Leviticus 25:1–17

Most of what God says in the book of Leviticus comes "from the tent of meeting." This is easy to explain. Those words deal with the service, communion, and worship of the priests, or with the moral state of the people. Here, however, God speaks from quite a different place. The chapter we have now reached deals with Jehovah's claims as Lord of all the earth. It is not about the worship and communion of a priestly house, or about the internal ordering of the nation. It is about the claims of God in government — His right to give a certain part of the earth to a certain people, to hold as tenants under Him. In a word, this is not Jehovah in "the tabernacle," the place of worship. It is Jehovah on "Mount Sinai," the place of government.

Here, in chapter 25, God speaks to His servant Moses on Mount Sinai and gives him a new revelation. It runs through this chapter and the next. It deals with the land, and with Israel's return to it in the future. Any one of them might act so as to bring God's wrath down on himself. Even so, Jehovah had bound Himself to give the land to the descendants of Jacob, and He would surely keep His word. Yet the land, though given to them to hold, was never fully theirs. It was God's. So one day they will inherit it again. No one can override Jehovah's claim to it. But if it is His, then He had the right to set the terms on which the people held it and enjoyed it.

Here was, to worldly ears, the strangest law ever laid on a people. Nebuchadnezzar, despot as he was, could not have dared to issue it; nor Cyrus the Persian, nor Alexander. Julius Caesar would have counted it sheer madness. Jehovah laid it down as a matter of course for a people set apart to Himself. And He did so this early in their wilderness history. He spoke it to Moses at Mount Sinai, which Israel left early in the second year. He told them then of their coming to the promised land. Yet many years had to pass, through their own sinful folly, before another generation followed the rebellious one. He knew the end from the beginning. Nor did Jehovah ever fail to make good the extraordinary means He adopted. While Israel obeyed, He gave them the produce of three years in every sixth year. That carried them through that year, the sabbath year, and the eighth year, when they sowed and waited for the harvest. So it was a constant working of divine power and goodness towards a people He was encouraging to trust and honour Him.

But the sabbath year was the same thing written large, to be read and seen by everyone. It brought the land into prominence: "a year of rest for the land," of which Jehovah was landlord, and Israel His tenants at will.

By giving up his right of property every seventh year, the Israelite acknowledged the One he held it from. For that year he was not the owner. The harvest belonged to anyone else as much as to him. God set the year apart plainly as a sabbath to Jehovah. That year Jehovah fed everyone freely from what grew under His hand, without anyone farming it. Israel's whole hold on the land depended on recognising God's lordship. If they broke this command, the land would enjoy the sabbaths they had taken from it, lying empty while God cast the people out.

The sabbath of the land, laid down in this scripture, was the pledge of the jubilee. It came while the forty-nine years were still running — the age of man's confusion and disorder. It was a bunch of the fruit of the jubilee year brought back into the middle of the wilderness. This sabbath did not do the work of the jubilee, but it still had its flavour. It did not bring the jubilee early, but it bore witness to it.

Israel could only keep the sabbath year after they came into the land... And the LORD spoke these words from Mount Sinai and not from the tabernacle (Lev. 1:1). Every seventh year, the land which belongs to the LORD, and which was not to be sold, had to enjoy complete rest... The LORD was the Lord of the land, the owner of the land, and Israel received the land as a gift; they were the tenants.

Just as Israel rested from all their work on the seventh day, the land was to rest from the farmer's work in the seventh year. The same word describes both... One-seventh of their time God did not allow them to use for their own ends. One-seventh of the increase of the ground God did not allow the occupier to keep as his own. The LORD had a right to do that, and this law showed strict righteousness. The farmer had full right to the produce of his own work. God claimed as His own, to give away, only what the land grew without the occupier's labour. The occupier was not to fill his barns and storehouses that year for his own profit.

Here was, to worldly ears, the strangest law ever laid on a people. Nebuchadnezzar, despot as he was, could not dare to issue it; nor Cyrus the Persian, nor Alexander. The LORD laid it down as a matter of course for a people separated to Himself... While Israel obeyed, He gave them the produce of three years on every sixth year. That carried them through the sixth year, through the sabbath year, and through the eighth year, when they sowed and waited for its harvest. So divine power and goodness worked for them all the time, and He was encouraging them to trust and honour Him.

The land was to enjoy her sabbaths, as a standing sign that it belonged to the Lord. So the land, as well as man, must share God's rest. Here, however, the poor and the beasts of the field are prominent. There was care for both — both alike, whatever the distance between them, being creatures of God. This reminded the children of Israel that they were only tenants.

If Israel had stuck to this, they would have been greatly blessed. The six years they worked would have provided more than enough to keep them through the seventh year. All they needed was faith to believe God. But we know how selfish our own hearts are. For six years their crops were so plentiful. Then selfishness would say, "Why not get the same profit from the seventh year too?" Instead of resting and giving God glory, Israel preferred their own works, and so lost instead of gaining. So Leviticus 26:31-35 foretells what followed: the people scattered and the land lying desolate, while God gave the land its needed rest.

The grapes of Eshcol were the down payment on Canaan to the camp of Israel while they were still in the wilderness or on the way... And the sabbath of the land, laid down in this scripture, was the down payment on the jubilee. It came while the forty-nine years were still running — the age of the confusion and disorder of man's way. It was a bunch of the fruit of the jubilee year brought back into the middle of the wilderness. This sabbath did not do the work of the jubilee, but it still had its flavour. It did not bring the jubilee forward, but it bore witness to it.

Here, however, God speaks from quite a different place. "The Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai." Every expression in Scripture has its own special meaning. So we are right to expect a different kind of message from "Mount Sinai" than from "the tent of meeting." And so it is. This chapter deals with Jehovah's claims as Lord of all the earth. It is not about the worship and communion of a priestly household, or the internal ordering of the nation. It is about the claims of God in government — His right to give a certain part of the earth to a certain people, to hold as tenants under Him.

One-seventh of their time God did not allow them to use for their own ends. One-seventh of the increase of the ground God did not allow the occupier to keep as his own. Jehovah had a right to do that, and this law was strictly righteous. The farmer had full right to the produce of his own tilling. God claimed as His only the increase of the land, on which the occupier had spent no labour...

The land was the Lord's, as all land is, but here the Lord asserts His claim to it. By giving up his right of property every seventh year, the Israelite acknowledged from whom he held it. For that year he was not the owner: the harvest belonged to anyone as much as to him, appointed expressly as a Sabbath to Jehovah. That year Jehovah fed everyone with what sprang up under His hand, with no human farming. Israel's whole hold on the land depended on that recognition of the divine lordship.

Now here was, to worldly ears, the strangest law ever imposed on a people. Nebuchadnezzar, despotic as he was, could not dare to issue it; nor Cyrus the Persian, nor Alexander. Jehovah laid it down as a matter of course for a people set apart to Himself... While Israel obeyed, He gave them the produce of three years in every sixth year. That carried them through not only that year, but the sabbatic year and the eighth, when they sowed and waited for the harvest. So it was a constant exercise of divine power and goodness toward a people whom He was encouraging to trust and honour Him.

The Jewish system held up the millennial rest to view in several ways worth noting. Every seventh day was a sabbatical day. Every seventh year was a sabbatical year. And every seven times seven years there was a jubilee. Each of these observances set before the eyes of faith the blessed prospect of a time when labour and sorrow would cease, when "the sweat of the brow" would no longer be needed to satisfy hunger.

If Israel had kept to this, they would have been richly blessed... All they needed was faith to believe God. But we know how selfish our own hearts are. Their crops were so plentiful in the six years that selfishness would say, "Why not get the same profit from the seventh year too?" Instead of resting and giving God glory, Israel preferred their own works, and so lost instead of gaining... Despite much experience, we are slow to learn that selfishness defeats its own ends.

As on the seventh day they were to rest from all their work, so in the seventh year the land was to have rest from farming. The word used of the one is the word used of the other. It was to be a Sabbath of rest, "shabbath shabbathon."

The land was the Lord's, as all land is, but here the Lord asserts His claim to it. In giving up the right of property every seventh year, the Israelite acknowledged the One from whom he held it. For that year he was not the owner: the harvest belonged to anyone as much as to him, and it was expressly as a Sabbath to Jehovah that this was appointed. That year Jehovah fed everyone freely with what sprang up under His hand apart from human cultivation. It was upon this recognition of the divine lordship that Israel's hold on it all depended.

What a sight it must have been. In the Sabbatical year the land lay fallow everywhere. There was no sound of farming. The plough and the harrow lay idle. No one sowed seed or watered a field. The sixth year's crop had been unusually abundant, providing enough for three years. So the whole population had plenty, with no shortage for man or beast. Who could promise this? Who could fulfil such a promise, but one? He to whom the land belonged, the Lord Jehovah, the Creator.

If Israel had held to this, they would have been greatly blessed. All that was needed was faith to believe God. But we know how selfish our own hearts are. When their crops were so abundant for six years, selfishness would say, "Why not get the same profit from the seventh year too?" Instead of resting and giving God glory, Israel preferred their own works, and so lost instead of gaining.

Now if seventy years of rest were given, it looks as if the land had not had its seventh-year rest for four hundred and ninety years. Seeing that Judah was carried away captive B.C. 610, four hundred and ninety years before that would bring us to B.C. 1100. This was just about the date when the children of Israel clamoured for a king, and when God said, "They have rejected me from being king over them" (1 Sam. 8:7).

The sabbath of the land, laid down in this scripture, was the first instalment of the jubilee. It came while the forty-nine years were still running — the age of the confusion and disorder of man's way. It was a bunch of the fruit of the jubilee year brought into the wilderness again. This sabbath did not do the work of the jubilee, but it still carried its flavour; it did not anticipate it, but it witnessed to it. On the fiftieth year the jubilee would restore every sold possession, and every sold Israelite, to the place appointed at the beginning.

In the Sabbath of rest for the land and the jubilee Sabbath at the end of fifty years, we have the clear provision of God for the Millennium. God's eye is upon His inheritance. These Sabbaths picture the rest of God in His inheritance. If His people fail to let the land enjoy them, He Himself must step in, as we see later, with chastening.

But the sabbath year was the same thing written large, so everyone could read and see it. It put the land in the spotlight: "a year of rest for the land," of which Jehovah was landlord, and Israel His tenants, who held it only at His pleasure.

Though they did no work on the land, they could still expect fruit or grain to grow by itself. If so, they were not to reap it — that is, to store it or sell it (v. 5). For the sabbath produce of the land was to be food for them and their households (v. 6). In other words, they could use it as they needed it, but were not to make money from it.

One-seventh of their time God did not allow them to use for their own ends. One-seventh of the increase of the ground God did not allow the occupier to keep as his own. Jehovah had a right to do that, and this law showed strict righteousness. The farmer had full right to the produce of his own work. God claimed as His own only the increase of the land on which the occupier had spent no labour… But this law was a test: would greed and disregard for others mark the people whom the Lord had brought out of Egypt?

Now here was, to worldly ears, the strangest law ever imposed on a people. Nebuchadnezzar, with all his absolute power, would not have dared to issue it; nor Cyrus the Persian, nor Alexander. Julius Caesar or his imperial nephew would have counted it stark madness… While Israel obeyed, He gave them the produce of three years in every sixth year. That carried them through that year, the sabbath year, and the eighth year, when they sowed and waited for the harvest. So His power and goodness were at work without a break, encouraging this people to trust and honour Him.

Leviticus 25:5, 11: in the 7th and the 50th year ("years of jubilee") the vines were not to be cut. Here the word "nasar" means "uncut" — presumably a reference to the uncut hair of the Nazirite [a person set apart to God by a vow].

If Israel had held to this, they would have been greatly blessed. The six years they worked would have provided more than enough to keep them through the seventh year. All that was needed was faith to believe God. But we know how selfish our own hearts are. When their crops were so rich for six years, selfishness would say, "Why not get the same profit from the seventh year too?" Instead of resting and giving God glory, Israel preferred their own works, and so lost instead of gaining. So Leviticus 26:31-35 foretells the desolation that would follow: the people scattered and the land lying empty, while God gave the land its needed rest. Despite much experience we do not easily learn that selfishness defeats its own ends.

And the sabbath of the land, laid down in this scripture, was a down payment on the jubilee. It came while the forty-nine years were still running, the age of man's confusion and disorder. It was a bunch of the fruit of the jubilee year brought back into the middle of the wilderness. This sabbath did not do the work of the jubilee, but it had the flavour of it; it did not bring it forward, but it testified to it.

Though doing no work on the land, they could still expect fruit or grain to grow voluntarily. If so, they were not to reap this, that is, to store it or sell it (v. 5). For the sabbath produce of the land was to be food for them and their households (v. 6). In other words, they could use it as they needed it, but were not to make money from it.

One-seventh of their time God did not allow them to use for their own ends. One-seventh of the increase of the ground God did not allow the occupier to possess as his own. Jehovah had a right to do that, and this law showed strict righteousness. The farmer had full right to the produce of his tillage. But God alone claimed the right to dispose of the increase of the land, on which the occupier had spent no labour. The land was to keep that year a Sabbath to the Lord. The barns and the storehouses were not to be filled that year for the occupier's profit.

Here again notice the testimony to Jehovah's kindness to the humble, the needy, and the stranger who lived with the Israelite. It reached their cattle too, and the very wild animals in their land: none forgotten, all provided for. Yet in the sabbath year no one sowed a field or pruned a vineyard, reaped a field or gathered the grapes. What a witness for God, if Israel had obeyed!

In this the law of Moses stands in contrast with other codes... Jewish slaves were entitled to circumcision among other privileges. They expressly enjoyed the Sabbatical rest — undeniably a benefit to none more than to them. They had their place at the solemn assemblies of the year. They joined in the feasts like others, in the fruits of the sabbath of the land every seventh year, and in the universal joy and liberty of the jubilee.

Here, then, we have the special feature of the Lord's land. He would have it enjoy a sabbatical year. That year was to show the rich abundance with which He would bless those who held as tenants under Him. Happy, highly privileged tenants! What an honour to hold directly under Jehovah! No rent! No taxes! No burdens!

Now here was, to worldly ears, the strangest order ever imposed on a people. Nebuchadnezzar, as much of a despot as he was, could not dare to issue it; nor Cyrus the Persian, nor Alexander... Nor did Jehovah ever fail to make good the extraordinary means He used, as explained in verses 21, 22. He gave them, while Israel obeyed, the produce of three years on every sixth year... It was therefore a constant exercise of divine power and goodness towards a people whom He was encouraging in this way to trust and honour Him.

And the sabbath of the land, laid down in this scripture, was the pledge of the jubilee. It came while the forty-nine years still ran on — the age of the confusion and disorder of man's way. It was a bunch of the fruit of the jubilee year brought back into the middle of the wilderness. This sabbath did not do the work of the jubilee, but it still had its flavour. It did not bring the jubilee early, but it bore witness to it.

Even the animal creation is going to share that rest when it comes. vv. 6, 7. Romans 8:21 teaches this. When God brings man into that rest at last, the creation he rules will come in too.

But the sabbath year was the same idea written large, for everyone to read and see. It brought the land into prominence: "a year of rest for the land," of which Jehovah was landlord, and Israel His tenants at will.

One seventh of the increase of the ground God did not allow the occupier to keep as his own. Jehovah had a right to do that, and this law showed strict righteousness. The farmer had full right to the produce of his own tillage. But God claimed as His only the increase of the land, the increase on which the occupier had spent no labour... And the Creator was to care for the cattle and the wild beasts, His creatures, no less than for man, His intelligent creature.

For the sabbath produce of the land was to be food for them and their households (v. 6). In other words, they could use it as they needed it, but were not to make money from it.

Now here was, to worldly ears, the strangest law ever imposed on a people. Nebuchadnezzar, despot as he was, would not have dared to issue it; nor Cyrus the Persian, nor Alexander... While Israel obeyed, He gave them the produce of three years in every sixth year. That carried them through that year, the sabbath year, and the eighth year, when they sowed and waited for the harvest. So His power and goodness worked for them without a break. In this way He encouraged the people to trust and honour Him.

What a sight it must have been! In the sabbatical year the land lay fallow everywhere. There was no sound of farm work. The plough and the harrow sat unused, no seed sown, no field watered... Who would have thought of this? Who could promise this? Who could keep such a promise, but one? He to whom the land belonged.

If Israel had kept to this, they would have been greatly blessed. The six years they worked would have provided more than enough to keep them through the seventh year. They needed only faith to believe God. But we know how selfish our own hearts are. Their crops were so abundant for six years that selfishness would say, "Why not get the same profit from the seventh year too?" Instead of resting and giving God glory, Israel preferred their own works, and so lost instead of gaining.

First, there is the principle of "earnest," a well-known principle in God's dealings with us... And the sabbath of the land, laid down in this scripture, was the earnest of the jubilee. The term of forty-nine years — the age of the confusion and disorder of man's way — was still running. It was a bunch of the fruit of the jubilee year brought back into the middle of the wilderness. This sabbath did not do the work of the jubilee, but it still had its flavour. It did not anticipate the jubilee, but it bore witness to it.

There was a sabbath day and a sabbath month. In the same way there was a sabbath year, and then one more year after seven times that year. This last one is the jubilee, and it comes when the cycle of seven sabbath years is complete. The first two concerned the people with Jehovah; the last two concerned the land... The land stands out in the sabbath year, and still more fully in the jubilee.

Seven times seven years surely speaks of the fullness of God's time. Then the trumpet of the jubilee is blown and what happens? The captive slave is set free. The lost land is returned.

This law tells us, if I may put it that way, that the Lord God will not let man have the last word. Man cannot take eternity into his own hand and do with it as he pleases. Man has a term of years granted him, in which it is left in his power to disturb God's order. But that licence is limited. It continues, as we have seen, only for forty-nine years. But "the land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine," says the Lord (v. 23). In the fiftieth year the Lord will assert His right and restore all things according to His own mind.

Of all the Jewish ceremonies, the jubilee seems to have been the most soul-stirring and thrilling. It was directly connected with the great day of atonement. First the blood of the victim was shed. Then the freeing sound of the jubilee trumpet rang through the hills and valleys of the land of Canaan... The reach of the jubilee was as wide as the reach of the atonement it rested on.

The exile came home. The captive went free. The debtor was released. Each family opened its arms to welcome back its long-lost members. Each inheritance received back its exiled owner. The sound of the trumpet was a welcome and stirring signal. The captive could escape. The slave could throw off the chains of his slavery. The manslayer could return to his home. The ruined and the poor could rise up and take back the inheritance they had lost.

The jubilee is in no way a picture of what belongs to the Christian or the church. It is a picture of Israel and the land, for the day when Jehovah brings His people into the full blessing He promised them... It has to do above all with the people and the land. Christ is to have glory everywhere, and a people suited for the earth as well as for heaven.

In Lev. 25:9 the Hebrew word is teruah, "loud of sound." Everywhere else the word is yobel. It is translated "trumpet" in Ex. 19:13, "rams' horn" in Joshua 6:4-6, and "Jubilee" in Lev. 25:10-15... Fürst traces the word back to yabal, "strong": so "a he-goat, ram," then "a ram's horn," and then "a cry of joy, a joyful noise."

It is a much disputed point what the word Jubilee means, or from what root it comes.

So there is careful, clear reason for basing the jubilee on the atonement-day offering, once made and accepted. It was the most solemn sacrifice of the year. The horn was to sound so loud, and bring in the proclamation of liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It sounded not on the first of the seventh month but on the tenth… But the tenth was the fast, when no one was to work… Christ's atonement alone accounts for this. His work, His suffering for sin, explains it all.

People of every rank felt the holy, refreshing influence of this most noble institution. The exile came home. The captive and the debtor went free. Each family opened its arms to receive its long-lost members once more; each inheritance received back its exiled owner. The sound of the trumpet was the welcome, stirring signal for the captive to escape and for the slave to throw off the chains of his slavery. It was the signal too for the manslayer to return home, and for the ruined and poverty-stricken to take possession of the inheritance they had forfeited.

On the day of atonement that trumpet of jubilee sounds. It sounds after the scapegoat has carried away the people's sins, where they are never found again. And again, how beautifully its birthday shows its gracious character! Now the whole year is set apart as holy, and so liberty is proclaimed to all. And still Jehovah provides for all the inhabitants of the land, without limit for anyone and without cutting short the abundance. The fruits grow of themselves; there is no curse anywhere.

The "liberty" that follows at once is the answer to that work of atonement completed and accepted. It is quite different from the deliverance from the law of sin and death that we know as Christians, traced in Romans 8, 2 Corinthians 3 and Galatians 5. The jubilee is in no way a picture of what belongs to the Christian or the church. It pictures Israel and the land, when Jehovah brings His people into their full promised blessing.

The year of jubilee only began at the evening of the day of atonement. So Israel will only know deliverance when they have learned what their sins required, and how the Lord's death met their need. Yet as the day of atonement drew to a close, the jubilee trumpet sounded, for God did not let the priest put it off till the morning. People heard the trumpet blast before night closed on the scene.

Some people think preachers should be very quiet… speaking in a quiet, easy-going, take-it-or-leave-it way. The trumpet of jubilee must be loud of sound. See! The priests fill their lungs with air and blow a mighty blast that rings right across Jerusalem… Blast after blast rings out, from north to south, over hill and valley. The glad news sounds on until every captive has heard that liberty is theirs, and they step out free.

It is a very disputed point what the word Jubilee means, or what root it comes from… Fürst traces the word from yabal, "strong": so "a he-goat, ram," then "a ram's horn," and so "a cry of joy, a joyful noise," a name for the great Jubilee feast.

Every seventh day was a sabbatical day; every seventh year was a sabbatical year; and every seven times seven years there was a jubilee. Each of these ceremonies was a picture. All of them held before the eye of faith the happy prospect of a time when labour and sorrow would cease, when "the sweat of the brow" would no longer be needed to satisfy hunger.

It is a small witness of the great change to come, when the land will no longer be barren or grudging. It will yield its full increase, to honour the great King and to greet His people — no longer small, but mighty, exalted and blessed.

Verse 20 expects them to ask, "What shall we eat …?" In answer they had to rely on God's pledged word that the sixth year would bring enough for three years. So they would have enough even though they did not sow in the fiftieth year as well as the forty-ninth. The question came down to this: would they take God at His word? It is an ominous fact that their history holds no record of the jubilee year ever being kept.

What a sight it must have been. In the sabbatical year the land lay fallow everywhere. No sound of farming was heard. The plough and the harrow lay idle, nobody sowed seed, nobody watered a field. The sixth year's crop had been so large that it provided enough for three years (20-22). The people had all they needed, and there was no shortage for man or beast. Who would have thought of this? Who could make such a promise and keep it, but one? He to whom the land belonged, the Lord Jehovah, the Creator.

It stood directly connected with the great day of atonement. When the blood of the victim was shed, the freeing sound of the jubilee trumpet rang through the hills and valleys of the land of Canaan… The scope of the jubilee was as wide as the scope of the atonement it rested on.

The exile returned. The captive went free. The debtor was released. Each family opened its arms to welcome its long-lost members again. Each inheritance received back its exiled owner. The trumpet's sound was the welcome, stirring signal — for the captive to escape, for the slave to throw off his chains, for the manslayer to return home, for the ruined and poor to rise up and take back the inheritance they had lost.

I do not say that the sounding of the jubilee trumpet was a type of the Lord's coming for us. I believe it pictures the time when the Lord will appear to the Jews as their Messiah and bring His ancient people into their promised liberty. But as an illustration it is striking… It shows that the value we attach to everything here matches our sense of how far off or how near the Lord's coming is.

The year of jubilee reminded both buyer and seller that the land belonged to the Lord, and was not to be sold. "The fruits" might be sold, but that was all — the Lord could never give up the land to anyone... If the land of Canaan is not to be sold — if the Lord declares it to be His forever, then for whom does He want it? Who is to hold under Him? Those to whom He gave it by an everlasting covenant.

He set up, you might say, a tenancy for forty-nine years. The trading of the occupiers disturbed everything. Then, in the fiftieth year, He returned to the land and settled it anew on His family, according to His own mind.

A joyful sound it must have been. But this institution really gave them nothing new. It only restored liberty to the slave, and the land to its original owner. Restoration was its special feature. That suited a failing people who had lost either their personal liberty or their family land. They lost it by one means or another, but the real root was sin.

It was directly connected with the great day of atonement. The trumpet only sounded once the blood of the victim had been shed. Then its freeing note rang through the hills and valleys of the land of Canaan... The jubilee reached as far as the atonement it rested on.

See the careful concern to base the jubilee on the offering and acceptance of the atonement day. That day brought the most solemn sacrifice of the year... The "liberty" that follows right after is the answer to that work of atonement, completed and accepted.

The ordinance of the jubilee seems to set out this twofold redemption — by price and by power. At any time during the forty-nine years, a relative of the heir could buy back the lost possession of an Israelite. That redeemed it and brought it back to the family it had belonged to under God. But if no one did this, it returned to the heir in the fiftieth year, the jubilee, with no price paid.

Peace and hope live in the soul together, along with the enjoyment of the Spirit's presence. This is the peace that the completed purchase by the blood speaks of. This is the hope that the approaching jubilee, or full redemption, inspires. And this is the comfort of the indwelling Spirit, who is the seal of the peace already made and the pledge of the expected inheritance.

The jubilee is in no way a picture of what belongs to the Christian or the church. It is a picture of Israel and the land, when the Lord brings His people into their full promised blessing.

The year of jubilee reminded both buyer and seller that the land belonged to the LORD, and was not to be sold. "The fruits" might be sold, but that was all — the LORD could never give up the land to anyone. It is important to get this point well fixed in the mind... If the land of Canaan is not to be sold — if the LORD declares it to be His forever, then for whom does He want it? Who is to hold under Him? Those to whom He gave it by an everlasting covenant.

The price of things sold and bought between the people had to follow the number of years left till the Jubilee (vv. 14-16). In this case the sale was really a lease for that number of years. Of course, with livestock they would also count the age of the animal. Goods that spoil did not come under this rule.

The law of jubilee is a striking example of how Jewish laws shaped moral conduct. A Jew might take advantage of it and demand a price for his land far above its real value. That value depended on how far off the fiftieth year was. That is why it is written, "And if you make a sale to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not wrong one another"... They had to govern all their buying and selling by this rule.

But it was important for all to remember that they were not to oppress one another (v. 17), in other words, they must be fair in their dealings. No matter how good a government is, if people are not fair, there is trouble.

The Israelites were not to over-reach one another; and, if obedient, had a free insurance of life, liberty, and land from Jehovah. "You shall fear your God; for I am the Lord your God." What could be more simple and sure for an earthly people? If rebellious, how could they expect it? God is not mocked.

The important lesson for us in this jubilee rule is this. The value of their land rose and fell with the number of years left before the trumpet would sound... This clearly shows us that when we are really waiting for the Lord Himself from heaven, things here will have little value in our eyes. But if we price earthly things highly, does it not show that we are counting on some years of enjoying them?

A person may hold "the doctrine of the millennium," as it is called, or the doctrine of "the second advent," and be a thorough man of the world. But anyone who lives in the constant expectation of Christ's appearing must be separate from what will be judged and broken up when He comes. It is not a question of how short and uncertain life is, nor of how empty the things of time are, true as both of those are. Something far stronger works here: "The Lord is at hand."

The year of jubilee reminded both buyer and seller that the land belonged to the Lord, and was not to be sold. "The fruits" might be sold, but that was all — the Lord could never give up the land to anyone.

The number of years remaining until the Jubilee was to set the price of things sold and bought between the people (vv. 14-16). In this case the sale was really a lease for that number of years.

The Lord was the master of the land, its owner. Israel received the land as a gift; they were the tenants. The Lord's words here are beautiful: "You are strangers and sojourners with Me."

The law of jubilee is a striking example of how Jewish ordinances bear on moral conduct. A Jew might use it to demand a price for his land that was out of proportion to its value. That value depended on how far away the fiftieth year was… Whether they sold or bought, they were bound to follow this principle.

But it was important for all to remember that they were not to oppress one another (v. 17). In other words, they must be fair in their dealings. No matter how good a government may be, if people are not fair, there is trouble.

The seller himself might in time have enough funds to redeem his possession. If so, he was to count the number of years since the sale, and of course the time left till the year of Jubilee, and pay on that basis. Say the buyer had use of the property for 20 years, and ten years were left before the Jubilee: the amounts were to be worked out on that basis. For in the year of Jubilee the first owner would pay nothing to have his property returned (v. 28).

See how much comfort this gave the believing Israelite! He could rest in the blessed assurance of the Lord's loving interest in His people. The Lord guarantees the return of the property He assigned, despite all their mistakes and bad judgment, or others taking advantage of them in the meantime.

I do not say that the sounding of the jubilee trumpet pictured the Lord's coming for us. I believe it pictured the time when the Lord will appear to the Jews as their Messiah, bring His ancient people into their promised liberty, and give every tribe in the land of Israel its own rightful possession… The value we attach to everything here matches how near or far we sense the Lord's coming to be.

A person may hold "the doctrine of the millennium," as it is called, or the doctrine of "the second advent," and still be a thorough man of the world. But anyone who lives in the daily expectation of Christ's appearing must stand apart from what will be judged and broken up when He comes… What separates him is this: "The Lord is at hand."

The year of jubilee reminded both buyer and seller that the land belonged to Jehovah, and was not to be sold. "The fruits" might be sold, but that was all — Jehovah could never give up the land to anyone. It is important to get this point well fixed in the mind. It may open up a very extensive line of truth.

The number of years left till the Jubilee had to set the price of things the people sold and bought (vv. 14-16). In this case the sale was really a lease for that number of years.

The jubilee had to set the scale of prices. If that glorious event was at hand, the price was low; if far off, the price was high. Every human agreement about land broke up the moment the trumpet of jubilee sounded, for the land was Jehovah's. The jubilee brought everything back to its normal condition.

The law of jubilee is a remarkable instance of how Jewish ordinances bear on moral conduct. So a Jew might take advantage of it and demand a price for his land out of proportion to its value. That value depended on how far off the fiftieth year stood… They were bound to regulate every sale or purchase by this principle.

The Israelites were not to take unfair advantage of one another. If they obeyed, they had a free insurance of life, liberty, and land from Jehovah. "You shall fear your God, for I am the LORD your God." What could be more simple and sure for an earthly people?

What is very plain is that since the land was God's, those to whom He gave it might only dispose of it on the leasehold principle. They could sell it only until the jubilee came, and the value of the lease dropped as the jubilee drew near… This stopped grasping men from piling up landed property. What mattered even more, Israel had a continual reminder that all they would possess they held from the Lord, and that they were dependent on Him. Do we who are Christians need this reminder any less than they? Do we not rather need it more?

It kept alive in the heart of the poverty-stricken person the hope of freedom, and of clearance from all charges on his property or person. It regulated the value of land for sale. It reminded everyone that the true owner of the soil was Jehovah.

The Christian and the church have a constant hope of Christ's coming, suited to the heavenly people. It was not so for Israel. That earthly people had their times and seasons, and the value of their sales followed the distance or the nearness of the jubilee. We are not of the world, and should always wait expectantly.

If our hearts are cherishing the abiding hope of the Lord's return, we shall set little value on all earthly things… A person may hold "the doctrine of the second advent" and be a thorough man of the world. But one who lives in the habitual expectation of Christ's appearing must be separate from everything that will be judged and broken up when He comes.

The law of jubilee is a remarkable instance of how Jewish ordinances bear on moral conduct. A Jew might take advantage of it. He could charge a price for his land far above its true value, and that value depended on how far off the fiftieth year was… Whether selling or buying, they had to follow this principle.

The land was God's. So those to whom He gave it could only pass it on as a lease. They could sell it until the jubilee came, and the value of the lease dropped as the jubilee drew near… In this way the law stopped grasping men from piling up landed property. What mattered even more, Israel had a constant reminder that they held all they had from the Lord, and that they depended on Him. Do we who are Christians need this reminder any less than they? Do we not rather need it more?

As long as they stayed faithful to the Lord and His word, the jubilee governed their selling and buying of the land — or rather of the lease on it. God Himself had commanded it. Personal fairness was not everything. There was also the Lord's valuation of what the produce was worth until the jubilee.

A strict adherence to the letter of the law was not all that God required of Israel. To insist on righteousness while overlooking grace, and refusing to show mercy, would be a grievous affront to God Himself… Here grace found an opportunity. It meets us at the very lowest point — the very principle of the gospel, "while we were still weak." A ruined, broken-down Israelite might sell himself to a brother. If that brother applied this precious principle of grace, it would not cancel the contract. But it would still bring light and joy and liberty into his soul. This chapter is not about worship, as Deuteronomy 26 is. It is about guarding against oppression and acting in the fear of God. "You shall fear your God, for I am the LORD your God" (vv. 17, 36, 38, 43, 55).

The Israelites were not to take advantage of one another. If they obeyed, they had a free insurance of life, liberty and land from the Lord. "You shall fear your God, for I am the LORD your God." What could be simpler or surer for an earthly people? If they rebelled, how could they expect it? God is not mocked.

Israel's actions were to take their character from the fact that the Lord was their God. Their conduct is to be founded on what He is, not on what they are in themselves… The word of God must settle every question and govern every conscience. There must be no appeal from its solemn and weighty decision.

If our hearts hold on to the steady hope of the Lord's return, we will hold all earthly things loosely. It is morally impossible to wait for the Son from heaven and stay attached to this present world. "Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand" (Philippians 4:5).