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The year of the Lord’s favor is referring to the year of Jubilee and is very relevant when we look at the Christian call to care about the impact of our lifestyles on the environment and to not allow ourselves to be taken over by the high-consumption lifestyle of our world.

Israel’s relationship with God and way of life was governed by a series of promises and laws, including the principle of Jubilee as well as the Sabbath. The lifestyle of people in Israel included regular seasons of work and rest:  six days on, one day off (the Sabbath day). In addition to marking every 7 days, God told them to mark every 7 years; six years on, one year off (the Sabbath year). That way land could rest. Every fiftieth year, the Israelites would take one day off–the year of the Jubilee.

In the Jubilee year, slaves were to be freed, debts forgiven and land restored to families who had sold it. It was meant to serve as an equalizer, and we can relate this principle to our attitude towards money and ownership.

The other week at church I heard my pastor describe modesty as acknowledging that everything you have is a GIFT. I believe God set these principles so we would acknowledge that we have limits, and should care for ourselves.

By resting the land every seven years, the Israelites acknowledged that their land had limits. By clearing all debts and returning land to the original owner in the year of Jubilee, they acknowledged that everything they owned had been given to them by God and they were all equally loved and valued in God’s eyes.

Response: Identify what you can do differently with the desire to acknowledge God’s gifts to you. For instance, if you struggle to make time to rest on the Sabbath, plan to do that better.