Christ in the Years of Rest and Release
Leviticus 25:55
Introduction.
Illustration.
Have you ever had a really long shift at work? Had a long time in between vacations?
I know when I was in school, Friday afternoons were glorious.
I felt free, even though it was really only for a short time.
After a long shift at work, you might feel the same, too.
Finally, you are able to rest and relax.
While this isn’t a perfect comparison with the topic today, it does give you some idea of what the Year of Jubilee was like.
Slavery, particularly in this current political climate, is a sensitive topic.
A good chunk of Lev. 25 talks about it, regulating it.
We won’t get into the history behind slavery, but as with anything, there is a right way and a wrong way to do things.
It is very easy to fall into the trap of mistreating people under your authority, so God gives His Law concerning the topic.
Regardless, the last verse of this chapter reminds us that the Israelites actually could not belong to others because God was their master (Lev. 25:55).
This is the point with regard to the land as well—it did not belong to the people such that they could buy and sell it for good. It belonged to God, and He did with it as He pleased. It is in the latter half of Joshua that God apportions the land of Canaan to His people.
In context.
Recall in Lev. 23, the Lord instructs the people on the weekly observance of the Sabbath and their yearly observances.
In Lev. 24, we see some of the daily activities the priests were to engage in.
There is a brief interruption with an account of blasphemy.
Now in this chapter, we note certain events that the Israelites were to observe every few years.
Preview.
Christ in the Sabbath Year.
Christ in the Year of Jubilee.
Body.
Christ in the Sabbath Year—a year of rest (25:1-7, 18-22).
The Israelites were to rest every seven years.
Not only were they to rest on the seventh day of the week, but the land was to rest every seven years.
They were not to sow, prune, or reap.
How were they going to eat? They were to feed off the spontaneous growth around them.
This was to be available for them, their servants, their hired hands, the strangers among them, and their livestock.
People survive in non-agrarian societies, and every seven years, they were to live in that manner.
It was reminiscent of how Adam and Eve were to subsist in the Garden of Eden, eating whatever was growing around them and the rest they experienced there.
But still, they might ask the obvious question: How are we going to survive? (25:20).
The Lord responds to this hypothetical question, that He would bless them in the sixth year to provide enough food for 3 years, the 6th, the 7th (which is the Sabbath year), and the 8th year while they sow their fields (25:21-22).
This reminded them that the produce of the land belongs to the Lord, and that He provides the increase and decides on how it is to be used.
Clearly this meant they could not make a profit from their produce—they needed to rely on God, not on their own abilities.
With the exception of a reference during the reign of King Hezekiah (2 Kings 19:29), there is evidence that the Israelites failed to obey this mandate for some time, and it would seem these Sabbath years accumulated so that they would be forced upon them during the Babylonian Captivity (2 Chron. 36:20-21).
“This shall be a sign to you: You shall eat this year such as grows of itself, and in the second year what springs from the same; also in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them.”
And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.
Christian application.
We’ve discussed on many occasions that Christ is our rest, and that we should rely on Him.
It is in Christ that we have a rest from all our labors (Matt. 11:28-30).
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
In fact, all creation was eagerly awaiting him as we see in Romans 8.
Another tidbit, Josephus records that there was a Sabbath Year in 24 BC, which means that there was a Sabbath Year in AD 33, perhaps when Jesus was crucified and the church began.
In academia, professors will often take a sabbatical year where they teach no classes but focus primarily on their research.
We have no such mandate in the NT Scriptures, but there is a practical aspect of this practice.
In modern agriculture, we have learned that rotating crops helps replenish the soil with certain nutrients beneficial for other plants.
In Medieval times, the farmers in northern Europe would leave one-third of the land fallow for just this purpose—rotating crops is simply more efficient.
In any event, the Israelites’ leaving a field fallow every seven years would ultimately help to increase productivity.
My point is, we can take this concept to the mission field, too.
As we see in the connection in many parables and illustrations to evangelism and farming (Parable of the Sower – Luke 8:4ff; 1 Cor. 3:5-9).
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.
Sometimes it is good to take some time to regroup, restrategize, allow the people the time to ruminate on what you have given them.
It’s one reason why the evangelistic lessons often work best when taken a week apart—if you overload someone, they won’t have time to think about it, to digest it, particularly if it’s all brand new to them.
Christ in the Year of Jubilee—a year of release (25:8-17, 23-55).
Timing (25:8-12).
A Sabbath’s worth of Sabbath years were to be counted, 7 times 7.
On the Day of Atonement of that 49th year, they were to consecrate the following year (or perhaps that year, since at some point the civil calendar began in the seventh month).
That following year, the 50th, was to be the Year of Jubilee.
If you remember your high school English class, Jubilee was an onomatopeia. In Hebrew, it sounded like a trumpet blast—which is fitting in the month that began with the Feast of Trumpets (Lev. 23:24).
Plus a trumpet blast was to be sounded throughout the land on this day to ring in this wonderful year.
It has the same rules as the Sabbath year, a year of rest for the land (25:11-12).
Land released (25:13-17, 23-28).
Certain items that you or your family had purchased since the last Jubilee year was to be released to the original owner.
This applied to anything the Lord had ultimately assigned, namely land sales… and people (which we’ll get to).
The land ultimately belonged to God. It was He who assigned all the lands to the various tribes in the latter half of Joshua.
The land was God’s to give, just as He gave lands to the Edomites and the Ammonites (Deut. 2:5, 19).
If the land could be sold permanently, it would distort the God-given inheritances given to each tribe, and *this* map would be in a constant state of flux.
One tribe could amass so much more land over time.
So really this was not a land sale, but a lease.
This is why it was such a big deal when Naboth would not give his vineyard to King Ahab (1 Kgs 21). Ahab, an evil king, would likely not honor the Jubilee year and give the possession back to his family at the appropriate time.
People would sell their possessions in order to get out of debt or pay for things they needed, but as stated, this ultimately became a lease.
If someone could make more of my land than I could, let him use it and reap the benefits—at least until I or a relative of mine can get it back or that blessed Year of Jubilee comes.
Exceptions (25:29-34).
There was one exception: a house within a walled city, emphasis on walled.
There was a window in which it could be redeemed, one full year, but if it is not redeemed in that amount of time, the sale was permanent.
This might have discouraged people from selling houses in walled cities.
There was one exception to that exception—if the house belonged to a Levite.
Since the Levites had no land possessions of their own except within cities, then it was treated as any other land possession.
Person released (25:35-55).
If a fellow Israelite falls on hard times, you are to help him, let him live with you, lend to him.
This was an easy situation to exploit, where one might try to extort money out of the individual, making it impossible to get out of debt.
No interest or usury was to be exacted upon such a person.
If the person becomes so poor, and the only way he has to get out of his debt is to “sell himself,” then that was an option for him.
Contrary to our modern sensibilities, this was actually a good thing, for it benefited the poor man so he could make things right and get out of debt, while also benefiting the lender with the labor so that he wasn’t cheated.
Again, it is easy to lord over someone in that situation, so God strictly regulates that, stating he shall be as a hired servant and not a slave—this was indentured servitude.
He was to be released from his debts and set free in the Year of Jubilee.
On the other hand, Exo. 21:5-6 details a way on how to make that situation permanent, but it must be a decision freely made by the servant.
If he loved his master, he could stay with him permanently, showing it by having his ear pierced with an awl.
These servants were not to be treated harshly, either (“with rigor” – 25:43).
That stated, those who were not Israelites did not have such privileges and could be treated as property.
These same rules applied to Israelites who sold themselves to foreigners—they were still to be released at Jubilee.
Why the double standard? (25:55) – “the children of Israel are servants to Me.”
Just like the land, the Israelite people belonged to God, not to anyone else.
Their true Master was the Lord, and should be treated as such. They were merely on loan from Him.
In any event, this is one reason why the OT is full of passages urging people not to oppress the poor, i.e. they needed to follow these laws here.
It also urged people not to go into debt thereby putting themselves in a position to be oppressed.
We’ll see how to apply all this in the NT age.
Practical application.
As stated, Josephus records that 24 BC was a Sabbath Year, but it was followed quickly by 23 BC, a Jubilee Year.
That would mean AD 27 or 28 was the next Year of Jubilee, depending on how one is counting.
Some contend this is about the time of Jesus’ ministry, citing Luke 4:18-19 when He reads from Isaiah in the synagogue.
They contend that Jesus’ setting at liberty the captives was connected to the Year of Jubilee, or perhaps the “acceptable year of the Lord.”
Whether that connection is valid or not, we do know that this was certainly His mission here on earth.
We see a great application of 25:35-38 in Luke 6:34.
“And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.”
The point Jesus makes is to lend to people with no expectation of them paying it back—in other words, give it to them.
This is a higher standard than what we see in Leviticus, where they were merely told not to charge interest.
In the NT era, God basically states He does not want you to become a slave.
After all, He tells us, “No one can serve two masters,” right? (Matt. 6:24).
Paul writes that same thing (1 Cor. 7:21-23).
Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.
Yes, there are instructions in the NT for both slaves and masters.
Slaves are to be obedient to their masters, as serving the Lord (Col. 3:22-23).
But masters are to “give [their] bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven” (Col. 4:1).
Also Philemon was told concerning his slave Onesimus that he should be treated “no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother” (Phm 16).
God wasn’t going to bring such sweeping changes to society overnight—He knows we’re a stubborn people.
But truth be told, if we follow Christian principles to their logical ends, chattel slavery ends by attrition (1 Tim. 1:10).
Spiritual application.
The truth is, we are all slaves, every single human being is a slave (Rom. 6:16-23).
Paul notes there that we are either a slave of sin or a slave of righteousness.
It depends on which we present ourselves slaves to obey.
When we are sinners, we are clearly slaves to sin.
Don’t we know that intuitively already? Sin is like an addiction!
When one is addicted to something, he will seek that thing out at all costs, at the expense of friends and family, jobs and reputation, even to the neglect of his eternal soul.
We talked in class a few weeks ago about the worth of a soul—priceless. Why? Because it is eternal, but we don’t see or perceive it, so we often forget about it.
Truly it is the Lord, and only He, who can free us from our sin (John 8:31-36).
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, ‘You will be made free’?” Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
What powerful words from our Lord! He brings Jubilee to all mankind! He has set us free from our sins! Praise Him!
We are poor spiritually, and we are indebted to Him because He saved us.
Let us be like the slave in Exo. 21:5-6 who wants to be with His Master, have our ears pierced, and serve Him eternally.
Only then can we belong to Him—He freed the Israelites from Egyptian bondage; we have been freed from the bondage of sin!
Conclusion.
Christ wants us to serve Him and only Him.
We are to submit to those in authority over us, but our ultimate loyalty belongs to Him.
He has brought to us a permanent Year of Jubilee, a freedom from the bondage of sin and the wages of sin, death.
He provides us with this great and wonderful gift!
Let us rely on Him for all things and rest in His mercy and grace.
How can you be set free from sin?
You need to become a Christian!
You need to get things right with God!
He wants you to abandon your sinful ways, and He will help you do just that.