Time for Jubilee
God is always working to redeem all people, at all times to right relationship with Him and others.
“Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan. The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines. For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields...In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to their own property. Do not take advantage of each other...fear your God...I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years...If one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of their property, their nearest relative is to come and redeem what they have sold."
Leviticus 25:1-2, 4-5, 8, 10-13, 17-19, 21, 25, 35-37, 43, 54-55
God's divine design for community recognized that there would be differing levels of success. He knew there would be people who would thrive and people who would struggle. We can relate to this in our culture. Some people have much and others have little. How would this message be received in our world today? Would we be willing to sacrifice our own wealth to ensure that others had what they need?
His command for community required times of redemption of those in need and recognition that God is the provider. Why are the people able to trust God and release what they own? They do it out of recognition that God is the one who provides everything. What would happen if we looked at what we had as assets that we are stewarding more than saving up? What would a year of jubilee look like for you?
“Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. You who fear him, trust in the Lord, he is their help and shield"
Psalms 115:1, 11, 13-14, 16
David had great wealth and a great heart that was faithful to the Lord. How can this be? God is not calling us to conformity or communism where everyone is the same. He is calling us to transformation and trust.
The redemptive process involves reshaping our perspectives and demonstrating where we put our trust. What demonstrates trust more than your calendar and your bank account? How are those foundations of living glorifying God? Are we giving thanks for His generosity to us or are we trusting in the strength of our personal net worth and personal priorities?
“Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death. Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm ...Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them."
Proverbs 13:10, 14, 20, 23-25
How happy are you with your life? How happy are you with the state of your heart? God is continually forming us and reforming us as part of the redemptive process. It will involve change.
Wisdom says we have to daily consider how we are being impacted by pride, isolation, and apathy. Redemption calls us to grow in pouring out our pride, forming of healthy friendships, and open heart to discipline. Which of these come easier to you? Which are harder? Why?
“Why do you boast of your valleys, boast of your valleys so fruitful? Unfaithful Daughter Ammon, you trust in your riches and say, ‘Who will attack me?’ I will bring terror on you from all those around you,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty. “Every one of you will be driven away...Yet afterward, I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites,” declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 49:4-6, 37-39
God knows that people especially when viewed in larger community will stray from His principles. What does you do? He allows people to experience the pain of their choices and can send punishment in hopes that people will turn back to Him. Does it sound cruel that God would punish?
Our relationship with God is meant to be parent and child. Father and Son or Daughter. In the verses from Proverbs above, wisdom says that if you avoid discipline then you spoil the child. God loves us to much to let us continuing on the wrong paths of life. Part of redemption is involves experiencing the pain of our choices so that we will turn back to Jesus. Where are you experiencing God's correction or do you feel a sense of conviction? One thing to remember is that God's correction does not produce shame, guilt, or fear. Those three are from the enemy. The correction of God is done to redeem, restore, and re-route.
“Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved...Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves...He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.”
Acts 27:9-11, 14, 18-20, 24-26, 34-36, 42-44
Paul had warned the captain of the ship not to head out into the storm. The captain did not listen because he was more focused on making money that listening to the man who knows the Maker. Look at what happens in the story. The people lose everything. They lose their possessions and the very purpose of the voyage because they would not listen. What happens when circumstances change and become hard? In this story, it says the people gave up all hope of being saved. But, hope is never lost for those who believe. Truth says God is always working. He is working in shipwrecks, trainwrecks, and the messes we can make of our lives.
What happened? Redemption. It only took one person, Paul, to bring hope and healing to the crew. It took one person who would listen to God and share the good news that God would save. What does it take in our communities? One person. One person who will stand up, serve God, and tell the good news that salvation is available to all people, all the time. The year of Jubilee was once every fifty years for the people in ancient times. Once Jesus came, we now get to walk in the path of Jubilee. Jesus is the way to redemption for all people, at all times. We are never too far gone and it is never too late to experience the redemption of God through the blood of Jesus Christ. What does it take? If you declare Jesus as Lord of your life where He is the captain of the ship and believe in your heart that He was raised from the dead then you will be saved. You will experience the redemption and transformation that will change you and help you change your community. Jubilee is found in Jesus Christ and He is found in you.