LEVITICUS 25 – SABBATH AND THE YEAR OF JUBILEE: FREEDOM AND RENEWAL IN CHRIST
- Pr Enos Mwakalindile
- Jul 30
- 4 min read
Drawing Near to God: Visit Leviticus, See Christ
❓ What do the Sabbath and the Year of Jubilee teach us about true freedom and new life in Christ?
🪔 INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT
Leviticus 25 is the pinnacle of land and temple instructions, revealing God’s plan to create a society that lives by rest, mercy, and restoration. God commanded the weekly Sabbath, the Sabbath year every seventh year, and ultimately the Year of Jubilee—fifty years crowned with the sounding of the trumpet, proclaiming: rest, release, and restoration.
Sabbath and Jubilee are mysteries of grace: God ending slavery, breaking chains of debt, and giving His people a fresh start.
Throughout Scripture, Sabbath and Jubilee crown the story of redemption: from resting one day, to resting one year, to the eternal life of rest and freedom in Christ. Jesus declares Himself to be the fulfillment of true rest and freedom (Luke 4:18–19; Hebrews 4:9–10).
📖 READ FIRST: LEVITICUS 25
Read carefully the instructions regarding the land Sabbath, debt forgiveness, the release of slaves, and the restoration of land. Ask: Why did God establish a cycle of renewal every fifty years? Can you see the picture of Christ in this?
📖 STUDY STRUCTURE FOR THIS CHAPTER
1. THE LAND SABBATH: REST AS AN ACT OF FAITH (VV. 1–7)
The land Sabbath required the Israelites to stop farming for an entire year. The land rested and the people learned to depend on God as provider. It was a living parable of faith-rest that conquers fear of lack and the urge for self-reliance (Exodus 16:29–30; Matthew 6:25–34). The land Sabbath dismantled the concept of absolute human ownership: “the land is not yours, but the Lord’s” (Lev. 25:23).
2. THE YEAR OF JUBILEE: FREEDOM AND RESTORATION (VV. 8–17)
In the fiftieth year, a trumpet of celebration sounded: “Proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants” (Lev. 25:10). Land was restored, slaves freed, and families returned to their ancestral inheritance. This system prevented permanent classes of rich and poor and ensured family and tribal inheritance never vanished. It is a picture of Christ bringing spiritual Jubilee: true freedom from sin and restoration of the inheritance of God’s children (John 8:36; Ephesians 1:11).
3. THE LAND IS THE LORD’S: WE ARE STRANGERS AND SOJOURNERS (VV. 18–34)
God clearly declared: “The land is mine and you are but strangers and tenants before me” (Lev. 25:23). This reminded Israel that wealth is not the foundation of identity. We are travelers, waiting for an eternal inheritance (Hebrews 11:13–16; 1 Peter 2:11). Jubilee reduced the worship of possessions and restored the worship of God, the true owner of all things.
4. REDEEMING A BROTHER: HELP AND DEBT FORGIVENESS (VV. 35–55)
To preserve human dignity, God established the right of redemption and the forgiveness of debts. The poor were not to be exploited but helped, and slaves were to be released. This reminded Israel they were a nation redeemed from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 22:25; Deuteronomy 15:7–11). In the New Testament, Christ is our Goel—our family Redeemer—who pays the debt of sin and sets us free (Mark 10:45; Galatians 5:1).
🛡 BIBLICAL REFLECTION IN CHRIST
Jesus is Our Sabbath – we find true rest by ceasing to rely on our own works of righteousness and trusting in Him (Hebrews 4:9–10; Matthew 11:28–30).
Jesus is Our Jubilee – He announces freedom to the oppressed and breaks the chains of sin (Luke 4:18–19). In Him, we gain a new inheritance and true freedom (Colossians 1:13–14).
The Church as a Jubilee Community – the church is called to witness to the Kingdom of God through forgiveness, redemption, justice, and the restoration of human dignity (Acts 4:32–35).
🔥 LIFE APPLICATION
Rest in Faith – stop striving as though trying to catch the wind with your hands—an impossible, pointless task. Live in faith that God carries your needs, like a well in the desert giving life again to a lost traveler.
Forgive and Set Free – offer forgiveness like someone opening the doors of a prison and letting an enemy walk free. It is an act of authority and courage to restore broken relationships.
Serve Those on the Margins – seek out and break down social and economic barriers like an engineer demolishing walls of hatred and injustice and building bridges of peace and fairness. Give opportunities that restore dignity and hope, like a young person granted access to education after years of exclusion, now shining as a light to the community.
🔍 FURTHER REFLECTION
What areas of my life need the Jubilee of Christ—freedom and a fresh start?
Do I view God as the owner of everything I have?
Who do I need to forgive and set free today?
👥 FOR STUDY GROUPS
Discuss: What challenges come with practicing Jubilee principles in today’s economic systems?
Consider: What “mini-Jubilees” can we begin in our families, churches, or communities?
Pray: For the renewal of lives oppressed by chains of sin and injustice.
🙌 CLOSING BLESSING
May the Lord enable you to rest in Christ, break the chains of fear and sin, and restore you to the inheritance of a child in God’s family.Amen.
➡ NEXT LESSON: LEVITICUS 26 – BLESSINGS AND CURSES
What do we learn about covenant faithfulness and its outcomes?
📚 NOTES AND REFERENCES
L. Michael Morales, Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord? – shows how Sabbath and Jubilee are mysteries pointing back to Eden and their fulfillment in Christ.
Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets – emphasizes Jubilee as a system of justice and redemption pointing to spiritual deliverance.
John Walton, The Lost World of the Torah – explains these instructions as covenantal wisdom shaping a community of justice and love, not merely political law.
Jacob Milgrom, Leviticus: Anchor Yale Bible – explains Jubilee as a priestly solution for restoring social equity and covenant inheritance, pointing toward eternal redemption.
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