Sacred gifts, Sabbath observances, Festivals and Justice. These are just some of the topics that Leviticus chapters 22-27 covers. And while I hope you will read these chapters to get a sense of just how vital these issues are to God, I want to focus on the parties.
Holiness, purity and godly conduct are clearly primary subjects of these and the previous chapters in Leviticus, but I think I'd be missing an opportunity to point out another amazing aspect of God's nature if I didn't mention his establishment of festivals.
Some were solemn, others joyous, but each festival had its own specific purpose. They all involved fellowship, commemoration, establishment of tradition, and observances of God's worthiness in varied ways--and in a sense, they were all a celebration.
In chapter 25, God introduces an awesome new festival to observe called the year of Jubilee. Jubilee would only happen once every fifty years, but it was so incredible it was surely a time that everyone looked forward to. After the ram's horn was blown announcing the arrival of Jubilee, the party started. All debts were cancelled and forgiven! Jubilee was a year of freedom--and it was a precursor of sorts to the freedom we can enjoy every day of every year since Jesus Christ's death cancels the sin debt of every believer.
I hope that as we remember God's call to holiness and purity, we will never forget that he is also a God who ordained celebrations, and we have reason for jubilation every day, not just once every fifty years, because Jesus is our jubilee. It's party time!
"Jubilee, Jubilee
Jesus is our Jubilee
Debts forgiven
Slaves set free
Jesus is our Jubilee" Michael Card
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