ISAAC NORRIS’S BELL

 

Commissioned in 1751 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1701 Charter of Privileges of Pennsylvania, which granted unprecedented freedoms to its inhabitants, including the right to free religious worship. It was hung in the Pennsylvania State House–now known as Independence Hall. Abolitionists later renamed this bell, “The Liberty Bell”.

 

The inscription: “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.”

 

THE JUBILEE

Leviticus 25.8-10.

Features of the Jubilee
• Everyone returned to their family property (25.10)
• Land was not sown or harvested; what grew of itself was food for everyone (25.6-7,12)
• Land that had been sold, and Levitical houses, returned to their original owners (25.28)
• Bond servants (and their families) were freed.
   o Israelites were not to hold other Israelites as slaves for more than 6 years, but this term could be shorter if a Jubilee occurred.
   o Israelites were not to serve foreigners for longer than 49 years.
   o v55. “They are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”

 

Ezekiel 46.17. The context is Millennial; the Jubilee will be observed!

 

But why did the Jubilee occur on the Day of Atonement? Why not Pentecost or Trumpets or Passover?

The Day of Atonement is uniquely connected to liberty–not just for a few, but for all.

 

FOUR FREEDOMS

Freedom from the Guilt of Sin
• Leviticus 16.11, 15. The blood of the two sin offerings brought into the Holy of Holies.
   o Not a trespass offering, for what one did
   o A sin offering, for what one is 
   o Sin offerings were burned outside the camp, typifying Jesus Christ
• Leviticus 16.29-30. “…that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.” 
   o “Atonement” literally meaning “covering”, as in “cover [the ark] inside and out with pitch” 
• Hebrews 9.7, 9. 
   o They were only outwardly clean
• Hebrews 9.13-14. “…how much more shall the blood of Christ…cleanse your conscience…?” 
  o We can be inwardly clean! 
  o Is your conscience clean? If not, why not?
• We can have freedom, not just from the penalty (death), but the guilt (in both the judicial and consciential sense)
   o In the future, this freedom will be extended to ALL PEOPLE. 

 

Freedom from the Master of Sin
• Leviticus 16.5. The sin offering was not one, but two goats.
• Leviticus 16.7-10, 21-22. The Scapegoat.
   o This is a unique sacrifice among all those commanded.
   o Complete atonement requires complete removal of sin, incl. its source
• Revelation 20.1-3. Satan bound.
  o In the future, ALL PEOPLE will be free from his yoke. (Expound.)
  o 7-8. The powerful sway of sin’s source, Satan.
• James 4.7. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
  o We can have freedom now from Satan’s influence.
  o We must resist the influence of sin. 

 

Freed from something, to something
• Atonement uniquely addresses the complete removal of sin. 
  o God hates sin, and will not coexist with it.
• Being freed from something, we are freed to something.

 

Freedom to Approach God
• Leviticus 16.2. “…he is not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die.” 
• Hebrews 9.7-8. The ritual shows that God could not be approached.
• Mark 15.37-38. “And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last. Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” 
   o Hebrews 9.23-24. The temple was a copy of the heavenly temple; the tearing of the veil symbolic of what had occurred in heaven.
   o Jesus Christ is the sin offering that allows access to God.
• Hebrews 10.19-22. “…having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus…through the veil…let us draw near with a true heart…” 
   o If we are washed, cleansed, we too can approach God.
   o Do we approach God? Do we jump at this opportunity? Are we cleansed?
• Ezekiel 36.24-25.
   o During the Millennial period, God will purify His people from sin and bring them back to Him.
   o All people will be able to return to God.

 

Freedom to Follow God
• Hebrews 9.14. “…cleanse you conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” 
   o God frees for a purpose. Consider:
 Israel from Egypt
 Israel from Babylon
 Captives during the Millennium.
   o Do we “serve the living God”? God’s Church has this unique opportunity. Do we act?
• 2 Corinthians 3.16-17. “…when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” 
   o Liberty for what?
   o 1 Peter 2.16. (NIV) "Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves."
• Revelation 20.3. “…so that he should deceive the nations no more…”
   o This is why he is bound. His deception prevents people from seeking God.
• Zechariah 8.19-23. People will have freedom to follow God.
   o cf. Isaiah 11.9. “…the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Tabernacles)

 

FREEDOM’S REQUIREMENT

These freedoms share a requirement: the complete removal of sin. None of these are possible otherwise.

 

James 4
• 7.
   o Submit to God - we have freedom to follow; “serve the living God” 
o Resist the devil - we can have freedom from the source
• 8. 
   o Draw near to God - we have freedom to approach
   o Cleanse…purify… - we can have freedom from sin
• 9. If we are walking in sin, we should react.
• 10. 
   o Humble yourselves - recognizing that we approach God in a way that could only be done once a year, with much ceremony, and with sacrifice.
   o He will lift you up.