By Pastor Jim Rose
We’ve all heard of the Ten Commandments—the laws that God gave to Israel some 3,500 years ago and that still provide a framework for our system of laws and morality today. Did you know there were a lot more biblical laws than these? There were hundreds of them—everything from what kinds of clothes they could wear to how they must worship God. One of the regulations God gave them was called the law of jubilee. The complete law is rather lengthy, so let me just quote just a part of it. It’s found in the Book of Leviticus:
“You are also to count off seven Sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years, so that you have the time of the seven Sabbaths of years, namely, forty-nine years. You shall then sound a ram’s horn (a trumpet of the jubilee) abroad on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement, you shall sound a horn all through your land. You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family. You shall have the fiftieth year as a Jubilee; you shall not sow, nor reap its aftergrowth, nor gather in from its untrimmed vines. For it is a Jubilee; it shall be holy to you. You shall eat its crops out of the field. On this Year of Jubilee each of you shall return to his own property.”(Leviticus 25:8-13)
Notice a few things from this passage:
It was to take place every fifty years
Though we have no historical record that a Year of Jubilee was ever celebrated, God intended that it take place after “seven sevens of seven”—or 49 years. Numbers were important to the Jewish people. Some think God singled out special numbers in this way to remind His people that all our time belongs to Him.
It was announced with a special trumpet
In the Hebrew language the word translated “jubilee” literally means blowing a ram’s horn. This is called a “shofar” and is still an important part of Hebrew worship today. Ram’s horns can be very large—sometimes several feet in length. They emit a loud, deep, piercing tone depending on how they are played.
It affected every inhabitant of the Land
God intended that everyone benefit from the Year of Jubilee. It was like a national holiday that lasted all year long! Imagine if Independence Day in the United States or some other national holiday lasted 365 days instead of one—and each of those days was filled with celebration and merriment.
It proclaimed “Three R’s”
What did everyone have to celebrate? The Year of Jubilee proclaimed “Three R’s”:
A time for RELEASE: all slaves were to be released from their bondage and prisoners set free; if you were a slave in those days, you would look forward to freedom; you wouldn’t be a slave forever.
A time to RETURN home: all land was to return to its original family/owner.
A time for RENEWAL and rest: no one was to plant or harvest crops; the children of Israel were to live off God’s special extra provisions from the previous year; and the land was to rest so it could be renewed.
ISRAEL FORGOT GOD’S PROMISE OF JUBILEE
Imagine how this sounded to slaves and people in debt! But what about money lenders and slave owners? They wouldn’t be thrilled about the idea. Proclaiming the Year of Jubilee would be costly: releasing slaves, turning back lands to their original owner, not to mention the cost of allowing farm lands to lie fallow for a year with no planting or harvesting. Perhaps this is one of the reasons Israel never got around to celebrating the Year of Jubilee—it seemed too risky. Eventually Israel forgot all about the Year of Jubilee. But God didn’t. And Israel’s failure to keep the jubilee is one of the reasons He sent them into the Babylon Captivity some one thousand years later (20 jubilees missed):
“Those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; and they were 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 its Sabbaths all the days of its desolation” (II Chronicles 36:20,21).
Though Israel neglected the Year of Jubilee it remained an important theme for the Old Testament prophets. They saw in the “Three R’s” more than an economic transfer of wealth. They recognized the Year of Jubilee as a foretelling of God’s promised redemption of His people.
Looking forward to the day when Israel would be freed from captivity, the Prophet Isaiah said,
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, and freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the LORD…” (Isaiah 61:1, 2).
When Isaiah used the phrase “favorable year of the Lord” he was referring to the Year of Jubilee. Isaiah understood clearly that even though Israel had failed to proclaim a Year of Jubilee (and was now in captivity because of it), the Year of Jubilee would come. And when it did, God would do for His people what they had failed to do themselves. Notice how he described the coming jubilee:
“…to comfort all who mourn, to grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified. Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, they will raise up the former devastations; and they will repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations” (Isaiah 61:3-4).
THE FULFILLMENT OF JUBILEE
About 500 years later, a lowly carpenter stood up in a synagogue in an obscure Israelite town called Nazareth and read those very words once again. We pick up the story in Luke’s Gospel:
“And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all. And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, ‘THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.’ And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing’” (Luke 4:14-21).
This was truly extraordinary! Don’t forget what the phrase “proclaim the favorable year of the Lord” meant to ancient Jewish people: it was a reference to the promised Year of Jubilee. And notice how Jesus concluded the reading: “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” In other words, Jesus was stating that He would fulfill the jubilee promise. It was He who would set the captives free; Jesus Himself would give sight to the blind and shout good news to the poor.
THE GOOD NEWS OF JUBILEE
The hope and promise of jubilee would be good news to an ancient slave who found himself in bondage. It would give him strength to face each day as he anticipated the “year of the Lord’s favor”—the Year of Jubilee. Jesus Himself called it the “good news”: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor…”
In some of our Bibles that phrase “good news” is often transcribed by the English word “gospel.” The word “gospel” just means “good news.” And so we see that Jesus equated the year of jubilee with the Gospel.
Some students of Luke’s Gospel have seen that this Gospel of Jubilee provides the Old Testament backdrop for his account of the life of Jesus. Luke couldn’t record everything that Jesus ever said or did. He had to select events and teachings based upon a theme. Perhaps part of that theme was to demonstrate how Jesus fulfilled the jubilee promise.
Consider the miracles of Jesus recorded in Luke. As Jesus proclaimed the “acceptable year of the Lord”—the year of jubilee—He would:
Bring the gospel (good news) to the poor (Luke alone records the story of the woman in Luke 8:43,48 and the prodigal son in Luke 15:15-16, 22);
heal the broken-hearted (story of Jairus and his wife in Luke 8:49-56 and the widow of Nain in Luke 7:12-15—both were broken-hearted because of tragic circumstances in their lives);
proclaim liberty for the captives (deliverance of the demon-possessed man named ‘Legion’ in Luke 8:26-39);
Proclaim the opening of the prison to those who are bound (healing of the woman bent double; Luke says the woman was “bound for 18 years”—Luke 13:10-17);
proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (account of the paralyzed man in Luke 5:18-25; compare this to Leviticus 25:10).
Luke was also the only one to tell the story of the two men on the road to Emmaus, to whom Jesus appeared after His resurrection. Here too we find some significant references to jubilee themes:
One day, shortly after Jesus had been crucified on the cross in Jerusalem, two of His followers walked along the road, talking with great sadness about the events that had recently unfolded. They had been so confident that Jesus was their Messiah and King—that He had come to “set the captives free” to deliver His people from their slavery and bondage. Mysteriously, Jesus began walking with them along the road. As yet they didn’t know who He was, but He struck up a conversation with them, asking the question:
“’What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?’ And they stood still, looking sad. One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, ‘Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?’ And He said to them, ‘What things?’” (Luke 24:17-19).
The two men explained that Jesus had been a “Prophet mighty in deed and word” but they had hoped he would also be the King who would deliver Israel from her captivity to Rome—a veiled reference to their hopes that the long awaited Year of Jubilee would begin.
However, since they had seen Him die and buried in a tomb, they had given up all hope.
It was then that Jesus began telling them who He really was:
”And He said to them, ‘O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?’ Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24:25-27).
Notice what Jesus did: He began in the Books of Moses (Genesis through Leviticus), continued through the Prophets (Isaiah through Malachi) explaining all the things that pointed to Himself. What do you suppose He talked about in the Books of Moses? We aren’t told specifically, but it could be that He explained to them the Gospel of Jubilee: how Jesus Himself was the long awaited Jubilee.
The touching story concludes with this scene:
“And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. But they urged Him, saying, ‘Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.’ So He went in to stay with them. When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. They said to one another, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?’” (Luke 24:28-32).
When did the disciples finally recognize Jesus in their midst? It was during the breaking of bread, and Luke undoubtedly intended us to see an allusion here to the Last Supper (the communion meal), at which Jesus proclaimed Himself the Passover Lamb (another reference to jubilee teachings).
JUBILEE, THE GOSPEL AND YOU
Jubilee was an ancient hope that continued to shape the thinking of Israel for hundreds of years. But the story of jubilee did not end 2,000 years ago when Jesus walked the Road to Emmaus with His disciples. Indeed, that was only the beginning. Remember the “Three R’s” of jubilee we saw in Leviticus 25? They can apply to you today as well—in a far more exciting way than the ancient Jews could have ever imagined.
Jubilee: A Time for Release from Bondage
Though slavery and imprisonment of a man’s body is a tragic thing, bondage of the soul to sin is far worse. When Jesus proclaimed Himself as our Jubilee, He declared His intention to release us from the death grip of sin. Jesus can free you from whatever trap or prison of soul holds you. Many people feel that their particular bondage is worse than any other: “If you only knew how trapped I am.” There were, no doubt, some terrible traps of bondage in ancient Israel. But regardless of how horrible the particulars seemed, the message of jubilee was “good news” for those in need. It involved the promise of freedom and liberty!
Jubilee: A Time to Return Home
We saw that “homeland” was very important to the Jews of old. Homeland is important to all of us. During the Year of Jubilee, those who had been displaced from their homes because of debt, death or misfortune would be able to return home. Jesus told a marvelous story about returning home. It’s the story of the “prodigal son” and, like other parables in Luke’s Gospel, has underlying jubilee themes. In that story, a young man demands his inheritance from his father so he can leave home and live for himself.
“And He said, ‘A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them. And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country and he became impoverished. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!’ I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.’ So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate” (Luke 15:11-24).
The prospect of returning home after a time of suffering is attractive. Many who are facing dismal circumstances in their lives just want to “go home”—the place they belong, the place that contains their good memories and family. The Year of Jubilee would be attractive to a family displaced from their homeland. But notice what was necessary for the prodigal to return to his home: he had to “come to himself”—to “come to his senses.” He had to wake up and realize how desperate was his plight and how helpless he was. While the son’s return home would remind His listeners of the promise of jubilee, Jesus made it clear that prior to jubilee, he must turn from his sin and acknowledge his need for rescue. This is true for modern day prodigals as well.
Jubilee: A Time for Renewal and Restoration
The final promise of the Year of Jubilee was renewal and restoration of the land. In ancient Israel (and modern), the term “land” was highly significant. The land was more than a piece of ground promised them as a homeland. It came to represent all that God had promised them. It came to be viewed as a demonstration of God’s faithfulness and love for His chosen people. This is one of the reasons they were to take such good care of the land. There were hundreds of laws and regulations regarding Israel’s stewardship of the Promised Land. Every 49 years they were even required to give the land its own Sabbath rest. Farmer’s today understand how important it is to let land rest lest the nutrients and vitality of the soil be depleted. This is why crop rotation, fertilization and soil management are so important.
Jubilee was a time for renewal. And even though the soil regulations that were so important to Israel have little meaning to most of us, we can all identify with the promise of renewal and restoration. A person like the prodigal son (described above) would especially appreciate the hope of renewal and restoration. Knowing that his legal inheritance had been squandered, his family relationships damaged, and his friendships lost, the prospect of a time of renewal and restoration would mean hope and encouragement, no matter how bitter the memories of the past.
All of us have been like the prodigal son in many ways. We have demanded our inheritance and our independence. We have squandered it on selfish and riotous living until we found ourselves in the “pig pen” of sinful habits, with no hope left in this world.
But the prodigal son came to his senses. One day he realized that even his father’s slaves had it better than himself. And so, surrendering his pride and his rebellion, he returned home. He begged his father’s mercy and pardon, bowing down to him as a slave would bow down to his master. Imagine his surprise when the father grabbed him, embraced him, gave him new clothes and threw the biggest party he’d ever known?
Such is the promise of jubilee. For you and I are like that prodigal son. And the sooner we awaken to our desperate plight in the pig pen of sin, the sooner we’ll be RELEASED, be able to RETURN home and experience the RENEWAL and RESTORATION that God has promised:
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (II Corinthians 5:17).
