Jubilee: The Reset Button
The subject of Sabbath rest has it’s beginning in the first pages of Scripture as the days of creation unfold and God rested on the 7th day. The practice is then commanded by God and carried on in the children of Israel, holding a prominent place in Leviticus. The writer then spends the last few chapters (25-27) expanding the idea of Sabbath by introducing the Sabbath Year and the Jubilee, which was an unusual celebration that is amazing in its scope. Debts were forgiven, prisoners set free, and the entire economic structure was reset. It could be called a “divine reset button” that took place every 50 years. Israel’s failure to honor the Sabbaths brought devastation to them as a nation. As with most of the Old Testament, these things were “shadows” of what was to come. Jesus brought about the true fulfillment. This message explores the Sabbath Year and the Year of Jubilee, showing how Jesus Himself fulfilled them in His saving work.
Perhaps our greatest temptation today is to fall into the trap of thinking that we earn God’s approval by our works. We live in a day when performance-based Christianity dominates the spiritual landscape. Sabbath humbles us. When God invites us to Sabbath rest, He is asking us to stop striving and to rest in what Christ has already done for us. This message will challenge you to enter into the rest that Jesus provided.
