“In this Year of Jubilee, each of you shall return to his possession.” – Leviticus 25:13

Long before the Children of Israel even entered the Promised Land, indeed while they were still deep in the desert, God introduced to them the law of the Jubilee.

That implies the Jubilee is a spiritual principle that does apply us today as well.

For starters, the word ‘jubilee’ comes from the Hebrew word ‘yobel,’ which refers to a ram’s horn or a trumpet.  

The blast of a ram’s horn or the trumpet was used as signal or beckon to the community.

For example, whenever there was an attack on the community or during battles or during festivals, trumpets were blown, basically placing the situation before God (see Numbers 10:9-10).

But most importantly, ‘yobel’ came to be a symbol for the ‘Jubilee year.’

The Bible says in Leviticus 25:8-15 that in every 50^th year, the Jubilee was to be declared with the blast of trumpets.

During the Jubilee year, all the land that was sold was supposed to return to the individual or family to whom it had originally belonged.

All the Israelites who had gone into servitude because of various circumstances were to be released in the Jubilee year.

Every debt was to be canceled or written off.

All Israelites who were forced by circumstances to sell themselves or their kids into slavery were freed, and all property that was sold or confiscated as security for a debt would revert to its original owner.

Additionally, there was to be virtually no agricultural activity on the land during the Jubilee year and any crops (farmed or wild) would not be harvested for storage or sale.

This is your ‘Year of Jubilee’ to be released, to re-possess your possession. All debts shall be settled and all that was confiscated or taken away from you shall be restored

One would only have to gather what was enough for the daily meals.

But what was the point in all this, you might ask?

Well, the principle behind the Jubilee was basically the rebalancing of the social order.

The idea was that if unchecked, over time a situation would arise whereby the rich would continue getting richer, and the poor would sink deeper into poverty.

Also, the soil, the flora and fauna – the ecosystem generally – would get a chance to recover and regenerate.

I think this was absolutely brilliant.

Indeed, I have no doubt that most of the social inequalities in our world today and the environmental /climate change challenges that our planet is facing today may be attributed to not following this old divine wisdom.

In our meditation today, God is saying that “in this Jubilee year, each of you shall return to their possession.”

Quoting Isaiah 61:1-2, our Lord Jesus alluded to the “acceptable year of the Lord” when He read the passage in the synagogue in Nazareth at the beginning of His earthly ministry (Luke 4:18-19).

From a spiritual perspective, Jesus’ coming to this earth was a signal for the Jubilee – the declaration of liberty to all who had lost their inheritance and become bond servants to sin, satan and sickness.

This is your ‘Year of Jubilee’ when you’re to be released to return to your possession, says the Spirit of God.

Each of your debts shall be settled. There is going to be a restoration of all that was confiscated or taken from you.

In this season, God is touching His people to release debtors from debt.

People shall pay their workers salary for a whole year and just release them for a year of rest.

Salary arrears are going to be cancelled. 

A certain landlord will process a land title for his tenant to mark the Jubilee, the acceptable year of the Lord, Hallelujah!  

The Lord says this season shall be a period of spiritual rest and reflection.

Everything under your control will recuperate and recover. You shall experience unprecedented blessing.

It is going to be a season of restored relationships with loved ones, a season to refocus and care for the community and the environment around you.

This is our Year of Jubilee!

Prayer:

Almighty God, I receive this as “the acceptable year of the Lord” – the year of Jubilee. May there be renewal, restoration and recuperation. For the glory of Your Name, Amen!