February 24, a Holiday! Lev 21:1-22:16, 25:1-7, Ex. 23:10,11, Lev. 25:8-55

Leviticus 25:10

Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹⁰ And you shall hallow the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his ancestral possession [which through poverty he was compelled to sell], and each of you shall return to his family [from whom he was separated in bond service].

American Heritage Dictionary:

ju·bi·lee

(jū'bə-lē', jū'bə-lē') 
n.

1. 1. A specially celebrated anniversary, especially a 50th anniversary.
   2. The celebration of such an anniversary.
2. A season or an occasion of joyful celebration.
3. Jubilation; rejoicing.
4. often Jubilee Bible. In the Hebrew Scriptures, a year of rest to be observed by the Israelites every 50th year, during which slaves were to be set free, alienated property restored to the former owners, and the lands left untilled.

Isaiah 61:1-11

Amplified Bible (AMP)

61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound,

² To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord [the year of His favor] ^[a]and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,

³ To grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion—to give them an ornament (a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit—that they may be called oaks of righteousness [lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice, and right standing with God], the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

⁴ And they shall rebuild the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former desolations and renew the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.

⁵ Aliens shall stand [ready] and feed your flocks, and foreigners shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.

⁶ But you shall be called the priests of the Lord; people will speak of you as the ministers of our God. You shall eat the wealth of the nations, and the glory [once that of your captors] shall be yours.

⁷ Instead of your [former] shame you shall have a twofold recompense; instead of dishonor and reproach [your people] shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double [what they had forfeited]; everlasting joy shall be theirs.

⁸ For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and wrong with violence or a burnt offering. And I will faithfully give them their recompense in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant or league with them.

⁹ And their offspring shall be known among the nations and their descendants among the peoples. All who see them [in their prosperity] will recognize and acknowledge that they are the people whom the Lord has blessed.

¹⁰ I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

¹¹ For as [surely as] the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring forth, so [surely] the Lord God will cause rightness and justice and praise to spring forth before all the nations [through the self-fulfilling power of His word].

Okay God is talking to me right now through His word. He's telling me this is my year of Jubilee. He wants to bless me bountifully. The above passage of scripture is speaking to me like never before. 

First of all, Biblical words connected with jubilee are: merciful, emancipation, freedom, holiday, liberty, and redemption.

I am taking this wonderful passage in Isaiah to heart. It is for me personally.

What does Jubilee mean to me?

First of all, I must be merciful to those who have wronged me. Whether they apologize or if they don't apologize. Who knows? Maybe they don't understand or care that they've wronged me. Maybe they haven't wronged me at all! Maybe I am the one who's wrong. Either way, I must grant them emancipation. (I must let them go! They are not my slave.) I must give them a holiday. I must grant them liberty and freedom.

In so doing, I will gain mercy from my Heavenly Father! I will gain freedom. I will gain emancipation (I will no longer be enslaved by grudges), I will gain redemption. I will gain a holiday. I will gain liberty. 

These are all happy words. I will embrace happiness! I will love freely (even my enemies), and allow myself to be loved by my Father. God keeps telling me He wants to fight my battles. But I have to let Him! His hands are tied when I fight my battles myself!

I remember the first spring I drove my little Saab convertible. I felt so happy and free. Every day was like a holiday!

This is what my Father wants for me. He wants every day to be a holiday. A holiday free from frustration, anger, or bitterness. 

He wants me to embrace Jubilee!

¹⁰ I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10)

"Dear Jesus, continue Your perfect work in me! I am so grateful You started this work. I know You will complete it! You are so amazing. Sometimes I just LAUGH at Your wild and crazy ways. Your ways are so far above my ways, it's just laughable. Thank You so much for loving me! In Your precious name, Jesus. AMEN!"