Jubilee

This morning, I woke up with a word on my mind: Jubilee. It’s not a word we use often, but many people have heard of, and I think those of us who heard of it, often get it wrong. So what is Jubilee? The word means “Blast of the Horn” and signifies the 50th year of seven sabbatical cycles. It was the time in the Nation of Israel when debts would be forgiven, prisoners would be released, slaves would be set free, properties sold for the payment of debt would be returned, and both the people and the land would have rest from work. It points toward the final promise of God, when the people, and the land shall have rest, because God Himself will be in their midst.

In this time of trouble and turmoil, we’re waiting for that trumpet blast, aren’t we? In this age of toil, we’re seeking that rest, aren’t we? Jesus is that rest, and some day He will return with the sound of a trumpet. But we don’t need to wait for that day to enter in to His rest. Daily, and weekly, we can enter into that rest, as we enter His presence. Jesus lived, died, and rose again, that we may be at peace with Him and God. All debts have been released, and our inheritance has been restored through Him who lived, died and rose again for us. Loved ones, seek His peace. Seek His rest. There is no other place to find it, there is no other source of freedom, or hope, or joy. Let Jesus be our peace. Release all debts, and set the prisoners of your own life free. Let things go, and trust Him to take care of it all. He is our Jubilee, and in Him, everyone has rest.

Hebrews 4

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said,

“As I swore in my wrath,‘They shall not enter my rest,’”

although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” And again in this passage he said,

“They shall not enter my rest.”

Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,

“Today, if you hear his voice,do not harden your hearts.”

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. 9So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.