Bible Talks: The Year of Jubilee

Narrator: Chris Genthree
Duration: 3min
 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 7
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• BibleTruthPublishers.com
Leviticus 25:35-5535And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee. 36Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee. 37Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase. 38I am the Lord your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God. 39And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant: 40But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubilee: 41And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return. 42For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen. 43Thou shalt not rule over him with rigor; but shalt fear thy God. 44Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids. 45Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession. 46And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigor. 47And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger's family: 48After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him: 49Either his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself. 50And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubilee: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years, according to the time of an hired servant shall it be with him. 51If there be yet many years behind, according unto them he shall give again the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for. 52And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubilee, then he shall count with him, and according unto his years shall he give him again the price of his redemption. 53And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigor over him in thy sight. 54And if he be not redeemed in these years, then he shall go out in the year of jubilee, both he, and his children with him. 55For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 25:35‑55)
AS WE READ through this chapter we are made to feel that those who are in view here had once seen better days, but now they are reduced to poverty. It is the old story of privilege and failure, of wealth and blessing once enjoyed, but of an inheritance now forfeited. Such is the history of man, and it is the history of Israel. The palmy days of King David and Solomon have long passed away; Israel, unfaithful and impoverished, have lost their land with all its privileges.
But above these scenes of shame and sadness shines the grace of God, and the year of jubilee tells of “the times of restitution of all things” (Acts 3:2121Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. (Acts 3:21)). For though Israel has proved unfaithful, yet God has not given up His thoughts of love toward them, and love will have its way in the end. God will have the last word and Israel shall be restored and blessed in their land again. Their latter end will find them in the midst of such joys and glories as were never known before.
How touching the grace the Lord would have shown to the brother grown poor in the cases that follow. In verses 35-37 he who had fallen “into decay” was not to be taken advantage of, but rather he was to be treated kindly and cared for.
Then in verses 39-43 he who “waxed poor” and was “sold unto thee” was not to be treated as a bondservant, but as a hired servant. In the jubilee he was free to return with his children to his family and possession.
Finally in verses 47-54 we have the case of one sold unto a wealthy stranger. There was still “the right of redemption,” and he could be redeemed before the jubilee if one of his kin had the means, or if he had the means himself.
The Lord reminds His people that once they themselves were in bondage in Egypt, but He had redeemed them and set them free. Now He says of these that had been reduced to poverty and had sold themselves that they were His servants. He would have His people to be kind and considerate of them for they belonged to Him.
We also should have a tender care for one another. There are some who have grown poor spiritually and they do not enjoy many of their Christian privileges and blessings. Even though it may be their own fault, still we should have a care for them and show them kindness; for them Christ died, and they are dear to God.
ML-12/03/1972