Leviticus 25 and The Liberty Bell

I've been reading the book "America's Prophet" the past few months, and even though I'm reading it pretty slow, I am learning quite a bit. The book is all about Moses and his influence on America. To me it's fascinating to know what drives and compels other people. The pilgrims and early settlers went through so much, and leaned on their bible for support. They could relate a lot to Moses, because he escaped Egypt... like they were escaping England.

Anyways, this book talks a good deal about the Liberty Bell. I didn't know, but the LB was commissioned to have the scripture Leviticus 25:10 on it. Which makes sense because that verse says "And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family."

But that whole chapter talks about the Holiness Code. The chosen people lived this code, and like resting on the sabbath, they let the land rest every seven years and let the land lie fallow. After seven sets of seven years (49 years) the Israelites were to mark an additional year of celebration. The year of jubilee. All debts are forgiven that year, and the debters freed, and all the workers returned to their ancestral land. The message to learn is that the land doesn't belong to humans, it belongs to God.. and nobody should benefit too greatly or suffer too mightily for their work with God's bounty.

I think there is so much logic and wisdom in this. And so much to learn by living it, you learn about God's love and about forgiving others. God doesn't want us chained. He wants us free.

An archbishop from Cape Town was visiting the bell once, and said this about it "Leviticus twenty-five means that God will always free his people. Humanity corrupts itself and people get enslaved. So God makes a provision that every fiftieth year, you stop the economic hardship, you stop the political oppression, and you set everyone free and start again on an equal level. Because no doubt in fifty years you will have messed everything up again. That's why the Liberty Bell proclaims freedom. Because we will always have oppression, but God will deliver us from it. There's reason to hope."

I love this idea.

I sometimes feel like I corrupt myself.

But God will always deliver me. I just have to remember to ask to have my bell rung.