A Year of RESToration (because of the Lord’s favour) – Part 2
The Year of the Lord’s favour!
Last time I shared how this year will be a year of RESToration because of God’s favour in our life. I covered how Rest and Restoration are interchangeable because the Key to RESToration is REST! I then outlined just some of the different areas where we can experience God’s RESToration outworking in our lives. If you would like to view this message before reading this new post you can read it here: http://hannahsvictory.com/blog/2011/01/03/2011-is-the-year-of-restoration/
Restoration brings REST in every areas of our lives!
The Dictionary definition of Restoration means: to return to a former owner, condition, place or position! This is God’s very heart because HIS nature is to redeem, release and restore! And because of Jesus finished work we have been restored to favour; (to a previous condition) by God’s Grace! This is the message of reconciliation – it is the restoration to favour!
Restoration was demonstrated in the Old Testament in The Year of the Lord’s Favour – otherwise known as The Year of Jubilee.
There are many types and shadows in the Old Testament, which relate to the work that Jesus did on the cross. A type is a symbol, picture or shadow of something that is pointing to a future reality. That means if there is a type in the Old Testament then there is a fulfilment of that type in the redemptive work of Christ. The Year of Jubilee was just one type and shadow of the reality of what we now have in Jesus.
Remember that rest in Hebrew means: to cease, or desist from labour, and to rest. It also means to keep or observe the Sabbath, which under the Law was a type of the Lord’s Rest. The Lord’s Sabbath was not about observing a day but about worshipping what the day represented. Jesus said to the Pharisees in Luke 6:5 that He is the Lord of the Sabbath! Do you know what this means? It means that Jesus is our Rest! Therefore we need to stop all the striving in our own strength to receive from God and instead enter Jesus Sabbath REST. And we do this by resting in Jesus finished work – knowing that His sacrifice was ENOUGH for us to experience RESTORATION in our lives.
The Year of Jubilee – A Year of Favour and REST
The Year of Jubilee was not simply a release from labor so that the people could rest, but it was also a year of the Lord’s blessing and favour. It was a time when God wanted His people to rest from their own works and rely on and trust in Him to provide for their every need. This was a picture of a future reality and relationship, so that when Jesus came the Jews would understand what He was fulfilling. To demonstrate this God made provision under the Law for His people to experience His favour and rest. They were to observe the Sabbath:-
- Every 7th day, (their Saturday). This day was to remind them of the rest that God took after Creation
- Every 7th year was a Sabbath Rest for the land and for the people. (Ex 20:8-11)
- Every 50th year was a year of the Lord’s favour. As they rested from all their toil and labour they experienced God’s supernatural provision and restoration in their lives.
Every 50th year was comprised of a series of 7 x 7 Sabbatical year cycles (7 x 7yrs = 49 +1). The year prior was the 49th year, which meant that it was a sabbatical year because it was the 7th year in their 7-year cycle. When the time came to celebrate the 50th year it was ushered in by the blowing of the shophar (a trumpet made from a ram’s horn) on the conclusion of the Day of Atonement and then a whole additional year was set aside as belonging to the Lord (see Lev 25:8-10).
This was a Double Blessing of the Lord’s favour because they experienced 2 years of REST in a row!
The Year of Jubilee was also known throughout Scripture as:
- The Acceptable Year of the Lord
- The Year of Release
- The Year of Liberty
- The Year of the Lord’s Favour
- The Lord’s REST!
- The Tyndale Bible Dictionary called it the: The Year of emancipation and restoration.
These names all describe God’s plan and purpose for the year! When the shophar was blown the people were to proclaim freedom, liberty and release throughout the Land! God’s favour brought supernatural provision and His people were Redeemed, Released and Restored in every area of their lives:
- Their Sins were Forgiven – The Day of Atonement had brought the forgiveness, cleansing and removal of sin so the people could experience peace with God as His presence dwelt among them on the mercy seat (atonement cover) on the ark of the Covenant behind the veil in the Tent of Meeting.
- All their Debts were cancelled – (Deut 15:1-11)
- All Slaves were Released – they were delivered out of slavery and bondage (Deut 15:12-15, Lev 25:39-43)
- Their Land was Restored – Any family inheritance of Land that had been sold off was restored back to the original owners
- They reaped supernatural increase and Provision as they ceased from all their labours and rested!
REST brings God’s Supernatural INCREASE and Provision!
In the Jubilee year the people enjoyed God’s favour and experienced His supernatural PROVISION! They experienced increase with no sweat, toil or effort on their behalf, all because the Lord had commanded His blessing upon them:
‘So you shall observe My statutes and keep My judgments, and perform them; and you will dwell in the land in safety. 19 Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill, and dwell there in safety. 20 ‘And if you say, “What shall we eat in the seventh year, since we shall not sow nor gather in our produce?” 21Then I will command My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years. 22 And you shall sow in the eighth year, and eat old produce until the ninth year; until its produce comes in, you shall eat of the old harvest. Lev 25:18-22
God’s people did the same amount of work in the 6th year BUT because of the favour and blessing of God they reaped enough to provide for their families for 3 years! This was Supernatural! It wasn’t by their own effort but all because of God’s goodness and favour.
This was what the Sabbath was all about! It was to remind the people that it wasn’t their work that produced for them but it was God who delivered, provided, restored and prospered them! But remember, this was only a type and shadow of what was yet to come!
The blessings and benefits of our Salvation is a free gift, freely provided by God’s favour! We are saved (forgiven, healed, delivered, prospered and made whole) as a Free gift by God’s grace! It is not from our own works or our performance, so that we can’t boast or take the credit for it ourselves (Eph 2:8-9).
Do you know what the lesson is that we can learn from the year of Jubilee?
As we REST in Jesus finished work we can experience restoration in every area of our lives. And as we REST in God He provides the increase!
How did Jesus fulfil this Old Testament Type?
Speaking of Jesus… So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: 18“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” 20Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:16-21 (NKJV)
Note: Verse 19 in the NIV says…to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. (Jesus spoke from Isaiah 61)
Reading this last statement with our modern Western mindset, the fullness of what Jesus said doesn’t come through. But this meant something to the Jews. To those familiar with the law, to hear the phrase acceptable year, or favourable year of the Lord, they would understand that Jesus was talking about the Year of Jubilee. That is why all the eyes in the synagogue were fixed on Jesus. He was preaching that the year of the Lord’s favour was now fulfilled!
Jesus’ public ministry begins here. He declares that today is the Year of Jubilee; which meant that NOW was the time of redemption, restoration, favour and everything that the Jubilee represented.
NOW is the day of Salvation!
For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. (Quoted from Is 49:8-9) 2 Corinthians 6:2 NIV
Now is the Year of God’s favour. NOW is the day of salvation. God’s Salvation is for the whole person. The Greek word Salvation is made up of 2 Greek words, Soter and sozo, Sozo is tranlsated into saved in English and means not only to “save”, but also “heal”, restore to health and “make whole”!
Every year is a jubilee year! – The Lord’s FAVOUR is ALWAYS upon us!
Every year and in fact every DAY is now a Jubilee for those in Christ! In this fulfilment of Jesus’ redemptive work, NOW is the time that we can experience God’s blessings, which means the time of forgiveness, deliverance, healing, provision and restoration is NOW! The time of God’s favour is NOW.
We can therefore enjoy the benefits of our Salvation (Ps 103:1-3) and RESTORATION NOW in every area of our lives because of what Jesus has done for us!
We have:-
- Redemption – the forgiveness of sins,
- Deliverance – we have been delivered out of the control and dominion of darkness (Col 1:13-14) and from our past.
- Reconciliation – which is restored favour and peace with God,
- Healing and Health – which is RESTORATION in our physical bodies
- Freedom and Liberty in every area of our lives!
- Supernatural Provision and increase
RESTORATION is not something that we need to walk towards to obtain because if you are in Christ this is already your inheritance. You can walk in and enjoy the provision now!
Remember always that the things of God’s kingdom are not earned but learned. So spend time digging in God’s Word to discover what you have already inherited. Then stop all your labour and striving to earn from God and learn how to REST in Jesus finished work by leaning, relying and trusting that His sacrifice was enough for you to experience restoration in every area of your life!
Now that is the Good News!
If you would like to listen to the message I shared on this at our first God’s Plan for Pregnancy support meeting then click here : http://newlife.ichristian.com.au/search.php?id=65925&searchText=restoration&stype=title
Copyright 2010 Nerida Walker
