Words from the Lord:
"My people are entering a time of setting free. Be set free from your bodily infirmities! Be set free from your bondage, trap and slavery! Be set free from the rat-race that you're not supposed to be in! Be set free from all those striving and struggling! Be set free from the harm and abuse that has been inflicted upon you! This is the time I am setting you free! Free to be who I have meant for you to be!"
This is your time to be set free! Whatever your 'slavery' may be, you are declared free! For some, it may be your struggles with bodily infirmities. For some, it may be a certain 'rat-race' that you are not supposed to be part of. For some others, it may be a certain striving and struggling in life. Yet for others, it may be a certain shame, trauma, or nightmare of the past. It may be during your childhood years. It may be during your adolescent years. It may be during your young adult years. It may be in a certain organization. It may be a certain bad experience with certain people in your life. Whatever it may be, I have a good news for you. This is your time to be set free!
So, in the name of Jesus, let us proclaim liberty! Let us proclaim that we are being set free! Let us proclaim even a year of the favor of the Lord is upon us!
Let's look at the definition of 'slavery' now. What is 'slavery'? It can be defined as 'a condition in which a person is being 'owned' or abused by another person or by a certain system (particularly a man-made system), and that person is being deprived of the life usually held by a free person'.
What are the areas in your life that you know you should be set free? Now, different people different. But whatever your 'slavery' may be, the good news today is the Lord is setting you free!
Let me explain further regarding freedom and liberty according to the Scripture. This brings us to the word 'Jubilee' as found in the Scripture.
What is 'Jubilee' according to the Scripture? It came every fiftieth year. It was a year of release from debts. It was a year of release from slavery. It was a year of rest and returning to families and loved ones. And it was a year to prepare to look forward with a clean slate. In short, it was a year to rest from all those labor, and at the same time, to prepare to embrace a new season. And this is exactly what the Lord is saying to you right now. He wants you to be set free from those past, and to learn to embrace what is ahead of you. Indeed, greater things are ahead of you, and good days are coming ahead of you. Amen!
Let's go all the way to Leviticus 25:1-4. 'While Moses was on Mount Sinai, the Lord said to him, "Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you have entered the land I am giving you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath rest before the Lord every seventh year. For six years you may plant your fields and prune your vineyards and harvest your crops, but during the seventh year the land must have a Sabbath year of complete rest. It is the Lord's Sabbath...'
By the way, the word 'Sabbath' simply means 'rest', i.e. 'to rest in the presence and provision of the Lord'. Just as in creation, God created the whole earth and all things that are in it in six days, and on the seventh day, He rested. Now, He has set for us a beautiful cycle and a beautiful example of 'six days you work, one day you rest'. And here in the context of Moses' days those days, 'six years you work, one year you rest'.
Let's continue with Leviticus 25:8-11. 'In addition, you must count off seven Sabbath years, seven sets of seven years, adding up to forty-nine years in all. Then on the Day of Atonement in the fiftieth year, blow the ram's horn loud and long throughout the land. Set this year apart as holy, a time to proclaim freedom throughout the land for all who live there. It will be a Jubilee year for you, when each of you may return to the land that belonged to your ancestors and return to your own clan. This fiftieth year will be a Jubilee for you...'
You may want to read the whole of Leviticus chapter 25 to have further understanding of Jubilee. But today, I want to point you to Jubilee in relation to what Jesus has done for you on the cross and who Jesus is.
'Jubilee' is a 'foreshadow' of Jesus' death and resurrection. The word 'foreshadow' means 'something that prepares us for a certain future event'. In this case, Jubilee was actually a 'foreshadow' of Jesus' finished work on the cross to set us free! Through Jesus' death and resurrection, He has relieved us from all our spiritual slavery and spiritual debts; and therefore we are now set free! This is what 'Jubilee' is in relation to us as believers under the New Covenant.
How does 'Jubilee' apply to us as modern-day Christians? First, you must know Jubilee is fulfilled through Jesus' finished work on the cross. Through what Jesus has done on the cross, you are now forgiven of your spiritual debts. Therefore, your relationship with God is now fully restored. That's what Jesus came for. He came to set you free from your sins. He came to restore your relationship with God the Father. And not just that. He came so that you can enter a time of rest in Him. Jesus is your rest. Jesus is your Sabbath.
Luke 6:5 says, 'And Jesus added, "The Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath."' Matthew 11:28 says, 'Then Jesus said, "Come to Me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."' These verses are proofs that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Sabbath. He is both the Lord of the Sabbath (as you can see in Luke 6:5), and He Himself is also your Sabbath rest (as you can see in Matthew 11:28). He says, "I will give you rest."
So beloved of God, come to Him right now. Whatever weariness or heavy burden that you may have, or whatever yoke or bondage that you may have, let it go to the Lord. Let Jesus take over. Yes, even your shame, your trauma, your disappointment, or even those bad experiences that you've had in your past. Surrender all these to the Lord. The Lord loves you. The Lord is here to embrace you. The Lord is here to give you rest. Remember, He has promised you this rest.
Let's continue with Hebrews 4:9-10. 'So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God's rest have rested from their labors...'
'Labors' here is in the context of striving and struggling in life. Now, don't get the Scripture wrong here. There's nothing wrong with working hard. It is a good virtue. The Scripture is not saying that you are to live a lifestyle of laziness and just waiting for things to drop down from the sky. Instead, it means you can truly enter the rest that God has provided for you, and it means you can cease your striving and struggling. You are no longer slaves to work. You are no longer slaves to whatever people impose on you. You are no longer slaves to being abused by others. You are no longer slaves to sin. You rely on the supply of God. You rely on the grace of God. You rely on the ability that God puts in you. You are no longer in bondage of the systems of this world (i.e. the man-made systems of this world), but you are free to be who God has meant for you to be, and to do what God has meant for you to do. This rest from God is refreshing. It brings renewal. It is a breath of fresh air. You are restful, yet you are fruitful in the Lord. You are led by the Holy Spirit. You are guided by the Holy Spirit. You do not follow your own flesh. But you follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. That's when you are restful, and yet you are fruitful as well. Hallelujah!
You see, 'Jubilee' is a beautiful 'picture' of the New Testament theme of redemption and forgiveness. Jesus is your Redeemer, and this Redeemer came to set you free from being slaves and prisoners to whatever bondage that the world puts on you. Jesus has paid it all on the cross. He died on your behalf. And you are now set free and restored to this liberty that God has meant for you. You are set free from whatever that has entangled you. You are set free from whatever that has bound you. You are set free from whatever that has put you in a box!
Let's go to Luke 4:14-19 now. 'Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit's power. Reports about Him spread quickly through the whole region. He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When He came to the village of Nazareth, His boyhood home, He went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to Him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, for He has anointed Me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord's favor has come."'
Jesus is the fulfillment of this prophecy written in the book of Isaiah. He is that Anointed One. He brings His kingdom on earth. He brings the Good News on earth. He set the captives free. He healed the sick. He healed those who have infirmities. He came to set free those who are oppressed. And not just that. He came to bring the favor of the Lord upon you. That's what the Scripture says here!
Watch now what Luke 4:20-21 say. 'He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at Him intently. Then He began to speak to them. "The Scripture you've just heard has been fulfilled this very day!"'
Beloved of God, this verse holds true even right now in your life today. The Scripture you've just heard has been fulfilled this very day in your life! Believe and receive it, in the name of Jesus! Jesus has fulfilled all! Jesus has set you free! You are now free to embrace the new season ahead of you. This is the time for you to proclaim your liberty! This is the time for you to walk in what God has meant for you to be, and do what God has meant for you to do, going forward. Hallelujah!
