INDEPENDENCE DECLARED
Jack Davis
“For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.” I Cor. 7:22-23
God, in the proclamation of the Gospel of His Grace has made manifold declaration of the believers independence. The value of our independence is dependent upon how dependent we are upon the most dependable one. Independence is indeed most blessed, beneficial, profitable as we “use it,” exercise it in dependence on Him.
“Year Of Jubilee”
Consider some thoughts from the Old Testament. “When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD. Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof, But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, not prune thy vineyard…And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughput all your land. And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his famiy” – Lev. 25:2-4, 8-10.
God for a multiple purpose, gave Israel this Sabbatic system. They in numbering seven sabbatic years, or seven weeks of years, which totaled forty-nine years, then the forty-nineth year came with that great day of atonement. At the close of that day, the year of Jubilee was introduced with the sounding of the trumpet. Therefore with the forty-ninth sabbatic year pass, the year of jubilee sounded the glad note of rest, restoration, remission, and release. Hallelujah! Freedom from every form of poverty, and bondage. The “proclaiming of liberty throughout all the Land,” was indeed an acclamation of Joy.
This year of jubilee was the crowning aspect of their sabbatic system. All properties, and persons could be priced, measured, or valued in view of that year. The Hebrew word for “jubilee” carries the thought of a rich stream of sound. From the prim root “jubil”” we get the meaning to flow, bring, lead, or carry forth with pomp.
We get that same root from Psalm 89:15, “Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound.” Read Lev. 25:47-50 with Ruth 3 and 4; and Psalm 49:6-9 for precious and profitable instructions on the kinsman redeemer. The “day of atonement” and “year of jubilee” merge in pointing prophetically to our Lord Jesus Christ.
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn” – Isa. 61:1-2.
In Luke 4:16-22, Jesus quotes this portion in part, applying it to Himself, for He was there to fulfill those words. He stopped short of reading the part on the day of vengeance, because it is believed by most, that the Church was hidden in between.
Shortly after Pentecost Peter preached, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” – Acts 3:19-21.
Grace was still being offered to the nation of Israel until the stoning of Steven, but they refused God’s offer. Their kinsman Redeemer was there, standing ready to return, but they rejected Him. Therefore those “times of refreshing” and “times of restoration,” were being missed. Thank God soon these “times” will be realized when believing Israel receives Him.
In the mean time, we are to experience and enjoy the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. We realize this personally as we grow in grace and knowledge of Him. This is far more beneficial than learning a system, studying formulas, or following self-help steps. Knowing Him who is truth personified, in everyday reality, wonderfully liberates. Sin should not exercise dominion over us for we are in the realm, under the principle of God’s grace. There we are willingly held under love’s sweet restraints in the perfect law of liberty – II Cor. 5:14; James 1:25. We are there because the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death – Rom. 8:2.
We now have the freedom to make the choice whether we let sin reign in our mortal bodies or refuse. It is our redemptive right to overcome sin, self and Satan by the power of the Spirit’s might, unto the glory of God. This will be well for us until all creation enters that glorious liberty of God’s dear children. For soon our jubilee trumpet will sound.
