Jubilee יוֹבֵל

We are moving into chapter twenty-five of Leviticus with our word for today. יוֹבֵל ram, year of remission, jubilee year. It is used 27 times in the Old Testament. Our word is used in the sense of ram horn, the horn of a ram, often used as a trumpet. A couple of good examples are Moses calling the people to meet God on the mountain and Joshua with the battle of Jericho. Exodus 19:13 When הַיֹּבֵ֔ל the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain. Joshua 6:4-6, 8, 13 Seven priests shall bear seven הַיּֽוֹבְלִים֙ trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. And when they make a long blast with הַיּוֹבֵ֗ל the ram's horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.” So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant and let seven priests bear seven יוֹבְלִ֔ים trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord.” … And just as Joshua had commanded the people, the seven priests bearing the seven הַיּֽוֹבְלִים֙ trumpets of rams' horns before the Lord went forward, blowing the trumpets, with the ark of the covenant of the Lord following them … And the seven priests bearing the seven הַיֹּבְלִ֗ים trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord walked on, and they blew the trumpets continually. And the armed men were walking before them, and the rear guard was walking after the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets blew continually. Most of the uses of our word are used in the sense of jubilee year, a designation of the 50th year when property and other obligations were remitted to their original owners. This is how our word is used 14 times in our chapter. Let’s look at some of them. Leviticus 25:10-17 And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a יוֹבֵ֥ל jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan. That fiftieth year shall be a יוֹבֵ֣ל jubilee for you; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of itself nor gather the grapes from the undressed vines. For it is a יוֹבֵ֣ל jubilee. It shall be holy to you. You may eat the produce of the field. “In this year of הַיּוֹבֵ֖ל jubilee each of you shall return to his property. And if you make a sale to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not wrong one another. You shall pay your neighbor according to the number of years after הַיּוֹבֵ֔ל the jubilee, and he shall sell to you according to the number of years for crops. If the years are many, you shall increase the price, and if the years are few, you shall reduce the price, for it is the number of the crops that he is selling to you. You shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God, for I am the Lord your God. I find it interesting that even in a celebration of God and all that he had done for his people, God still has to spell out in detail instructions so that people would not be taken advantage of. This is quite a contrast that God’s heart is for rest and restoration for his people and his people tend to take advantage and exploit each other. God’s grace and patience on us is truly amazing. He works in practical ways to help us take time away from work to reflect on his goodness and to restore back to us what our sin and others sin caused to be taken away from us. I’ll close with this great contrast between how the evil one wants to influence us and God’s son. This practical God is able to really be there for us and help us because of what Jesus did on the cross for us. John 10:10-11 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.