Leviticus (Lesson Twelve: Jubilee! [Chapter 25])

Holiness to the Lord: A Survey of Leviticus

Lesson Twelve: Jubilee! (Chapter 25)

1. The Sabbath Year

Everyone knows that ancient Israel observed a Sabbath day of rest one in seven days; but it is less commonly known that they were also commanded to let the land rest an entire year in every seven years. During this time, no fields were to be worked, and what they produced naturally was for the free consumption of rich and poor, landowner and slave, domesticated animal and wild.

This teaches, first of all, that the “sabbath” principle was much bigger than might be supposed by its weekly observance. Once a week, Israel rested from their labors to worship God; but ultimately, their lives were looking to a time when they could rest forever, and enjoy his presence not just one day, but long term – permanently, in fact, when the suggestive period of an entire year is equated to an entire age. The sabbath year taught the people that the rest Joshua brought them into, when he gave them the promised land, was not the final sabbath rest of the people of God; ultimately, they had to look forward to another rest, which the greater Joshua, Jesus Christ, promised to those who believed in him (see Psalm 95:7-11; Heb. 3-4). The paradise of Eden, in which the ground naturally and effortlessly produced fruits sufficient for her keepers, and in which the toilsome aspect of labor was utterly absent, was prefigured here, when the land gave fruits sufficient for everyone of every rank, man and beast alike, which they had just to pick at their leisure.

A second lesson is that, in this sabbath year, there was no distinction between rich and poor, capable or crippled; for all who obeyed God by not working or trusting for their security in human wisdom and efforts were blessed with his fruits (see Gal. 3:28; Rom. 4:5-6; Mat. 19:23). Those who worked for their fruits showed their despite for God’s grace, their lack of trust in his promises, and their failure to realize that the typical land of Israel was not the “city which has foundations,” that is, the new and perfect promised land for which the patriarchs longed (Heb. 11:9-10, 13-16). Hence, it was specifically for their disobedience to this commandment that Israel was finally driven into exile, so that her land might enjoy the sabbath rests it had been denied (cf. Lev. 26:34-35; 2 Chron. 36:21). After this exile, God began to bring in people from every nation who would obey his command not to work for the blessings of a land where his fruits are plentiful and his presence abides, but to trust rather in him who has already accomplished everything.

2. The Year of Jubilee

Just as there was a rest every seventh year, so also on the year after a week of sevens (49), or in other words, every fiftieth year, another climactic year of rest and redemption was announced: Jubilee. The name “Jubilee” comes from the Hebrew word for the trumpets which were used to announce this year, by their blasts on the tenth day of the seventh month, which is the Day of Atonement.

In the Year of Jubilee, all those who had been driven away from their portion and inheritance through any debt they had incurred were free to return. The Land of Israel was reminiscent of the Garden in Eden where God had first dwelt with his people, and it typified the New Jerusalem, where he would dwell with them for all eternity. In the time between paradise first and paradise second, however, mankind had incurred an unpayable sin debt, which prevented him from entering back into his portion, the land where God could dwell with him. How would he ever be free to go back to this Paradise of Immanuel?

The Year of Jubilee teaches us this: when our sin debt had driven us out of God’s presence, then he sent his Son to provide a Day of Atonement for us. After he had fulfilled this Day of Atonement, he sent out the proclamation with the trumpet blasts of Good News: “You are now free to return to God your portion! Your debts have been paid, the way into Immanuel’s land is no longer barred! The cherubs have sheathed their flaming swords, and the Tree of Life is again yours to eat freely!” Today, Jubilee is being announced over all the world by the gospel ministers of Christ the Redeemer.

3. Redemption

The Year of Jubilee cannot be fully understood without an understanding of the principles of redemption, laid out in the second half of the chapter. If a man becomes poor, and thus has to sell his inherited possession of house and land, it was the responsibility of his nearest relative (his “kinsman-redeemer”) to buy back his possession for him. If his debt became even worse, so that he had to sell himself into slavery, then the kinsman-redeemer would redeem the man himself, and buy him back from slavery. But if no such brother or kinsman could be found, then God himself would buy back this person from slavery, and buy back his possessions in the land of Israel. God would redeem his people.

We had been sold into slavery; we had lost our possession of a favorable relationship with God, and all the spiritual blessings that this entails. But when God looked down and saw that we had no kinsman-redeemer, then his own arm brought us salvation and redemption (see Isaiah 59:16-20). He sent his Son to become our Kinsman, to take our nature upon himself and be our true brother, so that he might redeem us, buy us back from slavery and present us to the Father. Christ became our great Kinsman-Redeemer in God’s Jubilee, when we had no other kinsman to rescue us from our slavery to sin and Satan.

Of course, the greatest Kinsman-Redeemer would not just free us and provide for us – but he would take us as a destitute widow, left childless and without support, and marry us, making us fruitful in the land (see the book of Ruth); Christ not only became our brother to buy us back from slavery to sin; but he married us, he became the great Bridegroom of the Church (e.g. John 3:28-30; Eph. 5:25-27), and he is giving her many children (Gal. 4:27-28; Isa. 8:17/Heb. 2:13) and making her fruitful in the land of his presence.

4. Discussion Questions

What practical commandments did God give to his people, as a fitting response to the provisions he promised them in the sabbath years and Jubilee (see verses 6-7, 14, 17-18, 23, 35-40, 46)? How do those applications affect us today?

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