Celebrate Jubilee
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Key Verse: “Ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.” Selected Scripture: |
IT IS WORTHY TO NOTE, AS we begin this lesson, the unfortunate fact that the laws of our supposed advanced civilization do not more carefully provide that the rich and poor stand on a common level of justice and accountability before civil authority and law. Absolutely no distinction or favoritism was allowed under God’s Law given through Moses to Israel. As for the protection of the people from the dangers associated with some becoming very poor and others becoming excessively wealthy and powerful, no other national law has ever been enacted which so carefully guarded these points. First, all of the laws were made public, which prevented designing men from successfully tampering with the rights of the people. These laws were revealed to the people in such a manner that even the poorest and most uneducated would not be ignorant of them. As part of this, it was the duty of the priests to read the laws to the people at their septennial festivals. “At the end of every seven years, … When all Israel is come to appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing.”—Deut. 31:10,11
In addition to its reading by the priests every seven years, the Law of Moses provided for a restitution every fiftieth year. This is referred to as the Jubilee year. This feature of the Law was designed to prevent the loss and alienation of property from those of the poor who had been forced to sell their possessions, thereby also preventing its accumulation in the hands of only the rich few. (Lev. 25:9,13-23) Every fiftieth year was to be a Jubilee year, when all property was to be returned to its original owner. Beyond this, the Jubilee law taught that all the people were to consider themselves as brethren, and to act accordingly one to the other, regardless of status or wealth. In this restitution process, the people were to assist each other without compensation, and not to charge interest on money that had been lent to another person. “If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.”—Exod. 22:25; See also Lev. 25:36
In God’s plan, there is to be a larger fulfillment with respect to this Jubilee or restitution. This Law Covenant arrangement pointed forward to the “glad tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.” (Luke 2:10) The fulfillment of these glad tidings to “all people” will be accomplished through a “restitution of all things.” (Acts 3:19) This process, under the administration of Christ’s earthly kingdom, will be marked by man’s release from original Adamic sin. The Jubilee, points forward to the climax of God’s plan, when the whole work of restitution will be completed at the end of the kingdom. Every creature in heaven and on earth will give praise to “him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.” (Rev. 5:13) The Christ, head and body, shall have accomplished God’s work on behalf of mankind to its fullest measure, and shall deliver up the kingdom to the Father. “They shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, … and I will remember their sin no more.”—Jer. 31:34