Intro: The study of God’s laws and God’s Promised land to the sons of Israel will enable us to understand why the Jews feels so strongly about the possession of Palestine. The centuries old struggle between the Arabs and the Jews is essentially one over the possession of the holy land. Some of the reasons for this struggle will become evident in our study of Leviticus 25. We will look at the year of Jubilee and see one of the beautiful prototypes of the redemption which will be achieved in the person of Jesus Christ, Israel’s Messiah. This great event is described and defined almost entirely in Leviticus chapter 25, with only incidental references being found in Leviticus 27 and Numbers 36:4. To understand the year of Jubilee, one must know the contents of Leviticus chapter 25. 
Leviticus Chapter 25
1. Where was Moses and the sons of Israel located when the Lord was speaking to him here? vs. 1
2. The Lord spoke to them about coming into the land of Promise and how they should honor the land with a sabbath year of rest every 7th year. (vs.2,3) They were to sow their field and prune their vineyard and gather in its crop for six years. What was to be done during the 7th year? vs.4
3. What were they to do concerning the aftergrowth of the field and vineyards? vs. 5
4. Who was to enjoy the sabbath products of the land for food? vs.6,7
5. What else was to happen every 7th year; the sabbath year? Comment on the verses below:
- Deuteronomy 15:1,2 -
6. When was the 7th year; the sabbath year, to begin each time and what was to be done at that time? Comment on what they were told in the verses below:
- Deuteronomy 31:10-13
Note: There was a great deal of faith required of the Israelites to follow these commandments pertaining to the sabbath year. After all, letting the fields lie fallow for a whole year seemed like a waste, and put the Israelite in the position of having to trust God for his daily bread.
7. Back to Leviticus 25. They were also to count off 7 sabbaths of years 7 times which was 49 years. (vs.8) ... Then on the 10th day of the 7th month on the Day of Atonement (which was to be celebrated yearly) ... a ram's horn was to be blown throughout the land.(vs. 9) What was to be consecrated for the 50th year, every 50 years? vs. 10a
8. What would each person do in the 50th year every year? vs. 10b - Name 2 things
9. The 50th year was a Jubilee. They were not to sow nor reap any aftergrowth of the field...and they were not to gather in untrimmed vines ... They were to let the land completely rest that year. They could eat the crops however. (vs.11,12) ... What was to happen on the year of Jubilee? vs. 13
10. The land's price would adjust according to how close it was sold or bought as the year of jubilee was approaching. If it was far away before the land would return to the original owner and debts were cleared, the land would cost more. If it was close to the return policy, it would cost less being of less value to the person who would buy the land. Regardless if a person was the one making the sale or buying from someone else, how were they to handle themselves in the transaction with one another? vs. 14-16
11. In all of our transactions with others, whether personal or business, honesty and fairness are so important. What is the reason why we do not wrong one another? vs. 17
12. The Lord told them if they would observe His statutes and keep His judgments to carry them out, they would live securely on the land! (vs.18) What a great promise! The land would produce for them and they would have their fill of good things. (vs.19). Amen. ... There would be a temptation to doubt God's provision and to question His directions. What would be a legitimate question they would have? vs. 20
13. The Lord tells them ahead of time how He will take care of that question they may have. What would He do for them in the 6th year before the 7th year was upon them? vs. 21
14. When they went back to sow in the 8th and 9th year, there would still be plenty from all the crops they had stored away in the 6th year! (vs.22) ... This makes me think of Joseph telling Pharaoh to save up in the years of plenty for the years of famine that were to come. God prepares us and blesses us if we will listen to Him. Many times, it may not seem to make sense to us. Comment on the following verses:
- Isaiah 55:8 -
- Proverbs 3:5 -
15. The land was never to be sold permanently to another. Why? vs. 23
16. What was each person to do for every piece of property they had? vs. 24
17. If a person could not "redeem" the land; if they had to sell part of their property; then who could come and buy it back so that it could stay in the family inheritance? vs. 25
18. What if they did not have a kinsman but finally recovered to be able to redeem it themselves? vs.26,27
19. If he did not get the means to get it back for himself and did not have a kinsman to buy it for him, it would remain in the hands of the purchaser UNTIL Jubilee. What would happen at that time for him and everyone else? vs. 28
20. If a man sold a house in a walled city, how long would his redemption right last? vs. 29
21. If the house was not bought back for him within that year, the purchaser would be a permanent owner of the house. Would it revert back in Jubilee? vs. 30
22. What would be the case of the houses of the villages that were not in a walled city? vs. 31
23. What were the rights of redemption for the Levites (who were the priests)? vs.32-34
24. If a countryman became poor and were not able to meet their obligations to someone among the sons of Israel, what was that person suppose to do for him? vs. 35
25. What were they not to try to extract from him? vs. 36,37 ..... Who were they to revere? ...
26. The Lord told them again that He was the One who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. What 2 purposes did He have in mind? vs. 38
27. If a countryman became poor and sold themselves to one of the sons of Israel to make payment, they were to let them be as a hired man to them and not subject them to a slave's service. How long would he serve them and then go free? vs. 40-43
28. There were male and female slaves that had been bought from the pagan nations around them. (vs.44-46) That was a custom they had and they could be their slaves permanently; they did not go free at Jubilee; that was for the slaves that were of Israel.
Note: As I read this, I thought about the pagans that were permanent slaves. This is a picture of the unbelievers who choose not to follow the Lord; they remain in their sin. If they will only believe, they will have their year of Jubilee also. Amen. "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him would not perish, but have eternal life." - John 3:16
29. If a countryman became poor and sold themselves to s stranger sojourning with them, he would have the right of redemption after he had been sold. (vs.47) Who could "redeem" him? vs. 48,49 - Name 5 given.
30. The sojourner who had purchased him would calculate from the year when he sold himself to him up to the year of jubilee; the price of redemption would correspond to those number of years. If there were still many years before the year of jubilee, it would be a higher price of redemption than if it was only a few years until jubilee when he would revert back at that time to his land and his family. (vs.50-52). During his years with him, he would not rule over him with severity, but treat him as a hired man year by year. (vs.53) Even if he was not redeemed by these means, what would happen to him and his sons in the year of Jubilee? vs. 54
31. Who do the sons of Israel really belong to and why? vs. 55
Application:
An outline for this chapter could be:
- I. Give it Back; Trust God with His Possessions (all belongs to God) ...
- II. We are aliens; not our permanent home (1 Peter 2:11) ...
- III. Set Free; Debt Paid in Full (Colossians 2:13,14)
- IV. Equality in Sharing (2 Corinthians 8:14,15)
- V. Care for the Poor (James 2:15,16)
In those days, if you incurred a debt and somehow became unable to pay, you enslaved yourself or a member of your family to your creditor to work off the balance. In the year of Jubilee; all slaves were freed and returned to the family and restored to their land.
32. In the New Testament we find the Jubilee (year of release) in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus is quoting verses from the prophet Isaiah. Comment on the following verses.
- Luke 4:17-19 -
33. How is Jesus our Jubilee? He saw to it that the debt was paid; He redeemed us from our sin. Comment on the following verses:
- Colossians 2:13,14 -
34. The Year of Jubilee foreshadowed the Messiah, the One Who would bring a permanent Jubilee to them. Jesus’ power over sin and death has set us free from the slavery of sin. Before we are Christians, we are enslaved to sin, but when we give our lives over to Jesus, He sets us free from the power of sin and transfers us to the kingdom of light. Read and comment on the following verses:
- Acts 26:18 -
- Colossians 1:13 -
- Romans 6:6 -
- Romans 6:17 -
- Romans 6:20-23 -
- John 8:36 -
35. In the days of Moses, they had to wait 50 years for the following Jubilee to be set free from slavery. Today, we can have our Jubilee, our day of release from the slavery of sin on the very day that we give our lives to Christ Jesus. Comment on how we become new creatures in Christ on the day He sets us free, our day of Jubilee.
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 -
- Hebrews 3:7 -8-
36. Just as God called the Israelites foreigners, so we who trust in Christ are"strangers and pilgrims on the earth" because our citizenship is in heaven.
- 1 Peter 2:11 -
- Hebrews 11:13-16-
- Philippians 3:20-
37. This is our temporary dwelling; what do we have to look forward to? Comment on the following verses:
- 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 -
38. Do you want to have your Jubilee today? Jesus came to set the captives free. Rejoice and be free by asking Him to set you free from the debt of sin.
- Romans 10:9,10 -
- John 8:32 -
- John 8:36-
- Romans 8:1,2 -
- Galatians 5:1 -
- 2 Corinthians 3:17 -
39. Summarize this lesson and post a prayer if you would like.
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