Leviticus 25 - Year of Jubilee

I love the principles of Sabbath rest and Jubilee presented in this chapter. This chapter helps us grasp that even the land and all our possessions ultimately belong to God. 

Sabbath Year

It is right that the land that belongs to God have opportunity for rest. Even in this rest however, notice how God provided for the needs of his people. "Whatever the land yields during the sabbath year will be food for you" (Lev 25:6). God cares for his people even as he observes rest for the land. 

Jubilee

Jubilee is a consecration of the 50th year where land and slaves are returned to their original state. There is no concept of "getting ahead" here.  At the end of 50 years all arrangements are off so that no one people would permanently dominate another. No one can really own what is God's anyway. 

In today's culture we have a skewed view of property and we live in times where Jubilee is not practiced. Men have claimed what is God's for ther own. 

Under the provision of Jubilee, if someone bought land and used it to plant, that land would be returned after 50 years. If someone was poor among the nation there was the provision of a near relative to redeem the land and keep it in the family. (Lev 25:25). This is the same principle at work in the story of Ruth when Boaz redeems the land. It is also our story when our kinsman Redeemer came to buy us back for the Father giving us hope and eternal security. 

We have a Redeemer who has redeemed us and purchased us back from the slavery of sin and restored to us a life of promise full of hope. We can rejoice because we have been redeemed!  No trial on earth can match the power of our wonderful Savior.