MichelleBentham
I remember not so many days ago, spending hours daily digging so deep into the Word – so much so I barely came up for air. I would write blog post after blog post and page after page of the brimming revelation overflowing from my cup.
I took a position at our church in 2009 and working full time, being a wife and mom, and volunteering in ministries at my church left little time for me to join in on fun meme’s on the internet or to write the deep well of revelation in my blog posts as I had once done. I moved my blog, consolidated it down. But life’s pace left little room for the community and the wonder I found typing out my journey with God on the internet pages of the world wide web.
As I started this year, a word had been brewing in my heart for several months. I’d shared it with a few people over the weeks that closed out 2011 and opened up 2012.
The Word is Jubliee.
The year of Jubilee can be found fully described in Leviticus 25. Basically, every 50 years the nation of Israel would come upon a year of Jubilee. The previous 49 would be in preparation for this season of rest, release and restoration.
Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land. And you shall consecrate 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 possession, and each of you shall return to his family. That fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee to you; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of its own accord, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine. For it is the Jubilee; it shall be holy to you; you shall eat its produce from the field. Leviticus 25:9-12 (NKJV)
I knew this word meant a destiny kind of release for me, but I also knew the term of 50 years was significant to the biblical principle of Jubilee. Someone recently asked me if this is my Jubilee year because I am turning 50 and the answer to that question is most certainly not.
Not yet anyway.
I am nearly 42 years young, and seriously considering turning the clock backwards with each new birthday I greet. So I began to ask the Lord, How can this be my year of Jubilee when I am not yet 50?
The Lord remains tender and sweet with me, even when I’m questioning what He is telling me is true. A few years ago I typed up Isaiah 61:1-3 on parchment paper and framed them for a Bible study we did in the women’s ministry at our former church. After the study had completed I brought the framed scripture home and placed it on my husband’s bedside table. As I asked that question the Lord reminded me of these precious words defining the call of Jesus as the Messiah. But this time I read a little further…
Isaiah 61:1-7 (NKJV)
1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations. Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, And the sons of the foreigner shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. But you shall be named the priests of the Lord, they shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory you shall boast. Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, and instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; everlasting joy shall be theirs.
As I read these words over and over again God reminded me that in Luke 4 Jesus proclaims these scriptures fulfilled over Himself.
“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; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Then 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. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:18-21 (NKJV)
As I read these words in the context of what God was showing me I realized that Jesus is our Jubilee. The Deuteronomic Code and the Levitical Codes established many centuries earlier fulfilled by Jesus Christ. He came to declare Jubilee over each of our lives. Rest, Release, Redemption, Restoration and Revelation come to us in our season of Jubilee.
As I bring this post to a close, I am awash with a grateful heart. God is bringing my season of administrative work in the church to an end and launching on a more uncertain but more wonderful journey into my destiny. In July I will leave my position at the church and return to writing, and explore more of what my art means to me and to others around me. And, I will add to these a blog radio show that will likely begin in late July or early August.
I am excited about this new season of my life. I am the most at peace I have ever been and greatly anticipate the work of the Lord that is coming in the days ahead. Would you pray for me as I make the tranisiton?
