Leviticus 25:8-12

The observance of the year of jubilee 25:8-12

The Israelites were to observe the year of jubilee every fiftieth year, the year following seven seven-year periods. Wenham believed the jubilee was a short year only 49 days long inserted into the seventh month of the forty-ninth year [Note: Ibid., p. 319. See the discussion in Ross, pp. 458-59.] This is a minority view. On the Day of Atonement of that year a priest was to blow the ram’s horn (shophar) to announce the beginning of the jubilee year. The use of the ram’s horn was significant. With this horn God announced His descent on Mt. Sinai, called Israel to be His people, received them into His covenant, united them to Himself, and began to bless them (Exodus 19:13; Exodus 19:16; Exodus 19:19; Exodus 20:18). The year began on the Day of Atonement ". . . to show that it was only with the full forgiveness of sins that the blessed liberty of the children of God could possibly commence." [Note: Keil and Delitzsch, 2:458.]

No sowing or reaping was to take place, as during the sabbatical years (Leviticus 25:11). God promised to provide for His people as they rested in response to His gracious promise (Leviticus 25:18-23).

"As Israel is God’s servant, so the land is Israel’s servant. As Israel must cease from her daily work and be restored, so the land must cease from its annual work and be restored. Thus there is a horizontal implementation of the vertical covenant relationship; the redemption of Israelites who lost their freedom and property comes in the year of jubilee (Leviticus 25:8-12; Leviticus 25:28), the fiftieth year." [Note: Herold H. P. Dressler, "The Sabbath in the Old Testament," in From Sabbath to Lord’s Day, pp. 30-31.]

"The Year of Jubilee is not mentioned in the Old Testament outside the Pentateuch. There is no direct biblical evidence regarding its observance in Israel’s history, but if its practice was normal, there might have been no occasion to mention it. On the other hand, the apparent failure of Israelites to keep the sabbatical years during the monarchial period (cf. Leviticus 26:34-35; Leviticus 26:43; 2 Chronicles 36:20-21) suggests that the Jubilee might also have been violated." [Note: Lindsey, p. 211.]

Leviticus 25:10 is the motto on the Liberty Bell that hangs in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.