fruit; then in the 7th year, they were to rest the land. 

This method, of resting the land every 7 years, is a sound agricultural principal and is still used today by farmers, ranchers, and home gardeners everywhere.  This Scripture is the very basis for rotation planting and crop rotation.  Ranchers move their stock from pasture to pasture to let the land rest in between. 

Even the First People, the Native Americans, knew this law of 'nature.'  They have always rotated their crops and stock, and continue the practice to this very day.  We and the land we live on  were created to first work 6 days and then enter in to the Lord's rest and receive His refreshing.

All crops of the sabbatic years were for all people, without profit to the owner.

:5 ~  That which grows of its own accord of your harvest you shall not reap, neither gather the grapes of your vine undressed (unpruned): for it is a year of rest unto the land.

Dakes noted that the unpruned vine was referred to as the "Nazarite vine,"  because it was compared to the unshorn locks of the Nazarites!  Very cool, yes?  It all ties in so perfectly!

:6 ~  And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you: and for your servant and for your stranger that sojourns with you,

:7 ~ And for your cattle, and for the beast that are in your land, shall all the increase thereof be meat.

What an awesome plan all around!  The land, the people and the animals rest from working the land for one year.  And ALL are provided food and sustenance for ... for the whole year.  Once every 7 years!  Perfect plan!  No 'welfare' needed!  No starving people, no starving animals! The LORD's ways are always SO perfect!!

Jon Courson points out that, in the Sabbatical Year, it was:

  1.  Agriculturally wise to rest the land - the land was not worked.
+2.  Sociologically wise to rest the land - bills were not paid.(Deut.15)
  3.  The people were refreshed and renewed through the uninhibited study of God's Word!

Imagine how different life would be if we observed the sabbatic years ... wow! ... just wow!  I also wonder if we will observe this pattern in heaven?  Very possible, I believe.

Sadly, it is it probably less likely that we would do any better, here on earth, than the Israelites!  They decided that they needed to get ahead more than they needed the rest (yikes, sound familiar?)  We so often act like we know better than our Creator about what we need ... SO WRONG!!!

At any rate, the Israelites went 499 years without observing even one sabbath year!!  They actually robbed God of 70 sabbath years!!!  The result? ... well, does the number, 70 years, ring a bell?  It should ... that is exactly how long the children of Israel were held captive in Babylon ... 70 years!! (2 Chronicles 36:17)  Their decision proved to be very unwise, indeed!

Thank our merciful LORD, that we live under His grace!  Just figuring my own number of years on earth ... divided by 7 ... I would owe God seven sabbath years already!  Yowza!! 

We always hear that we "reap what we sow" ... but we actually also "reap what we don't sow" ... don't we?  A whole year's worth of "meat" that we miss out on ... that would affect us physically and spiritually.

You may also recognize the word 'sabbatical' for the leave that teachers used to earn.  For every 6 years they taught, they got a 'sabbatical leave' for that 7th year.  I haven't heard the term used in a long time ... so I am not sure if they still have that system.  Perhaps someone will enlighten me?

Well, my goodness ... this is enough for me to ruminate on for one day.  I pray you have enjoyed this study as much as I have.  There are so many good fundamental principals in the Old Testament.  We are by no means, bound by them ... but oh we can learn SO much!  What a blessing!  And each time we read God's Living Word, we learn more and more from It! 

Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name!

Until tomorrow ...  my friends,

I am blessed every day

with some new revelation of God's Word.

I will be sharing my measure of manna

with all who come to my "tent."

Please, let me know if you have been blessed

by the way it was prepared for you this day.

~Shalom~