Oct 02 2009
Our Year of Jubilee

It’s one of those days when I’m not sure whether to be happy or sad that as a nation, it’s been 49 years since we have been free! Where we are, and where we could have been by now is such a big gully apart that if we really knew any better we would not find so many things so funny. Imagine for example that we are the darkest nation on earth, and parallel that with the fact that we are one of the wealthiest nations on earth in all the elements that can be used to generate power. We became independent 49yrs ago, but can we truly lay claim to freedom? In 49 years Nigerians have willfully submitted to the recycled leadership of the same set of people. It would have been exciting if those people were actually our brightest and fairest, but it is appalling to consider that we averagely agree that our leadership is not representative of our intelligence, values and good naturedness. Year in year out however, the strongest arm of government – the people, silently reneges it’s powers to those whose voices ought be be subject to theirs, and for 49yrs we have allowed the tail to wag the dog!
It’s bad, but thank God, this is our year of Jubilee! Without going into detailed biblical references and deep exhortations on the origin of Jubilee and the concept, let me quickly summarize. God is very structured and very detailed, and uses numbers quite well (I’ve written a number of articles on numbers). On the 7th day of creation, God rested. He then appointed the 7th day for man as a day to be separated from all labours to rest. It is meant to be a day of freedom, a day of liberty, a day when you just stay off all work and rest. For the slaves in captivity in Egypt back then, rest was a luxury indeed. God then established a number of events characterised by this number 7. After 7 sets of 7 days.. meaning 7weeks, there was the celebration of a week of weeks, same for years. The 49th year is the end of the 7 sets of 7years, and marks the beginning of a year of years. The actual Jubilee is on the clock of 50, but the proclamation of it starts from the 49th year. It is a year when two key things are guaranteed – 1. Freedom! 2. A repossession of inheritance! Nigeria, welcome to your year of Jubilee! Continue Reading »









