Day 24: Leviticus 24–27; Psalms 97–102; Luke 22–24
Leviticus 25 describes the Year of Jubilee. Every 50 years, all debts are cancelled. All indentured servants return to their homes as free men and women. All seized lands are returned to the possession of the original owners. It is a return to inheritance, the promise fulfilled. It is a fresh start with only a hope filled future ahead and no damaging past holding on.
Leviticus ends by sharing a promise of blessing for Israel when they keep the covenant and all its laws, statues and ordinances. But there is warning of curses that will befall them in increasing intensity should they rebel against God and disobey. Ultimately the blessings lead to abundance in the land with plenty to get through Sabbath years when the land is given a rest. There will be peace in the land and protection from enemies. But disobedience will ultimately lead to expulsion from the land at the hand of their enemies so that the land can have a rest from the sinful and disobedient people of God Lev. 26:34-25).
If the people will not observe Sabbath rest and abuse the land and its inhabitants, the land will be protected for a future generation that may choose obedience and blessing.
The people of Israel celebrate God in their psalms as mighty and holy, but only a heart that longs to please God will truly bring Him glory.
I will pay attention to the way of integrity.
When will You come to me?
I will live with integrity of heart in my house.
I will not set anything godless before my eyes.
I hate the doing of transgression;
it will not cling to me.
A devious heart will be far from me;
I will not be involved with evil. (Psa. 101:2-4)
This holy community to shapes hearts that long to please God requires sacrifice and offerings to maintain its worship and priesthood (Lev. 27:30-33). The tithe is established as foreshadowed by Jacob in his promise to give the the Lord a tenth of everything God gave to him (Gen. 28:22). There is a cost to be the people of God and to enjoy His redemption. The cost is obedience to His covenant and worship of Him only.
But when the people of God grow hard hearted and forget about becoming the blessing they are intended to be to the rest of the world, God sends warnings through prophets, plagues to correct them. exiles to shape them and ultimately Messiah to save them.
And even Messiah is rejected. He is treated harshly, killed and thrown out of God's vineyard (Jerusalem) (Lk. 20:9-16). And as a result, those who were entrusted with the vineyard are cast out. And the vineyard is entrusted to others. Yet another exile for the Jews of Jerusalem occurs under the tyranny of Rome. But the rejection of the Christ and His execution at the hands of the Romans is turned into the redemption price (Lev. 25:51) paid to cover the debts for all humanity for their sins. They deserve punishment, plague and even death for their sins, but the Messiah, the suffering servant of Israel (Isa 53), pays the price with His perfect unblemished life. In doing so Jesus becomes the source for ultimate freedom from all debts before God. The weight of sin's consequence and guilt are cleansed by the blood of the Lamb of God. And Death itself is conquered. Even humanities curse of mortality (Gen. 6:3) is broken and covered with blessing through the love and mercy of God.
Jubilee! The day of redemption is here forever open to those who will welcome the Christ of God! Return to your inheritance as a child of God. Enjoy this freedom which can never be taken away!
As the apostle Paul celebrated,
"Look, now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2b)."
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