When the Nation of Israel followed God’s commands to observe a year of Sabbath rest every seven years and an additional year known as the year of Jubilee every fifty years, God provided so much on the sixth year that it sustained them for three.
What does the year of Jubilee picture for us? Is there a greater meaning than just God’s provision for our physical needs? What is true biblical prosperity and what can help us experience it?
Welcome, to “God’s Word Day by Day.” This year I’ve added a couple of new features. First, check out the “Free Resources” tab at the top. You’ll find a downloadable, printable PDF with “Going Deeper Study Questions” for each day’s post and a list of all the Bible readings so you can check them off as you go. You’ll also find the daily posts on YouTube. The daily emails now have a link to both these Soul Survival posts and the YouTube videos. If you’re not already signed up, you can do it here.
Today’s Readings:
Leviticus 25
Psalm 28.6-9
Proverbs 10.19-21
Mark 6.30-56
6 Ways to Enjoy True Prosperity
Leviticus 25:
The Sabbath: Rest & Refocus
The idea of Sabbath rest has always been an important principle in the Bible. God rested on the 7th day and instructed us to take time to rest, as well. But Sabbath isn’t just about rest, it’s also about refocusing on God.
And the children of Israel were not only to observe a Sabbath each week. There was to be a Sabbath year every seven years. This was a year for the land, as well as the people, to rest. This allowed the nutrients in the soil to be replenished while it kept the people focused on God. It was a reminder that everything, including the land, was the Lord’s. They were merely stewards of it. That is still true today with whatever the Lord has blessed us: jobs, property, talents, and even our children.
Year of Jubilee
Then every fifty years, after seven sets of seven years, there was to be a year of Jubilee! This was an additional year of rest from labor, but even more importantly, all the Israelites who had fallen on hard times were to be restored, released from indebtedness, and given back family property.
An amazing thing would take place leading up to the year of Jubilee. In the sixth year, God would provide such abundance that it would sustain the people for three years! What a beautiful picture of God’s provision! But is there more to the meaning of Jubilee than just physical provision?
Today we hear so much on the news and in politics about the economy, the national debt, and what the government should provide for its citizens. Even in the church, there are those who claim God wants His people rich, free of sickness and disease, and delivered from problems, kind of a continual year of Jubilee. Sadly, I’ve seen many walk away from the faith because, in their minds, God didn’t deliver.
So what does the year of Jubilee picture for us? Does God promise wealth to every believer?
A Beautiful Picture
Primarily, the year of Jubilee provides a beautiful picture of salvation.
First, Christ our Redeemer paid the huge sin debt we owed to God and set us free from our slavery to sin.
13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross (Col. 2.13-14 NLT).
Freedom from labor reminds us that we no longer have to work to earn our salvation.
9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His (Heb. 4.9-10).
His Provision
I believe it also reminds us that whatever He calls us to do, He will provide the means for it. In the case of the ancient Israelites, He called them to cease from labor and He made that possible.
Perhaps, He is asking you as a mom to set aside a career to live on one income so you can stay home and care for young children. Perhaps, He has called you as a family to home-school your children despite feelings of inadequacy. Or perhaps, He has called some husbands to turn down promotions so they can lead their families spiritually or allow them to stay connected to their local church communities. Whatever He calls us to do, He will make it possible.
True Prosperity in Christ & His Word
Joshua 1.8 says:
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
True prosperity is not what the world describes. It’s found in Christ and His Word. We’re to meditate on His Word. But we’re not to just seek to know it, we are to “do according to all that is written in it.” When we do, He prospers our efforts.
What are some practical steps we can take to help us live that out?
6 Ways to Enjoy True Prosperity
- Stay focused on God’s agenda. Matthew 6.33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” What things? The things mentioned in the previous verses in Matthew 6: food, shelter, and clothing—the necessities of life.
- Give to the work of God. While I’m not advocating a give-to-get attitude or saying God will make us all rich, He repeatedly promises to bless our giving (Mal. 3.10-12).
- Be generous with others (Lk. 6.38). Be generous with your forgiveness and grace, as well as, financial or other kinds of help. We should always remember the abundance of grace God has poured out on us.
- Be faithful. Be faithful in whatever God is calling you to do in this season of your life. We are not responsible for the results. We’re responsible to be faithful (1 Cor. 4.2).
- Be content. 1 Timothy 6.6 says, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.” God has unlimited resources at His disposal. He is loving and good. He knows what we need when we need it and whether it would be a blessing or a curse. We need to rest in that. And finally …
- Pray and trust Him (Matt. 6.11; Ps. 37.25). We cannot have it both ways. We cannot trust in God, yet insist on doing things our own way. God does His work, His way. Our response should be to trust Him.
Today’s Other Readings:
Psalm 28.6-9:
His Precious Possession
Just as with the land, all people belong to God as well. We see here that His own people are His “inheritance” (Ps 28.9) and as John MacArthur says we are “a most precious possession.”
Proverbs 10.19-21:
Restraint & Prayer
Verse 19 contains a great principle:
In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.
Often it’s better to “restrain” ourselves from talking so we don’t get off into sin. But we need to do more than just count to ten and control our anger. While we’re “restraining,” we need to pray and get focused on responding God’s way. The key is dealing with the motivations and intents of our hearts. Our deepest desire should be to please God in every circumstance (2 Cor. 5.9-10).
Mark 6.30-56:
How Well Do You Know Him?
Jesus performed a number of miracles in this passage: feeding the 5,000, walking on water, and healing the sick. Yet we see that even His disciples didn’t fully understand Who He was. When they saw Him walking on the water, even though they had just witnessed the feeding of the 5,000, they didn’t believe it was Him until He spoke to them.
What about you? Do you know Him well enough that you see His hand in what is happening in your life? Or would you miss Him if He “walked by”?
Coming Up:
In the coming days, we’ll talk about friendship, the difference between religion and Christianity, self-sufficiency, over-commitment, the adultery test, and the sovereignty of God.
I hope you’ll sign up so you don’t miss them.
Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥
Note about this post:
I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer.
A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”
I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.
Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)
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