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Jubilee and Me

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Someone remarked to the director of a mental institution, “I imagine all the people in here are ‘beside’ themselves.” “No, you’re wrong,” the director replied. “They’re shut in here, not because they’re ‘beside’ themselves, but because they’re ‘inside’ themselves. They think of nothing else but self!” 

Question: What is fallen men’s favourite person? Answer: Self!

Question: What is sinner’s favourite past-time? Answer: Look after self!

If you are a Christian, then God is carrying out Project Kill-Self (KS) in you! Today, we will look at how God would (even) set up a very unique institution in Old Testament Israel, to teach His people this lesson. We are looking at The Year of Jubilee (see Deuteronomy 25).  What’s the Jubilee institution?

The Year of Jubilee occurs every 50 years in the life of Israel. Two concepts are fundamental to this institution: liberty and return. Every 50 years, liberty is proclaimed to those under the burden of debts and in bondage. Every 50 years, return of your land is practiced – returned to you, land that you have sold away due to poverty.

Here’s how it worked out in details:

[1] Israelite A has fallen on hard times — If one of your brethren becomes poor, and has sold some of his possession ….. (Deut 25:25). He sells some of his land to Israelite B. When he has the means, he can redeem the land back from Israelite B. Or Relative A may step in to redeem the land for Israelite A, so that the land remains in the possession of Clan A. In this case, Relative A owns the land, not Israelite A. 

[2] Israelite A’s plight worsens! (Deut 25:35). He sells more portions of his land to Israelite B. Or he may borrow money from Israelite B. Relative A can step in to help, if he has the means. 

[3a] Israelite A experiences economic collapse! (Deut 25:39). He has no more land to sell, and he has nothing left to use as a pledge for loans. Now he sells himself to Israelite B to be his hired servant. 

 [3b] Israelite A sells himself as a slave to Foreigner X instead. (Deut 25:47). In this case, Relative A or Relative B or . . . . should step in and redeem Israelite A. When this is done, then Israelite A becomes the hired servant of the relative who redeems him – State [3a].

All the above scenarios remain until the Year of Jubilee. On the 50th year, Israelite A will experience liberty in the sense that he will be a free man, no longer a servant. He will also have all his land returned to him! In short, every 50 years, things are “equalised”; Israelite A and his family gets to have a fresh start!

While we can imagine the joy of Israelite A, Israelite B or Relative A may have very different reactions! Why did Israelite A may fall from poor to very poor to economic collapse? It could be because he was lazy, because he was foolish, because …… In a word, it was his fault!

Israelite B has worked hard, was careful and prudent in financial matters. Surely it’s not fair that what he has gained/accumulated via his prudence be taken away and restored to Israelite A!

Wouldn’t Relative A say the same? “Why, I put out the money, I step in to help! Surely the land must remain with me. Why should it go back to Israelite A? He could squander it again!”

From Isaiah 5 and Jeremiah 34, it would appear that the Israelites don’t like to keep the Year of Jubilee! If they can ignore/forget it, they will! Why? If you are an Israelite living in the Old Testament, what would be your reaction to this institution?

“We do not have friends; we have interests,” said General Charles De Gaulle while President of France. What did he mean? Simply that France’s relationships with other nations could only be decided around her “interests”—commercial advantage or disadvantage. That’s precisely how God does not His people to live! When we approach life from the standpoint of “interests”, what we are basically doing ultimately is to live for self! But God’s people must live for Him!!

The Jubilee Institution, among other aims, aimed at ‘self’ in the Israelite. You must not order and operate based solely on “what’s in it for me, what’s good for me?” You have to learn to be others-oriented. Why bother?

Hear the reasons God gave:

25:17 – Therefore you shall not oppress one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the LORD your God. 

25:37 – I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. 

25:55 – For the children of Israel are servants to Me; they are My servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. 

In a word, you are to do this because I am your God! I went out to deliver you from the house of bondage so that you can enjoy this liberty today! I went forth to bring you into Canaan so that you have returned to the land that I promised to give to your forefathers! Because of what you have experienced, this is how you should treat your fellow brothers!!

This tying of Jubilee to Exodus is significant, especially when we remember the words and actions of Jesus in Luke 4:16-21. He read from the prophet Isaiah: 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 and then said, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Jesus is the Ultimate Fulfillment of Jubilee! While we cannot be sure that it was Israelite A’s fault to be in such dire straits, we can be 100% certain that it is our fault that we are in misery and under damnation. We have rebelled and sinned against God and we deserve His wrath! But Jesus came and proclaimed liberty to us, at great costs to Himself! He came and restored us to God, and even made us sons and daughters of the Most High! What Jesus did is the perfect demonstration of what self-less means!!

He will now work in us (His disciples) to kill our self-will, our tendency to live for our self-interest and self-glory. “… and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” He will pursue Project KS in us until His goal for us has been achieved. What must we do? 

Align yourself with what your Saviour is doing in you. Act contrary to your self-interest. Be others-oriented. Say ‘No’ to self-centeredness. Have you written down the two things you can do to “co-operate” with God in Project KS? Have you started to work on them?  

WEI En Yi

Bear One Another’s Burden

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Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.  But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.  (Galatians 6:1‭-‬2 NIV)

In this article, we will discuss how we can be of spiritual help to a bro or sis who is struggling spiritually in their walk in Christ. I will highlight a few observations on the text above and share some lessons for our gleaning.

First of all, we want to note that this command is given to all Christians.  It is not specifically to church leaders.  So clearly, it is the duty of every Christian to help someone (another believer) we know who is caught in a sin. 

Each of us can play a part to restore an erring brethren back to God.  So long as we are living or walking in the Spirit, we can be used by God to reach and restore this person.  I know it sounds scary to some people.  But note that Paul did not command us to solve the person’s problem.  We are not called to be problems solvers.  Instead, Paul commands us to be burden bearers to restore an erring brethren.

Secondly, the words caught in a sin conveys the idea of someone who is trapped unawares, like what happens when we are caught in a net. The person is caught off-guard and thus falls into some besetting sins and unable to free himself.  So we are not talking about someone who is deliberately walking and living in sin.  The person is struggling, he knows he is trapped, wanting to get out. Eg. he knows it is wrong to indulge in pornography or SSA, but wanting to get out but could not do so successfully.  Or he knows it is wrong to harbour grudges but finds it difficult to forgive because of the hurt he has experienced.

Thirdly, we are to restore the erring brethren gently or in meekness (says another version). The work of restoration is not for the rough and impatient. 

But why gently or in meekness?

  1. Because we are aware that we too may fall into the same if we are not careful.  Hence Paul also cautioned us to watch ourselves, lest we be tempted.
  2. Because we understand what it means to feel a sense of shame and guilt when we sinned against God who is all-knowing.  
  3. Because we understand the restoration process can be a painful one.  It is like someone who had an open wound.  He will feel the pain when a nurse exposes his wounds for washing before applying any treatment.   

Matthew Henry said, “Many needful reproofs lose their efficacy by being given in wrath; but when they are managed with calmness and tenderness and appear to proceed from sincere affection and concern for the welfare of those to whom they are given, they are likely to make a due impression. “

Well, that’s how we are to restore an erring brethren and bear their burdens.  But as fallen creatures, sometimes we are guilty of becoming impatient because we want the person to move on quickly and not get stuck for too long.  So we ended up rushing the process.  Instead of listening patiently, we are quick to offer our solutions.  We forgot that we are dealing with another human being.  So in the end, we lost them despite our good intentions to help them.  We no longer become their go-to person.  Worst of all, they go to someone else in the world for advice or to confide in them.    

We must remind ourselves that restoration is a slow process that requires lots of patience but more importantly, it requires much prayer. For praying is an essential step to restore the erring brethren.  

Remember the Lord said to Peter, “Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; ”  

Dear bros and sis, do you know of anyone in the church who has been absent from the means of grace for a while? Or someone whom you sense has become withdrawn from the fellowship of the church?  We may want to pray that Satan may not sift them as wheat but that God would keep their faith. And to give us the courage to move towards them with compassion and patience.

A Story was told of a man who shared with a small group that his past year had been the most difficult of his life.  In response, no one said a word (perhaps they did not know what to say).  So no one approached him and ask.  So in the next 10 years, he kept to himself. 

Ed Welch wrote, “Too often we are silent when we know of someone’s trouble.  Silence is the same as turning away.”

So brethren, if we know of someone who is in a similar situation, let’s not wait or assume that someone will reach them, why not be the first responder (especially if you know him/her personally)? Perhaps God may use you to restore him/her back to God.   Even if you do not know exactly what you can do, you can still show your concern by listening to them and praying with them.  Pray as if you are the one feeling the weight of their struggle, and lead them to Christ who is our Sin-Bearer.  For ultimately, only our Chief Shepherd can restore our soul. And in doing so, we help to bear their burdens before the Lord.  

I will just end with a quote by CH Spurgeon…

“He who has erred was one of you, one who sat with you at the communion table, … He has been deceived, and by the subtlety of Satan he has been lured, but do not judge him harshly; above all, do not allow him to perish without mercy. If he ever was a saved man, he is still your brother, and it is your business to bring back the prodigal and make your Father’s heart glad…; follow up with him and do not rest until you lead him home again.”

May the Lord enables each one of us to be a burden bearer to our struggling brethren.

– Paul Phua (Shared on 26 Nov 2020 Prayer Meeting)

Seeking A Life-Companion

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Marriage Is A Divine Institution. Since God instituted marriage, then marriage – your marriage — must be regulated by His rules and regulations, not by your whims and fancies.  You may marry, divorce and remarry, only if, only when, only how and only to whom He says you may, without sinning. 

Marriage Is A Covenant Of Companionship. A man and a woman vowed to be each other’s companion and to meet each other’s need for companionship, till death separates them. By viewing marriage as a covenant, we are underlining the fact that it is not to be entered into lightly, nor be dissolved hastily.

In view of the above, it is wise and prudent for young people to ask, “How then may we proceed in seeking a life-companion? Are there any Scriptural principles to guide us?” I want to use the incident of Abraham seeking a wife for Isaac (Genesis 24) to give you some guidelines relating to this matter:


[1] Do Be Very Careful!

I am not against marriage. I am merely urging great caution as young men and women set out to seek a life-companion. See the great care Abraham exercised in seeking a life-companion for his son Isaac. Note that he chose the oldest servant for the task (v2). There is great wisdom in his action. Our spouse will exert a great influence in our life. He/She will either be a spur or a hindrance to our Christian Life. Nehemiah 13:26b reminded us that “pagan women caused even (wise) Solomon to sin”. Abraham was cautious, but he was not paralyzed. He acted, with caution.

[2] Do Choose Any But Only From Your ‘Kinsman’.

Abraham wanted a daughter-in-law. Isaac needed a wife. The servant was to carry out the task, but as verses 3&4 inform us, he must not choose a Canaanite lady. He must choose one from Abraham’s kindred. This criterion appeared to be unnecessarily narrow, placing Isaac at a great disadvantage. Yet Abraham insisted that it must be maintained and upheld, even if it meant traveling at least 675 km to do the job! The reason is not racial, but religious. 

Christians today must insist on the same principle based on the same reason. We must not marry outside the faith. Hence, we must not date/court a non-Christian. And we must assess his/her profession of faith Biblically before committing ourselves to the relationship. We tend to be very blind and deaf when we come to making such assessment, because in those moments, we are guided more by our emotions than our thoughts. So speak to your parents and church elders. They are not out to make you life-long singles!

[3] Don’t Be Obsessed With Marriage.

Read verses 5, 6 & 8. Abraham makes it clear that if the woman refused to follow the servant back, he must not bring Isaac there. Abraham is sure that God will guide and provide. But if God sees fit not to provide, then let Isaac remain single! Better to be without a life-companion than to be without God! The point is this: Marriage is good and desirable. But don’t be obsessed with it. God is your ultimate rest and companion. He is MOST IMPORTANT!

[4] Don’t Go Without Prayer!

So important is this matter, so prone are we to make mistake, we must pray. That’s what the servant did. Having done all he could – being in the right place, at the right time (v11), he prayed (v12-14). And observe how prayerful and worshipful he was (v21, 26, 52). “Don’t look around for a life partner, look up!” is a good advice. The Psalms exhort us to delight ourselves in the LORD, and He will give us the desires of our heart, to commit our ways to Him, trust Him and He shall bring it to pass. 

[5] Don’t Stop At The External.

Sadly, that’s all the criteria used by many young people today – external beauty. As long as he/she is cool, ok. Really?! The fact that Rebecca was a beautiful lady was incidental. According to v13&14, the servant was looking for a beautiful character. He was searching for a virtuous and prudent wife for Isaac. Her beautiful character includes: 

  • Generosity (giving a stranger and his camels water to drink)
  • Diligence (going out to get water)
  • Modesty (covering herself with a veil) 
  • Respectful (her conduct throughout)

    • 1 Samuel 2:30 says that “those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.” We should seek to honour God in every aspect of our life, including this area of seeking a life-companion. Honour your Lord and your God, brothers and sisters! 

    WEI En Yi