Observation: Before the people of Israel move into the promised land, God gives them laws by which they are to live. One of the most fascinating is the law of Jubilee. Every seventh year, the land is to be given rest, and the people must eat what grows naturally. Then, on the fiftieth year--after seven times seven years are complete--there is a year of liberation, in which all people are to return to their family lands. It would be impossible to grab up land in perpetuity, because in the Jubilee, debts were forgiven and land returned. As the text says, in the Promised Land, it is not the land you buy, but "a certain number of harvests".
Application: This seems pretty idealistic. Historians question whether the Israelites ever fully celebrated the year of Jubilee. In our culture obsessed with acquiring more, where economic growth is enshrined as a prime virtue, it seems strange to think of hitting the reset button on an entire economy like this.
But I'll tell you something... yesterday, as Laura and I were going over our tax information (no judgement, we've still got two weeks!) I was struck by how costly it is in modern times just to live: to be born, to breathe, to be healthy, to have a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs and be in touch with the outside world. We work hard for all those things. I'm sure most all reading this do too.
And yet sometimes it's hard not to feel we're losing ground. The conventional wisdom is our generation will work longer and retire on less than what our parents did, and our kids may struggle even more.
This is a devotional blog. I don't have all the answers to our society's ills. But as I read about the year of Jubilee--a year Jesus specifically declared as part of his mission in Luke 4--it reminds me that God cares for more than just our spirits. God cares for our security and financial well-being, too. And to those weary from working hard, God sees you and hears you.
Prayer: God, thank you for the vision of Jubilee. Help us see all our property as a long-term loan from you, our maker and ruler. Help us steward it well. Amen.
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