Lev 25:23 | KingComments | STEP | The starting point for the rules for redemption is that the land is the land of the LORD. His is the earth and all it contains ( ), but He has given the land of Canaan a special place. In that land He has given every tribe and family its inheritance and so He wants to see it fulfilled. Because of man’s unfaithfulness, for forty-nine years there can be a state of affairs of confusion and misery. But it will not remain so. There will be a fiftieth year in which everything will be restored in such a way that God’s original plan will be seen. The Christian is aware that the redemption of his inheritance is yet to come. He already has the pledge of it, namely “the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of [God’s own] possession” ( ). Anyone who is guided by the Spirit will not be tempted to give up anything of his inheritance by seeking his happiness on earth to experience it here and now. Now it may happen that someone is forced to sell his land because he is impoverished. At the same time the LORD determines that there is always the right of redemption. One does not have to wait until the year of jubilee. Someone else can pay his debt for him in the meantime. Then he again possesses his inheritance. But the settlement has to be done on the basis of the time that runs until the year of jubilee. If someone remains incapable to redeem it, he will at least receive his land back in the year of jubilee, as a special proof of God’s grace. Naboth has no need to renounce his inheritance. He appreciates his inheritance and refuses to sell it to Ahab or to exchange it for a vineyard of Ahab ( ). Ahab gets the land of Naboth only through a list of murderous Jezebel ( ). The cases of impoverishment are becoming more and more poignant in this chapter. 1. refers to an impoverishment in which the poor “has to sell part of his property”. 2. In the brother is so impoverished that “his means with regard to you falter” and must be kept alive. The need is great. 3. In the brother is so impoverished that he is obliged to sell himself. 4. In the situation is worst: there an impoverished brother sells himself to a stranger. Someone can become impoverished, for example due to illness or the wrong policy. In spiritual terms, poverty is often due to unhealthy, sickening activities (sins) or to being absorbed by earthly activities, a misbalance between the time spent on spiritual and earthly matters. The redemption of the land can take place in different ways. Those who have to sell land can have someone who is “his nearest kinsman” who can act as a redeemer ( ). This is reminiscent of the Lord Jesus as the true ‘Kinsman’ – He partook of flesh and blood ( ). He paid the price through His work on the cross to redeem the inheritance from the debt that rests on it. This applies both to the land of Israel and to all creation. An example of this acting as a redeemer can be seen in the history of Boaz and Ruth. The Lord Jesus is the true Boaz. Boaz is able to help the impoverished Naomi and Ruth to regain possession of the inheritance that Naomi has lost ( ). Thus the Lord Jesus will once as the true Boaz – Boaz means ‘in him is strength’ – bring everything back into the possession of God as the original Owner.

‏ Leviticus 25:23

Redemption of the Land

The starting point for the rules for redemption is that the land is the land of the LORD. His is the earth and all it contains (Psa 24:1), but He has given the land of Canaan a special place. In that land He has given every tribe and family its inheritance and so He wants to see it fulfilled. Because of man’s unfaithfulness, for forty-nine years there can be a state of affairs of confusion and misery. But it will not remain so. There will be a fiftieth year in which everything will be restored in such a way that God’s original plan will be seen.

The Christian is aware that the redemption of his inheritance is yet to come. He already has the pledge of it, namely “the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of [God’s own] possession” (Eph 1:13b-14). Anyone who is guided by the Spirit will not be tempted to give up anything of his inheritance by seeking his happiness on earth to experience it here and now.

Now it may happen that someone is forced to sell his land because he is impoverished. At the same time the LORD determines that there is always the right of redemption. One does not have to wait until the year of jubilee. Someone else can pay his debt for him in the meantime. Then he again possesses his inheritance. But the settlement has to be done on the basis of the time that runs until the year of jubilee.

If someone remains incapable to redeem it, he will at least receive his land back in the year of jubilee, as a special proof of God’s grace. Naboth has no need to renounce his inheritance. He appreciates his inheritance and refuses to sell it to Ahab or to exchange it for a vineyard of Ahab (1Kgs 21:1-3). Ahab gets the land of Naboth only through a list of murderous Jezebel (1Kgs 21:7-10).

The cases of impoverishment are becoming more and more poignant in this chapter.

1. Lev 25:25 refers to an impoverishment in which the poor “has to sell part of his property”.

2. In Lev 25:35 the brother is so impoverished that “his means with regard to you falter” and must be kept alive. The need is great.

3. In Lev 25:39 the brother is so impoverished that he is obliged to sell himself.

4. In Lev 25:47 the situation is worst: there an impoverished brother sells himself to a stranger.

Someone can become impoverished, for example due to illness or the wrong policy. In spiritual terms, poverty is often due to unhealthy, sickening activities (sins) or to being absorbed by earthly activities, a misbalance between the time spent on spiritual and earthly matters.

The redemption of the land can take place in different ways. Those who have to sell land can have someone who is “his nearest kinsman” who can act as a redeemer (Lev 25:25). This is reminiscent of the Lord Jesus as the true ‘Kinsman’ – He partook of flesh and blood (Heb 2:14a). He paid the price through His work on the cross to redeem the inheritance from the debt that rests on it. This applies both to the land of Israel and to all creation.

An example of this acting as a redeemer can be seen in the history of Boaz and Ruth. The Lord Jesus is the true Boaz. Boaz is able to help the impoverished Naomi and Ruth to regain possession of the inheritance that Naomi has lost (Rth 4:1-10). Thus the Lord Jesus will once as the true Boaz – Boaz means ‘in him is strength’ – bring everything back into the possession of God as the original Owner.