After seven Sabbaths of years, meaning 7 X 7 or 49 years, the 50th year was to be celebrated as the Year of Jubilee. This was a year of restoration of lands and people out of bondage. If land hand been sold due to poverty, in this year it was restored to the original owner, so that the land remained with the tribes as originally allotted to them. If a person was sold into servitude because of poverty, in this year, if not redeemed earlier, they would be set free.
They were also not to sow their crops every Sabbath year, or 7th year. They also were not to sow crops in the Jubilee year, but only eat what grew on its own. Just as God provided extra manna on the sixth day to feed them on the Sabbath, so He would reward their faithfulness in this.
God states the reason for the Year of Jubilee. “For they are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves.” Lev. 25:42
It is a beautiful picture of the release we receive from Jesus from our slavery to sin.
“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” Rom. 6:16-18
Jesus applied a prophecy from Isaiah to Himself, in Luke 4:16-21
“So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
‘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 recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.’
Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’” Luke 4:16-21
We are free from the requirements to keep the law, we are free from the penalty due us because of our sin and rebellion, because He paid the price, we are free from the power of sin over our lives because the Holy Spirit lives in us, enabling us to obey, and one day we will be free from the presence of sin, in Heaven.
“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:36
Tag Archives: Freedom
The Scarlet Thread 